District baseball alignments announced, defending state champion Cooter moves to Class 2

File Photo by Dustin Ward Cooter's district and state final four signs align the outfield at its ballpark.

The path to a district baseball championship got a bit tougher for a defending state champion and a pair of SCAA talents Friday.

The Missouri High School Activities Association released district alignments for baseball for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons Friday.

Cooter, which won the Class 1 state championship last season and has won nine straight Class 1, District 1 championships, is moving to Class 2, District 1. Joining Cooter in Class 2, District 1 is defending Class 2, District 3 champion Bernie along with Bloomfield, Campbell, Holcomb and South Pemiscot.

Cooter beat Bernie 6-3 in the September Showdown championship this fall after Bernie won a head-to-head regular-season meeting 11-4. Cooter finished its fall 17-4 and Bernie compiled a record of 18-4 in the fall.

The winner of Class 2, District 1 will square off against winner of Class 2, District 2 which features Alton, East Carter County, Neelyville, Thayer, Van Buren and Winona. Class 2, District 3 features Chaffee, Ellington Greenville, Meadow Heights, Puxico and St. Vincent. Class 2, District 4 features Barat Academy, Crossroads College Prep, Crystal City, Kingston, New Haven and defending Class 2 state champion Valle Catholic.

Three other SCAA programs are slated to compete in Class 1, District 2. Advance, Bell City and Richland join Oak Ridge, 2013 state champion Oran, Leopold and Scott County Central.

Clarkton, Delta C-7, Gideon, Naylor, North Pemiscot, Risco and Southland are in Class 1, District 1. Bismarck, Bunker, Lesterville, South Iron, Valley and Viburnum are in Class 1, District 3. Couch, Dora, Eminence, Koshkonong, Lutie and Summersville are in Class 1, District 4.

New Madrid County Central, which has advanced to the Class 3 final four the last two seasons, is in Class 3, District 1 with Caruthersville, Hayti, Malden, Portageville, Senath-Hornersville and Twin Rivers.

Charleston, East Prairie, Kelly, Saxony Lutheran, Scott City and Woodland are in Class 3, District 2. Arcadia Valley, Clearwater, Grandview, Herculaneum, Jefferson, St. Pius and West County are in Class 3, District 3. Brentwood, Carnahan, Cleveland NJROTC, Hancock, Lift for Life Academy and Mapplewood Richmond Heights are in Class 3, District 4.

Dexter will continue to compete in Class 4, District 1. Doniphan has been added to Class 4, District 1 and Sikeston has left the district. Teams competing in Class 4, District 1 are Dexter, Doniphan, Fredericktown, Kennett, defending district champion Notre Dame and Perryville.

Park Hills Central, DeSoto, Festus, North County, Potosi, Ste. Genevieve and Windsor are in Class 4, District 2. Affton, Bayless, Bishop DuBourg, Lutheran South, Pacific and St. Mary's are in Class 4, District 3. Clayton, John Burroughs, MICDS, Priory, University City and four-time defending state champion Westminster Christian Academy are in Class 4, District 4.

Cape Central, Farmington, Hillsboro, Jackson, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston are slated to compete in Class 5, District 1.

District host sites will be announced at a later date.