Seven Idaho High School Baseball Teams Learn State Regional Opponents as Race to State Begins
Magic Valley Programs Set for State Regional Play-In Round
Seven Magic Valley high school baseball programs in southern Idaho now know their paths to the 2026 state tournament, as the Idaho High School Activities Association’s State Regional play-in round takes shape across multiple classifications. The state tournament is scheduled to begin May 14, and each of those seven teams will need to win their regional bracket to earn a spot in the four-team field competing for a state title.
For the second consecutive year, Idaho high school baseball is using the State Regional format rather than sending eight teams directly to a single tournament, as is the format used in state softball tournaments. The goal of the structure is to reduce the role of luck in state qualification and ensure that the strongest programs across Idaho’s five baseball classifications advance to compete for championships. The format varies by class: the 4A, 3A, and 2A classifications use a three-team play-in bracket, while the 5A and 2A classes use a two-team format.
In the three-team format, one school hosts two opponents and the three programs play out a double-elimination bracket, with the winner advancing to the state tournament. Idaho prep baseball fans across the Magic Valley will have opportunities to watch regional action unfold later this week before the state tournament opens its doors.
Bannock County baseball fans following the region’s programs can also keep tabs on area softball competition. The Big Sky Softball Tournament got underway in Pocatello, adding to a busy week of Idaho prep sports action statewide.
Twin Falls Bruins Enter as Hosts After Dominant Season
Among the most closely watched programs heading into the State Regional round is the Twin Falls Bruins, who enter as the No. 3 seed in the 5A classification after claiming the 5A District 4 tournament championship with a 7-1 victory over rival Burley on Friday, May 1, at Twin Falls High School. The win extended the Bruins’ current winning streak to 15 games — a run that has persisted since back-to-back losses against Bonneville at the end of March.
Twin Falls posted a 13-0 record across regular-season conference play and the District 4 tournament, finishing the season with 24 wins and just four losses. Two of those losses came against Bonneville, the No. 1 seed in 5A and the program that defeated Twin Falls in the 2025 5A State Championship series. The Bruins and Bonneville are on opposite sides of the bracket, meaning a potential rematch would only occur in the state tournament itself.
As the No. 3 seed and district champion, the Bruins will host their three-team State Regional bracket. Twin Falls’ opponents in that bracket are Bishop Kelly and Skyline. Bishop Kelly, the runner-up in the 5A District 3 tournament, has surrendered double-digit run totals just once all season — and won that game. The Knights bring a stout defensive profile into the regional round.
Skyline enters as the No. 10 seed in 5A with a losing record and finished fourth in the 5A High Country Conference, a league that sent five of its six teams to the State Regional round. Two of Skyline’s losses came against Bonneville, including a one-run defeat when the Bees scored the game-winning run in the seventh inning. While Twin Falls cannot overlook Skyline, the Bruins’ path to the state tournament runs through the winner of the bracket-opening game between Bishop Kelly and Skyline.
Twin Falls’ recent stretch of dominant baseball — featuring 12 wins by double digits this season — signals a program playing with purpose heading into the postseason. Nonetheless, coach Tim Stadelmeir’s club carries no guarantees; even a state tournament appearance remains far from certain until the regional bracket is settled.
For more on Idaho prep sports and statewide baseball coverage, visit Idaho News. Additional Idaho regional coverage is available at IdahoNewsNetwork.com.
What Comes Next
The seven Magic Valley programs competing in the State Regional play-in round will take the field later this week to determine which teams advance to the four-team state tournaments across Idaho’s five baseball classifications. The state tournament begins Thursday, May 14. Twin Falls will host Bishop Kelly and Skyline in the 5A bracket, with the Bruins facing the winner of the opening game to determine which program punches its ticket to the final four. Baseball fans across southern Idaho — and Bannock County residents tracking ISU-area programs — will be watching closely as the 2026 postseason unfolds.