Four East Idaho Baseball Programs Earn State Tournament Berths at Regional Play
Bonneville, Malad, Marsh Valley and Salmon All Advance to State
Four East Idaho baseball programs punched their tickets to next week’s state tournament following regional play Saturday, capping a weekend of high-stakes competition across Idaho’s classification brackets. The Bonneville Bees, Malad Dragons, Marsh Valley Eagles, and Salmon Savages each secured their spots — with two programs looking to defend or reclaim championships and one making program history.
In 5A play, the defending state champion Bonneville Bees made short work of the regional qualifier, dispatching Burley 11-1 in just five innings to claim the 5A East Regional title. Senior Carter Bowen was dominant on the mound, working all five frames and surrendering just five hits and a single run. Junior Tanner Miller paced the Bees’ offense with four runs batted in, while senior Gavin Webb added a home run. Bonneville now heads into the state tournament as the team to beat, having won the 5A crown a year ago.
Also in 5A East, Burley had earlier eliminated Preston in a tightly contested game. Blackfoot’s season came to a close in the 5A West Regional, falling 6-5 to host Skyview after beating Lewiston earlier in the day. Senior Conner Cannon finished the day going 3-for-4 at the plate despite the loss. Idaho Falls saw its postseason run end in a run-rule defeat to Sandpoint in the 5A North Regional championship, 12-2, after beating rival Hillcrest to advance. Seniors Rooke Hawker and Makai Ferguson and sophomore Treygan Riedle each drove in multiple runs in the win over Hillcrest. Skyline’s season finished 0-2 in the 5A South Regional, with junior Hayden Nahay providing a bright spot by homering and accounting for all three Grizzly runs in an 11-3 loss to Bishop Kelly.
Malad and Salmon Lead 3A Charge; Marsh Valley Completes Comeback
In 4A competition, Marsh Valley recovered from a Friday loss to sweep a Saturday doubleheader against Filer, winning 5-4 and then 9-4 to claim a state tournament spot. The No. 3 seed Eagles have reached the state tournament podium three times previously and will look to recapture that form. South Fremont’s season ended in a 10-0 loss to Cole Valley Christian, with junior Tayson Farley accounting for the team’s lone extra-base hit.
The Malad Dragons entered the weekend as reigning 3A state champions and left it with a chance to repeat. Senior Kurt Ward delivered a complete-game performance on his birthday to seal Malad’s 3-2 victory over Nampa Christian in the 3A South Regional final. Junior Dawsyn Peterson provided the offensive spark, lining a double to left-center that scored the Dragons’ first run of the game. Ward’s birthday outing was the clincher Malad needed to return to the state stage.
The most compelling storyline of the weekend may belong to the Salmon Savages, a program less than a decade old that has never before reached the state tournament. Salmon steamrolled through the 3A East Region, defeating Wendell twice by run-rule to earn the program’s first-ever state tournament berth. Junior Eli Pakuer started on the mound, working five innings and allowing only three unearned runs. Senior Reuel McCallum drove in four runs on two hits. Since the start of the playoffs, Salmon has outscored opponents 63-5 — a run differential that speaks to a program that has arrived at a new level.
In the 3A West Regional, Firth advanced to the championship round before falling to host Melba 16-5 in five innings. Junior Quinton Hall led the Cougars with four RBIs in the loss.
6A Hopefuls Fall Short
In the larger 6A classification, no Bonneville County programs advanced. Thunder Ridge reached the regional tournament after a Friday win over Rigby behind senior Kutter Lish, but dropped both Saturday games, including a 13-4 loss to Rigby in the elimination round. Senior Kanyon Lish drove in two runs in the loss. Rigby similarly bounced back before falling 6-1 to Owyhee, which claimed the 6A West 1 Regional crown. Highland came close, winning a consolation matchup over Centennial behind senior Cooper Colonel’s three-hit, three-RBI effort, before falling to reigning 6A champion Middleton in the regional final.
For Bonneville County fans, attention now turns to the state tournament, where the Bees will defend their 5A title alongside Malad in 3A and Marsh Valley in 4A — all while Salmon makes its long-awaited first appearance on Idaho’s biggest prep baseball stage.
What Comes Next
State tournament play is scheduled for next week, with all four qualifying East Idaho programs set to compete. Bonneville will enter as the defending 5A champion, Malad as the defending 3A champion, and Marsh Valley as a program with three previous podium finishes. Salmon’s historic first-ever state appearance has drawn attention across the 3A field given the team’s 63-5 playoff scoring margin. Follow ongoing local sports and community coverage at Idaho Falls’ Heritage Park, which recently unveiled new park shelters, and stay connected with the community through local events including Bonneville County’s upcoming ceremony honoring fallen heroes. Full state tournament brackets and schedules are expected to be released ahead of next week’s competition.