2023 5A State Baseball Championship Preview: Valley View

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - Let’s spotlight another Region 8 team that’ll compete in the Weekend of Champions.

Valley View baseball is in the state finals for the 3rd straight season. The Blazers won it all in 2021 and fell in a extra inning marathon in 2022.

Josh Allison’s squad are 29-4 this season and had a perfect 5A East campaign.

“Well, hopefully it’s one of those things where, the nerves, you’re going to be nervous cause it’s the state finals,” Allison said. “But we’ve been there 3 years in a row, we’ve got guys that have started 3 years in a row. So hopefully we can go down with our A game, if we’re going to go down. If we win it, we’re going to go win with our A game. And play loose. So that’s the goal.”

The Blazers feature D1 commits Slade Caldwell (Ole Miss) and Eli Crecelius (ULM).

“Taking it pitch by pitch, at-bat by at-bat,” Caldwell added. “Just coming out every day and work, trying to get back to the state finals and win it. They mean a lot to me. I come out every day, and I enjoy playing with these guys. They’re in my heart always.”

Crecelius credits the Blazers team chemistry. “We’ve played as a a team every single game, Lost 4 games to 4 really good teams. We fight every single time we get in. We have so many good players, so many players that contribute. So many players that just do the little things to help us win every single game.”

Valley View faces Little Rock Christian in the 5A State Baseball Championship. First pitch is Saturday at 7:00pm, the game will be televised on Arkansas PBS.

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