The Pleasantville baseball team is preparing for the 2024 State Baseball Tournament and their shot at a state title.

The Trojans are the #5 seed in the tournament and will take on the #4 Chargers at 1:30 pm on Tuesday. Pleasantville punched their ticket to the tournament after shocking #2 ranked Des Moines Christian 2-0 in a substate championship game Tuesday night. Pleasantville is currently 23-10 and they will square off against a dangerous 24-4 Chariton squad. The Chargers won the South Central Conference this season and defeated Ogden, Van Meter, and OABCIG in their substate games. 

Statistically the Chargers and Trojans are fairly similar. Pleasantville averages 7.1 runs per game on offense while Chariton averages eight and on defense the Trojans give up 3.6 runs per game on average while the Chargers give up 3.2. The Trojans saw a remarkable pitching performance Tuesday night against Des Moines Christian as starting pitcher Dylan Aldrich and closer Brayden Kennedy combined for a shutout. It would be likely that Aldrich will take the mound Tuesday in Carroll as he will have a full week of rest, but luckily for Coach Sheldon Card, the Trojans have several different options of who to put on the mound. Card believes they have a team that can beat anyone in the state tournament, and he also says he appreciates that his team enjoys playing together and this journey in his last season has been fun.

“It is fun. I look back at my 24 years, my college years, my high school years, and all the way back down until I was seven and that’s why I’m still in it because I do have fun. I still think it’s the greatest game out there and hopefully we can put on a good show.”

The Chargers and Trojans played on June 26th with Chariton winning 6-5. Tuesday’s game in Pleasantville will start at 1:30 pm and be broadcasted like on 95.3 KNIA.