Opinion: Rough patch leads to new beginning

I am just going to come right out and say it, “I’m scared.”

Yeah, it is an unusual way to start out an opinion piece, but there is no two ways around it – I am petrified. But believe it or not, it is what keeps me going.

We have all had at least one point in our existence where our lives changed for better or worse. I have had more than a few of those in my life, but the latest one came on Jan. 9.

It started out like all the other Fridays over the last seven years. I reported to work, spent a few hours in the office getting ready for what was a busy weekend of prep coverage ahead. It was the first action after Christmas break and I was ready to get back into the swing of things.

That never took place.

My bosses came into my office early that afternoon to inform me I was being let go. The job of covering Louisburg athletics was no longer mine. I packed up my things, turned in my key, went home, punched the wall a couple times and cried.

I was scared.

After all the tears came the questions. How was I going to support my family? What am I going to do for a job? The list went on and on and I couldn’t come up with many answers.

As it turned out, one of the worst experiences of my life turned into one of the best.

Thanks to a lot of prayers, and support from family and friends, I decided to start Louisburg Sports Zone. Yep, that’s right, I went from being unemployed to starting my own business for the first time in my life.

Not exactly the best way to alleviate fears.

However, when I kicked off the site just a month later, I was overwhelmed with the amount of support from students at Louisburg High School, employees throughout the district, parents and several others who offered encouragement and supported my new venture.

I finished the last half of the winter season and all of the spring doing what I took for granted the previous seven years. I got the chance to cover Louisburg athletics again.

You know, this whole starting your own business thing might not have been a bad idea after all. I would have never had the courage to go out on my own had I not been pushed in that direction.

Fast forward to the present and I am still alive and kicking, ready to start my eighth season of roaming the Wildcat sidelines with camera in hand, waiting to tell that next story.

This fall brings a lot of story lines to the Wildcat programs. The football team is looking to improve off its 3-win season a year ago and find its way back to the playoffs with a veteran group returning.

Volleyball is primed and ready to make its fourth consecutive state tournament this year after placing in the top four in the last three years. The Lady Cats return five seniors that have a lot of state experience and that bodes well for another trip to Salina.

The Wildcat soccer team returns an experienced group from a year ago as they try to crack the top of the Frontier League standings. The cross country team also has several returning runners who will try and qualify for the state meet.

There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to Louisburg sports, but for me personally, I am just fortunate enough to still be a part of it in a small way.

I take a lot of pride in what I do and I hope that it shows when you read stories or look at pictures on this site. I started this business knowing that I will never be rich, but it gives me an opportunity to continue to do what I love.

Thanks to all those who have supported me and for the more than 23,000 views on the site in the last six months. I have said it before, but I am extremely blessed to live in a community that supports each other through good times and bad.

Every day I am fortunate enough to be able to go to work and support my family doing what I know how to do. That is all I have ever wanted, so thank you Louisburg for allowing me to do it.

I am still scared, though.

It is that fear that drives me to do the best I can in what I do in my job and in life. I don’t want what happened on that day in January to happen again and I will do everything to make sure it doesn’t.

Right now I am living the good life. I have the opportunity to work for myself, support my family and do what I enjoy. I can’t ask for any more.

I am living the American dream.

I just don’t want to wake up.

Five Wildcats earn all-league honors

Louisburg junior Cole Kramer was one of five Wildcats to be selected to the all-Frontier League team when it was released last week. Kramer was a first-team selection in the outfield.

The Louisburg baseball team put together quite a season as it doubled its win total from a season ago and the rest of the Frontier League took notice.

The Wildcats nearly doubled their all-league selections as well.

All-Frontier League teams were released last week and the Wildcats earned five spots, which was up from three last season.

Junior Cole Kramer (outfield) was selected to the first team. Senior Mitchell Caldwell and junior Colton Smith (infield) were named to the second team.

Junior Austin Henderson (infield) and senior Ethan Caldwell (outfield) were honorable mention selections.

Colton Smith: Second team all-league infield

Mitchell Caldwell: second team all-league infield

Kramer was one of the team’s best defensive options as he used his speed in centerfield to rob a lot of hits. He also added seven assists and had just one error.

As the team’s leadoff hitter, Kramer hit .394 on the season and led the team with a .481 on-base percentage along with a .591 slugging percentage. He also had a team-high 15 RBIs, six doubles, two triples, a home run and 15 stolen bases.

