The Louisburg baseball team couldn’t have asked for a much better start to its season.

Louisburg had won nine of its first 10 games going into the Wildcats’ April 15 home doubleheader against Bonner Springs. They certainly didn’t cool off any against the Braves. 

The Wildcats got out to a big lead in the opener and held on for an 8-6 win. In the nightcap, Louisburg junior Christian Owens struck out 14 batters and led his team to a 6-0 shutout to earn the sweep.

Those wins pushed the Wildcats’ winning streak to nine games and they are now 11-1 on the season.

“They’re playing really right now,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “Defense has stepped up when needed and the offense has too. They’re worried about winning the next game they play and have done a great job focusing on getting the job done.”

Louisburg put together a dominant showing in that second game as Owens, not only struck out 14, but allowed just one hit over six innings and had two walks.

“Our pitching was really good all night,” Larson said. “The guys threw a ton of strikes and let their defense work. Christian pitched really well. He did a great job for us and never let their offense get any kind of rhythm. 

The bats followed suit as the Wildcats scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back. 

Junior Danny Napier led the way with three hits, including a pair of doubles and 2 RBIs. Luke Schultz had two hits and double, while Bristol Barbour also had two hits and an RBI.

Louisburg jumped out to a big lead once again in the first game. The Wildcats scored eight runs in the first five innings and took an 8-1 advantage.

Schultz and Barbour each had three hits. Schultz hit a solo home run, while Barbour had an RBI double. 

Senior Carter Willey had two hits and an RBI. Senior Jayce Toms and Owens each drove home a run.

“We swung it well in both games,” Larson said. “ We had some really timely hits and put the ball in play to get the job done when needed.”

Senior Meade Rutherford started in game one and pitched well as he allowed just two earned runs over six innings and struck out five.

Junior Evan Moreland come on in relief and didn’t allow an earned run as he struck out two in his lone inning of work.

The Wildcats will try and continue their winning ways today as they host Tonganoxie for a single game at Lewis-Young Park. First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week three of the spring sports season, sponsored by IronHorse Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

MEADE RUTHERFORD, SENIOR, BASEBALL

Louisburg senior Meade Rutherford made big contributions on the mound and at the plate for the Wildcat baseball team last week. On April 8 against Spring Hill, Rutherford took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and helped the Wildcats to win a over the Broncos. He pitched six innings and gave up just two hits and struck out five.

On April 10 at Wellsville, Rutherford had a big day with a bat as he hit two home runs to lead the Wildcats to a sweep of the Eagles. On the week, Rutherford finished with three hits — two home runs and a double — to go along with 5 RBIs.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

Previous winners

Week 1: Luke Schultz

Week 2: Faith Sewell

WELLSVILLE — The Louisburg baseball team ventured to Wellsville for a doubleheader that ended up turning into a home run derby.

Louisburg cranked seven home runs in the two games, including six in the second game alone, as the Wildcats cruised to a 14-1 and 18-2 victory on April 10 in Wellsville.

It was a dominant offensive showing for the Wildcats as they combined for 28 hits in the two games. They now own a 7-game winning streak and are 9-1 on the year.

“The guys saw the ball well and put a good swing on it most of the night,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “It is always great to leave with a sweep. They really fed off each other’s energy and success and did a great job of staying locked in all night.”

Louisburg senior Meade Rutherford had a big night with two home runs — one in each game — to go along with 5 RBIs and a double.

In the opener, Max Amren tallied three hits to lead the Wildcat offense to go along with 2 RBIs. Luke Schultz, Danny Napier, Bristol Barbour also had two hits, while Schultz had two runs batted in.

Napier, Barbour, Evan Moreland and Rylan Carty each had an RBI of their own. Louisburg used a 7-run third inning to take a 13-0 lead and ended the game after five innings.

Senior Alex Saad was dominant on the mound for the Wildcats as he earned the compete game victory with 11 strikeouts and gave up just four hits.

Barbour did much of the same in the second game. The Louisburg junior got the victory with seven strikeouts and gave up just one run.

