High school baseball preview: West undefeated on the field, winning more off the field
The Wichita West high school baseball team is off to an 11-0 start this season, but that’s not what has coach Jeff Hoover most proud of his team.
The group has been a tight-knit one since the summer months when they began working out together four times a week at 6 a.m.
Before their spring season, the Pioneers’ baseball players would unite after school for volunteer projects. All 18 players were in attendance for a school-wide neighborhood clean-up job in the fall. When a local family had a tragedy and needed their house painted, the baseball players and their parents came out in full force to get the job done.
“It’s just been incredible to watch,” Hoover said. “They don’t even know these people that they’re helping. But they’re a special bunch. Honestly, that’s the most important part in all of this is that they’re better students and people than they are baseball players. And they’re really good, tough little baseball players. But it’s bigger than baseball and that’s going to pay dividends for them down the road.”
Their undefeated start to the season has been a bit of a surprise to Hoover, who thought last season’s team was the one who could have made a state run before the season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But the leadership of the five seniors — Garryn Plummer, Mark Valadez, Reece Hembree, Micah Dvorak and Joel Townsley — has propelled the Pioneers to their success this season. West will face its toughest challenge yet in a Wednesday doubleheader against Kapaun Mount Carmel (8-4) at Adams Field at Westurban.
West has a 7-0 win over Life Prep, an 11-7 win over Kapaun and a doubleheader sweep of Northwest and Heights to its credit this season.
“I really didn’t know what to expect from the team this year,” Hoover said. “I will say this though, I think this is the best team, maybe not the best players, but the best baseball team that I’ve had since I’ve been at West.
“These kids like to win. They’ve played at other places (in summer ball) and had success, so they’re all about winning. They understand what it takes.”
City League teams
Bishop Carroll: Paul Shoenfeld, sr., OF; Drake Unrein, sr., C-1B; Oscar Gallardo, sr., SS; Aiden Niedens, sr., UTIL; Jorey Faber, sr., 1B-P; James Brenner, jr., P.
East: Ben Waliczek, sr., SS-P; Jackson Foster, sr., P-3B; Eli Kuttler, jr., OF; Grant Haffley, so., OF-P; Josh Cline, so., UTIL; Canon Cole, fr., UTIL-P.
Heights: Dylan Depperschmidt, sr., UTIL; Cooper Oakley, fr., UTIL; Gaige Oakley, jr., 1B-P; Blane Kelly, jr., P; Javan Titus, jr., P; Gary Brock, sr., P.
Kapaun Mt. Carmel: Tiger Jones, sr., SS; Andrew Gimino, sr., OF-P; Brandon Burr, sr., OF; Jacob Steffen, sr., P-INF; Alex Rocha, sr., 1B; Keenan Nguyen, sr., C; Max Crowdus, sr., P; Hayden Brown, sr., P; Mason Grillot, sr., P.
North: Aaron Dimit, so., INF-P; Missael Guevara, so., INF; Kole Brown, fr., INF; Jacob MacKay, jr., OF; Orlando Flores, fr., P; Jacob Trevizo, sr., P.
Northwest: Brendon Green, sr., P; Justice Hannon, sr., P.
South: Juan Viramontes, so., 3B-P; Karsen Ciemny, so., C-1B; Jonathan Rose, so., OF-SS; Jose Limon, sr., 1B-P; Brandon Cato, fr., P; Kaden Eskins, fr., P; Clayton Bookout, jr., P; Ryan Rodriguez, fr., P; Aubrey Clark, so., P.
Southeast: Jackson Witt, fr., C-P; Mason Cherry, fr., OF; Simon Nottingham, jr., OF-P; Cade Little, sr., SS-P; Jakobi Livingston, sr., 3B; Jeremy Johnson, fr., P.
Other area teams
Andover: Eli Fahnestock, sr., OF; Sterling Pierce, sr., 3B-P; Ashton Ngo, sr., C-OF; Brett Albright, sr., OF-P; Trey Conard, sr., P; Will Johnson, sr., P; Collin Gallaway, sr., P.
