Bat Cats, Monarchs show Jayhawk pride
WICHITA — Maybe the Great Bend Bat Cats didn’t upset the Santa Barbara Foresters at the NBC World Series. But a week later, the Hutchinson Monarchs from the Jayhawk League got the job done.
The Bat Cats nearly snapped Santa Barbara’s 4-year NBC winning streak in a 5-4 setback.
The Bat Cats, guided by coach Jonathan Mariani, had the Foresters on the ropes, leading 4-2. Santa Barbara Hall of Fame coach Bill Pintard was ejected, creating drama.
The Foresters took advantage of walks and errors to edge the Bats Cats 5-4, securing a valuable day off. Had the Bat Cats scored the upset, the Foresters and Bat Cats could’ve met for the second time in the NBC semifinals.
The Bat Cats were close to making a huge NBC statement.
“Eventually you’ve got to play the best teams. A play here-or-there and we win that baseball game,” Mariani said. “We felt like we had a chance to beat anybody at the NBC World Series. You’ve got to make plays and we didn’t in that ballgame.”
Barton Community College catcher Grant Nottlemann batted .750 (12 for 16) and recorded an 83% on-base average (21 for 25) with eight walks and a hit-by-pitch.
“Grant absolutely loves hitting at Wichita State,” Mariani said.
The leadership of Bat Cats general manager Roger Ward and the coaching of Mariani, Chandler Bloomer, Zach Dobbins and Landon Sciacca was brilliant.
They mixed-and-matched a lineup that lost 14 players who had played with the Bat Cats with nine replacement players. The Bat Cats missed standout players Armani Raygoza, Jake Tatom and Jace Woita.
“It was a fun week. We had a batting lineup that was good all year. They clicked. We’d definitely like to have those guys back next summer.”
Mariani wasn’t surprised by the success by the Monarchs or the Kansas Cannons.
“We take pride in our league which plays good baseball. It shows how tough our Jayhawk League was.”
HUTCHINSON MONARCHS — The Hutchinson Monarchs, which split six games against Great Bend, captured the 2023 NBC World Series with a 6-3 victory over 10-time champion Santa Barbara.
Pratt native Casey Lippoldt led the Monarchs to their first-ever NBC championship. The Hutchinson Broncs featured major-league stars Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro back in the day, but never won the NBC title.
Lippoldt borrowed some wisdom from former Derby Twins coach Bill Shaw.
“I told my guys it doesn’t matter who they’re playing,” Lippoldt said. “It’s baseball. You’ve got to keep it simple and make plays.”
A late-game rally against the Hays Larks for a 6-4 victory helped the Monarchs win their pool.
“From a pitching standpoint, it helped because we earned a day off,” he said. “The big thing is we gained confidence.”
Lippoldt made the key decision by sending baserunner Blake Bradford on Caleb Cotton’s game-tying double. The base hit took a high hop over left fielder Damian Ruiz and the relay from centerfielder Trent Baker was off-line.
“I knew Bradford was running off the bat,” Lippoldt said. “When it bounced over the left fielder, I told myself we got to test it. My philosophy is be aggressive, but be smart.”
Lippoldt led Pratt’s AA Legion team to several state titles. The 76ers qualified for AA regionals in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
“This is a championship, these guys will remember forever,” Lippoldt said.
