HAYS – When the Thomas More Prep-Marian baseball team gave up six runs in one inning against Clay Center on Friday, it marked a rare piece of adversity for the Monarchs this season.
Soon, it was an afterthought.
TMP trailed 6-2 after surrendering a six-run third inning, but answered with a five-run outburst in the bottom half to retake the lead on the way to a 14-8 win, completing a doubleheader sweep of the Tigers at TMP. The Monarchs, ranked No. 1 in Class 2-1A, moved to 14-0.
“It was good to see that we handled the adversity,” TMP coach Aaron Breit said. “The hitters stayed with their approach at the plate and came back swinging, and we didn’t hold back.
“They never got down, and that’s huge. They always expect to win, and that’s a big part of this game.”
The six-run frame was largely self-inflicted by the Monarchs, who committed two wild pitches, an error and allowed a double steal.
But TMP quickly responded in the bottom of the third. Caden Dinkel delivered a two-out, two-RBI single before Ty Schmeidler belted a two-run homer to right field to tie it. After back-to-back walks, Noah Dreiling drove in the go-ahead run with a single.
Clay Center knotted the game again in the fourth, but Grant Nehls hit a go-ahead two-run shot to left field — his second home run of the game — and the Monarchs added three more runs in the sixth to pull away.
“We’ve handled the little bit of adversity we’ve seen well, and in the past few years, we haven’t been able to do that,” Breit said. “If we would have gone down 6-2 in previous years, we would have folded. This group knows our expectations and always expects to win.”
Five different Monarchs had multi-hit games in Game 2, and eight players reached base as TMP put up 12 hits and drew six walks.
“It’s good to see one through nine swing it well,” Breit said. “We’ve been able to stick with our approach at the plate and put good swings on balls, and the results show it.”
Nehls also added a solo home run earlier in the game before delivering his go-ahead blast in the fourth to break a 7-7 tie.
“He started off a little slow in the first couple games of the year, and ever since then, he hasn’t held back,” Breit said.
Schmeidler, a hard-throwing University of Kentucky commit, set the tone with a complete game in Game 1, striking out 11 with just one walk in the 9-1 victory.
“If he’s pounding the strike zone and mixing in his off-speed, he’s tough to hit,” Breit said.
Carson Liles worked around the big inning to move to 4-0 on the mound. He allowed seven runs, but only four were earned. He gave up three hits and struck out seven while walking two and hitting four batters.
“He threw the ball well,” Breit said. “Even in that big inning, they weren’t hitting him hard. We were just shooting ourselves in the foot. We weren’t taking care of
the little things.”
Schmeidler and Dinkel are both hitting .647 to share the team lead. The Monarchs have 15 home runs, led by five from Schmeidler and four from Nehls. Dinkel has driven in a team-high 30 RBIs.
TMP has outscored opponents 207-43 on the season and has scored double-digit runs in all but two games. Its closest game was a 5-4 win over Abilene on April 17.
The Monarchs feature a deep pitching staff, led by the 1-2 punch of Schmeidler (1.77 ERA) and Liles (2.50 ERA). Dinkel and Nehls have also been strong on the mound.
“At this level, if you have seven guys you can throw out there at any time, it’s fun to watch,” Breit said.
TMP has been on a mission after seeing last season’s 24-win campaign end with a 2-0 quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Pittsburg St. Mary’s Colgan. In 2024, TMP reached the state semifinals before falling to champion Medicine Lodge, finishing fourth.
“These guys have been working hard ever since we got beat in the first round last year,” Breit said. “They know what it feels like the past two years, and they’ve got the itch to get back there and do something about it.”
The Monarchs will host Hoisington on Tuesday before traveling to Russell/Victoria, ranked No. 7 in Class 3A, on Friday.
“We have to keep doing what we’re doing. You can never be satisfied in this game,” Breit said. “Once you become satisfied, it’s going to come back to bite you. We’ve got to keep moving forward.”
OTHER WESTERN KANSAS BASEBALL STANDOUTS
– Ellsworth senior Tucker Goss hit for the cycle in Ellsworth’s 10-7 win over Minneapolis on Friday. Goss doubled in the first inning, hit a three-run home run in the second, singled in the fourth and completed the cycle with a triple to center in the sixth. He finished 4-for-4 with four RBIs.
– Spearville halted Bucklin/South Central’s 10-game winning streak, sweeping a doubleheader Friday against the Red Aces, 10-0 and 18-8, to hand them their first losses. Kaleb Konrade threw a two-hit shutout in Game 1. Spearville (10-2) drew 11 walks in Game 2, with Ian Melendez and Layson Wheaton each collecting two hits. Konrade has a team-best .500 average, while Melendez leads the Lancers in RBIs (19) and home runs (3). Jack Herd is hitting .647 with four home runs and 29 RBIs for Bucklin/South Central.
– Hugoton has made significant strides following a winless season in 2025, taking a 6-10 record into this week. The Eagles have already surpassed their win total from the last two seasons combined. “We are a young team with five freshmen on the varsity squad,” Hugoton coach Jose Licon said. “We have been scrappy and continue to get better each week. I am looking to finish the season strong and be competitive at regionals.” Hugoton is led by junior Taylan Hill, who is hitting .472 with 25 hits, seven doubles, one home run, 11 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.
– Russell/Victoria, a state qualifier a season ago, split a doubleheader with Ellis on Friday to move to 15-1. Ellis rallied for a 4-3 win in Game 1, winning in walkoff fashion on a single by Aiden Aschenbrenner. Russell bounced back for a 12-4 win in Game 2, with Kyle Huser driving in four runs. On the season, Max Evans is hitting .635 with 28 RBIs, while Sam Thielen has a .615 average with 32 RBIs. Both Evans and Thielen have ERAs under 1.00 on the mound.
– Colby is on an eight-game winning streak, moving to 12-4. The Eagles are led by pitcher Braxton Withington.
– Ellinwood’s Cohen Gunn has a 0.91 ERA in 30.2 innings, striking out 65. He is also hitting .440.
– Stanton County is 11-2. The Trojans are led by Eduardo Rodriguez (.531) and Ian Floyd (.400).