Ethan Caldwell: honorable mention all-league outfield

Austin Henderson: honorable mention all-league infield

“Cole had a great year for us,” former Louisburg coach Jeff Lohse said. “The other league coaches saw that as well and rewarded him for it. He covers a lot of ground in the outfield and is always a threat on the base paths.”

Smith spent most of his time at third base for the Wildcats and helped lead what was a strong infield with Mitchell Caldwell and Henderson. Smith finished the year with a .412 average to go along with five doubles, a triple and 13 RBIs.

Mitchell Caldwell, who played second base, was a strong No. 2 hitter for Louisburg as he hit .333 with seven doubles, 11 stolen bases and had a .432 on-base percentage to go along with just three errors.

Henderson manned first base for the Wildcats and had only three errors himself. He also batted .333 and had six doubles and 10 RBIs in the middle of the Louisburg batting order.

“Mitchell, Colton and Austin had great seasons as well for us,” Lohse said. “Due to injuries and other factors, Colton went from playing third base every other game to being our everyday guy. He ended up being very solid out there and had a great season at the plate.

“Mitchell and Austin anchored down the right side of our defense. Both of them are great with the glove and had good success with the bat as well.”

Ethan Caldwell was a part of a Wildcat outfield that committed just five errors all season. Caldwell also did some damage at the bottom of the Louisburg order with a .362 average, four doubles and 11 RBIs.

“Our outfield was very good at every spot this year and Ethan played a big role in that,” Lohse said. “He gets a good read off the bat and did a great job for us in right field. Ethan also provided us with some good offensive production from the bottom of our lineup.”

Lohse, who stepped down from his position as head coach following the end of this season, realizes this Wildcat team has a chance to be special in the near future.

“This program has a chance to be very, very good next year,” Lohse said. “There are a lot of returning players who have played many innings at the varsity level. Some were recognized as all-league players, while there are others who were well deserving but just came up short this year. I look forward to watching them develop and to their success in the future.”

ALL-FRONTIER LEAGUE BASEBALL

FIRST TEAM

Catcher: Dayne Jung, Ottawa, senior

Utility/DH: Avery Boehm, Paola, senior

Pitcher: Sam Carver, Ottawa, senior; Ryker Johnson, Spring Hill, senior

Infield: Brock Randels, Baldwin, senior; Greyson Jenista, De Soto, senior; Tate Jung, Ottawa, senior; Ivan Hughes, Spring Hill, junior

Outfield: Kendall Freeman, De Soto, senior; Cole Kramer, Louisburg, junior; Jordan Henning, Spring Hill, senior

SECOND TEAM

Catcher: Garrett Kroutch, Spring Hill, senior

Utility/DH: Keegan Finch, Ottawa, sophomore

Pitcher: Nathan Mann, De Soto, senior; Aaron Foster, Eudora, junior; Hayden Yancey, Ottawa, senior

Infield: Collin Linder, Baldwin, senior; Colton Smith, Louisburg, junior; Mitchell Caldwell, Louisburg, senior; Nick Sloan, Paola, senior

Outfield: Ben Brungardt, Baldwin, senior; Cooper Lee, De Soto, junior; Blaine Ray, Ottawa, sophomore

HONORABLE MENTION

Catcher: Tyler Davidson, Baldwin, senior; Brenton Michalek, De Soto, senior; Jared Fry, Eudora, junior

Utility/DH: Jackson Barth, Baldwin, junior; Donovan Sutti, Paola, sophomore; Charles Elam, Spring Hill, senior; Josh White, Eudora, senior

Pitcher: Ben Brungardt, Baldwin, senior; Garon Johnson, Paola, junior

Infield: Austin Henderson, Louisburg, junior; Connor Stepp, Ottawa, senior; Brayden Pearce, Paola, senior

Outfield: Devon Freeman, De Soto, senior; Ethan Caldwell, Louisburg, senior; Hayden Yancey, Ottawa, senior; Blain Ohlmeier, Paola, junior; Mason McDow, Paola, junior; Michael Londene, Spring Hill, senior

Opinion: Lohse left lasting legacy

Louisburg coach Jeff Lohse spent 17 years as the Wildcat baseball coach, but he was more than a coach to several involved with the program.

When you do something for as long as Jeff Lohse has, you tend to get a little sentimental, especially when you know it is coming to an end.

For the last five months, Lohse has known that his time left as Louisburg baseball coach was told in days and not years. When he took the field in Paola to start the season, Lohse knew it was going to be his last season opener.

