Bellaire enters the 5A state tournament as the most decorated team of the field. But there are two tough teams that might stand in the Cardinals’ way to an eighth state title in baseball.

Bellaire (39-8) clinched its 11th trip to the state semis after beating Westside in three games this past weekend to win the Region III championship. But two teams from the Metroplex – including the Cardinals’ next opponent – are going to Round Rock on a roll.

Southlake Carroll, who will face Bellaire in the semis, is in the state tournament for the sixth time – the first time in 5A – and has won two state championships. The Dragons won the 4A title in 2002 in its last appearance at state.

Carroll swept Flower Mound this past weekend in the Region I final, winning Game 1 14-4 in six innings and 4-3 in Game 2. The Dragons' (21-18) No. 8 hitter, Josh Rake, went 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI in the second game.

"Every time we get something going, it seems like Josh Rake is right in the middle," Carroll coach Larry Hughes told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I can’t say enough about him. Our entire offense showed up tonight."

Don’t let Carroll’s 22-18 record fool you. Eleven of those losses were wins that were later forfeited due to the Dragons playing an ineligible player. And one of those wins was against the No. 1 team in the state, Plano West.

Plano West is making its first appearance in the state tournament and comes in as the team with the best record. The Wolves went 28-0 in the regular season, but has lost a game in each of the last two rounds of the playoffs. After getting shut out in the first game against Georgetown in the Region II finals, Plano West (38-2) exploded for a 9-0 win in Game 2, and won Game 3 13-3, avenging a loss to Georgetown in last year's regional semifinal series. It was the second straight playoff series that Plano West won in three games.

Sophomore Ryan Ford hit a solo homer and a grand slam in an eight-run fourth inning in Game 2 to help the Wolves punch their ticket for Round Rock.

“This is our second year being in the playoffs, and we've accomplished so much in just two short years,” Ford told the Dallas Morning News. “It's just amazing to do this for the seniors that have put so much hard work in."

Laredo United will also make its first appearance after upsetting San Antonio Reagan in the Region IV finals. After losing the first game 10-1, the Longhorns won a pair of 5-4 games to win the series over the No. 2-ranked Rattlers. It is also the first time that a Laredo team made the state tournament since 1999.

Senior Danny Navarro was one of the big stars for United (32-7), knocking in the tying and winning runs in Game 2 before pitching six innings of Game 3 after not being on the mound since the district season.

"These guys know I love pressure," he told the Laredo Morning Times. "I love it. I've always been around it, and 'Just go ahead and bring it' is all around my head. Just get that 'W,' and these guys are going to back me up like they did tonight."

United will face Plano East in the first semifinal at 4 p.m. at Dell Diamond, followed by Bellaire and Southlake Carroll at 7 p.m. The winners will meet for the championship game at noon Saturday and will be broadcast on FSN Southwest.

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