Platte County goes distance again to earn 3rd trip to Class 5 semifinals in past 5 seasons

Platte County knows more not only about navigating the totality of the new best-of-three state quarterfinal series than any other team in Missouri but also have the desired positive results to along with the high-pressure scenarios. This year might have played out differently, but the Pirates earned another opportunity to play for a Class 5 title Friday and Saturday at Platte County High School.

Again pushed to a third game, Platte County’s 5-0 shutout of Summit Christian sent the Pirates back to the state semifinals for the fourth time in school history and third time in the past five seasons. This time, they won the first and third games, coming back from a blowout loss earlier in the day to avoid elimination.

Last season, Platte County lost the quarterfinal series opener to Webb City then swept Saturday’s games on the way the program’s third state championship (2002, 2022, 2025).

“We came out looking for the sweep. Obviously, didn’t get it,” Platte County sophomore third baseman Nolan Sipes said. “Wasn’t what we were looking for, but the whole (second) game, I was just trying to keep everybody up, keep everyone motivated — let them know we had a chance. Our mindset was just prepare for the next one.”

Platte County senior Zach Brown pitched in all three games, appearing in relief during the first two and starting the decisive third. The Pirates were able to control his pitch counts to stay within applicable limits in what became a series of inspired performances for a continuously developing roster that opened the season with a large contingent of first-time contributors.

Summit Christian (27-6) pounded out seven home runs total in the three games — five in a 16-4 win in the second that extended the series.

Platte County (26-13) squandered a few early chances but gave Brown a tenuous 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth of Game 3 on sophomore second baseman Beckett Hall’s two-out single. The Pirates added four in the top of the seventh with Sipes delivering the biggest blow — a two-run double to left field with the bases loaded.

“I came up. I knew the runners were there. I knew what I could do,” Sipes said. “I was due for it. I hadn’t gotten a hit since the first game of the series. I was just looking for my shot, and it happened. I got my pitch and just took it.”

Brown hit his one-day pitch limit after recording the first out in the bottom of the inning, and senior Owen Bane came in and worked around a walk to set off a dog-pile celebration on the mound.

Platte County advances to Friday’s 7 p.m. state semifinal against Willard (32-8) with St. Dominic (27-11) and Chaminade (22-14) on the opposite side of the bracket. Those games will be played Friday at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark.

The third-place game will be at 4 p.m. Saturday with the semifinal winners advancing to the championship at 7 p.m.

Willard ranked No. 2 in the final Missouri Baseball Coaches Association Class 5 state poll of the season knocked off No. 1 Webb City in the district finals and swept No. 8 Marshfield in the quarterfinals. St. Dominic was No. 4 and Platte County No. 5 with Chaminade not receiving any votes.

“We’re super excited,” Sipes said. “Obviously, we’re coming out to win it all. We were here last year. We know what it’s like. We should be ready.”

Platte County started strong Friday behind senior star Brennan McLaughlin, who threw 4 1/3 innings and hit a grand slam in what became a 7-4 victory. His team-leading eight home run of the season put the Pirates ahead for good in the top of the third, and he added a one-out double in the top of the fifth with the Eagles playing as the home team.

Summit Christian scored one off of McLaughlin in the bottom of the first and then chased him after closing within 6-4 in the fifth. He finished with six strikeouts and only three of the four runs were earned. Brown came on and recorded four outs but exited at 30 pitches to save his availability for Saturday.

Platte County senior Lucas Dillingham came on with the tying run at the plate and escaped with a strikeout and then worked a 1-2-3 seventh to close out the opening victory. The Pirates originally built a 6-1 lead, starting with a bases-loaded situation in the third. Walks for sophomore center fielder Bennett Burnich and senior left fielder Matt Cisco sandwiched around a single for Hall brought McLaughlin up for his grand slam.

Immediately after going ahead, Platte County senior designated hitter Ian Gold doubled and then scored on junior catcher Tate Archer’s single. The Pirates added a sixth run on Sipes’ two-out single in the fifth to score McLaughlin after his double.

