The 2026 First Region baseball tournament bracket is set, with eight qualifying teams opening play Monday on Memorial Day across two venues in western Kentucky. Games begin at 10 a.m. at Graves County High School in Mayfield and at 12:30 p.m. at Marshall County High School in Benton.
At Graves County, the Eagles host Hickman County at 10 a.m. to open the tournament. Graves County enters as the District 3 champion after going a perfect 5-0 in district play, finishing 15-14 overall. Hickman County qualified as the District 1 runner-up with a 4-3 district mark and carries an impressive overall record of 23-8-1 into the matchup.
The second game at Graves County sends McCracken County against Murray at 3 p.m. The Mustangs enter as District 2 champions and are the clear favorites. Caden Kern — named both 2nd District and 1st Region Player of the Year — leads one of the most consistent lineups in the region this spring. Kern is joined on the All-District team by Lucas Gagnon, Kendrick Dunning, Briar Hall, and Will Fox. Dunning, Fox, and Josh Penrod all earned All-State nominations. Murray counters with a strong 22-10 overall record and went 4-1 in District 4 regular-season play before falling to Marshall County in the district tournament final.
Over at Marshall County High School in Benton, Paducah Tilghman makes the road trip to face the host Marshals at 12:30 p.m. Marshall County won the District 4 championship outright, beating Calloway County and then upending Murray in back-to-back district tournament games. Tilghman, ranked third in the region, will need a road win to advance. The late game in Benton has Carlisle County taking on Mayfield at 5:30 p.m. Carlisle County won District 1 with a 5-2 district record.
The four first-round winners advance to Graves County High School for the semifinals. The regional champion earns a bid to the KHSAA State Baseball Tournament at Kentucky Proud Park in Lexington.
Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students at both venues.