How long will it be before a team other than Corbin or Whitley County conquers the 13th Region in baseball? This rivalry between 50th District foes has been epic in recent years, and it shows no sign of slowing down any time soon.
In 2018, Jeremy Shope took over as head coach of the Whitley County High School varsity baseball program and the impact was immediate. After 12 years of seeing seasons end with first round defeats in the 50th District tournament, the Colonels were finally able to play their way into a district championship game. They lost to Corbin in the title game, 9-8, but went on to defeat Jackson County and Middlesboro in the 13th Region tournament. They ran into Corbin again in the regional finals, falling to the Hounds for the fourth time that season, 17-10.
Corbin bested Whitley three times the following year, twice in the regular season and again in the 50th District finals, en route to another regional championship title. They had a strong chance of three-peating in the region in 2020 before hearts were broken all across the state as the Kentucky High School Athletic Association made the difficult decision to cancel all spring sports activities due to the threats posed by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
When play resumed on the baseball diamond in the spring of 2021, the Colonels finally began to turn the tables. They split with the Redhounds in the regular season, 1-1, and then took them to extra innings in the 50th District finals before falling, 12-9. They bounced back in grand fashion, however, defeating North Laurel, Knox Central and Middlesboro to become champions of the 13th Region.
2022 saw Corbin sweep Whitley in the regular season before the Colonels gained a measure of revenge with a 14-4 win over the Hounds in the 50th District tournament finals. Corbin got the last laugh, though, defeating Knox Central, Clay County and Middlesboro to win another regional championship title.
In 2023, Whitley County made history that may never be repeated again. They beat Corbin early in the season in that year’s Kentucky 2A Sectional tournament, and then went on to defeat them twice more in the regular season. The Hounds finally managed to best the Colonels in the 50th District finals, 7-2, but Whitley won the fifth meeting between the two teams the following week, 7-1, in the regional finals. From there, they beat LaRue County, South Warren, Henderson County and Shelby County to secure the program’s first-ever KHSAA state championship title.
The Colonels continued to gain the upper hand over Corbin in 2024 by sweeping the Redhounds in the regular season. The Hounds rose to the occasion when it mattered most, however, topping Whitley in both the 50th District and 13th Region championship games.
This year, pre-season predictions that Corbin and Whitley would once again battle it out for region supremacy were proved to be correct. The teams split against each other in the regular season before the Colonels bested the Hounds in the 50th District finals and the Hounds eventually bested the Colonels again in the 13th Region finals. For everyone at home keeping score, the series since 2018 breaks down like this…
• 2018: Corbin wins 13th Region title, defeating Whitley Co.
• 2019: Corbin wins 13th Region title, defeating Barbourville
• 2020: COVID year, no season
• 2021: Whitley Co. wins 13th Region title, defeating Middlesboro
• 2022: Corbin wins 13th Region title, defeating Middlesboro
• 2023: Whitley Co. wins 13th Region title, defeating Corbin
• 2024: Corbin wins 13th Region title, defeating Whitley Co.
• 2025: Corbin wins 13th Region title, defeating Whitley Co.
• 2026: TBD
It’s kind of hard to believe, but we will soon be approaching an entire decade of nobody except Corbin and Whitley County winning a regional baseball championship. Both of these programs just continue to re-load from year-to-year, so I fully expect the two bitter rivals to be battling it out for the title again in about twelve months’ time.
Of course, the Redhounds have bigger fish to fry right now in this year’s KHSAA state tourney. Best of luck to them later this week!