“Alex and Bristol both threw really well all night,” Larson said. “They did a great job of throwing strikes and mixing pitches to keep them off balance. It was a great outing by the entire team.”

The Wildcat bats certainly did their part with six home runs in the contest. Moreland, Napier, Carty, Carter Willey, Rutherford and Barbour all had balls leave the yard.

Barbour and Napier provided the Wildcats with a bulk of the offense as they each had three hits to go along with 5 and 4 RBIs, respectively.

Louisburg will try and keep its winning streak going as the Wildcats host Bonner Springs for a doubleheader on April 15. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. at Lewis-Young Park.

SPRING HILL — The Louisburg baseball team got a chance to avenge its lone loss of the season Tuesday against Spring Hill and the Wildcats took full advantage.

Louisburg scored nine runs in the fifth inning, and got a strong start from Meade Rutherford, as the Wildcats cruised to a 9-2 victory over the Broncos at Spring Hill High School. 

“The guys played really well overall,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “They were ready to play Spring Hill again after we lost to them the first time. We knew we didn’t play our best game the first time around, and showed up ready to roll his time.”

Rutherford set the tone early for the Wildcats as he shut down a talented Spring Hill lineup. The Louisburg senior didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning.

Overall, Rutherford went six innings allowed two hits, no runs and had five strikeouts.

“Meade competed his butt off on the mound,” Larson said. “He was all around the strike zone and did a great job pitching to contact to let his defense work.”

Rutherford’s performance gave the Wildcat bats a chance to heat up and they did so with big fifth inning. In a scoreless game in the top of the fifth, Louisburg racked up nine runs  and got a lot of those with two outs.

Senior Rylan Carty provided the Wildcats with a nice start as he opened the inning with a 2-run home run and he ended the scoring with an RBI double in the same inning.

The Wildcats (7-1) got a lot of important hits in-between as well. 

Louisburg worked four consecutive walks after Carty’s home run. Max Amren and Luke Schultz both scored on wild pitches.

Senior Carter Willey broke the game open with a bases loaded double that plated all three runners. Junior Christian Owens then reached on an error that allowed Willey to score.

“That fifth inning was huge for us,” Larson said. “We had two outs and just kept finding a way to keep the line moving. Rylan did a great job getting good pitches to hit and he hit them well when we needed it.”

Louisburg will try and keep its winning ways going as it travels to Wellsville today for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

The Louisburg baseball team couldn’t have asked for much better start to its season and it continued Thursday at home against Ottawa.

The Cyclones, who are perennially one of the tougher teams in the Frontier League, left Louisburg with a pair of losses — including one in walk-off fashion.

Louisburg scored the winning run on a wild pitch to win, 4-3, in the opener. The Wildcats used that momentum in the second game as it got out to a big lead and held on for a 10-5 victory.

The Wildcats have now won six of their first seven games to start the year.

“It’s always good to leave with a sweep,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “Ottawa is a good team every year and is coached really well. The guys played really well all night and found a way to get the job done.”

Louisburg (6-1) took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second on RBI doubles by Carter Willey and Luke Schultz and held a 3-1 lead into the fifth.

Starter Alex Saad pitched well before running into a little trouble in the fifth as the Cyclones scored two in the bottom of the inning to tie it. Saad pitched five innings and gave up just two earned runs and had two strikeouts.

Junior Evan Moreland came in for relief and pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Moreland got the win thanks to a rally in the bottom of the seventh.

With one out, Meade Rutherford and Bristol Barbour hit back-to-back singles. The Cyclones then intentionally walked Jayce Toms to load the bases.

On the next batter, Ottawa threw a wild pitch, which allowed Rutherford to score the winning run.

“We found ourselves tied and the guys didn’t flinch,” Larson said. “They found a way to win and that’s always great to see. Alex threw really well in game 1 and Evan came in to close the door. They each competed on the mound and challenged Ottawa all night.”

Senior Rylan Carty had a big game with two doubles and a run scored, while Willey also finished with two hits.