On senior night against Ottawa, he knew this was his last senior class. When the Wildcats lost to Spring Hill in the regional semifinals, he knew he was going to have to say goodbye.

He was going to have to say farewell to more than just his team, but to the sport he loves and the program he spent 21 years of his life with.

It is a way of life that was tough for him to leave behind. No matter how difficult it will be in the future, the decision was ultimately an easy one.

Lohse couldn’t turn his back on the people he cares about the most — his family. His love for his children and to watch them grow up outweighs his passion for the game he played since he was a 5-year-old.

“It is time to stop coaching and just be a dad,” Lohse said.

A lot of us have wrestled with similar decisions in our lives. I know I have, and still do. You only get to watch your kids grow up once and I have nothing but respect for a person who puts his family before himself.

But Lohse was more than just a baseball coach to this community and his players — he was someone kids could look up to and try to emulate. He was a coach who loved his players and wanted to see them succeed the way he did when he was in their shoes back in his days as a Wildcat player.

Very rarely do you see a standout athlete in high school, who had success in college, come back and raise his family in his hometown and coach at his alma mater. For 17 years, Lohse gave back to the school and to the community he grew up in.

He was patient with his players and treated them with respect. You could tell there was a mutual respect on both sides every time I was in the dugout.

I never saw a player roll his eyes or talk back to him. They always listened to what he had to say and they tried to get better.

“I appreciated his organization of his program and his leadership as the head coach,” Louisburg High School activities director Darin Gagnebin said. “He always treated his players with respect and taught them how to be good young men. Jeff will be missed as a part of the Wildcat baseball team.”

For me personally — it was a depressing day when I found out Lohse was stepping down.

My first full season of covering sports in Louisburg was in the spring of 2008 and the first sport I covered was Louisburg baseball. Coach Lohse was kind enough to let me into the dugout, take pictures and he didn’t know that much about me.

Since then I have always looked forward to baseball season for the time I get to spend in the Wildcat dugout and have gotten to know a few of his mannerisms. For those former players and coaches who have heard or seen these before, you know what I am talking about.

After a good inning, he could often be heard saying “Thatta baby!” Or maybe something like “89…lets go,” referring to the spot in the batting order coming up.

“Tough with two,” he said when he wanted his pitchers to bear down and get that third out.

“Diving bodies, save a run,” he yelled with a runner on second with two outs.

Assistant coach Jarrod Worthington had his favorite.

“After every win, he’d always shake hands with assistant coaches right away,” Worthington said. “Those never got old.”

Maybe my favorite of all time is when a hitter has two strikes and a Wildcat hurler pounded the zone for an apparent third strike. Lohse could often be seen coming out of the dugout clapping his hands ready to congratulate his team on a good inning and trying to sell a call at the same time.

Sometimes it worked.

Other times he would come out of the dugout clapping, only for the ump to call a ball and Lohse would have to do a quick about face back into the dugout yelling “Looked good!”

Those are the types of things I will remember and it was a privilege to be able to cover his teams.

Since he was a 5-year-old boy, Lohse has always put on a jersey come baseball season. For two years in high school and his 17 years as coach, he put on the No. 12 every spring – it was almost like clockwork.

“It will be weird not wearing that uniform,” Lohse said. “I have done it as long as I can remember.”

Long enough to create a lot of great memories. Thanks for everything “Lohs.”

Lohse resigns LHS baseball post

Jeff Lohse speaks with his team before their regional semifinal game on May 18 in Spring Hill. Following the game, Lohse told his team that he had resigned after 17 years as the Wildcat head coach.

For the last 17 years, the end of the baseball season always found Jeff Lohse on a bus heading back to Louisburg.

Whether it was after a state tournament, or a regional championship game, it was always a difficult ride back home. However, No. 17 was the most excruciating of all.

When the Wildcats returned home on May 18, Lohse informed his team that he would not be returning for an 18^th season as the Louisburg head coach after he officially resigned to Louisburg High School administration days earlier.

“I was dreading that day to be honest,” Lohse said. “The whole bus ride back from Spring Hill I just had an ache in my stomach and as we got closer to Louisburg it just kept getting worse. Telling them was very tough and a lot harder than I anticipated. I don’t know if they were in disbelief or what, but it was a pretty quiet and somber locker room and it was very emotional.”

It was an emotional decision that had been on Lohse’s mind for the last year. He made up his mind in January but didn’t want anyone to know before the season started and he didn’t want any distractions.

