Nine Wildcats named to all-league baseball, four earn first team

The Louisburg baseball team won its first league title in 22 years this season, and with that, comes postseason honors and several Wildcats were recognized for their special 2024 campaign.

Louisburg earned four spots on the All-Frontier League first team that was released last week. In all, eight Wildcats were named to the all-league list.

Senior Declan Battle (outfield), sophomore Danny Napier (catcher), junior Luke Schultz and senior Jack Anderson (outfield) were all first team selections.

Senior Nathaniel Lamm (utility) and junior Alex Saad (pitcher) were named to the second team, while junior Meade Rutherford (pitcher), sophomore Bristol Barbour (infield) and senior Jackson Howard (infield) earned honorable mention honors.

“We were really well represented on the all-league team,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “The other coaches around the league definitely took notice of how well we played this year. We play in a tough league and had guys play at a high level all year against great competition.”

Battle was atop the Wildcat lineup all season and set the tone in several games. He finished with a .378 average to go along with 34 hits, five doubles, three triples, a home run and had 23 RBIs.

He also led the team 41 runs scored, which is a school record and also had a team-high 15 stolen bases. As the team’s centerfielder, he committed just four errors on the season.

“Declan had a great season for us,” Larson said. “He started a lot of our games off with a big at bat that got us going. Declan also set the season runs record, career stolen bases, career triples and career runs scored record. 

Anderson was alongside Battle in the outfield as the Wildcat right fielder had a big season. He finished with a .370 average to go along with five home runs, eight doubles and three triples.

He was second on the Wildcats with 32 RBIs on the season and scored 23 runs. Anderson also finished with just five errors on the season.

“Jack had an outstanding year for us this year,” Larson said. “Every ball he hit was hit hard. He had a chance to go yard every time he stepped to the plate.”

Anderson was one of three Wildcats to hit five home runs on the season and one of the others was Schultz.

Schultz, the team’s starting third baseman, had a big season with the bat. Along with five home runs, he had a .381 batting average, 32 hits, two doubles and three triples.

He also finished with 26 RBIs on the season in the No. 2 spot and scored 32 runs.

“Luke came in clutch for us more times than once this season,” Larson said. “He had a great year at the plate and hit some of the farthest balls hit this year.”

Napier was behind the plate for all 26 games as the Wildcat catcher and was the workhorse behind the Louisburg pitching staff that recorded a program record 172 strikeouts.

He also provided the Wildcats with a big bat in the middle of the lineup. Napier had a .367 average, to go along with 29 hits, 12 doubles and two home runs. He also finished with 26 RBIs.

“Danny was lights out behind the plate for us this season,” Larson said. “He worked really well with our pitchers and was one of the best catchers in the state all season long.”

Lamm was a second team selection as was one of the team’s best hitters all season. He led the team with 37 hits, which is the second most in program history.

He also had a team best .411 batting average and he tied for the team high with five home runs and 12 doubles. He also had a team-high 36 RBIs to go along with two triples.

“Nathaniel swung it well all year,” Larson said. “He was one of the toughest outs in the state.”

Saad also earned second team honors as the Wildcats’ No. 1 pitcher. He led the Wildcats with 45 strikeouts and had a 4.20 ERA. Saad also had seven wins on the season, which is the third most in Louisburg history.

“Alex had a great season on the mound for us,” Larson said. “He competed well and gave us a chance to win every time he stepped on the mound.”

Howard, Barbour and Rutherford were all honorable mention selections for the Wildcats. 

Howard, the team’s starting first baseman, had a .294 average with 25 hits to go along with five doubles and 24 RBIs.

Rutherford was the Wildcats’ No. 2 starter and had a successful season on the mound. He tallied 26 strikeouts on the season with a 4.51 ERA in six starts.

Barbour was the Wildcats’ starting shortstop and made big plays at the plate and in the field. He ended with a .386 average with 27 hits, four doubles and 10 RBIs.

“Jackson really became a leader throughout the year,” Larson said. “He did a great job staying locked in and keeping us in the game. Meade was a great pitcher for us this year. As the season went on, he really found his groove and became one of our top arms. 

“Bristol was one of the smoothest infielders I have ever seen. He made some amazing plays at shortstop and backed it up with his bat. He really came on at the end of the season with some great at-bats for us.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE BASEBALL

FIRST TEAM

CATCHER: Danny Napier, Louisburg, sophomore

PITCHER: Merek Davenport, Tonganoxie, sophomore; Owen Blaine, Ottawa, senior

INFIELD: Holden Lough, Spring Hill, senior; Brock Gibbs, Tonganoxie, junior; Luke Schultz, Louisburg, junior; T.J. Kerns, Ottawa, senior

OUTFIELD: Declan Battle, Louisburg, senior; Jack Anderson, Louisburg, senior; Holden Miller, Spring Hill, senior

UTILITY: Trevor McGraw, Tonganoxie, senior

SECOND TEAM

CATCHER: Jagger Dey, Baldwin, junior

PITCHER: Tristen Kapelle, Baldwin, senior; Alex Saad, Louisburg, junior

INFIELD: Keaton Neal, Spring Hill, sophomore; Hunter Loethen, Paola, junior; Brett Davidson, Baldwin, junior; Eden Myers, Bonner Springs, junior

OUTFIELD: Brendan Briley, Tonganoxie, senior; Kaden Kerr, Eudora, senior; Blake Costlow, Paola, freshman

UTILITY: Nathaniel Lamm, Louisburg, senior

HONORABLE MENTION

CATCHER: Braeden VanDonge, Eudora, junior; Brandon Reynolds, Ottawa, senior; Brock Fish, Bonner Springs, junior

PITCHER: Jasper Logan, Paola, junior; Hunter Loethen, Paola, junior; Caden Stewart, Spring Hill, senior; Keaton Neal, Spring Hill, sophomore; Xavier Raygoza, Bonner Springs, junior; Dakota Pringle, Eudora, senior; Kelton Ford, Eudora, senior; Meade Rutherford, Louisburg, junior

INFIELD: Jack Cline, Eudora, sophomore; Bristol Barbour, Louisburg, sophomore; Jackson Howard, Louisburg, senior; Carter Hepner, Ottawa, junior; Keegan Roemer, Ottawa, senior; JD Troutman, Paola, junior

OUTFIELD: Caden Campbell, Bonner Springs, senior; Boston Bloomer, Ottawa, junior; Ashton McCurdy, Ottawa, junior; Xander Meinig, Paola, junior; Cavin Meade, Spring Hill, senior

UTILITY: Caleb Hepner, Ottawa, junior; Jasper Logan, Paola, junior

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