Andover Central: Eason Elliot, sr., SS-P; Alex Ronk, sr., INF-P; Jack Bell, sr., OF; Matthew Buffington, sr., C; Shane Frey, sr., OF-P; Lou Blackman, jr., UTIL-P; Rece Wilson, jr., INF-P; Bryce Naipohn, jr., 1B-P; Jacob Horn, so., P.
Arkansas City: Haden O’Toole, sr., P-INF; Owen Bucher, sr., INF; Lucas Barnes, jr., OF-P; Seth Zimmerman, jr., OF-P; Jarret Brooks, sr., INF.
Augusta: Dominick Rios, jr., INF; Jett Hand, sr., OF; Ryan Andrews, sr., INF-P; Peyton Shupe, sr., OF; Duke Lichlyter, sr., OF; Hunter Henderson, jr., C; Zack Timberlake, sr., INF; Xander Roberts, sr., P; Austin Gray, sr., P; Ben Brittain, fr., P.
Buhler: Reed Scott, sr., 1B-P; Austin Spann, sr., OF; Ryan Henderson, sr., 3B; Taiden Hawkinson, sr., UTIL-P; Bradley Neill, jr., P;
Campus: Tate Rico, sr., SS-P; Brendon Baker, sr., 1B-P; Caleb Smith, jr., 2B-P; Jacob Vulgamore, so., 3B-P.
Chaparral: Wyatt Drouhard, jr., SS-P; Jarrett Angle, sr., 2B; Justin Moritz, jr., C-P; Tyce Pfaff, fr., 3B-P.
Cheney: Trenton Reitmayer, jr., OF; Harrison Voth, jr., SS-P; Logan Bartlett, sr., OF-P; Trent Canaan, sr., C; Jack Voth, fr., INF-P.
Collegiate: Drew Charbonneau, jr., INF-P; Evan Eichenauer, jr., OF-P; Ashtun Villagomez, jr., INF-C; Brett Black, so., P; Hayden Malaise, so., P.
Derby: Reid Liston, sr., OF; Luke Stewart, sr., C; Kade Snodgrass, sr., SS; Coleson Syring, sr., OF; Grant Ash, sr., P; Luke Westerman, jr., UTIL-P; Braden Horn, so., C-1B; Saben Seager, jr., INF-P; Karson Klima, jr., 3B; Mitchell Johnson, so., P; Carson Olmstead, sr., P.
Eisenhower: Owen Rush, jr. INF; Tyner Horn, so., INF-P; Carson Adams, jr., OF; Owen Reynolds, sr., OF-P; Cory Gleason, sr., 1B; Mason Turney, sr., INF; Jason McCarty, jr., INF.
El Dorado: Trip Baker, jr., UTIL-P; Drew Veatch, so., SS-P; Dravin Fowler, sr., C; Gannon White, so., UTIL; Gavin Bell, jr., OF-P; Jaydon Sundgren, jr., OF-C; Miles Stringer, jr., P; Chance Winter, sr., P.
Goddard: Skyler Semrad, sr., OF-P; Jaden Wiley, sr., SS-P; Jake Shope, sr., UTIL-P; Tyler Haskell, sr., IB-P; Mason Lubbers, jr., 2B; Jacob Read, sr., P; Lake Hamilton, jr., P.
Halstead: Chandler Drake, jr., SS-P; Carson Considine, sr., P; Kaden Hill, sr., 2B; Carter Hiebert, sr., OF; Ivan Gutierrez, sr., OF; Kaleb Wise, so., 3B-P; Adler Davison, so., OF-P; Austin Radke, jr., C; Jackson Swift, jr., P.
Haven: Darby Roper, sr., OF; Javon Miller, sr., SS; Benaiah Yoder, sr., OF-P; Hunter Galloway, sr., C-OF; Karter Cooprider, jr., C-INF; D.J. Miller, so., 3B-P; Brant Sipe, so., 1B-P; Tyler Rogers, jr., DH-2B; Holden Schneider, jr., P; Nathan Schmidt, sr., P.
