Tanner Colvin/KSHSAA Covered contributor
Fort Scott players hoist up the 4A state championship trophy.
Fort Scott put together its best season in program history and decided to cap that off with the team’s first ever state title.
After Rock Creek got out to a 1-0 lead in the early going, Fort Scott responded with a 3-run inning in the bottom of the first on the way to a 6-4 win in the 4A state championship game.
The Tigers would expand their lead to 5-1 before Rock Creek responded with a run in the top of the sixth. After a run in the bottom of that inning, Rock Creek faced a 3-run deficit heading into their last chance in the top of the seventh. The Mustangs scored two runs, while not having an out until a sacrifice fly for the second of those scores, but the Tigers shut down the next two batters to close out the championship victory.
Fort Scott senior pitcher Brady Messer pitched the first six innings of the championship game, holding the Mustangs to seven hits with two earned runs while striking out two batters. Vann closed out the final inning, allowing one hit and two runs while striking out one batter.
Fort Scott senior first baseman Dub Chipman led the team with five hits at state, including three of those in the championship game. Senior shortstop Lennox Vann had half of his team-high four RBIs during the finals as well. Junior second baseman Kanin Brown joined Vann and Chipman as the only Tigers with multiple RBIs at state. Freshman outfielder Creek Rogers matched the three hits by Vann and senior third baseman Chayden Clayton.
Vann struck out 12 batters while allowing four hits and three earned runs out of four total runs across his 8.0 innings. Chipman pitched 7.0 innings with five hits and two runs allowed while striking out five batters. Messer allowed seven hits, two runs while striking out two batters in his six innings on the mound at state.
Fort Scott's Ty Marbery celebrates with teammates Brody Gomez and Chayden Clayton after scoring a run in the 4A state championship game. | Photo by Tanner Colvin/Tanner Colvin Photography
In the state semifinals, Fort Scott took an early 1-0 lead and held onto for most of the game against Paola. The Panthers responded by tying up the game with their first run of the game in the top of the fifth inning. But by the start of the sixth, the Tigers took back the lead and pushed it to a 3-run advantage before hanging on for the 4-2 victory. Vann pitched a complete game with six strikeouts while allowing two hits and one earned run.
Paola was the only 4A team to defeat Fort Scott in the regular season. The Tigers also lost to Blue Valley West in the finals of the Adam LaRoche Tournament and Missouri’s Webb City.
In the state quarterfinals, Fort Scott pulled out to an early 3-0 lead, but Abilene kept the game close throughout a 4-2 victory for the Tigers. Chipman pitched a complete game as he limited the Cowboys to six hits and two runs while striking out five batters.
Before this year, Fort Scott’s best finish was in 1998 when the team took state runner-up in 5A. The Tigers also took third-place at state in 2019 and 2023, as well as fourth in 1991, 2001, 2014.
Fort Scott head coach Josh Regan is well familiar with all those results. Regan and his three brothers played baseball for the Tigers when their father was in charge. Dave Regan launched Fort Scott’s baseball program in 1990 as the team’s first coach. In 1998, Josh Regan was a senior playing alongside his cousin, Adam LaRoche, as the team earned a state runner-up finish.
LaRoche returned to coach alongside his old teammate in 2015, right after wrapping up his 12-year MLB career and donating the money needed to build Dave Regan Stadium and the rest of the facilities at LaRoche Baseball Complex in Fort Scott. Although LaRoche is not still on staff, Regan has continued to surround himself with coaches who have first-hand experience with what it takes to play Tigers baseball.
The assistant coaches for this year’s squad are all Fort Scott alumni: Jared Martin (1995), Josh Messer (1999) and Jarrett Lyon (2017).
Messer, who was also part of the 1998 squad, saw his son Brady help deliver the state title with his work on the mound in the championship game.
"I am so proud of our kids," Regan said. "This title means so much to so many people. And this group played like champions all season long. They are a special group. Great players and even better young men.
"I want our alumni to know that this one is for them too. Everyone had a hand in building a championship culture here, and this title was won through pure Tiger Pride. Thank God for making us all Tigers!"
The Fort Scott baseball team poses with the team's state championship after winning the 4A state championship game. | Photo by Tanner Colvin/Tanner Colvin Photography
Fort Scott's Ty Marbery slides past the catcher to a score a run during the 4A state championship game. | Photo by Tanner Colvin/Tanner Colvin Photography
Fort Scott's Kanin Brown tags out a Rock Creek runner during the 4A state championship game. | Photo by Tanner Colvin/Tanner Colvin Photography
Fort Scott's Kaden Cannon hugs teammate Creek Rogers after the Tigers won the 4A state championship game. | Photo by Tanner Colvin/Tanner Colvin Photography