By John Mesh
The Hutchinson Monarchs open the 2025 summer season Friday and Saturday with two Jayhawk Collegiate League games against the Newton Rebels at Hobart-Detter Field in Hutchinson’s Carey Park.
The Monarchs-Rebels games start at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The Monarchs won the National Baseball Congress Tournament in 2023 and placed second in 2024 (Hutchinson lost 7-3 to the Hays Larks in the 2024 championship game).
The Monarchs defeated the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Foresters 6-3 to claim the 2023 NBC World Series title.
Hutchinson finished 31-10 in 2024 and 26-17 in 2023.
“We look forward to another successful season with the 2025 Monarchs,” said general manager/owner Marc Blackim. “Our roster is full and filled with a nice mix of players from nine different states and two players from Australia. Our roster this year has seven either current or former Hutchinson CC Blue Dragons.
“Our first goal is to win the Jayhawk League for the second year in a row and then make a deep run in the NBC World Series. Our goal is to get back to the championship game, avenge our runner-up finish in 2024 with another national championship.”
Hutchinson Monarchs home page — https://www.monarchsbaseball.org/teams/?u=MONARCHS&s=baseball
Hutchinson Monarchs 2025 roster
Pitchers: Russell Copous, Cole Toureau, Camden Cornelius, Carson Harrell, Carson Gonzales, Bryant Siemens, Bradyn McClure, Karter Chamberlain, Ethan Giesbracht, Aiden Sowers, Lachlan Rosser. Mitchell Johnson, Riley Dickey, Caylin Grimes.
Catchers: Jeter Worthley, Tyler Mitchell, Keegan Demmer, Jake Knox.
Infielders: JJ Spafford, Pryce Bender, Blake Bradford, Joey Senstock, Drew Bugner, Devin Nunez, Jackson Legg, AJ Mustow.
Outfielders: Jarrett Herrmann, Parker Blackman, Dylan Bell, Omare Cross, Caylin Grimes.
Head coach: Casey Lippoldt.
Assistant coaches: Ryan Pinkall, Ryan Stoecklein.
General manager/owner: Marc Blackim.
Owner/sale and marketing/Monarchs merchandise: Kim Blackim.
Sales and marketing: Morgan Blackim.
Game announcers/stats volunteers: Steve Carpenter, Denny Stoecklein.
2025 Hutchinson Monarchs schedule
May 30 Newton Rebels, 7 p.m.
May 31 Newton Rebels, 7 p.m.
June 2 Derby Twins, 7 p.m.
June 3 at Derby Twins, 7 p.m.
June 5 Kansas Cannons, 7 p.m.
June 6 at Kansas Cannons, Augusta, 7 p.m.
June 9 Wichita Black Sox, 7 p.m.
June 10 at Haysville Aviators, 7 p.m.
June 11 at Haysville Aviators, 7 p.m.
June 13 at Great Bend Bat Cats, 7 p.m.
June 14 Cancer Awareness Jersey Auction, 6:40 p.m.
June 16 at Kingman Islanders, 7 p.m.
June 17 Kingman Islanders, 7 p.m.
June 18 Junction City Brigade, 7 p.m.
June 20 at Junction City Brigade, 7 p.m.
June 21 at Wildcat Baseball, Rose Hill, 7 p.m.
June 23 Wildcat Baseball, 7 p.m.
June 25 at Newton Rebels, 7 p.m.
June 26 at Newton Rebels. 7 p.m.
June 27 at Derby Twins, 7 p.m.
June 28 Vintage Baseball, 5:15 p.m.
June 29 Kansas Cannons, 6 p.m.
July 1 at Kansas Cannons, Augusta, 7 p.m.
July 2 Wildcat Baseball, 7 p.m.
July 6 Haysville Aviators, 6 p.m.
July 8 Haysville Aviators, 7 p.m.
July 10 at Great Bend Bat Cats, 7 p.m.
July 11 at Kingman Islanders, 7 p.m.
July 12 Kingman Islanders, 7 p.m.
July 14 Junction City Brigade, 7 p.m.
July 15 at Junction City Brigade, 7 p.m.
July 18 Wildcat Baseball, 7 p.m.
July 19 Jayhawk League All-Star Game, Hobart-Detter Field, 7 p.m.
July 24-Aug. 2 NBC World Series, Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium
Hutchinson CC softball players Morgan Tomlinson, Kaibryn Kruger earn NFCA All-Region honors
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Two members of the Hutchinson Community College softball team earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region honors on Tuesday.
Sophomore pitcher Morgan Tomlinson and freshman center fielder Kaibryn Kruger were named to the NFCA NJCAA Division I All-West Region second team.
They were two of nine Jayhawk Conference players to earn all-region honors.
MORGAN TOMLINSON (So./P) – 1st Team
Tomlinson became the first 20-game winner for the Blue Dragons since Holly Kelley in 2016, posting a record of 21-7 with a 3.18 earned run average.
In KJCCC play, she made 15 starts and eight relief appearances. Tomlinson was 16-3 with a 3.11 earned run average.
The sophomore from Harveyville had 131 strikeouts in 147 1/3 innings pitched this season. She walked only 24 batters and allowed 149 hits with opposing batters hitting only .251 off of her.
Tomlinson pitched two combined no-hitters this season and had six complete games with two complete-game shutouts.
In three-straight starts this past season, Tomlinson set new single-game career highs in strikeouts with eight against Colby on March 17, nine against Garden City on March 18 and 10 against Dodge City on March 20.
Tomlinson completed her career with a 37-10 record and a 3.14 earned-run average. She finished with 180 strikeouts in 236 innings. Her 37 wins rank fourth on the Blue Dragon career list and her 180 strikeouts are 10th.
Tomlinson was also named all-KJCCC first team earlier this month.
KAIBRYN KRUGER (Fr./CF) – 2nd Team
The freshman from Silver Lake was second on the team in batting this season with a .456 average.
Kruger was 73 for 160 with 13 doubles, six triples and seven home runs. She drove in 51 runs and scored 76, which is the third-most in Blue Dragon single-season history.
Kruger was 40 of 42 in stolen-base attempts this season, which is No. 3 on the Blue Dragon single-season list.
Kruger matched Bailey Backhaus for the longest hitting streak this season at 16 and she will carry a 43-game streak of reach base into next season.
Kruger had 24 multi-hit games, including a season-high four hits against Seward County on March 12.
Kruger had two games with four steals – Fort Hays Tech Northwest on March on and Labette on March 9 – to establish a new Blue Dragon single-game record for steals.
Kruger was named all-KJCCC second team this season.