The Jefferson City Jays and the Helias Crusaders look to earn Final Four baseball berths today with home quarterfinal games.
At 6 p.m., Jefferson City (28-2) will take on Kickapoo (20-9) at Vivion Field.
The Jays, who have been ranked No. 1 in Class 5 all season by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association, are looking to return to the Final Four for the second straight season after taking second last year.
Jefferson City, the District 9 champion, defeated Willard 6-3 in the sectional round Tuesday at Vivion Field. Jefferson City has won 18 straight games.
Kickapoo, the District 11 champion, was a 5-0 winner against Webb City in its sectional Tuesday in Springfield. The Chiefs lost two of their last three regular-season games before posting three straight victories in the postseason.
The winner advances to the semifinals against either Lee's Summit (22-9) or Platte County (24-2) at 6:30 p.m. next Friday at Car Shield Field in O'Fallon.
At 5 p.m., Helias (18-6) will square off against Aurora (24-3) at the American Legion Post 5 Sports Complex.
Helias was ranked No. 7 in the final regular season Class 4 poll. The Crusaders captured the District 9 title before besting Bolivar 10-0 in five innings in a sectional game Tuesday at the Legion Complex.
Aurora was No. 2 in the final regular-season poll. The Houn' Dawgs won the District 11 title, then blanked No. 3 Monett 5-0 in Tuesday's sectional contest.
Helias and Aurora played in the sectional round last year, with the Houn' Dawgs posting a 9-4 home victory on their way to a third-place finish in the state tournament.
The Helias-Aurora winner will take on either Pleasant Hill (17-9) or Smithville (17-11) in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. next Thursday at Car Shield Field in O'Fallon.