If it's mid-May, that must mean that the Armorel Tigers are playing somewhere throughout the state of Arkansas in the 1A postseason.
The Tigers advanced to the 1A state tournament last weekend with a win over Guy-Perkins in the 1A Region 3 tournament at South Side Bee Branch for the fifth consecutive year and sixth out of the last seven.
The defending state champions have advanced as far as the semifinal round four years in a row. That may be as far as the similarities go for the Tigers.
While last year's team did what they had to do to get in by winning just the opening game in the regional, this year's squad has roared through the postseason in almost untouchable fashion.
The Tigers have outscored their opponents by a whopping 58-4 margin with only South Side Bee Branch able to get runners across the plate in a 14-4 Tiger win in the regional championship.
While the 58 runs scored is obviously eye-popping, it's the four runs allowed that's even more remarkable. Prior to Monday night's win, Tiger pitching had thrown 23 consecutive scoreless innings in the post season -- two shut outs in the district tournament and two more to start the regional tournament.
Longtime Tiger head coach, Charlie Brown, has used a rotation of juniors Ty Wagganer and Taylor Hopper and senior Austin Nicholson to this point. Hopper and Nicholson have both thrown no-hitters in blowout games that were decided long before the seventh inning and Wagganer has thrown two complete game shut outs along the way as well.
Wagganer defeated Crowley's Ridge Academy in the district finale and beat a tough Midland team, 2-0, in a tight pitcher's duel. He struck out nine, allowed just two hits and walked only one.
"He (Wagganer) really pitched a great game," said Brown after Saturday's win. "When he throws strikes, he's as tough to beat as anyone."
With a fast ball that has been creeping up close to the 90 mph mark and a change up, curve and even a slider to keep hitter off balanced, Wagganer is developing into the go-to guy that a team needs to win a championship.
Hopper, who got some experience in the state tournament as a freshman, has shown value both as a starter and a reliever. Monday night, Hopper came in, in the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and no outs. The steady junior calmly struck out the first two batters he faced to end the inning and any threat of a comeback that South Side Bee Branch may have had in mind. That's not the first time he's done that. Hopper did nearly the same thing in a key conference matchup against CRA late in the regular season.
Nicholson gives Brown a third experienced arm in the rotation. Nicholson saw a lot of action as a sophomore but moved out of state for his junior year but returned for his senior year and not a moment too soon for Brown.
"It makes a huge difference having three pitchers to go to," said Brown. "Nicholson gave us three and a half huge innings last night. Tay (Hopper) and Ty (Wagganer) have done a nice job for us but we're going to have to have that third arm. We need three guys who can step up."
Offensively, the Tigers, as in year's past, are starting swing the bats right when they need it most.
Senior Ryan Sullivan hit over .500 in the state tournament last year. While the four-year starter had a slow start this year, he has been hitting the ball well lately and looks ready to have another big tournament from the lead off spot.
Junior catcher Jonathan Porter is turning into the power hitter in the middle of the lineup that any team needs.
He's hit two home runs in the post season including a three-run blast Monday night that Brown called the key play of the game.
One of the most pleasant surprises for coach Brown has been the fast development of freshman Ashton Kennedy.
Kennedy has provided versatility in the field and a solid and dependable bat at the plate. Kennedy collected 7 hits in the three regional games including a 4-4 performance in the championship game where he laid down two bunts for hits.
"As a freshman, I couldn't be prouder," said Brown. "We ask a lot out of him. He picked up two hits off of bunts. That's called handling the bat pretty good for a 9th grader in the two-hole. He's hitting the ball the square."
With all of the success and potential that this team has shown, Brown knows that it doesn't take much to turn everything upside down, however.
Like a six-hour ride to Taylor.
"When you're going six hours with teenagers, it's always a challenge," he said.
If Brown's group of teenagers needs any examples of how quickly a team's fortunes can turn, all he has to do is remind them of last year's state tournament. A number one seed lost to a number four seed in the first round.
That number one seed was the Taylor Tigers who made the six- hour trip to Armorel only to lose to the fourth-seeded Armorel Tigers who eventually went on to win it all.
"We have to keep our focus and keep our minds on the business at hand," said Brown. "If we don't it could turn into a real quick trip for us."
Brown should know as well as anyone. It's not like he hasn't been here before.
afitzpatrick@blythevillecourier.com