The reason for the decision was simple – he wanted to spend more time with his family – including his two children Trevin and McKenna.

“It was a tough decision and one that I have thought about for a while,” Lohse said. “It wasn’t one of those decisions where I thought about it overnight and then snap, this is what I am going to do. I really put some serious thought into it. I pretty much made up my mind in January, but I didn’t want people to know.

“The overall decision was basically because I needed to be there for my kids more. Trevin and McKenna are getting involved in more activities and I need to be there for them and enjoy it.”

Not that he didn’t enjoy his job. Louisburg baseball has been a big part of Lohse’s life.

Lohse played on the varsity level for four years while in Louisburg High School, before returning to his alma mater to coach for 17 years following college. He is also a member of the LHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

It is that dedication to the program that will make Lohse difficult to replace.

“I would like to thank coach Lohse for his dedication to the LHS baseball program,” Louisburg High School activities director Darin Gagnebin said. “To be a head coach at one place for 17 years says a lot about Jeff not only as a coach but as a person. He is a home grown Louisburg kid, who had opportunities to go elsewhere and chose to come back and make Louisburg his home, to raise his family here and to give back to his community by not only coaching, but teaching as well.”

Lohse kept Louisburg baseball relevant as he took the Wildcats to two state tournament appearances and finished his time as the Wildcats skipper with a 184-163 record. His 17 years made him the Frontier League’s longest tenured head coach.

“I just want to thank my current and former players and all my assistant coaches for being there for me and for the administration for always being so supportive,” Lohse said. “This is my decision and I always knew that if I was going to get out that I was going to do it on my own terms and I didn’t want someone telling me that it was my time to leave.”

Lohse made several memories during his time at Louisburg, whether it was taking a team to the state tournament his first season, finishing a regional championship game at Lewis-Young Park against Fort Scott at 1 a.m., beating the top three seeds to go to state in 2009 or this year’s team that doubled its win total from a season ago.

“These group of kids this year were great to go from five to 10 wins was a great accomplishment,” Lohse said. “There have been a lot more positive memories than negative ones.”

Lohse’s fondest moment might be the way his teams took the field and represented themselves.

“Something I am proud about is that we as coaches taught the kids to play the game the right way,” Lohse said. “I think we accomplished that for the most part and that our players respected the game.”

Wildcats improve despite regional loss

Louisburg senior Mitchell Caldwell slides into home Monday during the Class 4A regional semifinal game at Spring Hill High School. The Wildcats fell to Spring Hill 9-6 to end their season with an 10-11 record.

SPRING HILL – The Louisburg baseball team had Spring Hill right where it wanted.

The Wildcats had just taken a two-run lead Monday in the semifinals of the Class 4A regional tournament at Spring Hill High School and witnessed one of Spring Hill’s starters get ejected. Louisburg had all the momentum on its side.

In the sixth inning, however, everything changed.

The Broncos scored five runs in the top of the inning, and despite a late rally by the Louisburg, the Wildcats saw their season come to an end with a 9-6 loss in a back-and-forth affair.

“I think if we go out and get a quick three outs in the sixth that the outcome probably would have been different,” Louisburg coach Jeff Lohse said. “We all feel that we let one get away from us. We were sitting pretty good up 6-4 going into the sixth, but just didn’t get the job done.”

Despite the loss, the Wildcats still put together a strong season. Louisburg finished the season with 10 wins – doubling its season total from a year ago.

Louisburg ended the year with a 10-11 record and had several highs on the year, including a sweep of then-ranked De Soto.

“Going from a five-win season last year to a 10-win season this year was huge,” Lohse said. “I still feel that we left three to four more wins out there, but that is the nature of the game. I am very proud of our team and how they represented themselves, their families and our program.”

Grant Harding dives back to first base Monday during Louisburg’s regional semifinal game against Spring Hill.

Louisburg, the No. 2 seed, trailed early as No. 3 Spring Hill scored two in the top of the first inning but the Wildcats answered right back. Grant Harding singled home Cole Kramer and Lucas Smith got an RBI on a sacrifice fly to score Austin Henderson to tie it. Smith then came around to score on a Spring Hill error to take a 3-2 lead.

The Broncos scored two runs in the top of the third, but the Wildcats tied it with a run in the third when Colton Smith singled home Harding. Louisburg added two more in the bottom of the fifth.

Colton Smith and Lucas Smith hit back-to-back doubles that scored Colton and then Lucas scored on a sacrifice fly from Alex Dunn.

