For the fourth time since 2014, and ninth overall, the St. Xavier Tigers (34-10) are state champions. They defeated the Russell County Lakers 11-1 on Saturday night at Kentucky Proud Park in the 2022 Clark’s Pump and Shop State Baseball Tournament.
St. X’s Cooper Smith tied the state all-time record for triples in a season (13) with one in the bottom of the first, but Cody Luttrell’s pitching kept him stranded
The Tigers got the bats going in the top of the 3rd. John Paul Jardina reached on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, then moved to third on Zach Mark’s infield hit, and scored on a Smith flare to center.