Platte County senior first baseman Andrew Edsall’s double in the sixth led to an insurance run on Bane’s groundout.

Summit Christian came back the next day needing a sweep to advance to the state semifinals for the fourth time in program history. The Eagles jumped to a 6-0 lead seniors Brooks Zumwalt and Nathan Medsker hitting home runs off of Platte County junior starter Evan Magnuson and senior Trent Belcher.

McLaughlin answered with a three-run home run — his team-leading ninth of the season — in the bottom of the third to briefly pull Platte County within two, but Summit Christian then intentionally walked him in all but one of his remaining at-bats in the series. The Pirates ended up cycling through Magnuson (2 1/3 innings), Belcher (2/3 of an inning), Brown (two innings), Dillingham (2/3 of an inning) and junior Brock Dye (one inning).

All five allowed at least two runs with Zumwalt — one of two brothers who are sons of Kansas City Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt — adding two more home runs, including a grand slam, and Medsker hitting his second in what became a double-digit blowout win for Summit Christian.

However, Brown stayed at 30 pitches, giving him up to 75 more for Platte County in the winner-take-all third game. He efficiently worked around runners in each of the first four innings and leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the third with Summit Christian again playing as the home team. The Eagles were just as resilient, turning double plays in the first two frames and stranding Edsall after a double in the second and also escaping a bases-loaded jam in the third.

In the first, Beckett led off with a single, and Summit Christian walked McLaughlin to put two on with one out. Gold then grounded into an inning-ending double play. Sipes led off the secnond with an infield single but then ended up bizarrely doubled off when Summit Christian senior catcher John Garrison dove toward the back stop to catch a pop foul bunt from Archer. Garrison jumped up and fired to second to double off Sipes trying to advance on the play.

The third saw Cisco, McLaughlin and Gold walk with two outs, but Sipes grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the threat.

However, Platte County finally went in front in the fourth on just one hit. Edsall walked, and Summit Christian senior pitcher Cooper Boldrey hit Bane with a pitch on the first batter he faced in relief. After a strikeout, Hall gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead with line drive to center field.

Summit Christian ended up with just two runners the rest of the way — only one on Brown, who went 6 1/3 innings and scattered four hits and three walks while striking out two. He hit 75 pitches on the first out of the seventh and had to come out, but Platte County led 5-0 at that point thanks to a hit by pitch, an intentional walk to to McLaughlin and two errors before Sipes’ double. The Pirates’ final run came home on a wild pitch.

Platte County now looks to become Missouri’s first back-to-back state champion since both St. Elizabeth (Class 1) and Liberty North (Class 6) did so in 2022 and 2023.

A year ago, the road included surviving a quarterfinal series at Webb City that included two extra-inning games and increasingly difficult pitch limit scenarios. The Pirates were the only team in the state to play three in the first year of the new playoff format for Classes 5 and 6

Platte County then handled Rockwood Summit in the Class 5 semifinals before a memorable comeback gave way to a 14-4 run-rule victory over previously No. 1-ranked Vianney in the title game.

Consistently ranked in the MBCA poll throughout the year, Platte County only brought back three starters in the lineup from last season (McLaughlin, Gold and Edsall) after losing a strong senior class plus the early graduation of Brooks Hall and Rocco Marriott to start their Division I football careers at Central Florida this spring. The Pirates slowly built confidence around a deep pitching staff with McLaughlin — an Oral Roberts signee, two-time MCBA all-state selection and last year’s Class 5 player of the year — as the ace, Brown the emerging No. 2 option and Magnuson, an all-stater as a sophomore still showing glimpses of that form.

In three previous trips to the state placement series, Platte County has gone a perfect 6-0 to account for the three state titles. Two more wins would mark a milestone.

Platte County looks to become just the 14th program in Missouri history to win at least four state championships. The Pirates have already knocked out one of the team’s tied for sixth in the Class 5 rankings (Kearney), No. 9 Summit Christian and No. 10 St. Pius X during the postseason.

Notably, the only Class 5 quarterfinal series to go three games again this season involved Platte County, while all four in Class 6 did, as well, after none in 2025.