Pitching became a problem in the sixth inning for Louisburg as it issued four walks in the inning and committed three errors that led to five runs for the Broncos as they took a 9-6 lead.

Louisburg put together one last rally in the bottom of the seventh. Harding reached on an error to lead off the inning and then Lucas Smith and Dunn both walked to load the bases with just one out.

Spring Hill held on as it got a strikeout and coaxed a fly ball to end the Wildcats’ season.

“I didn’t feel we were out of it being down three going into the bottom of the seventh,” Lohse said. “We gave ourselves a chance getting the bases loaded and one out. Giving up a big inning has been our nemesis all year. It was very unfortunate to have that happen in a big regional game.”

Sophomore pitcher Dalton Stone kept the Wildcats in it as he allowed just two earned runs in five innings to go along with six strikeouts. Sam Guetterman entered the sixth inning but gave up a hit and walked three. Kramer came in and pitched the final two innings of the game to help limit the damage.

“Dalton did a fantastic job for us,” Lohse said. “He has really matured on the mound and has a very bright future ahead of him. His pitch count was getting up there otherwise we would have let him go six. I have all the confidence in the world in Sam Guetterman and I wouldn’t hesitate to make the same move again.”

Wildcats split with Spring Hill

Louisburg’s Colton Smith slides safely into third base during Monday’s doubleheader with Spring Hill at Spring Hill High School. The Wildcats won the nightcap 3-2 after losing the opener 7-4.

SPRING HILL – It may have been just one win, but it sent the Louisburg baseball team heading in the right direction for its most important part of the season.

The Wildcats salvaged a doubleheader with the Broncos on Monday at Spring Hill High School. Louisburg held on for a 3-2 win in the nightcap that also brought its record to 10-10 on the season after losing the opener 7-4.

The win gave Louisburg a little momentum heading into the Class 4A-Division I regional tournament this coming Monday, where they will return to play the same team at the same place. The Wildcats earned the No. 2 seed and will play No. 3 Spring Hill (9-9) at 4 p.m. in Spring Hill.

No. 1 Paola (12-7) and No. 4 Bishop Miege (8-11) will open the tournament at 2 p.m.

“The guys are ready to go back to Spring Hill and try to win a regional championship,” Louisburg coach Jeff Lohse said. “It just so happens that we play them again, but our focus is to go over there and play good baseball while giving ourselves a chance to be successful.

“Winning game two was huge from a momentum standpoint. Our guys are feeling pretty good and ready to go compete on Monday.”

Sophomore starting pitcher Sam Guetterman provided a consistent presence on the mound as he held the Spring Hill offense in check for most of the nightcap. Guetterman pitched six innings and gave up just one earned run on four hits and struck out three.

The Wildcat offense jumped out to a 3-0 lead early to give Guetterman a little cushion to work with as he gave up single runs in the first and third inning.

“Sam has done an outstanding job this year for us,” Lohse said. “We can always count on him to compete and throw strikes.”

Louisburg got those three runs in the first when Cole Kramer led off with a walk, Austin Henderson singled and both came around to score following singles from Colton Smith and Lucas Smith. The Wildcat offense went quiet after that as they had just one hit in the final six innings.

In the seventh, Kramer came in to close the game out. After giving up a leadoff walk, Kramer got an out on a sacrifice bunt and then recorded two fly outs to secure the save.

“Cole has accepted the closer role,” Lohse said. “He is a kid who can come in at any time and in any situation and feel comfortable. He has been in a couple difficult spots (De Soto and Spring Hill) and was able to secure the win for us.”

Walks hurt Louisburg in the opener as it issued 10 free passes to Spring Hill that led to three runs in the first two innings for the Broncos. Louisburg held a 4-3 lead into the fifth inning, but the Wildcats walked five batters in the fifth and sixth, and those eventually led to four runs and a victory for Spring Hill.

“You can’t give good baseball teams free passes,” Lohse said. “We are pretty good when we make the other team put the ball in play to beat us.”

Louisburg tied the game at 1-all in the second inning when Colton Smith led off with a double and scored on a Lucas Smith single.

Down 3-1 in the fourth inning, the Wildcats took the lead with three runs in the frame. Colton and Lucas Smith started the inning with singles and Colton scored on a sacrifice fly from Alex Dunn.

Blake Ruder followed with a walk and later came around to score with Lucas on a Spring Hill error.

Lucas and Colton led the Louisburg offense with two hits apiece and Grant Harding added a double in the loss.

