CLASS 4A BASEBALL CAPSULES
 

 
BISHOP MIEGE
 
Coach: Daryl Graham
 
Record: 19-7 (No. 8 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Santa Fe Trail, 11-1; beat Wamego, 9-2.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Mulvane (1: 25-1), 3:30 p.m. Monday at Trusler Sports Complex, Emporia
 
Key Players: Luke Nelson, sr., SS/P; Joe Jaksa, jr., 3B/P; Logan Melvin, sr., CF/P; Nick Barreca, sr., U/P; Jackson Alena, jr., P/IF; Jace Poirer, jr., C; Josh Lopez, jr., P/IF; Zavior Devine, so., OF.
 
Worth noting: Stags enjoyed a turnaround season in Graham’s second as head coach, going from a 9-17 mark last year to 19-7 this year. … Stags return to state for the first time since capturing the Class 4A state title in 2021. … Miege also won a state championship in 1996. … Graham also led Piper and Jayhawk-Linn to state berths in previous head coaching jobs. … Stags won the Berkley Walline Memorial Tournament title this season and posted two wins over 5A qualifier St. James Academy and one over Class 6A Blue Valley, which was the top seed in the 6A East regional bracket. … Stags upset Wamego in regional finals. … Nelson hit .439 with 3 home runs, 27 RBI and 16 stolen bases, not getting caught stealing this season. … Jaksa hit .435 with 24 RBI and 27 runs scored. … Melvin hitting .394 with 13 RBI from leadoff spot, scoring 29 runs and stealing 24 bases in 25 attempts. … Alena went 4-4 with 37 strikeouts and has been key arm down the stretch. … Barreca hitting .349.
 

 
CONCORDIA
 
Coach: Skyler Hittle
 
Record: 22-4 (No. 3 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Chapman, 10-0; beat Lyons/Sterling, 7-6.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Paola (6: 20-5), 3:30 p.m. Monday at Dean Evans Stadium, Salina
 
Key Players: Ayden Krier, so., IF/P; Drake Blochlinger, jr., IF/OF/P; Boone Richard, jr., OF/P; Chane Parker, sr., IF/P; Parker Jackson, jr., IF/P; Brandon Vignery, so., OF/P.
 
Worth noting: Once a fixture at the Class 4A state tournament, Panthers making first return trip to state since 2017. … Panthers had qualified five of six years from 2012-17 with two runner-up finishes during that span (2012 and 2015). … Trip to state is seventh overall for the program. … Panthers shared the North Central Kansas League title with fellow 4A qualifier Rock Creek, going 10-2 in league play with splits against Rock Creek and Wamego. … Only other losses came to Beloit and Buhler, the latter in extra innings in a doubleheader split. … Hittle is interim coach and is former standout for the Panthers. … Parker is 7-0 with a 1.54 ERA this season while Blochlinger is 4-0 with a 1.60 ERA. … Jackson is hitting .434 with 7 home runs, 35 RBI and 36 runs scored. … Richard is hitting .417 with 23 RBI and 41 runs scored. … Krier has 36 RBI, 32 runs scored and is hitting .370. … Vignery has scored 34 runs and drawn 22 walks. … Blochlinger is hitting .347 with 18 RBI.
 

 
HAYDEN
 
Coach: Bill Arnold
 
Record: 19-5 (No. 7 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Chanute, 6-0; beat Ottawa, 7-1.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Rock Creek (2: 23-4), 5:45 p.m. Monday at Trusler Sports Complex, Emporia
 
Key Players: Kade Mitchell, sr., OF; Connor Hanika, sr., P; Mason Becker, jr., SS; Aiden Roberts, sr., OF; Keaton Waggoner, sr., OF; Caleb Menke, jr., 3B; Everett Tourtillott, jr., P; Max Becker, so., P.
 
