WICHITA – Blue Valley Southwest junior Bo Shinkle watched his teammates take celebratory photos on the Eck Stadium infield Friday night and compared the experience to one 12 months ago.
 
"This one feels a little different than last year," said Shinkle, whose RBI ground-rule double fueled a four-run second inning that propelled the Timberwolves to a 5-2 victory over Bishop Carroll for their second consecutive Class 5A baseball championship. "Last year, we just had some dudes who had some crazy talent. We've still got some guys, but we just had to work a little more."
 
The Timberwolves navigated a state path that included decisive victories over De Soto (10-0) and St. Thomas Aquinas (12-2) before defeating Carroll to win their third state title since 2015. Blue Valley Southwest followed its 22-3 championship season of 2021 with a final record of 19-6.

 
One of the "guys" for Blue Valley Southwest in the title game was University of Kansas signee Cooper Kelly. Kelly, a converted third baseman from shortstop at midseason, moved to the mound for the title game and limited Carroll to three hits and a pair of unearned runs in five innings. He then handed off to hard-throwing sophomore Anson Seibert, who pitched the final two innings to nail down the victory.
 
"We're pretty fortunate at our school right now, said Timberwolves coach Tyler Kincaid, who won his second title in four seasons. "We have a lot of really good players. They still have to go out and perform, and they did it again tonight.
 
"It's so impressive to see our guy who's been our third baseman and shortstop for most of his career become our No. 3 and pitch in the championship game, and pitch so well."
 
Kelly's fastball command was on point, as he struck out five and walked none. He also helped himself at the plate, driving in the Timberwolves' final run in the fifth inning with a sharp-hit single off Carroll starter Aaron Casas De La Torre's leg.
 
"You're going to have some nerves, but once I got out there, I let my instincts take over," Kelly said. "It just showed that Coach trusted me, and I used it as confidence to just to do my thing."
 
The Timberwolves took control in the second inning with an opportunistic rally. After designated hitter Jackson Bell drew a two-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch, second baseman Kuyper Kendall dropped a single into center that scored Bell.
 
Shortstop Mason Pangborn sliced a single to left before Shinkle drove a ball to left that carried beyond Carroll left fielder Jackson King and bounced over the fence and gave Blue Valley Southwest a 2-0 lead. Right fielder Seth Dandridge then hit a bouncer between first and second, which Carroll misplayed into a throwing error that scored two more runs.
 
"All five runs we scored were with two outs, so that's a game that could have easily gone the other direction," Kincaid said. "It was just a good job of not letting them escape on those two outs when those guys got those key hits."
 
For Carroll, which was also seeking its third state title and first since 2012, the Timberwolves' rally wasn't a solid knockout. But it was debilitating. Kelly retired the Golden Eagles in order in the next two innings that followed before they manufactured their first run in the fourth.
 
"I told the boys after that four-run inning this is not what I wanted," Carroll coach Charlie Ebright said. "If they're going to beat us, they're going to beat us, but we cannot beat ourselves."
 
Carroll, which edged Valley Center 4-3 on a walk-off hit batter with the bases loaded in Friday's semifinals, used a hit batter to break through. After right fielder Ryan Pacha reached base on a passed ball third strike, Kelly plunked designated hitter Kolby Girrens to move Pacha to second. Pacha stole third and scored when Timberwolves catcher Tyler Buchman's throw sailed into left field.
 
Shinkle helped Blue Valley Southwest offset the run by leading off the fifth with a bloop double. He stole third with one out, then scored when Kelly hit the ball off Casas De La Torre's leg.
 
Carroll scored again in the bottom half of the fifth on catcher Van Haneberg's double up the left-field line – the hardest hit ball off Kelly. But the right-hander finished his mound work by retiring Austin Selenke on a fly ball and striking out Pacha.

Seibert pitched the final two innings for the save. He struck out three and yielded just a two-out single to James Brennan in the bottom of the seventh.
 
"He's our next monster," Kincaid said, "He's really good in that short stint right now. We have to grow him next year, but for about two or three innings, he's pretty lights out."
 
Seibert was the perfect complement to Kelly, whose impact was not only felt in the title game, but with his position switch seven games into the season, Kincaid said. It helped fortify Blue Valley Southwest's defense and set them on course for back-to-back titles.
 
"I went to Cooper and said, 'Hey, I know you've been our shortstop since your freshman year. We're really struggling on the third base side. We really need your glove at third base.'" Kincaid said. "And he was open to it.
 
"He knew it would make him versatile for the next level, but to help us this year we really needed it, and that transformed our defense. It helped our pitching grow, as well."
 
In addition to Kelly, the Timberwolves were rich with seniors who are slated to continue their careers in college. Among them are right-hander Ben Bybee, who is headed to Arkansas, and right-hander Charlie Christensen, who is headed to Central Arkansas. Christensen did not allow a hit for extra bases all season, while Bybee yielded just two doubles.
 
The future seemed to be on the back burner Friday, however, as a large group of Blue Valley Southwest students joined the baseball players for pictures. Parents and grandparents enjoyed the postgame festivities on the field, as well.
 
"I'm just so blessed I got to experience not one but two," Kelly said. "The first one was a great feeling obviously, and to have a second one, it just means something more as a senior."