Coming off a victory over the top team in Class 1A, the No. 8 Hillcrest Academy Ravens are just one win away from a state championship game, with the No. 4 Martensdale-St. Mary’s Blue Devils standing in their path.

The Ravens plated three early runs and rode starting pitcher Seth Ours to a 3-1 victory over Remsen St. Mary’s on Monday, while Martensdale-St. Mary’s needed a sixth-inning rally to plate both of their runs in a 2-0 win over Kee-Lansing.

After taking down the top two teams in the state already during the postseason, head coach Danny Hershberger discussed keeping his team ready for every opponent, “The biggest thing is continuing to play our game, take every opponent we’ve got one at a time, and continue to relish that opportunity to play really good teams.”

Both sides are expected to start their seniors who collected saves in the quarterfinals on the mound. Hillcrest’s Phoenix Anderson leads the Ravens with a 0.64 ERA and is second on the team with a 0.85 WHIP, while the Blue Devils’ Taylon Squire comes on third on his squad with a 1.17 ERA and second with a 0.86 WHIP.

Offensively, senior Liam Schrock provides the most pop at the plate for Hillcrest, launching three home runs this year. Rowan Miller is the team’s most efficient hitter, plating 25 RBIs this year on a .329 average and a .434 OBP.

Junior Travis Wight and senior Trey Wight lead the way for Martensdale-St. Mary’s, hitting three home runs apiece. Wight also leads the team in AVG at .538, OBP at .610 , and SLG at .906.

Hillcrest is looking for its first trip to a state title game since the team won it all when Hershberger was a player in 2007. Martensdale-St. Mary’s last trip came in 2017, and the Blue Devils last won the championship in 2010.

This will be the sides’ first meeting in the Varsity Bound Era.

The Raven State Tournament Pregame Show will be on FM 106.1, the KCII app and streaming at kciiradio.com beginning at 4 p.m., with first pitch live from Carroll scheduled for 4:30.