Wildcat baseball season ends with loss in Sectionals

By Editor | June 11, 2025 |

Photo by Shari Harris
Jordan Ritz watches, along with the catcher, umpire and fans in the stands, as the ball soars over the fence for a home run against Fair Grove in the Sectional game.

The Licking Wildcats hosted the Sectional game of the Class 3 State Tournament against Fair Grove on May 27.

Fans from both teams crowded the bleachers at Deer Lick Park to watch a true battle between the evenly-matched teams. But it was not to be Licking’s year to three-peat at this level of the tournament. Fair Grove came from behind to take the win, 4-3.

Fair Grove later advanced to the Quarterfinals against Clever, and won 11-5 over the Blue Jays, propelling them into the Final Four for Class 3. A 3-0 win over Portageville advanced Fair Grove to the State Final, where they were defeated by Fatima with a score of 0-2.

Fair Grove’s closest contest in the State Tournament prior to the final game was in the Sectional game against Licking. Licking had defeated State Champion Fatima 3-1 earlier in the season, proving their ability to compete at the highest level of Missouri Class 3 baseball teams.

Congratulations to the Licking Wildcat Baseball team for all of your accomplishments!