Hillsboro: Landon Roberts, sr., 1B-P; Matthew Potucek, jr., OF-P; Jaxton Hanschu, jr., C; Philip Young, jr., 2B-P; Hunter Navrat, jr., SS; Duncan Duell, jr., OF; Alex Caldwell, jr., P.
Hutchinson: Bennett Turner, sr., P-3B; Carter Booe, sr., 2B; Kinser Newquist, jr., SS-P.
Inman: Carter Brown, sr., INF-P; Jayden Leonhardt, sr., C-P; Derick Johnson, sr., OF-P; Carson Munoz, sr., P; Kyler Konrade, jr., SS-P; Landon Snyder, sr., P.
Kingman: Kael McBeth, sr., 1B; Mason Munz, sr., OF-P; Dalton Freund, sr., IF-P; Nolan Freund, so., IF; Geoffrey Holloway, jr., C.
Lyons: Evan Berges, sr., OF-P; Dawson Stover, jr., UTIL-P; Brian Bernhardt, jr., C-OF; Kayston Cox, so., SS-P; Kaz Comley, fr., P; Wrikin Scobee, fr., P.
Maize: Gavin Djurovic, sr., 3B-P; Miles Hartman, sr., SS; Jaxson Guillroy, sr., 1B-DH; Josh Sanders, sr., OF; Jaden Gustafson, jr., OF; Drew Otero, jr., P; Mason Belcher, jr., P; Mitchael Casement, sr., P; Justin Stephens, so., P.
Maize South: Kaden McBratney, sr., 3B; Harper Kennedy, sr., UTIL-P; Colin Shields, sr., 1B; Owen Bailey, jr., C-1B; Owen Clyne, jr., SS; Aaron Geisler, sr., P; Keegan McFarland, sr., P; Beau Grant, sr., P; Baron Lynch, jr., P; Isaac Epp, jr., P.
McPherson: Dylan Rinker, sr., 1B-P; Aiden Hoover, jr., INF-P; Jaron Brown, jr., SS-2B; Collin Pearson, jr., OF; Tytin Goebel, jr., OF; Jaytin Gumm, so., UTIL; Hunter Alvord, so., SS-P.
Moundridge: Wyatt Falco, sr., P-1B; Jon Schlosser, sr., 3B-P; Ethan Brandeweide, jr., OF-1B-P; Anthony Everhart, jr., UTIL-P; Ty Rains, fr., 2B.
Mulvane: Hunter Seier, jr., SS-P; Mason Ellis, jr., OF-P; Trey Abasolo, sr., INF-P; Tab Creekmore, sr., INF-P; Parker Richardson, so., INF-P; Cooper Schmidt, jr., P.
Newton: Ben Schmidt, sr., SS-P; Ian Akers, sr., OF; Cade Valdez, jr., P; Konner Jaso, jr., P; Joe Slechta, jr., P; Griffin Davis, sr., P.
Oxford: Peyton Rush, so., C-P; Hayden Ruyle, so., SS-P; Alex Alata, so., 3B-P; Colby Hammond, so., INF-P; Logan McLain, so., INF-P; Kyan Morris, so., OF-P; Karter Hiten, fr., OF-P; Angel Ramirez, so., DH-P.
Pratt: Jacob Deda, sr., P-DH; Cesar Espino, jr., 2B-P; Dyllan Lunsford, jr., OF-P; Mathew Shanline, jr., UTIL-P; Blake Coss, jr., P.
Pratt Skyline: Leo Egging, jr., P-1B; Hunter Berens, sr., P-1B-3B; Jesus Casas, jr., OF.
Sedgwick: Nolan Crumrine, sr., P; Lance Hoffsommer, jr., INF; Henry Burns, sr., OF; Austin Harjo, jr., INF; Remington Nold, sr., OF; Jayden Towles, sr., OF; Austin Wilkes, sr., UTIL; Justin Esposito, jr., C; Blake Huebert, jr., UTIL; Connor Tillman, jr., P-OF;
Smoky Valley: Brandon Malm, sr., 3B; Kade Blanchat, so., P.
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 3:02 PM.
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