Special seasons are often built on a signature victory, standout individual performances or unexpected outcomes in big matchups.
 
Or, in the Sedgwick baseball team’s case, all of the above.
 
Spurred by the disappointment of a regional final loss to Heart of America rival Marion last spring, the Cardinals will take a 24-0 record into the Class 2-1A postseason on Wednesday. Top-seeded Sedgwick opens regional play against Flinthills (9-14) at Wichita’s Westside Athletic Field.
 
The Cardinals completed an unbeaten regular season with a pair of 11-1, run-rule victories over visiting Ell-Saline on Friday. They also capped a perfect run to the HOA league title.
 
“I’ve got one of those groups that’s got a lot of experience on the team,” said Sedgwick coach Doug Mabry, who returned six starters from a 21-4 team. “To get some of that experience back was really meaningful for us.
 
“They understand taking care of details, and we’ve talked a lot about the fact that baseball doesn’t have a clock on it. As long as we have an opportunity, we need to make the most of those opportunities. That kind of mindset has really paid dividends for us in tough games.”

 
Sedgwick has won six games by three runs or less this spring. But in an anticipated showdown at home May 6 with Little River, the Cardinals, No. 1 in the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches 2-1A rankings, rolled to a 13-0 and 10-0 sweep over their previously unbeaten and No. 2-ranked foe.
 
The teams could meet again next week in the regional final at Marion.
 
“Little River is certainly a fantastic opponent and I think they’re worthy of their state ranking and recognition,” Mabry said. “We just had one of those nights where we played really well. They were extremely focused and motivated – all the things that you ask from your team.”
 
Sedgwick limited Little River to a combined six hits in the run-rule sweep. Senior Corey Crumrine, last year’s KABC 2-1A pitcher of the year, struck out 11 in the five-inning opener. His brother, freshman Spencer Crumrine, tossed a four-hitter in the nightcap.
 
Senior shortstop/third baseman Karston Wall homered twice in the opener and once in the second game, and finished the doubleheader with 10 RBI.
 
Corey Crumrine, a Friends signee, is 8-0 in 51.2 innings this season with 95 strikeouts and six walks.
 
“We’ve challenged him to not only have success on the mound, but really honed in on his leadership capabilities,” Mabry said. “He kind of leads our pitching staff in those group conversations. There’s a wealth of experience that he can draw on.”
 
Offensively, the Cardinals are averaging 10 runs per game, and Wall, a Barton Community College signee, has played a big part. He’s batting .584 with six home runs, 52 RBI, 53 runs scored and 35 stolen bases. He also has eight doubles and a school-record seven triples.
 
The Cardinals’ lineup is deep in proven talent with seniors Braeden Briggs and Micah Hanson, and junior Owen Luper – all HOA second-team selections a year ago. Another senior, Preston Agee, has filled a utility role.
But it was Wall who delivered a huge shot of momentum into Sedgwick’s 2025 season back in late March. His seventh-inning grand slam in the Kingman Shootout title game helped the Cardinals rally from a seven-run deficit to defeat the host Eagles 11-10.
 
“We were still trying to find our identity at that point,” Mabry said. “It was one of those things we were hoping would be a springboard toward big things to come.”
 
OTHER BASEBALL STANDOUTS

• Sedan senior Jackson Shipley allowed just four hits and struck out seven to lead the Blue Devils to a 3-2 victory over Cedar Vale-Dexter in the South Central Border League tournament’s championship game. Both runs Shipley allowed were unearned as Sedan improved to 15-5. Senior Brycen Dickens recorded his 250^th career strikeout during the tournament for the Blue Devils, who open Class 2-1A regional play Friday against the West Elk-Eureka winner.
• Ian Razak pitched six scoreless innings and Isaac Barnett had two hits and four RBI to help host McPherson complete a 7-1 and 10-0 sweep over Buhler on Tuesday. Logan Beede got the win in the opener for McPherson, which improved to 22-3.
• Pratt clinched its fifth consecutive Central Kansas League title and stretched its winning streak to 18 games Tuesday with a 6-0 and 7-1 sweep of Larned. The Greenbacks, now 21-3, finish their regular season at home against Andale on Thursday.
• Humboldt capped a 20-4 regular season with a 6-1 and 5-4 home sweep over Osawatomie on Thursday. The Cubs, who will be the top seed in their own Class 3A regional, feature a solid pitching duo in Cole Mathes (1.19 ERA, 45 strikeouts) and Logan Page (1.07 ERA, 69 strikeouts).
• Bishop Carroll secured a share of the Greater Wichita Athletic League title with a 14-4 and 8-1 doubleheader sweep of Wichita Northwest on Monday. Wyatt Fulfer had three hits and six RBI in the opener for Carroll, while Carter Clupny went 5 for 5 with two RBI in the nighcap. The Golden Eagles notched their 20^th victory of the season and completed GWAL play at 14-2. Wichita West, which is 12-2 in league play, concludes its schedule with a doubleheader against Wichita Heights on Wednesday.
• Gavin Short and Scotty Hadley each had two hits to boost Maize to a 5-3 victory over Andover Central on Tuesday. Quincy Koehn worked into the fifth to get the win for the Eagles while Cooper Shaw finished for the save. Maize is 17-8 entering its regular-season finale Thursday against Bishop Carroll.