From staff reports

sports@joplinglobe.com

The role of favorite did not play out well in the Premier Incoming Freshmen Championships on Friday.

Teams with the best pool-play records all lost on the first day of championship action in the 22-team tournament.

Advancing unbeaten through two rounds Friday were the Midwest Mud Dogs Red (Pool A), the Rawlings Prospects Legends (Pool B), the Austin Wings Black (Pool C) and the Rawlings Prospects Red Birds (Pool D).

The Legends had the highest seed of those four teams, at No. 5. The Red Birds were seeded seventh, the Mud Dogs Red were No. 8 and and Wings Black were an unlikely No. 14 seed.

The Midwest Mud Dogs Red knocked off the early favorite and No. 1 seed Rawlings Red Sox 11-3.

The Legends whipped the fourth-seeded Waco Storm dodgers 20-3.

The Red Birds beat the second-seeded Arizona Clash 5-4.

The third-seeded Midwest Mud Dogs Blue lost 10-5 to the Rawlings A’s.

A final round of championship pool play today will set the pairings for Sunday’s title games.

The four frontrunners all play at different parks today.

The Midwest Mud Dogs Red play the Lee’s Summit Dirt Dawgs at noon at the Joplin Sports Complex.

The Rawlings Prospects Legends meet the Arlington A’s at noon at Joe Becker Stadium.

The Austin Wings Black face the Midwest Mud Dogs Blue at 9:30 a.m. at Seneca High School.