Courtesy of Hutchinson CC Sports Information
WICHITA – After five consecutive elimination game victories over the last three days, the No. 10-ranked Hutchinson Community College baseball team was running on fumes Sunday at Eck Stadium.
The Jayhawk West champion, and No. 10 nationally ranked Hutchinson Community College baseball team fell to the Top-ranked Johnson County Cavaliers 14-6 at Eck Stadium in the second championship game of the Plains District (Region 6) tournament.
Bidding for its first regional championship since 2010 and trying to pull off a rare feat – win the double-elimination tournament after losing its first game – which has been done only once since the tournament went to this format in 2004, the Blue Dragons grabbed an early lead. They couldn't sustain the momentum though as Johnson County scored three runs in each of the first three innings and scored at least one run in its first seven at-bats of the game.
The 2024 Blue Dragons close out a record-setting season with a record of 51-13 for first-year head coach Brock Nehls. The 51 wins break the only season wins record of 47 since in 2002 and 2017. The 2024 Blue Dragons won the Jayhawk West for the first time since 2021 and for the 13th time in program history.
The Blue Dragons opened the 2024 district tournament with a 5-4 loss to Barton on Wednesday. Hutchinson then went on a tear through the elimination bracket defeating Dodge City on Thursday, walking off No. 15 Kansas City, 9-8 and ousting Cowley 8-6 on Friday. Then came Saturday with a pair of 10-inning victories – walking off Barton when Cooper Wesslund singled home Kael Babin with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th for a 3-2 victory. The Dragons forced a second championship game with an 11-8 win over Johnson County later on Saturday.
Hutchinson took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first on Sunday when Cooper Wesslund singled in Luis Pimentel-Guerrero. Johnson County immediately answered with a three-run bottom of the first.
Trailing 11-1 after five innings, the Dragons chipped away with a pair of runs. Blake Bradford and Mac Bowie both scored on two Johnson County errors to cut the deficit to eight runs.
The Dragons tacked on three runs in the ninth when Bradford drove in Pimentel-Guerrero and pinch-runner Jarrett Herrmann with a double. Bradford scored on an RBI triple from Jordan Tucker.
The Blue Dragons had 11 hits.
Pimentel-Guerrero had a career-high four hits, going 4 for 5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Tucker was 2 for 5 with a triple and RBI. Wesslund finished 2 for 3 with an RBI.
The Blue Dragons used five pitchers, who allowed 14 hits, eight walks and hit four batters. Cole Toureau (1-2) was tagged with the loss.
POSTGAME NOTES:+ Sophomore Kael Babin closed his record-setting stolen base season with 59 steals in 62 attempts. His Blue Dragon career record will stand at 76.
+ The 2024 Blue Dragons shattered the team stolen base record, stealing 225 of 250 this season.
+ The Dragons also rushed the old hit-by-pitch record of 134, getting hit 182 times this season.