(May 12, 2023) Enid, Oklahoma - Coming into the Plains District Tournament, the Bucks were one of the hottest teams in the region. The Bucks were riding a 10-game winning streak and won 12 of their last 13 to finish out the season. The Bucks were the #6 seed in the tournament and were matched up with #3 NOC-Tonkawa on Thursday to begin the tournament. 

The Bucks were shutout in their opening game against Tonkawa, 10-0, to snap their winning streak. The winning streak began against the Mavericks earlier in the season. The loss put the Bucks in the elimination bracket on Friday and had to win to continue their season. The Bucks matchup on Friday was with Western Oklahoma State. The Bucks and Pioneers are familiar foes and have had a history in the tournament in years past.

The Bucks put up a fight against Western on Friday morning, even out hitting the Pioneers 11 to 10, but Western Oklahoma came out victorious 10-2 in 7 innings. The loss ended the season for UA Rich Mountain. The men finished 26-29 overall and 18-18 in Region II, which was good enough for fifth in the region. 

Western Oklahoma State Highlights: 

Hits - As mentioned before, the Bucks out hit the Pioneers. Sophomores Casey Shipley (Prairie Grove, AR) and Cooper White (Benton, AR) led the Bucks with a combined 5 hits. Every Buck in the lineup got a base hit except one. 

RBIs - Shipley recorded both RBIs for the Bucks in the contest.

Pitching - Jackson Wilson (Palestine, AR) and Jack Henry Pettit (Brookland, AR) pitched for the Bucks. Both combined for three strikeouts in the game. 

Before the games on Thursday, Casey Shipley was named the All-Region Designated Hitter for Region 2. Deuce Yaksick (Frisco, TX) was named to the Gold Glove Team as a pitcher.

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