Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Carey Reeder | Staff Writer

The 2023 Chilton County Baseball Tournament is here, and five other high schools in Chilton County will attempt to dethrone Chilton County High School as county champions.

The Tigers took home the 2022 title over Thorsby High School in the finals, but the field is reset this year and the championship is anyone’s for the taking.

The tournament this year will be held at Thorsby High School from March 9-11. The tournament is single elimination, but there will be a consolation bracket to determine where each team will finish.

Verbena and Isabella high schools get the tournament started at 1 p.m. on March 9 in the opening first-round matchup. The Mustangs and Red Devils have not played each other yet this season.

“You get to take your team to a much bigger stage than what they are used to, and you really get to find out what they can do,” Isabella coach Dustin Green said. “You are put up against a wall sometimes, there are a lot of people in the stands, and you find out a lot about yourself as a player, as a coach and as a program.”

The winner will move on to the semifinals on March 10 at 1 p.m. while the loser will play on March 10 at 6 p.m. against the loser of the CCHS and Thorsby first-round game.

Maplesville and Jemison high schools play in the second first-round matchup on March 9 at 3:30 p.m. The matchup is an example of the uniqueness of the county tournament pitting different classifications against each other — Class 1A in Maplesville and Class 5A in Jemison.

“I think (the players) really enjoy it, and this group has played in it three times and it is becoming a thing to them,” Jemison coach Jason Easterling said. “I am sure they will be excited about it.”

The winner will move on to play the winner of the Verbena and Isabella first-round game on March 10 at 1 p.m. The loser will play the winner of the CCHS and Thorsby first-round game on March 10 at 3:30 p.m.

The last first-round game of the tournament is a rematch of the 2022 final between CCHS and Thorsby on March 9 at 6 p.m. In a Class 6A and Class 2A matchup, the host school Thorsby looks to pull the upset on a CCHS team hitting its stride early in the 2023 season.

“It is always fun for the kids to play in the county tournament because a lot of the kids they are playing with they grew up (together),” Thorsby coach Drew Wood said. “All of these kids know each other even though they are at different schools. It makes it fun, and it is competitive. We are excited about having everyone here.”

The winner moves on to face the loser of the Maplesville and Jemison first-round game on March 10 at 3:30 p.m. The loser faces the loser of the Verbena and Isabella first-round game on March 10 at 6 p.m.

The 2023 Chilton County Baseball Tournament will conclude on March 11 with the fifth-place game at 11 a.m. and the third-place game at 1:30 p.m. The championship game will be at approximately 4 p.m. following the third-place game.