Cats fall to Mother Nature, Ottawa on senior night

Louisburg catcher Alex Dunn attempts to tag out an Ottawa run during the Wildcats’s doubleheader Thursday at Lewis-Young Park. Louisburg fell to the Cyclones 9-2 and 2-0.

Louisburg’s doubleheader with Ottawa couldn’t have been bigger as far as the Frontier League standings were concerned.

The Wildcats were tied with Paola for second place going in and Ottawa was just a game ahead in first. A sweep, or even a split, would keep them in contention going into the final game of the season.

Thanks to Mother Nature it took more than two days to finish the doubleheader, and like Mother Nature, Ottawa put a damper on Louisburg’s chances of a title. The Cyclones swept Louisburg 9-2 and 2-0 on Thursday at Lewis-Young Park.

The doubleheader originally started Tuesday, but due to inclement weather, Ottawa took an 8-2 lead into the sixth inning on Thursday and completed the sweep.

“I thought we competed for the most part,” Louisburg coach Jeff Lohse said. “Ottawa is a good team and we were really a play away or a hit away from making game one a lot closer that what it was.

“I would like to see our base on balls go down from a pitching standpoint. We are pretty good when we make the other teams put the ball in play. Walks, especially lead-off, eventually come back to haunt you.”

In between games, the Wildcats honored seniors Mitchell Caldwell, Lucas Smith and Ethan Caldwell as the three played their final game at Lewis-Young Park.

All three have played vital roles this season as Mitchell has served as the team’s starting second baseman, Ethan as the team’s starting right fielder and Lucas came into the season as the Wildcats’ No. 1 pitcher.

“All three guys have played a very big role in our program,” Lohse said. “They work hard and play the game the right way. We wish them nothing but the best in the future.”

Walks did hurt the Wildcats (9-9) in the first game as they issued eight free passes. Leadoff walks in the fifth and sixth innings turned into three runs for Ottawa.

The Wildcats actually jumped out to the early lead. Cole Kramer was hit by a pitch to lead the first inning off, stole second and later scored on an RBI single from Austin Henderson.

Louisburg’s (from left) Mitchell Caldwell, Lucas Smith and Ethan Caldwell were honored during senior night Thursday at Lewis-Young Park.

It didn’t last long as Ottawa scored two runs in the second and four more in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead. Louisburg did get a run back in the fourth when Henderson doubled and later scored on an RBI single from Colton Smith.

Smith and Henderson accounted for four of the five hits in the opener as Louisburg struggled to get much going offensively.

Sophomore Dalton Stone kept Louisburg in the game in the nightcap. He pitched five innings and gave up just two runs on two hits, but Mother Nature intervened one more time on Thursday and cut the game short as it was called after five innings.

Singles from Smith and Grant Harding were the lone hits from Louisburg, however, the Wildcats hit the ball hard on several occasions — they were just right at the Ottawa defense.

Ottawa scored two runs in the third inning and it was all it needed to get the sweep.

“Dalton has thrown very well in his last three outings,” Lohse said. “He is starting to figure things out a little bit. We were able to put the ball in play, but most of the time it was right at them.

“Ottawa’s centerfielder ran down a couple of balls that would have normally been in the gap. We still had way too many fly ball outs, but at least we are putting it in play and making the defense work.”

Louisburg will play its final regular season game of the year today when it travels to Spring Hill for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Bad innings hurt Wildcats against Chanute

Louisburg sophomore Sam Guetterman follows through on a pitch during Thursday’s doubleheader with Chanute at Lewis-Young Park. The Wildcats fell to Chanute 4-1 and 19-10.

The mood of the Louisburg baseball team was a lot different at Lewis-Young Park following Thursday’s doubleheader with Chanute.

Just two days earlier, the Wildcats swept No. 3 De Soto and were on top of the world. Louisburg came down to Earth a little bit as Chanute outlasted the Wildcats for an extra-inning 4-1 victory in game one and then used an 11-run inning to win 19-10 to complete the sweep.

The losses made for a frustrating evening.

“We had opportunities in both games to come out with wins,” Louisburg coach Jeff Lohse said.

In the first game, the Wildcats (9-7) were tied with Chanute at 1-1 going into the eighth inning, but the Comets took advantage of a wild throw home with runners on second and third that led to three runs, and eventually the win.

Louisburg scattered seven hits in the game, but was never able to put together the big inning. After Chanute scored a run in the first, the Wildcats tied the game in the fourth when Austin Henderson doubled and later came around to score on an error.

