HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Hutchinson High School baseball team has been through a lot of ups and downs through the past 20 years, but mainly more downs than ups. The Salthawks, however, have made strides this spring that may thought were unimaginable.
Hutchinson finished the regular season 17-9 overall and 8-4 in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Division I.
The 17 wins are the most the program has had since the 2004 season, when the Salthawks finished the year 17-4. The 8-4 mark is good enough for third place in the AVCTL, the best league finish since the Salthawks finished third in 2013.
This is all coming after the Salthawks went just 4-17 last spring and 2-18 in 2022. Prior to this season, Hutchinson had a combined record of 40-149 over the past nine seasons.
How has Mace Krol turned the program around in just his second season as the head coach?
"I've got a lot of guys on this team that just believe," Krol said. "I knew we were going to be more competitive than we were last year, and I told a lot of people we were going to double our win total from then, but to be able to quadruple it is not something I expected."
The eight wins in league play this season have come against some of the best in the league each and every year. Hutchinson swept Campus, Derby and Salina South, and split against Maize and Newton. The Salthawks were also very competitive against 5A powerhouse Maize South, losing by four runs in the first game and one in the second game.
"It's all a testament to the kids right now and what they've accomplished," Krol said. "They've done exactly what we've asked them to do and they've worked so hard for what's coming to them and they deserve all of the credit."
Junior Cole Bleything leads the Salthawks with a .341 batting average, as well as a team-high 30 hits and eight doubles. Junior Carter Morgan is right behind Bleything with a .337 average. Morgan leads the Salthawks with 26 runs scored, 30 hits, two triples, one home run and 20 RBI. Junior Caiden Beavers is hitting .333 in the two-spot in the batting order with four doubles, 12 RBI and a team-high 13 stolen bases.
Sophomore JuJu Lyons leads the Salthawks with a 4-0 record on the mound with a 3.38 ERA in six starts. Senior Lakin Franz has a team-high 11 appearances (all in relief), 28 strikeouts, four saves, while also accumulating a 2.16 ERA.
The Salthawks have a .281 batting average as a team, 156 runs scored, 35 doubles, seven triples and one home run. Hutchinson also has 55 stolen bases on the season.
The Hutchinson pitching staff has a 4.82 ERA and have struck out 119 batters. Senior Eastyn Keeler has two complete games, while Bleything has one.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) will officially release regional pairings on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. and will be posted on kshsaa.org.
No matter who the Salthawks play, Krol knows his team will be ready for the challenge.
"We're a really dangerous team to play right now, because the guys truly believe they're going to win every time they go out on the field," Krol said.
Click here for 2024 Salthawk baseball schedule
Salthawk Baseball Season-by-Season
2023: 4-17
2022: 2-18
2021: 6-15
2020: COVID
2019: 6-14
2018: 3-18
2017: 9-14
2016: 4-17
2015: 5-16
2014: 1-20
2013: 13-9
2012: 9-13
2011: 11-11
2010: 8-14
2009: 13-8
2008: 9-12
2007: 14-8
2006: 9-12
2005: 14-9
2004: 17-4
2003: 16-5
2002: 21-4
2001: 14-5-1
2000: 16-6
1999: 16-4
1998: 6-15
1997: 16-9
1996: 16-7
1995: 7-15
1994: 16-7
1993: 12-7
1992: 13-9
1991: 13-9
1990: 11-11
1989: 6-15