Nixa baseball captured its first district title since 2016 with a 6-2 defeat of Republic.

Recap the entire game and view video highlights and photos here.

En route to the title, Nixa moved to 31-6 on the year, and the journey towards hoisting the trophy included defeating Springfield Central 14-1, Ozark 5-1, and Republic 6-2.

The win advances Nixa to the Class 6 state quarterfinals, where the Eagles enter on an eight-game winning streak and will face District 5 champion Blue Springs (24-14) on Saturday, May 27, at 1 p.m.

The game will be held at Blue Springs High School (2000 NW Ashton Dr, Blue Springs, MO 64015). 

Admission to the game is $8 and must be purchased online here or at the below link.

Blue Springs, the No. 3 seed in District 5, upset Rock Bridge 12-3 in the semifinals and then the 2022 state runner-up and No. 1-ranked team Blue Springs South 5-3 in the finals to earn its right in the state tournament.

The Eagles and Wildcats did not meet during the regular season but have similar opponents, William Chrisman, Rockhurst, Lee's Summit, and Rock Bridge. Both defeated William Chrisman, Lee's Summit, and Rockhurst, while Blue Springs knocked off Rock Bridge, and Nixa fell to the Bruins in a 10-inning contest 2-1. Blue Springs also dropped a game against Rockhurst and split its season series 1-1.

Entering the quarterfinal contest, Nixa's offense and pitching have a slight edge over Blue Springs. The Eagles averaged over seven runs a game, while the Wildcats came close to six. On the other end, Blue Springs surrendered nearly four runs a competition to Nixa's three.

Nixa's last appearance in the 2016 state tournament saw the Eagles reach the quarterfinals but fell to Jefferson City, and a win vs. Blue Springs would send Nixa to its first semifinal since 1974, where the Eagles finished runners-up to Pembroke Hill.

Other quarterfinal matchups include Jackson vs. Lafayette (Wildwood), De Smet vs. Francis Howell, and Rockhurst vs. Liberty North. The winner of Nixa and Blue Springs would face the winner of Rockhurst and defending state champs Liberty North. 

During the regular season, the Eagles ousted Jackson in a doubleheader 9-6 and 13-3 and Rockhurst 1-0 in a no-hit effort by Colin Kelley but fell to Francis Howell 7-1.

Click here for the Class 6 state tournament bracket.

Nixa's quarterfinal game will be live broadcasted on MSHSAA.tv for $10 here or at the below link. 

An audio-only cast with a live scoreboard for free can be viewed on the Nixa Public Schools YouTube page (@nixapublicschools) here or at the below link.

Before the Eagles departure to Blue Springs, there will be a Nixa community state send-off on Friday, May 26, at the junior high school football stadium entrance at 9:15 a.m. The community is encouraged to join.

Any additional information regarding the state baseball championships can be found here or at the below link.

Important State Information Links:
Class 6 State Tournament Bracket
Admission ($8)
Live Broadcast ($10)
Live Audio-Only Cast
MSHSAA Class 6 State Baseball Championships Website