Satchel Paige’s grandson will attend NBC opening night
The National Baseball Congress announced that Michael O'Neal, grandson of legendary Baseball Hall of Fame and NBC Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel Paige, will attend the opening night of the 90th NBC World Series next Thursday.
“In conjunction with the 90th NBC World Series, members of Satchel Paige's family will be in attendance as we celebrate his life and legacy as a trailblazer, barrier breaker and baseball legend on July 25th at Eck Stadium in Wichita,” said the NBC.
O’Neal will be available immediately following Wichita mayor Lily Wu’s weekly briefing at the All-American Club Thursday at Eck Stadium, Wichita State University.
Paige pitched for the Bismarck Churchills in the first National Baseball Congress Semi-Pro Invitational in Wichita in 1935 and notched a victory. Paige pitched for seven Negro League teams from 1927-47 (including three stints with the Kansas City Monarchs). He pitched in Major League Baseball's American League for the Cleveland Indians (1948-49), St. Louis Browns (1951-53) and Kansas City Athletics (1965).
He posted an MLB record of 125-82, appeared in two All-Star Games and won a World Series title in 1948 with Cleveland. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. Paige died on June 8, 1982, at the age of 75 in Kansas City, Mo.
“Paige’s appearance more than a decade before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, was a main catalyst for the NBC World Series’ success,” said the NBC.
The Hutchinson Monarchs are the defending NBC champions and have won nine straight games en route to being one of 11 teams that received bids to the 2024 NBC World Series.
The Monarchs (25-6) hosted the Kansas Cannons (24-9) at Hobart-Detter Field in Carey Park Thursday.
Hutchinson hosts a two-game series against the Kingman Islanders Friday and Saturday to wrap up the regular season in the Jayhawk Collegiate League.
HutchCC golfer Clemons shoots 77 in British Open first round
Former Hutchinson Community College golfer Dominic Clemons carded a 6-over 77 opening round at The Open Championship on Thursday at the Royal Troon Golf Club.
Clemons is the first-ever former HutchCC golfer to qualify for a major PGA championship.
The trio of Clemons, Stewart Cink and Chris Kirk will tee off at 1:48 p.m. BST (7:48 a.m. CST) on Friday in Round 2.
73 HutchCC athletes named to 2023-24 NJCAA Academic teams
According to Hutchinson Community College sports information and the Blue Dragons Sports Facebook site, 73 HutchCC student-athletes were named to the NJCAA All-Academic teams for the 2023-24 academic season, which was released on Thursday.
The Blue Dragons had 28 student-athletes on the NJCAA’s first-team list, which represents student-athletes with 4.00 grade-point averages.
The Blue Dragons had 21 athletes on the second team, which represents grades of 3.80 to 3.99, and 24 all-academic third-team student-athletes with GPAs ranging from 3.60 to 3.79.
Sixteen student-athletes from the pool of 73 earned honors in multiple sports.
Baseball had the most individual athletes earn all-academic honors with 17, followed by women’s track and field with 12. Softball and women’s soccer had 11 each.
The Blue Dragon women’s soccer team had the most first-team honorees with seven players earning that honor.
Blue Dragon softball had the highest of all team GPAs in 2023-24 with an aggregate 3.67 team GPA.
Eight Blue Dragons teams earned NJCAA team academic honors. To earn team GPA awards, a team must have an aggregate 3.00 GPA to qualify.
Blue Dragon teams earning academic honors are: Softball (3.67), women’s soccer (3.52), women’s cross country (3.35), baseball (3.19), women’s outdoor track and field (3.16), women’s basketball (3.13), women’s indoor track and field (3.10) and men’s cross country (3.09).
Here is a list of the 73 Blue Dragon student-athletes to earn NJCAA All-Academic honors for the 2023-24 academic season:
First Team (4.00 GPA)
Maria Azevedo – Soccer
Kael Babin – Baseball
Bailey Backhaus – Softball
Brook Backhaus – Softball
Mac Bowie – Baseball
Kendra Brungardt – Soccer
Kernan Bundy – Men’s Basketball
Hayleigh Burke – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Kaitlyn Edwards – Soccer
Ashlyn Finley – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Ethan Giesbrecht – Baseball
Tate Hoover – Football
Bree Horyna – Women’s Basketball
Preslee Irwin – Softball
Noah Khohkar – Football
Haley Kruger – Softball
Grace Lambert – Cross Country
Korri Lies – Softball
Tatiana Mayumi – Soccer
Jordyn Picolet – Cross Country, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Ryan Ruggiero – Baseball
Jordan Scruggs – Football
Karsyn Slothower – Soccer
Nancy Stefanek – Soccer
Mason Thrush – Football
Ellie Van Zelfden – Cross Country, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Kemisha Williams-Dominique – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Jayda Wyatt – Soccer
Second Team (3.80-3.99 GPA)
BrieAnn Brawner – Softball
Alejandra Briseno – Volleyball
Chanesse Chandler – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Adriana Delgado – Soccer
Madi Denison – Women’s Basketball
Ilex Hagan – Soccer
Alexis Horsch – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Kennedy Johnson – Softball
Jenna Kuepker – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Tammy Lozoya – Softball
Farrin Mangelson – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Yadira Moreno – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Jaala Nowlin – Softball
Olivia Sandoval – Softball
Kobe Smith – Men’s Basketball
Ryleigh Stuhlsatz – Volleyball
Morgan Tomlinson – Softball
Baker Tygart – Baseball
Tyson Vassart – Baseball
Cooper Wesslund – Baseball
Shelbi Wilson – Volleyball
Third Team (3.60-3.79 GPA)
Jojo Adeoye – Men’s Basketball
Laura Avila – Cross Country, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Blake Bradford – Baseball
Lorena Campos – Soccer
Josh Cline – Baseball
Taniyah Cox – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Christian Darrah – Cross Country, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Cody Gunderson – Baseball
Liberty Limon – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
John Losew – Indoor Track, Outdoor Track
Katharina Marx – Soccer
Preston Michael – Football
Peyton Mosley – Women’s Basketball
Bradley Neill – Baseball
Kahlen Norris – Women’s Basketball
Sam Ojeda – Baseball
Cooper Philbrick – Baseball
Jalen Rice – Football
Landen Snyder – Baseball
Emma Stubbs – Volleyball
Cole Toureau – Baseball
Cole Whittington – Baseball
Rece Wilson – Baseball
Matti Zeh – Football
Central Kansas Crushers holding 8U baseball tryouts
The Central Kansas Crushers need players for their 8 and under baseball team.
Tryouts are 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11 at the 365 Sports Complex, 453 Old K-61 Highway, Inman.
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