The Cougar baseball team left for Pine Bluff today (Thursday) for their first round state tournament game. Rector will be facing Dierks, the number two seed from the south region, at 2:30 p.m. Friday. If Rector wins, they'll face either Poyen or Hermitage at noon on Saturday.

The trip is made all the more special because this is the first time this group of boys had had an opportunity to play at the state level. In fact, it's the first time a boys team from any of the "big three" sports has been to a state tourney since 2001. Cougar assistant coach Matt Mills was a standout senior on the '01 squad.

Baseball appears to have bounced back in this area. The boys from Marmaduke have also realized their season-long goal of making the state gathering, earning their invite to the 3A diamond dance at Searcy. The 'Hounds will battle Pea Ridge at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Should they emerge victorious, and I think they will, Marmaduke will square off against the Prescott-Mayflower winner at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Both squads are peppered with talented young men of outstanding character. These seniors were freshman when I began covering sports at the Democrat. I've been fortunate to see them grow from talented youngsters to the promising future leaders they are becoming.

I encourage anyone with the opportunity to go out and see these teams take the field another time before the inevitable end to this season is upon us.