Varsity Kansas - The Blog

by joanna

Right now Andover and Andale are posing for the Class 4A team title photo, being that they tied. That was a pretty cool finish, with Andover’s Ryan Haswell winning the 300 hurdles to take the lead in 4A, then Ethan Ungles of Andale coming back with a winning 200 meters to tie it for good.

A weird little finish to the 1600 relay in 6A boys. I’m sitting up here in the press box waiting to see if an area team wins so I can make it a small item in my track notes. But I don’t see Heights. Turns out that Heights didn’t write down all six runners for the relay (4 plus the two alternates), so they didn’t let the team run. Seems a little weird there.

I was impressed with Bonner Springs’ Walker twins today. Jeremy won the 100, Jonathan won the 110 hurdles and Jeremy finished second, both were on the winning 400 relay team and Jonathan won the 200.

Overall it was a good day. The meet moved quickly, quicker than usual. Yay for us. The events were exciting — especially the 400 boys and girls 6A relays.

There were multiple winners, and a whole lot of action. And pretty much everything will finish up today — except 6A baseball, which for some reason won’t play its championship until Saturday. That stinks.

Did you see someone you were impressed with? A team or individual? Feel free to post it here. Track, baseball, softball or soccer. I do not care.

If you’re feeling sad because Kapaun and Maize both lost in the soccer championship games, understood. If you’re happy that the Andale/Garden Plain softball team won, let us know.

Post by Jordan Bass

Dominik King finally breaks up Robbie Rea’s perfect game with two-out double but he was stranded at second as the next batter popped out to right.

I could be wrong but the chatter in the press box is that Rea’s pitching day is done because of the inning limit a kid can throw in one day.

Seaman put runners at 1st and 3rd with one out and their leadoff hitter at the plate. A wild pitch scored another run for the Vikings and advanced a runner to 2nd. Kapaun got out of the inning with two flyouts.

4-0 Seaman after 4

Post by Jordan Bass

Rea is still perfect through 3 with five strikeouts.

Kapaun escapes of another potential big inning for the Vikings. Seaman put runners on 1st and 3rd with no out but a groundball to 3rd was thrown home and beat the runner to the plate. Kapaun then forced two groundballs to get out of the inning.

3-0 Seaman after 3

Post by Jordan Bass

Vikings pitcher Robbie Rea is perfect through two innings while Kapaun’s Micheal Reynolds settled in and worked a perfect bottom of the 2nd.

3-0 Seaman after 2

Post by Jordan Bass

Not exactly the start Kapaun was looking for in their bid to upset the top-seeded Vikings. 

Seaman’s Robbie Rea strikes out two and gets the other to groundout in the top half of the 1st inning for the Seaman.

Kapaun ran into some trouble in the bottom of the 1st. A four-pitch walk and a single were followed by a popout for the first out. Reynolds hit Rea on the next pitch before Marcus Peavier drove in the first two runs of a game with a single up the chute. Kapaun then gave up the run at home for a try at a double play that only gets the runner out at second. Kapaun finally retires the side on a groundball to the shortstop.

3-0 Seaman after 1

Post by Jordan Bass

Couple minutes from the first pitch. Kapaun will be the visiting team. The seventh-seeded Crusaders will start freshman Michael Reynolds. Reynolds hasn’t seen the field yet in this state tournament.

The top-seeded Vikings look like they are going to start Robbie Rea. Rea pitched five innings of five-hit ball in the first semifinal that ended three or so hours ago.

Starters are being announced. No big changes in the lineup for Kapaun.

Be back after the first.

Some heavy rain in town last night pushed things back an hour today, but Independent wasn’t fazed, beating Sacred Heart 10-5 in the semis. We’re about halfway home in the consolation game, which is setting us up for Independent and Silver Lake in the nightcap.

Post by Jordan Bass

David Baska throws a gem to lead Aquinas to win.

First pitch for Kapaun and Seaman will be around 6 o’clock as all the players are getting their medals for third and fourth place.

Post by Jordan Bass

The seventh-seeded Kapaun Crusaders will play the top-seeded Topeka-Seaman Vikings in the 5A state championship game around 7 p.m. tonight. I’ll get back to you with a more exact first pitch time once the third-place game is done.

Aaron Boswell went 7 innings, gave up 7 hits and 1 earned run. He struck out three and walked zero. He also went 2 for 3 at the plate with 2 RBI’s and 3 runs scored.

Dominik King went 3 for 3 with 1 walk, one RBI, and one run scored

A few quotes from Kapaun head coach Ryan Burr.

On his team’s impressive defensive performance this tournament

“We focus on defense every day in practice. If you can play defense and pitch like we have been you can play with anyone.”

On Aaron Boswell’s performance on the mound

“We expected this from him. He is a different kind of pitcher (from game 1 starter Dominik Kirk). He is a great competitor. He has beat some great teams.”

On playing Seaman in the finals

“They are very good. They are the gold standard in 5A baseball.”

Freshman Michael Reynolds will start the game on the mound for the Crusaders.

Post by Jordan Bass

Kapaun quickly took any doubt out of this semifinal with 9 runs in the top of the 7th…are there is still only one out with runners on 2nd and 3rd.

Kapaun will advance to the championship game against Topeka-Seaman. First pitch would be around 7 o’clock if I had to guess.

Topeka-Seaman looked extremely impressive in both of the two games they won this tournament. Both teams should have all but two of their pitchers left.

Don’t forget Kapaun comes in as the seven seed while Seaman has lost one game all year and is the number one seed.

Back with quotes if this inning ever comes to a conclusion.