Chip on shoulder, trophy in hand: Shocker recruits lift Monarchs to NBC title
On a summer night in downtown Wichita, the Hutchinson Monarchs hoisted another National Baseball Congress World Series championship.
But for Wichita State baseball fans, it felt like a glimpse into the future.
With future Shockers at the top of the lineup, Hutchinson’s 21-4 demolition of the Lonestar Kraken in front of more than 3,000 fans at Equity Bank Park on Saturday evening was more than just a summer rout.
At the center of it all was Wichita State.
The first three hitters in the Monarchs’ lineup — Jake Gutierrez, Drew Bugner and Jaden Gustafson — are all Shockers. The trio combined for eight hits, 10 RBIs and 10 runs scored in the championship game, setting the tone from the opening pitch. Gutierrez earned tournament MVP honors after hitting a blistering .552, while Bugner led the tournament with 11 RBIs.
Gustafson, a three-year veteran with the Monarchs, was named Player of the Game on Saturday.
“It’s about changing the culture back at Wichita State,” Gustafson said. “Last year we had a lot of guys who kind of downplayed the program, and this year, I think guys like Gutierrez and Bugner are bringing that winning mentality back. Even if this wasn’t on Wichita State, I think it builds that winning mentality.”
This was the Monarchs’ third straight trip to the title game and Gustafson has been a constant in each run. While he spent the bulk of this summer hitting .270 in the Carolina Plains League, he returned to Hutchinson just in time to anchor the lineup and help deliver another championship.
Bugner and Gutierrez represent the new wave at WSU — gritty, overlooked and ready to prove something. Both come from Division II programs, Bugner via Pittsburg State after starting at Pratt Community College and Gutierrez from Lubbock Christian.
They’re exactly the kind of players WSU head coach Brian Green has targeted to help rebuild a program that lost its edge last season.
“We need that edge back,” Green said. “I think when our fans watched us last year, they thought we needed that. So when we went into this summer and the portal, we knew we needed to get better, but we also needed to change our attitude. We needed people who want to be at Wichita State and take pride in wearing this uniform. Those guys have a chip and we need to start playing with a chip. That’s what Wichita State baseball is supposed to be like.”
Bugner has lived that edge.
“Going the JUCO route and having to grind out two years of my life like that and being undervalued, I definitely play with a chip on my shoulder,” Bugner said. “I’m going to try to prove myself every single day.”
That mentality is already paying dividends. Bugner, an Andale graduate, and Gustafson, a Maize product, are longtime friends whose bond translated to chemistry on the field. Gutierrez, meanwhile, made a strong first impression. His relentless style of play didn’t go unnoticed.
“He’s like a semitruck: He’s going to go 100 mph, and it’s going to take a bit for him to slow down,” said Monarchs manager Casey Lippoldt. “His motor is constantly going, and I think Shocker fans are going to fall in love with that. All of those WSU guys have the same mentality. They’re winners. So I think WSU is in good hands. They’ve got a lot of good guys coming in.”
The Monarchs had five total Shockers on their roster this summer — Gustafson, Gutierrez and Bugner, along with pitchers Mitchell Johnson and Ayden Benson. Together, they helped Hutchinson survive a pair of tense one-run victories over the Alaska Goldpanners and Seattle Studs before Saturday’s offensive outburst sealed the title.
“Now we have trust in each other,” Bugner said. “We know that these guys are studs and have the potential to do great things. Building trust like this is so useful for a team.”
Gutierrez echoed the excitement of what’s to come in Wichita.
If this summer is any indication, that mindset might just be what gets WSU baseball back on track.
“I didn’t really have very many offers, so I just took the chance to play at WSU and ran with it,” he said. “I can’t wait to be a Shocker. I know about the history and tradition and I want to help get that back going. I can’t wait to come in and compete every day.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2025 at 7:37 AM.
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