How the Air Capital Classic became Wichita high school baseball’s mega event
The Air Capital Classic was never designed to be a typical tournament.
There is no bracket. No championship game. No team leaves with a trophy.
That, in many ways, is exactly why the event has taken off.
What started as Rocky Helm’s vision for a season-opening baseball showcase in the Wichita area has quickly grown into one of the biggest early-season events in Kansas. From Thursday through Saturday, the Air Capital Classic will feature 42 games involving 37 teams spread across four host sites at Augusta, Circle, Maize and Maize South.
It is less about crowning a champion and more about giving teams what they need most in March: a measuring stick.
“Coaches really, really like it,” Helm said. “I think every coach, maybe outside of one or two, have come back and played in it all three years. And then we keep adding new teams and we’re going to keep trying to grow it.”
The growth has come fast.
After starting with 13 teams in its first year, the event more than doubled to 27 teams in year two. Now, in its third season, the Air Capital Classic has swelled to 37 teams, including programs from the Wichita area, the Kansas City area and, for the first time, two out-of-state teams.
The field includes local powers like Bishop Carroll, Maize, Derby, Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Heights and Northwest, along with defending state champions Wichita Trinity in Class 3A and Fort Scott in Class 4A. Teams from Class 6A all the way down to Class 2-1A are represented, giving the event a wide range of competition levels.
For Helm, that variety is part of the appeal.
Unlike a traditional tournament, the Air Capital Classic is built around flexibility. Coaches tell organizers whether they want to play one, two or three games, then Helm and former Maize South coach Chad Christensen go to work pairing teams with hand-picked opponents they believe will create competitive matchups.
That means some teams can dive right into a demanding three-game slate, while others can ease into the season with one high-quality test.
Bishop Carroll coach Charlie Ebright, for example, didn’t want to put too much stress on his pitching staff this early in the season, so the Golden Eagles opted for one game. They still got the kind of challenge they were seeking with a Thursday matchup against Stillwater, Oklahoma.
“It’s always helpful to get good games and kind of get that measuring stick early in the season to see where you’re at,” Ebright said.
That idea is central to the event’s purpose.
Some coaches are looking for the toughest competition possible right away. Others want to see a different style of play or simply test themselves against someone outside their usual orbit. Helm said the event can provide all of that, which is why he believes it continues to attract more interest each year.
For his own team, Helm has never shied away from a demanding schedule. Maize will open this week against Hays, Stillwater and St. James, exactly the kind of slate Helm wants.
“I think it’s huge for teams,” Helm said. “These games don’t really mean anything until you get to May. In the grand scheme of things, if you’re going to try to be the best, then you’ve got to beat the best. So I always try to schedule as hard as I can because I want to see if we’re ready for it or not.”
The event itself grew out of a long-held dream for Helm, who wanted to create a baseball extravaganza to kick off the high school season in the Wichita area. He said he modeled the concept after the successful River City Classic run by Lawrence Free State coach Mike Hill.
When KSHSAA expanded the baseball season and allowed teams to play more regular-season games, Helm saw the opening to bring the idea to life.
Now he has much bigger plans.
Helm said he and Christensen began the event with a five-year growth plan. The next step is to add a fifth field next year. The ultimate goal is to expand to eight sites with Wichita State’s Eck Stadium and Equity Bank Park in downtown Wichita serving as the showcase venues. Helm said he hopes to eventually guarantee every team that participates a chance to play at one of those fields every other year.
“It’s right on schedule,” Helm said. “We’re still trying to get it to where we want it to be.”
Helm said Wichita Sports Commission president Kevin Jenks was instrumental in helping the event expand this year, particularly by helping arrange hotels for teams traveling from out of town. That support helped attract stronger competition and widen the event’s footprint.
Still, the most meaningful part of the event remains its full name: the Jerry Helm Memorial Air Capital Classic.
Helm named it after his father, Jerry, who helped start the Maize baseball program and spent the final 25 years of his career working at Maize High School before retiring in 1999. Rocky Helm said attaching his father’s name to the event felt like the perfect way to honor his legacy.
“It’s just kind of a dream I had and it was really, really important to me that we named it after my dad,” Helm said. “It’s just a perfect event that we can attach his name to because he was a die-hard Maize guy from when he moved here in 1972 up until he passed away. So it’s just a tremendous honor to be able to do that with his name.”
Fans can purchase tickets for $7 for a one-day pass, $12 for a two-day pass and $17 for a three-day pass, either in person or online.
Three years in, the Air Capital Classic is already much bigger than a standard opening-week event. And if Helm gets his way, it is only getting started.
Air Capital Classic baseball tournament schedule
Thursday’s schedule
At Augusta—Andale vs. Augusta, 12:45 p.m.; Cheney vs. Andale, 3; Clearwater vs. Cheney, 5:15.
At Maize—Northwest vs. Derby, 10:30 a.m.; Hays vs. Stillwater (Okla.), 12:45 p.m.; Hays vs. Maize, 3; Stillwater (Okla.) vs. Bishop Carroll, 5:15.
At Maize South—Kapaun Mt. Carmel vs. Maize South, 10:30 a.m.; Arkansas City vs. Garden City, 12:45 p.m.; Garden City vs. Newton, 3; Blue Spring South (Mo.) vs. Wichita Life Prep, 5:15.
Friday’s schedule
At Augusta—Wichita Life Prep vs. Heights, 10:30 a.m.; Fort Scott vs. Augusta, 12:45 p.m.; Clearwater vs. Chase County, 3; Olathe North vs. Shawnee Heights, 5:15.
At Circle—Leavenworth vs. West, 10:30 a.m.; Campus vs. Leavenworth, 12:45 p.m.; Wichita Trinity vs. Campus, 3; Marion vs. Circle, 5:15.
At Maize—Stillwater (Okla.) vs. Maize, 10:30 a.m.; Liberal vs. Arkansas City, 12:45 p.m.; Newton vs. Liberal, 3; Kansas City Piper vs. Northwest, 5:15.
At Maize South—Chase County vs. Moundridge, 10:30 a.m.; Kapaun Mt. Carmel vs. St. James, 12:45 p.m.; Topeka Seaman vs. Maize South, 3; Blue Springs South (Mo.) vs. Shawnee Mission East, 5:15.
Saturday’s schedule
At Augusta—Marion vs. Haven, 12:45 p.m.; Derby vs. Shawnee Mission East, 3; Tonganoxie vs. Augusta, 5:15.
At Circle—Olathe East vs. Blue Springs South (Mo.), 10:30 a.m.; Olathe East vs. Topeka Seaman, 12:45 p.m.; Fort Scott vs. Circle, 3; Leavenworth vs. Heights, 5:15.
At Maize—Kansas City Piper vs. Olathe North, 10:30 a.m.; Wichita Trinity vs. Tonganoxie, 12:45 p.m.; St. James vs. Maize, 3; Wichita Trinity vs. Kapaun Mt. Carmel, 5:15.
At Maize South—Shawnee Mission East vs. Shawnee Heights, 10:30 a.m.; Shawnee Heights vs. Maize South, 12:45 p.m.; West vs. Kansas City Piper, 3; Haven vs. Moundridge, 5:15.
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 7:02 AM.
.jpg)