In the nightcap, the Wildcats jumped out to a 7-2 lead after five innings thanks to a big game from Schultz, who finished the game with three doubles and 3 RBIs. Carty also had two hits and 2 RBIs.

Willey added three more runs batted in, while Toms had two hits, including a double, to go along with an RBI.

The Cyclones tried to rally in the fifth inning as they had the bases loaded and no outs, but got a highlight reel play in left field from Willey.

The Louisburg senior made a running catch on a fly ball, spun, and threw home to get the tagging runner for a double play to steal all of the Cyclones’ momentum.

“Luke and Rylan hit the ball well,” Larson said. “They each had some big time at bats that got us going early. The defense stepped up when needed to. Willey had a huge play in left to keep them at a distance on the scoreboard. Having bases loaded and no outs, to now having two outs and no runs scored, was a game changer for us and got us the momentum back.”

Bristol Barbour and Max Amren combined to throw nearly six innings and gave up four runs between the two of them, while Barbour had four strikeouts. Peyton Simpson pitched the final inning with two strikeouts.

Louisburg will try and avenge its only loss of the season tonight as the Wildcats travel to Spring Hill for a single game. First pitch is set for 6:15 p.m.

After suffering its first loss of the week season last week against Spring Hill, the Louisburg baseball team bounced back nicely with a pair of road victories. 

The latest came Tuesday when the Wildcats traveled to Baldwin and earned an 18-1 Frontier League victory in three innings. On Monday at Santa Fe trail, Louisburg overcame a few mistakes and held on for a 12-8 victory.

“We swung it well in both games,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We had some issues defensively against Santa Fe Trail, but did a great job responding the next day against Baldwin. We cleaned those mistakes up and played really well.”

Louisburg jumped on Baldwin early with an 11-run second inning and never looked back in the 17-run victory.

Senior Carter Willey and junior Danny Napier each hit a 2-run home run to lead the Wildcats’ attack. Napier also tallied a team-high 4 RBIs. 

Seniors Jayce Toms and Luke Schultz each paced the Wildcats with three hits and 3 RBIs. Toms, Rylan Carty and Max Amren also doubled for Louisburg.

Meade Rutherford started for the Wildcats and got the victory. Rutherford pitched three innings and allowed just one unearned run and had five strikeouts.

The Wildcats (4-1) also racked up the runs Monday at Santa Fe Trail as they tallied 12 runs on 13 hits. Louisburg took a 12-4 lead going into the bottom of the fifth before the Chargers put together a late rally.

Rutherford and Amren each led the Wildcats with three hits and a double on the night, while Rutherford finished with 4 RBIs. Schultz added two hits and 3 RBIs, while Toms had two hits and 2 RBIs. Junior Bristol Barbour had two hits and an RBI.

Senior Christian Owens got the victory for Louisburg as he struck out five over four innings and gave up four runs — all of which were unearned. 

Peyton Simpson and Tanner Simpson combined for three innings of work to preserve the win for Louisburg.

Louisburg will try for a pair of wins Thursday when it hosts Ottawa in a Frontier League doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Wildcats fall in home opener to Spring Hill

Last Thursday, Louisburg hosted Spring Hill in its home debut at Lewis-Young Park, and the Wildcats had a hard time getting anything going against the Broncos.

Spring Hill took advantage of five Louisburg errors and handed the Wildcats an 11-5 loss.

“We have some things to clean up defensively,” Larson said. “We showed some great fight and never gave up. We will have to make some adjustments and continue getting better to be where we need to be by the end of the season.”

Spring Hill scored two runs in the second, four in the third and three more in the fourth to take a 9-2 lead after four innings. 

Schultz had a double and 2 RBIs to lead the Wildcat offense, while Toms and Rutherford each had a run batted in. 

Walks also hurt the Wildcats along with their errors. They issued 12 free passes on the night, which led to several Spring Hill runs.

Here is the Louisburg Sports Zone Athlete of the Week for week one of the spring sports season, sponsored by Landmark National Bank.

