The Iola AA Indians are about to face their biggest test this summer.
The Indians (29-6) were named the AA American Legion state champions Sunday. With no time to rest on their laurels, they’ll play Pittsburg’s AAA Post 64 for the Super State title at Humboldt on Friday.
“If we play our game and we’re consistent with it, I see us moving way up high in the regional and national levels,” said Iola head coach Ethan Tavarez.
Iola’s team consists of eight players who earned All-State honors this spring.
Those players are Iola’s Brandon McKarnin and Tre Wilson, Humboldt’s Trey Sommer, Sam Hull and Logan Page as well as Crest’s Trevor Church, Rogan Weir and Jack White. The Humboldt Cubs also reached the Class 3A state tournament, where they came in third.
Tavarez believes Iola has all the pieces necessary to take down AAA Pittsburg. The Indians defeated Post 64 earlier this season.
“If we want any chance at going to Alabama or beating a team we know we can beat, even though they’re a so-called bigger and better team, we definitely need to start where we left off Sunday after our last game,” said Tavarez. “We can’t come out and act like we took a break.”
The 5-4 win over Pittsburg was July 6. Wilson had an inside-the-park home run in the third for the final score. Logan Page earned the win on the mound, tossing five innings of four-run, seven strikeout ball and also had a solo home run.
“That second game we came back and played very well as a team,” Tavarez said of the win against Pittsburg. “Communication was great, bats were staying hot and we had guys that made something happen when they came up to the plate which is huge.
“Pittsburg threw a hard-thrower so the fact we were still able to hit and win that game shows our guys can face any kind of pitching and be dominant,” said Tavarez.
The Indians wrapped up the state tournament with a 10-0 championship victory over Concordia. Sommer pitched a complete-game shutout and also slugged a two-run home run in the first inning, en route to driving in a team-high three runs. 
It was a full-team effort. Hull delivered a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the seventh for a 6-5 win over Colby in the opener. The Indians then totaled 14 hits, including Kaiden Barnett and Hull’s three hits apiece in a 13-3 demolishing of Beloit.
Church threw another complete game, shortly after he did so in the zone tournament as well. Church allowed only one run in a 3-1 victory over Garnett’s Post 48 Muddogs. Jack White came up with the big tiebreaking two-run single. That win propelled the Indians to the state championship game against Concordia.
Iola and Pittsburg have faced off numerous times in the past two years.
“In my two years of coaching we’ve played these guys eight or 10 times and we know what they’re about,” Tavarez said. “There’s no reason we should be scared of them. I’m hoping the guys come out not even worried about the team we’re playing.”
