CREVE COEUR — De Smet's late-season surge into the Class 6 baseball state quarterfinals has had a familiar feeling of some old magic.

The Spartans have followed a similar winning formula that propelled them to a Class 5 state title in 2019.

Six years later, after a middling regular season that emulated 2019's campaign, De Smet flipped a switch once again. It won five out of its last six regular season contests and three games in the district tournament to earn a spot in the state quarterfinals.

On Friday, however, that magic was zapped.

On De Smet's home turf, Fort Zumwalt West took the first game of the best-of-three quarterfinal series 4-2. The Jaguars now need just one win for a berth in the Class 5 state semifinals.

"Can't let up," Jaguars junior Brendan Pyle said of the team's me

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