West Platte head coach Mitch Giger has led the Blue Jays to best regular season since 2016 in his first year.
WESTON – It’s been quite some time since West Platte entered the baseball postseason with as much hope as this year.
Since dominating the early 2010s, West Platte hasn’t had as much success on the baseball field but that has changed under first-year head coach Mitch Giger. All spring long, the Blue Jays haven’t lost back-to-back games at any point – which is a feat that hasn’t been reached since 2013 when they were the Class 2 State Runners-Up.
Ahead of the season finale against South Nodaway with Jefferson (10-5) on May 7, West Platte had won 14 of its 20 games this season. That includes a 9-3 record since April 9, which matches the exact win total of the entire seasons in 2022 and 2023.
In that 12-game stretch, the Blue Jays have outscored opponents 97 to 33, which includes five shutout victories. Out of those nine wins, the closest one was decided by three runs.
Due to the strong play in the regular season, West Platte has clinched the No. 2 seed in the Class 2 District 15 Tournament. That means there will be a first-round bye and only one victory is needed to reach the district championship.
Districts will be at Perkins Park in Plattsburg and the Blue Jays’ first opponent will be Polo (9-8) or Penney (6-10) on May 13 at 6:30. If West Platte advances, it will likely take on top-seeded North Platte (17-2) in the championship on May 15.
From 2017-2023, West Platte has only won four postseason games and has failed to move past the second round. The last district championship appearance – along with the most recent district title – came in 2016.