Guide to the 2024 Montana high school baseball state tournament (2024)

MISSOULA — The second rendition of the high school baseball state tournament in Montana history descends upon Missoula this week.

Eight teams head to the Garden City for a three-day tournament from Thursday through Saturday. Games will take place at Ogren-Allegiance Park, home of the Pioneer League's Missoula PaddleHeads.

The Polson Pirates, the defending champions, are back in the field. So too are last year's runner-up, the Whitefish Bulldogs, and the third-place finisher, the Belgrade Panthers. In total, seven of the eight qualifiers last year are back.

The top team from each of the four divisions earned an automatic berth to tournament. New this year, the second and third finishers in each division went to a play-in game to decide the final four spots for state.

Three wins will secure a state title. Teams that lose before the title game can battle back for third place.

After the play-in games, which were held on Saturday and Monday, the Northwest and Southwest divisions are sending three teams to the tournament. The East and West earned one qualifier each.

Here is a look at each of the eight qualifiers:

Belgrade (14-3)

The Panthers are the top seed from the East. They went 9-1 in conference play to run away with the league crown. They enter state on a four-game winning streak. They've gone 3-2 against state qualifiers, beating Columbia Falls (3-2), Butte (7-5) and Whitefish (15-1). The two losses came at Polson (10-8) in the second game of the season and against Hamilton (10-4) at the site of the state championship. They won eight games in a row between those defeats. Belgrade went 3-1 at state last year to take third place.

Butte (10-6)

The Bulldogs finished third in the Southwest. They knocked off East No. 2 Livingston, 6-3, in a play-in game to reach the state tournament. Butte is 1-5 against state qualifiers. That one win, against Hamilton (3-1), came in the third game of the season. The Bulldogs lost the rematch with Hamilton (10-5) and fell to Florence twice (6-5, 15-6), Belgrade (7-5) and Polson (5-1). They went 1-2 at state last year.

Columbia Falls (15-2)

The Wildcats won the Northwest to earn a No. 1 seed for state. They went 9-1 in conference action to gain the league title by one game over Eureka. They've gone 6-2 against state qualifiers. They beatHamilton (7-6), Polson twice (18-10, 9-6), Eureka twice (6-3, 6-2) and Whitefish (15-1). They lost the first matchup against Whitefish (7-5) and enter state on an eight-game winning streak since a loss against Belgrade (6-5). Columbia Falls had missed out on the state tournament last year, losing the tiebreaker by one run.

Eureka (15-3-1)

The Lions placed second in the Northwest. They the beat West No. 3 Ronan, 9-5, in a play-in game to qualify for the state tournament. They've gone 2-3 against state qualifiers. They beat Whitefish twice (9-8, 8-2) and lost to Columbia Falls twice (6-3, 6-2) and Polson (14-0). Eureka went 0-2 at state last season.

Florence-Carlton (15-1)

The Falcons are the No. 1 seed from the Southwest. They went 11-1 in league play to win the conference title by one game over Hamilton. Their current 14-game winning streak is the longest by any team at any point this year. They went 5-1 against state qualifiers. That lone loss came against Hamilton (1-0) in the second game of the season. They later beat Hamilton (6-5) as well as fellow state participants Butte twice (6-5, 15-6), Polson (5-3) and Whitefish (12-1). The Falcons went 1-2 at state last year.

Hamilton (14-3)

The Broncs placed second in the Southwest. They scored a 2-1 walk-off win against East No. 3 Lone Peakin a play-in game to reach the state tournament. They've won 10 games in a row since starting the season 4-3. They went 4-3 against state qualifiers. They beat Florence (1-0), Belgrade (10-4), Polson (11-5) and Butte (10-5). They lost to Columbia Falls (7-6), Butte (3-1) and Florence (6-5). Hamilton went 2-2 at state last year, losing in the third-place game.

Polson (14-4)

The Pirates are the top seed from the West. They went 8-0 in conference play to win the league crown. They've posted a 4-4 record against state qualifiers. They beat Whitefish (15-8), Belgrade (10-8), Butte (5-1) and Eureka (14-0). They lost to Columbia Falls twice (18-10, 9-6), Florence (5-3) and Hamilton (11-5). The Pirates went 3-0 at state last year to win the championship.

Whitefish (9-10)

The Bulldogs placed third in the Northwest. They knocked off West No. 2 Frenchtown to win a state play-in game, rallying from a 7-1 deficit for an 11-10 victory. They went 1-6 against state qualifiers. They beat Columbia Falls (7-5) and lost to Polson (15-8), Belgrade (15-1), Eureka twice (9-8, 8-2), Florence (12-1) and Columbia Falls (15-1). They went 2-1 at state last year to finish as the runner-up.