McKinnie deals, Chaffee slams Tipton to wrap up season, claim third at state

The Chaffee baseball team poses with the 2024 MSHSAA Class 2 third-place trophy following a May 28, 2024 game between the Chaffee Red Devils and the Tipton Cardinals at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex in Ozark, Mo. Chaffee defeated Tipton, 5-1.

Missouri State High School Activities Association

Given one last opportunity to play with a senior class that transformed Chaffee back into a local powerhouse, Levi McKinnie owned the moment as he guided the Red Devils to a 5-1 win over Tipton and another third-place trophy.

It’s frequently said, including by Chaffee head coach Aaron Horrell: Nobody wants to play for third.

But in a pitchers’ duel with an elite Tipton team, with one more opportunity to show the state the mettle of the kids from Chaffee, Missouri, those Red Devils certainly didn’t disappoint.

“We played like we're capable of today,” Horrell said. “Offensively, defensively, in baserunning and pitching. That's more like the team that you saw most of the year.”

Anticipated to be an elite matchup between McKinnie, expected to be a four-time all-state pitcher, and Lucas Cashman, a standout pitcher with all-state recognition in his own right, Chaffee’s stellar senior showed out.

Horrell put it best:

“Yeah, he's – he's really good.”

Over 6.2 innings on the bump, McKinnie allowed just three hits, earning one run as he had the tough Tipton offense in fits.

In total, McKinnie struck out 12 batters as the Cardinals couldn’t time him up in his final appearance as a Devil.

Showing off why he’s one of the best players in the area, and maybe one of the best area pitchers in recent memory, McKinnie ended his prep career in the only way he knew how.

“After the game, we kind of embraced in a hug,” Horrell said. “I just told him that he's made me look like I know what I'm doing for three years.”

Horrell walked it back to McKinnie’s breakout sophomore season when he transitioned into becoming Chaffee’s true ace.

Whenever those Devils faced a tough opponent, it was always McKinnie stepping up to it, and Horrell acknowledged that after his final win in a Chaffee uniform.

“For three years, we've basically given him our toughest opponents, our toughest games, whether that's district or conference, or when we challenged ourselves two years ago with this group and went to Class 5 Northwest or last year going to Dyersburg [Tennessee].

“We've always handed him the most challenging games, and he's responded.”

Horrell gave some big props to his community all season long, but especially in the later parts of the season as attendance skyrocketed to levels unprecedented for the small town of Chaffee.

After playing in front of a Wednesday morning quarterfinal crowd of “400 to 500” fans, that love followed the Red Devils to Southwest Missouri as they played in front of many traveling fans.

Now, after taking another major MSHSAA trophy home to the city of Chaffee, it feels a little bit better as the Devils ended their tremendous 2024 season on a high note.

“Right before we took the field today for infield, I told the kids to look up there,” Horrell said. “Just kind of a way to maybe get them motivated because all those people.

“Their families – mom, dads, grandparents – and then honestly just people in the community that want to see them succeed.”

That’s part of what makes small schools, especially Chaffee, so deeply special, and Horrell couldn’t have sounded more proud to be a part of that community.

“We're a proud program,” Horrell said.

“To see the community show up for them, for their efforts and their their hard work, it means a lot to me, and it means a lot to our kids.”