LUKE SCHULTZ, SENIOR, BASEBALL

It didn’t take long for the bat of Louisburg senior Luke Schultz to heat up. In the Wildcats’ season opener last week at Harrisonville, Schultz was big reason for the Wildcats’ opening sweep. Schultz finished the day with five hits, including three doubles, a home run and 6 RBIs in the two victories.

Two days later in a loss against Spring Hill, Schultz continued his dominance at the plate with a 2-run double. In all, he finished his week with six hits, 8 RBIs, four doubles and a home run to begin his 2025 season.

The athlete of the week award is announced every Wednesday morning during the spring season and the winner is selected by Louisburg Sports Zone with the help of nominations from coaches.

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — It was a perfect start for the Louisburg baseball team Tuesday in Harrisonville — albeit a sweaty one.

The Wildcats swept Harrisonville in a pair of 7-6 victories in their season opener and did so by winning in different ways. Louisburg rallied from a 4-run deficit in game one, and held off a late Harrisonville rally in the nightcap to earn the sweep. 

“It is always great to leave the field with a sweep,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We had some positives and some things that we need to clean up to take a step in the right direction for (today’s) game.”

Harrisonville took advantage of some opportunities in the opener as it forced Louisburg starter Alex Saad out of the game early. Harrisonville scored all six of their runs in less than three innings.

The Wildcats got good pitching from their bullpen, namely Evan Moreland. The Lousiburg junior pitched the final 4 and 2/3 innings and didn’t give up a hit. He also struck out seven and walked just one. 

“Evan threw really well for us,” Larson said,. “He did a great job of coming in and throwing a ton of strikes. He kept them off balance really well.”

Moreland’s performance allowed the Wildcat bats to play catch-up and they did that with a run in the fifth and sixth innings, and followed it up with three runs in the seventh to take the 7-6 lead.

Senior Meade Rutherford led the seventh inning off with a triple and later scored on a wild pitch. Moreland singled home Jayce Toms and then Ayden Spradling scored on a wild ptich to give the Wildcats the lead for good.

“We got down 6-2 and the guys didn’t flinch,” Larson said. “They knew what they needed to do and kept chipping away to get back in the game.”

Another senior, Luke Schultz, was big at the plate in both games for the Wildcats. Schultz had three hits in the opener, including a double and a home run, and had 3 RBIs.

In the second game, Schultz came through again with two more doubles and 3 RBIs to help get the Wildcats out to a lead.

“Luke saw the ball well all night and really came up clutch when we needed him to,” Larson said. 

Junior Danny Napier, who caught both games for the Wildcats, had a single and an RBI, and walked twice. Toms also had an RBI single for Louisburg as the Wildcats built a 5-3 lead after four innings.

Rutherford started the game for Louisburg and gave up just one earned run in three innings and struck out six. Christian Owens came in for relief and pitched three innings and struck out seven.

With the Wildcats holding a one run lead in the bottom of the seventh, Max Amren pitched a scoreless final inning with a strikeout. 

“Christian and Meade threw really well for us in game two,” Larson said. “Both gave us some great innings on the mound.”

Louisburg will try and make it three straight wins as it hosts Spring Hill in its home opener. It is a single game and first pitch is set for approximately 6:15 p.m., at Lewis-Young Park.

The loss was a difficult one to take for the Louisburg baseball team.

Despite having an historic season a year ago that resulted in the Wildcats’ first league title in 22 years and first state appearance in 15 years, Louisburg suffered a close loss to rival Paola in the first round of the state tournament.

As disappointing as the loss was, the Wildcats are hungrier than ever to get back to state for the 2025 season.

“I think confidence is high going into this season, but we all know we have to show up and play tough every game,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “The momentum from last season can definitely carry into this one and the guys have been practicing like they’re ready to build off of last season.”

Louisburg did lose a few key pieces from that historic 2024 team, especially on the offensive side, but the Wildcats return a bulk of their pitching staff that hopes to take another step forward.

Leading the way will be seniors Alex Saad and Meade Rutherford, who were both all-league players from a season ago. 

