Sparta enters Class 2 District 5 as the No. 1 seed for a second straight season, while defending District champion Clever will look to repeat as the No. 4 seed.
Opening-round play is slated for Friday at District host Forsyth.
Sparta begins this week with a 22-4 record and has won 16 of its last 17 games.
Natalie Wilks’ pitching and hitting have led the Lady Trojans.
The left-handed senior owns a 15-4 W-L record while striking out 166 batters and allowing 33 runs over 103 innings.
Wilks is batting .533 with six home runs and 52 RBIs. Of her 40 hits, 33 have been for extra bases.
Mya Fulton has walked 25 times in 94 plate appearances to up her on-base percentage to .527.
Megan Brown has scored 51 runs while hitting .462.
Madeline Brown is hitting .471 and McKenzie Wilson has four home runs and 35 RBIs.
Most of Sparta’s wins have come against completely outclassed opponents. The Lady Trojans’ quality wins have been against the likes of Skyline, Kennett, Purdy, Strafford and Forsyth.
Sparta’s lone loss to a District foe was an 8-5 setback at the hands of Clever. The Lady Jays rallied for six runs in the seventh inning to pull out the victory.
Clever (13-10) is averaging 7.7 runs a game.
Clever and Sparta played in the District championship last year and a rematch could occur in the semifinal round.
First-round games Friday will include Spokane-Sparta at 3:30 p.m., Hollister-Strafford at 5 p.m., Marionville-Clever at 6:30 p.m. and Springfield Catholic-Forsyth at 8 p.m.
The semifinals are set for May 9 and title tilt for May 9.
