We are still riding the high of an incredible weekend of local high school sports, and this morning on The Starting Lineup, we caught up with the man right at the center of the action. Springfield Kickapoo high school baseball head coach Jason Howser joined Ned Reynolds and Guy Newcomb to break down his team’s thrilling run to the district title and look ahead to a massive state quarterfinal showdown right here in Springfield.

Navigating a Brutal District Bracket

We asked Coach Howser to walk us through the gauntlet that was the Class 6 district tournament. Entering as the three-seed, the Kickapoo Chiefs had to battle from behind immediately against Neosho before a massive fifth inning broke things open offensively. From there, the chess match was on. By saving key relief arms like Connor Smith, the Chiefs managed a gritty 3-2 extra-inning win over Nixa before walking off Ozark in the bottom of the seventh inning to claim the championship. It is the program’s first district title since 2022, and doing it in three straight days took an emotional and physical toll—not just on the kids, but on the coaching staff too!

This championship didn’t happen overnight. Coach Howser noted that the coaching staff recognized the high-end capabilities of this group all the way back during their sophomore year. By sprinkling young talent into crucial, high-skill positions early on, players like starting catcher Brooks Eaton and shortstop Jax Hill gained invaluable varsity experience. Whether it’s home-grown stars plugging away from the freshman team like Nick Long, or junior standouts like Connor Smith who got the call-up as a freshman, this roster is a testament to trusting the developmental process.

The Ultimate Test: Welcoming the Defending Champs

Now, the focus shifts entirely to Friday, where Springfield Kickapoo will host Blue Springs South in a best-of-three state quarterfinal series. The Wildcats are the defending state champions and boast a roster loaded with high-end arms, including a Wake Forest commit throwing in the low-to-mid 90s and a talented left-handed pitcher headed to Hutchinson Community College. But with a pitching staff of their own featuring four arms with roughly 40 innings under their belts—including Missouri State University commit Brody Wilson and district hero Camden Lasley—the Chiefs love their chances.