SIOUX FALLS — The 2023 South Dakota Class B high school baseball tournament field was loaded with programs that have a pedigree in the sport.
Among the eight teams that made it to Sioux Falls, there was then-two-time defending champion Dell Rapids along with three more title-winning programs in Bon Homme/Avon, Platte-Geddes/Dakota Christian/White Lake and Madison. Also in the mix was Dakota Valley, the 2022 state runner-up.
Then, there were the Tea Area Titans.
Though the Titans have proven to be a force and regular postseason presence in other sports such as football and basketball, this season marked the first state tournament appearance for the baseball program.
Tea Area made the most of its tourney debut, winning three games in two days to take down the Class B state championship at Sioux Falls Stadium.
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“It’s pretty amazing,” said senior Logan Boom, who was named the tournament's most valuable player. “With the amount of work that went into this from everyone, it’s a really special moment.”
“Tea supports baseball, but since so many of our other sports are successful, maybe not many people know we’re pretty good, too,” Boom continued. “It means a lot now that we have everyone’s attention.”
In Monday’s quarterfinals, Tea Area breezed to an 11-1 win over Redfield Area. Then in the semifinals, the Titans survived an eight-inning battle with Dakota Valley, winning 3-2. To cap off the memorable run, Tea Area denied Bon Homme/Avon an undefeated season with an emphatic 13-2 victory in the state title game, finishing with a record of 20-5.
“For us to get it done the first time, it’s extremely special,” said head coach Tom Babb. “... This means the world to our group.”
While the Titans may have been looked at as a dark horse contender from the outside, there was confidence within the program that they had the pieces in place to win.
Boom points to the Region 3B tournament as a reaffirming moment for the club, as the Titans blasted their way into the state tournament with wins of 17-2 and 13-3. But Babb’s belief dates all the way back to Dec. 1, when the 2023 team met for training for the first time.
That confidence was tested by Dakota Valley in the semifinals, as the Panthers clawed back to force extra innings. However, according to Boom and Babb, the team hardly wavered.
“I just felt it in this group of boys that they had the grit and determination to finish it,” Babb said.
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“We’ve kind of been a seventh inning team all year,” Boom added. “We knew when the time would be right and we could finish it off.”
And they did, putting their stamp on an otherwise dominant postseason run that saw the Titans go 5-0 by a combined score of 57-10.
Next season isn’t without its question marks. The Titans graduate four seniors and are also on the verge of making the jump to Class A. So for the time being, the Titans are focused on savoring the moment they earned.
“It’s just so much joy right now,” Babb said. “We’ve battled all year and knew we could do it, so to get it done is special, and these kids are special. They make the game fun — in the dugout and on the field — they’re always smiling, having fun and that’s what baseball is about. That’s what I’m going to remember most about this group of kids.”
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