The Stripes defeated the Stars 9-2 Sunday night at the Jayhawk Collegiate League All-Star Game at Riverfront Stadium in Wichita.
The Stripes banged out 12 hits and committed no errors. The Stars had six hits and one error.
The Stripes team included head coach Casey Lippoldt as an assistant coach.
Monarch players on the Stripes team were Jarrett Flaggert, shortstop Cooper Wesslund, third baseman Camden Johnson, outfielders Brett Smajstria and Jaden Gustafson and pitchers Brock Rod, Jace Minor, Kamden Edge, Reed Scott and Camden Jensen.
The Hutchinson Monarchs will be back in action at home Tuesday night against the Derby Twins at 7 p.m. on “Bark in the Park Night.” The Monarchs host the Twins at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The Monarchs will play the Great Bend Bat Cats at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Al Burns Memorial Field in Great Bend.
The Kansas Cannons lead the Jayhawk Collegiate League with a 15-5 overall record (15-5 JCL), followed by Hutchinson 14-6 (13-6 JCL), Derby 15-6 overall (13-6 JCL) and Great Bend 13-7 overall (12-7 JCL).
The Wichita Dirtbag Baseball Club is 7-11 overall (7-11 JCL), Kingman 6-11 overall (6-11 JCL), Diamond Kings 20-11 overall (2-11 JCL) and Newton 3-18 overall (3-18 JCL).
HutchCC hires Rusty Laverentz as assistant AD
Rusty Laverentz is the new assistant athletic director at Hutchinson Community College.
Laverentz’s main duties will be NJCAA compliance, game operations, and concessions at Gowans Stadium and the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Laverentz came to Hutchinson after serving two years as the athletic director at Missouri State University-West Plains in West Plains, Mo.
Before West Plains, Laverentz was the assistant athletic director at Pratt Community College.
Laverentz served as the director of basketball operations for the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley women’s basketball team.
Laverentz also served in the same capacity for the University of Houston’s women’s basketball team.
Laverentz was the head basketball coach at Connors State College in 2014-15 and New Mexico Junior College from 2005-07, following five seasons as an assistant coach.
Laverentz takes over for Steve Kappenman, who now is the Activities Director at Hutchinson High School.
Wichita State women’s bowling now an NCAA DI sport
The Wichita State women’s bowling program officially became an NCAA Division I program on Monday, joining Conference USA as an affiliate member for the 2024-25 season.
The NCAA does not sponsor men’s bowling as a sport, so the Wichita State men’s bowling program will continue to compete as normal with support from the Rhatigan Student Center.
The addition of Wichita State increases current league membership to 10 schools, as the Shockers join Arkansas State, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Tulane, Valparaiso, Vanderbilt and Youngstown State as members of Conference USA.
Though only officially joining the NCAA ranks in 2024, the Wichita State women’s bowling program has been a national powerhouse in collegiate bowling for more than four decades.
KSHOF announces 2024 induction class
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame Chairman Jim Dunning Jr., announced Monday the selection of 12 individuals to be inducted, Sunday, Oct. 13, in Topeka.
The class includes seven individuals who have ties to Olympic competition, including a gold medalist, paralympic medalist and the only American to be named a head track and field starter for two Olympic Games.
The group also includes national champion coaches, collegiate champions and All-Americans, and American-record holders.
“This is an accomplished group, and one the Hall of Fame is extremely proud to recognize,” Dunning said. “They bring a considerable diversity of backgrounds and talents to the Hall. In this Olympic year, I believe it is wonderful to shine a light on seven inductees with Olympic connections.”
The honorees include:
• Dave Bingham — NAIA national champion baseball coach at Emporia State and head coach for College World Series participant Kansas. Bingham also coached the Liberal Beejays (1974-1975) and Hutchinson Broncs (1980) semi-professional baseball teams in the Jayhawk League.
• Erik Kynard – Olympic Gold Medalist high jumper at Kansas State.
• Melvin Lister — National champion in the long jump at Leavenworth H.S., Butler County CC, and Arkansas.
• Mark Mangino — National Assistant Football Coach-of-the-Year at Oklahoma; and Head Coach for Orange Bowl Champion at Kansas.
• Ron Neugent — Swimming Gold Medalist in World University Games; and American Record-Holder at Kansas.
• Kelly Rankin — He’s the only American to be the head starter for two Olympic Games.
• Scott Russell — NCAA champ and Olympic qualifier for Canada in the Javelin at Kansas.
• Kevin Saunders — Bronze Medalist and Record-Holder for U.S. in Paralympic Games.
• Will Shields — Native Kansan, 14-year NFL veteran Kansas City Chiefs. Member, College & NFL halls of fame.
• Sean Snyder — Consensus All-American punter and national special teams coach of the year at Kansas State.
• Mark Turgeon — All-State basketball player at Topeka Hayden H.S., four-time NCAA Tournament qualifier at Kansas, Missouri Valley (Wichita State) and Big Ten Champion (Maryland) coach and conference Coach-of-the-Year.
• Annette Wiles — Two-time NAIA Basketball All-American and NAIA Tournament MVP at Fort Hays State.
This year’s class brings the total number of inductees to 340. The first class, in 1961, included legends such as Dr. James Naismith, Mike Ahearn, Glenn Cunningham, Walter Johnson and Jess Willard.
Created by the Kansas State legislature in 1961, the hall has operated for 63 years and is located at the Wichita Boathouse.
The reception (5 p.m.), featuring heavy appetizers and refreshments, and the induction ceremony (6 p.m.) will be conducted in the Sunflower Ballroom of the Hotel Topeka City Center.
The venue is located at 1717 Southwest Topeka Blvd., in Topeka.
Kansas State’s Culpepper named to NCAA Division I Second Team
Kansas State University junior shortstop Kaelen Culpepper was named to the NCAA Division I Baseball All-American Second Team.
Culpepper, from Memphis, Tenn., is the first position player in school history to earn this honor and the second Wildcat recognized during Pete Hughes’ tenure.
Projected as the No. 32 overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Culpepper finished as one of the Big 12’s top offensive players. He ranked in the league’s top 10 in runs batted in (59), hits (80) and led in triples (6).
He also recorded 15 doubles, 11 home runs and a team-best .328 batting average.
Culpepper hit for the cycle in K-State’s NCAA Tournament opener against Louisiana Tech. His standout performance included a .474 batting average, .522 on-base percentage and 1.053 slugging percentage during the tournament.
This accolade is the 39th postseason All-America honor in program history and Culpepper’s first.