Hutchinson Base Ball Club teams will play at Hobart-Detter Field

Both Hutchinson Base Ball Club teams (the Salt Packers and the Prairie Dogs) will play an exhibition vintage game at 5:15 p.m. Saturday at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park.

The Hutchinson Monarchs-Diamond Kings baseball game will follow the Salt Packers-Prairie Dogs game at 7 p.m.

“You’ll see how ‘base ball’ used to be played in the 1860s and then see a modern baseball game with our NBC reigning champion Hutchinson Monarchs,” the Reno County, Kansas Government Facebook page stated.

“There is also a Youth Equipment Drive so if you have any new or gently used baseball equipment, bring it to the game and they will donate the gear to players in need. It’s going to be a great night. We hope to see you there.”

Hutchinson Monarchs shut out Diamond Kings 13-0

The Hutchinson Monarchs shut out the Diamond Kings 13-0 in a seven-inning run-rule game Friday night at Hobart-Detter Field.

The Monarchs scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning and six in the second to take an 8-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, Hutchinson’s Blake Bradford (Hutchinson CC/Kansas State University/Sylvania, Ohio) smacked a two-run double to give the Monarchs a 10-0 lead.

Bradford’s double-scored Brett Smajstria (Sam Houston State/Pearland, Texas) and Cooper Wesslund (Hutchinson CC/UNO/Lincoln, Neb.), who were both plunked by pitches.

Sam Wiese (Eastern Illinois University/Omaha) gave the Monarchs an 11-0 lead with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third.

Jaden Gustafson (Wichita State/Wichita) belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Monarchs a 13-0 lead.

Hutchinson improved to 21-7 overall and 10-1 in Jayhawk Collegiate League play. The Diamond Kings dropped to 5-18 overall and 2-9 in league play.

Kamden Edge (NOC Tonkawa, Soper, Okla.) started for the Monarchs on the pitching mound.

Saltcity Racing will hold two nights of competition July 19-20

The biggest event of the 2024 season for Saltcity Racing at the Kansas State Fairgrounds Racetrack is scheduled for July 19-20 (Friday-Saturday).

A USAC Silver Crown series will take place and a 100-lap feature is scheduled.

The Kansas State Fairgrounds are located at 2000 N. Poplar Street in Hutchinson (20th and Poplar).

Pits open for the July 19 races at 3 p.m., gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps begin at 6 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $21 for adult general admission and $10 for kids general admission.

Classes competing are IMCA Stock Car, IMCA Modified, IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car (United Rebel Sprint Series) and Super Stocks.

Pits open for the July 20 races at 3 p.m., gates open at 5 p.m., hot laps begin at 6 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $31 for adult general admission and $14 for kids general admission.

Classes competing are IMCA RaceSaver Sprint Car (URSS) and IMCA Northern Modified.

In other racing news, the Kansas State Fair Board told Phil Nightingale of Salt City Racing LLC at their meeting this week to get dates together because the schedule at the Fairgrounds is filling up fast for 2025.

Nightingale said he has additional sanctioning bodies that would like to race the half-mile, but he’s got to work it out with them.

Dodge City CC names new baseball coach

Dodge City Community College named JM Kelly as the next head baseball coach for the Conquistadors. 

For the past two years, Kelly was the head coach at East Central College, an NJCAA institution in Union, Mo.

He led the Falcons to the Region 16 NJCAA Division II title during the 2024 season as the team finished the year 37-21, a school record for wins in a season and he was named the Region 16 and Missouri Community College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

During his time at ECC, he had 17 all-region players, including a Region 16 Player of the Year in 2023 and five All-MCCAC honorees.

Kelly is the second major coach hired this summer by DCCC. Ryan Lusby was named head football coach in June.