Worth noting: After seeing an undefeated season a year ago end with upset regional final loss to Tonganoxie, Hayden returns to state. … Last trip to state ended with Wildcats winning the Class 3A state championship, beating Trinity Academy 5-3 in the championship game. … State title was the third for the program under Arnold with the others coming in 2015 and 2013, both in Class 4A and seventh overall with the other titles coming in 2009, 2001, 1997 and 1996 – all under different head coaches. … State trip is 25th overall for the program and the Wildcats have three runner-up finishes and six thirds to go with the seven state titles. … Hayden suffered two of its losses to 6A qualifier Washburn Rural, which denied the Wildcats the Centennial League title. … Another loss came to 6A qualifier Manhattan and other two came to Tonganoxie and Blue Valley Southwest as Wildcats started season 4-3 before winning 15 of their last 17. … Mitchell leads team with .458 average while Menke is hitting .446 and Roberts is hitting .439. … Wildcats hitting .329 as a team. … Menke leads team in RBI with 28 and Mitchell has 23, including the team’s lone home run. … Roberts has 25 stolen bases and Mason Becker has 21. … Hanika is 7-1 with a 1.32 ERA and 40 strikeouts. … Tourtillott has struck out 56 and is 4-3.
 

 
MCPHERSON
 
Coach: Heath Gerstner
 
Record: 23-5 (No. 4 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Buhler, 7-0; beat Andale, 8-3.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Pratt (5: 23-5), 11 a.m. Monday at Dean Evans Stadium, Salina
 
Key Players: Carter Bengtson, jr., SS; Cade Strathman, sr., 3B/P; Cowen Huggard, sr., U; Brady Rinker, jr.; Graham Prescott, so., CF; Cru Buchman, jr., P/DH; Adrian Unruh, jr., 2B; Nolan Pearcy, jr., OF.
 
Worth noting: Bullpups won back-to-back state titles in 2022 and 2023. … Trip to state is fourth in the last five years and 11th overall for the program, which also includes a runner-up finish in 2015. … Bengtson leads Bullpups with a .456 average while four other Bullpups are hitting over .300 with McPherson hitting .301 as a team. … Buchman is 5-0 with a 1.50 ERA and 39 strikeouts while Strathman is 7-1 with a 1.68 ERA and 51 strikeouts. … Both have been Bullpups' workhorses with over 40 innings pitched each. … Bullpups allowed just three runs in regional games.  
 

 
MULVANE
 
Coach: Steve Nelson
 
Record: 25-1 (No. 1 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Abilene, 7-0; beat Rose Hill, 11-0.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Bishop Miege (8: 19-7), 3:30 p.m. Monday at Trusler Sports Complex, Emporia
 
Key Players: Grey Sanders, sr., P; Parker Clubb, sr., IF/OF/P; Hays Ensley, jr., OF; Manny Myers, sr., OF/P; Brody Clasen, jr., IF/P; Reed Hackleman, sr., C; Hagen Warkins, sr., P/IF; Grady Myers, jr., U/P.
 
Worth noting: State trip is second straight for Wildcats and 14th overall. … Program’s lone state title came in 1986 when 4-1A were all one division. … Wildcats also took third in 4A in 2019 and fourth in 2012. … Wildcats were Ark Valley Chisholm Trail III champions this season for the second straight year. … The 25-1 record is the best in program history. ... Lone loss came to McPherson in an April 17 split with Wildcats dropping first game 3-2 before winning second game 6-0. … Wildcats have scored 10 or more runs in 19 games this season. … Mulvane has posted 16 shutouts this season behind stellar pitching staff. … Sanders is 8-0 with a 0.17 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 40.1 innings pitched. … Warkins, a transfer from Campus, is 6-1 with a 1.57 ERA and 55 strikeouts. … Clasen and Clubb are each 5-0 with Clasen having a 1.52 ERA and Clubb a 1.53 ERA. … Team ERA is 1.22 and the Wildcats have 265 strikeouts and just 50 walks as a team. … Warkins leads team in hitting with .478 average and has 42 RBI. … Clubb leads team with 5 home runs and 46 RBI while Ensley has 38 and Clasen (26), Hackelman (24) and Manny Myers (23) all have more than 20 RBI. … Grady Myers (.466), Clubb (.462) and Ensley (.438) all are hitting over .400 and Wildcats are hitting .381 as a team with 245 RBI.
 