Sophomore Sam Guetterman started the first game for Louisburg and kept his team in the game with a strong performance. Guetterman gave up just one run in four innings and struck out seven.

Senior Ethan Caldwell came on in relief to pitch three innings and gave up one earned run on just two hits. Caldwell also led the Wildcat offense with three hits and Henderson finished with two.

“Sam did an excellent job in game one,” Lohse said. “He struggled with his command but was able to hold them to one run and keep us in the game. Ethan came in and did a great job giving us a chance to win at the end. We just couldn’t get one more across to win it in the seventh inning.”

It was the nightcap that probably frustrated the Wildcats even more.

Louisburg jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the fourth inning and appeared to have all the momentum. Instead, Chanute grabbed it right back and scored 11 runs on just four hits in the fifth inning. The Comets were also aided by two Louisburg errors and six walks in the frame.

“Game two was very frustrating and uncharacteristic of us this season,” Lohse said. “With our pitching, I feel pretty confident when we have a 3-4 run lead late in the game. For some reason, we struggled to throw strikes and a few mental mistakes on defense came back to haunt us. This was a very winnable game that I feel we let slip away.”

Offense wasn’t a problem for Louisburg in the second game as the Wildcats took a 3-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI single from Lucas Smith and a two-run double from Dalton Stone.

After Chanute came back to tie the game in the third, Louisburg answered back in the fourth with four runs. Mitchell Caldwell delivered an RBI double, Henderson followed with an RBI single and he came around to score on an RBI triple from Grant Harding. The Wildcats also got a sacrifice fly from Ethan Caldwell to score Stone.

Then came Chanute’s 11-run fifth that put the Wildcats down 14-7. Louisburg did display some power to try and get back in the game as Stone and Smith each hit solo home runs, but the deficit was too great.

Stone finished the game with a team-high three hits and 3 RBIs. Cole Kramer, Mitchell Caldwell, Henderson and Smith each added two hits each.

All is not lost for the Wildcats, however. Louisburg is currently in a tie for second in the Frontier League standings with Paola and behind Ottawa.

Luckily for the Wildcats, they host Ottawa today at Lewis-Young Park in hopes of creeping their way atop the standings. It is also the Wildcats’ final home contest of the season and they will honor seniors Lucas Smith, Mitchell Caldwell and Ethan Caldwell on senior night.

Louisburg ends its regular season Monday when it travels to Spring Hill.

“Our next two double-headers are going to be huge for us,” Lohse said. “We control our own destiny as far as a league championship goes and our guys are excited for this opportunity.”

Cats overcome odds to sweep No. 3 De Soto

Junior Cole Kramer crosses home plate and is congratulated by teammates Matt Risenhoover (left) and Mitchell Caldwell following his inside-the-park home run Tuesday against De Soto at Lewis-Young Park.

The odds were certainly stacked against the Louisburg baseball team Tuesday when it hosted De Soto.

Not only was De Soto the defending state champion, it is ranked No. 3 in Class 4A-Division 1 and brought an imposing lineup that featured Wichita State commit Greyson Jenista.

Louisburg, on the other hand, was without No. 1 starter Lucas Smith due to an injury. The Wildcats were also without their coach, Jeff Lohse, who was out with an illness and missed his first game in his 17 years.

All that didn’t seem to matter much to the Wildcat players as they put their best two games together of the season to upset De Soto 5-3 and 11-1. It also marked four wins in a row for Louisburg and it has now won eight of its last 10.

“This is really big for our team and a real confidence builder for us,” junior Cole Kramer said. “With them being the defending state champion, hopefully these wins will carry over into the rest of the season. I know coach (Lohse) is going to be really happy when he hears about it and proud of us. Hopefully he gets better soon and it will be good seeing him again.”

In the first game, Louisburg (9-5) got on the board early and forced De Soto to play from behind. The Wildcats scored four runs in the first inning to take De Soto a little off-guard.

Kramer led the inning off with a walk and Mitchell Caldwell singled to put two runners on for Austin Henderson, who followed with a 2-run double. After a single from Grant Harding, Henderson scored on a fielder’s choice by Alex Dunn and Matt Risenhoover singled home pinch-runner Cale Schneider to make it 4-0 early.

“Scoring early was imperative,” said assistant coach Jarrod Worthington, who filled in for Lohse in his absence. “If you get into a hole against a program as accomplished as De Soto, you never know if you’ll be able to get out. On top of that, it’s one thing to say that you’re ready to take on the big dogs, but it’s another thing to go out and do it. And for us to score in the first inning of both games meant the world to us.