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 was the third most in Louisburg history.

Offensively, the Wildcats return two first team all-league selections in senior Luke Schultz and junior Danny Napier. 

As for Rutherford, he 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.

“We lost some really good players to graduation last year, but we bring back some great players, as well,” Larson said. “We have a majority of our pitching staff returning and some key bats. We will definitely have a few spots to fill, but I think we have a great group to step into those roles. We have five starters returning and three more that have had quite a bit of varsity experience. Alex and Meade were our leaders on the mound last year and they look to do so again.”

Joining them on the mound will be senior Jayce Toms and junior Bristol Barbour, who both have varsity pitching experience. Juniors Christian Owens, Evan Moreland and Ayden Spradling will also join the Louisburg staff.

Napier, who was the first team selection at catcher, will continue to work with the Wildcat pitching staff in his third year as a varsity starter.

He was behind the plate for all 26 games 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.

As for Schultz, who earned first team infield for his work at third base and with his bat. He had five home runs, a .381 average, 32 hits, 26 RBIs, and 32 runs scored.

Barbour and Rutherford both also had big hits at different points throughout the season and Barbour is a returning all-league player at shortstop. 

“Danny and Luke will be some big bats returning for us this season,” Larson said. “Meade had some really clutch hits for us down the stretch last year, as well. I think we have a chance to be solid at the plate but might have to find new ways to produce runs compared to last year.”

Schultz, Barbour, Saad, along with seniors Rylan Carty, Carter Willey and Moreland will all compete for time in the infield. 

Rutherford, Willey, Owens, Spradling and Max Amren will all be battling for a spot in the outfield. 

Louisburg opens its season Tuesday when it travels to Harrisonville for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m., as the Wildcats begin another run at a state tournament. 

“This group has some high expectations coming off a great season last year,” Larson said. “We will take it one game at a time and do everything we can to win every time we step on the field.”

Baseball has been a part of Meade Rutherford’s life for as long as he can remember and he isn’t ready for it to be over any time soon.

The Louisburg High School senior has always wanted to play in college and it was all about finding the right fit. 

Rutherford found it in Rockhurst University as he officially signed his letter of intent last November to join the Division II program.

“It meant the world to me knowing that all the hard work and effort put in by me, my parents, and my coaches payed off,” Rutherford said. “Playing college baseball was my No. 1 goal and I’m glad I could meet it.”

Rutherford, who was an honorable mention All-Frontier League player last season as a junior, helped the Wildcats both on the mound and in the field. It is that aspect that was important to him as he moved onto the college stage.

Rockhurst is providing him the opportunity to do both and it was one of the many reasons why he decided to join the Hawks program.

“Rockhurst is the perfect school because it checks off a lot of boxes,” Rutherford said. “It’s close to home, it has a nice campus, and has reputable baseball program. 

“Rockhurst is giving me a 2-way opportunity, which is exactly what I was looking for in a home. I’m going to work as hard as I can to earn a spot on the field as soon as possible whether that’s pitching, or hitting/outfield.”

The history of the program was also something that stuck out to Rutherford as he will play under coach Gary Burns, who has been at the school for 30 years, and has guided the Hawks to 16 postseason appearances. 

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know the coaches at Rockhurst,” Rutherford said. “Coach Burns has led the program for 30 years now and I’m excited to learn a lot. The team had quite the gain in wins last year and I’m looking forward to contributing to that success.”

Rutherford and the Wildcats had a lot of success of their own last season as they won the program’s first regional title in 15 years and earned a spot at the state tournament.

He played a big part in that role as he was the team’s No. 2 starter as Rutherford earned the win in the regional championship game against Wamego. He, and the rest of the Wildcats, are hoping for even more success in his final season.

“Louisburg had a historical season last year, and it was awesome to be apart of it,” Rutherford said. “I think that with the coaches and players we have, we could make another deep run this year.

“I’ve played baseball my whole life. The journey has been unforgettable with the traveling, the memories, the teammates, and the coaches. It also included overcoming adversity, which is what baseball is all about.”