 
PAOLA
 
Coach: Tony Brummer
 
Record: 20-5 (No. 6 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Eudora, 4-1; beat Atchison, 12-5.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Concordia (3: 22-4), 3:30 p.m. Monday at Dean Evans Stadium, Salina
 
Key Players: Blake Costlow, jr., OF; Mason Stein, so., IF; Kayden Hendrickson, fr., 1B/3B.
 
Worth noting: Making sixth straight trip to the state tournament, Paola has qualified 12 times overall since program started in 1989. … Eight of those trips have come in last 10 years and since 2014 the Panthers have seven top-four finishes. … Paola took fourth at state last year, falling 4-2 in semifinals to eventual state champion Fort Scott. … Panthers finished as 4A state runner-up in 2014 and took third in 2016, 2021 and 2022. … Panthers were runner-up in the Frontier League this year to Spring Hill. … Panthers won wild 12-10 extra-inning game over 3A qualifier Frontenac early in the season. … Brummer picked up his 125th win at Paola in regional championship game. … Costlow is hitting .506 with a 1.369 OPS and has stolen 20 bases. … He has over 100 hits in his first three seasons. … Hendrickson is hitting .482 and shares team lead with 32 RBI as a freshman. … Stein is hitting .392 and also has 32 RBI. … Paola has a team ERA of 1.84.
 

 
PRATT
 
Coach: Ron Hill
 
Record: 23-5 (No. 5 seed)
 
Regional results: beat Larned, 12-0; beat Augusta, 7-1
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. McPherson (4: 23-5), 11 a.m. Monday at Dean Evans Stadium, Salina
 
Key Players: Josiah Schmidt, sr., P/U; Cresten Pore, sr., C/SS/P; Caleb Strong, sr., OF/P; Madden Wilson, sr., 3B; Max Thimech, so., P/1B.
 
Worth noting: Greenbacks return to state after a one-year absence. … Pratt finished as Class 4A state runner-up in last appearance in 2024, falling to Rock Creek in the championship game. … Pratt won its sixth straight Central Kansas League title, going undefeated in league play this season. … Two of five losses came to fellow 4A qualifier Mulvane and another came to 5A qualifier Great Bend with Greenbacks also beating the Panthers. … Greenbacks are hitting .348 as a team and have scored 249 runs in 28 games while giving up just 89. … Thimech has been staff ace as sophomore, going 6-0 with a 0.92 ERA. … He shut out Larned in the regional semifinals.
 

 
ROCK CREEK
 
Coach: Shane Sieben
 
Record: 23-4 (No. 2 seed)
 
Regional results: beat El Dorado, 2-0; beat Louisburg, 12-3.
 
State tournament quarterfinal: vs. Hayden (7: 19-5), 5:45 p.m. Monday at Trusler Sports Complex, Emporia
 
Key Players: Brock Lubbers, jr., P/1B; Jordy Scott, so., OF; Wyatt Wells, jr., 3B/P; Peter Martinie, sr., SS; Jaxon Pendell, jr., OF/3B; Jesse Lies, sr., 2B.
 
Worth noting: Mustangs were state runner-up a year ago, falling to Fort Scott 6-4 in the state championship game. … Rock Creek won the 2024 Class 4A state title in a 28-1 season and also captured state championships in 2015 (4A Division II) and 2021 (3A) and finished runner-up in 2014 and 2019. … State trip is 13^th for Mustangs since 2000 and 11th in last 12 seasons (excluding COVID year in 2020). … Mustangs shared North Central Kansas League title with fellow 4A qualifier Concordia, the fourth straight league title for the Mustangs. … Two of four losses came to fellow 4A qualifiers Concordia and McPherson. … Scott is hitting .523 with 4 home runs, 33 RBI and 48 runs scored. … Wells is 6-1 with a 1.41 ERA and threw a one-hit shutout of El Dorado in the regional semifinals, striking out 9. … He has 46 strikeouts on the season and also is hitting .313 with 21 RBI. … Lubbers is hitting .333 with 26 RBI and 24 runs scored and has a save and 16 strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. … Martinie has 21 RBI and 30 runs scored. … Pendell has 31 RBI and is hitting .384.