“Instantly our guys believed that we could do this; that it wasn’t just talk. Plus, if you look at game one, their starting pitcher really took over in the later innings. So we needed each and every run that we scored early.”

Risenhoover followed with an RBI single in the third inning to make it 5-0. Going back to last week’s doubleheader with Osawatomie and his first two bats against De Soto, Risenhoover was 8-for-8 and reached base 10 straight times.

Harding, the Wildcats’ starting pitcher, shut down De Soto in the first three innings and he also picked off two runners in the first inning to keep them off the board. De Soto would score three runs in the fourth inning to get back in the game, but Harding worked around 12 base runners in five innings before handing the ball to Kramer to work the final two.

Kramer pitched two strong innings to pick up the save and recorded three strikeouts. He faced the heart of the De Soto order in the seventh inning, but struck out the final two batters, including Jenista with a curve ball on a 3-2 pitch.

Sophomore Dalton Stone follows through on pitch during Tuesday's home contest against De Soto.

Sophomore Dalton Stone follows through on a pitch during Tuesday’s home contest against De Soto.

“Cole was told that he might be used in the closer’s role, and he really embraced the challenge,” Worthington said. “He inherited one runner in the sixth and the tying run was at the plate, but Cole came in throwing strikes.”

Defense was also a big factor for the Wildcats, especially in the opener. The outfield of Kramer, Ethan Caldwell and Korbin Hankinson ran down several balls, but it was third baseman Colton Smith who saved the most runs.

Smith helped turn two double plays on hard base hits his way and also made several diving stops that kept the De Soto offense at bay.

“The defense was big for sure,” Smith said. “I was just doing my job and everyone just came together and did their part. It was good to see.”

The fireworks started in the nightcap as the Wildcats offense came alive. De Soto’s starting pitcher had to leave with an injury in the first inning and Louisburg took advantage.

De Soto scored a run in the first, but Louisburg scored four in its half of the first thanks to RBI singles from Harding and Alex Dunn. Dalton Stone broke the game open with a 2-run single to score Harding and Dunn.

Stone took the mound for the Wildcats in the nightcap, and despite a shaky start, settled down for another strong performance. He pitched a complete game and allowed one unearned run on three hits to go along with five strikeouts.

“Dalton was coming off of a complete game shutout on Thursday, and you can tell that he is starting to look comfortable on the hill,” Worthington said. “He shrugged off an early error and didn’t let an unearned run affect him at all. I was impressed with his ability to not only get the ground ball when we needed it, but also put batters away with his fastball as well as his curve.

“I think our guys are glad they don’t have to face him, because right now he can beat you in a lot of ways. His ball has good movement, and it is so fulfilling to see him gaining confidence. For Dalton to pitch another complete game is a tremendous lift for our team, so that we can have more arms available for Thursday’s doubleheader.”

The Wildcats then started to have a little fun as Dunn launched a 2-run home run in the second inning to make it a 7-1 game and the Wildcats widened that lead in the fifth.

With two on and two out, Kramer hit a fly ball to center field. De Soto’s centerfielder seemed to lose the ball in the sky and the other outfielders were already making their way to the dugout thinking it was going to be the third out.

The ball landed behind the centerfielder and Kramer used his speed to complete the 3-run inside the park home run.

“I saw him and he was just standing with his arms out and I was just hoping that he dropped it or it landed behind him,” Kramer said. “Luckily it landed behind him and I just booked it home. It was good.”

Kramer led the Wildcat offense with a four-hit game and Mitchell Caldwell finished with three hits, including a pair of doubles, one of which nearly went over the wall after Kramer’s inside the park home run.

Colton Smith also finished with three hits and Dunn added a pair of hits to help Louisburg. The sweep was a perfect way for the Wildcats to help heal an ailing Lohse.

“I can’t put into words how much I wanted this for coach Lohse,” Worthington said. “He has put in so much time behind the scenes to find any little way to improve this program. It all came together tonight, and the only negative thing I can think of for this evening is that he didn’t get to see the culmination of his hard work.

“His philosophies have allowed every single one of our players to improve in their role on this team, and I am so proud to be a part of his coaching staff, because I believe in everything that he stands for. We can’t wait to get him back. He is Louisburg baseball.”

Louisburg returns to action tonight when it hosts Chanute at Lewis-Young Park. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

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