Louisburg junior Declan Battle was all smiles and celebrates with teammates Nathaniel Lamm (left) and Brody McGreer after scoring one of the Wildcats’ 35 runs Thursday at home against Anderson County.

The Louisburg bats continued its torrid stretch Thursday in its home doubleheader against Anderson County.

After scoring 31 runs the week prior against Osawatomie, the Wildcats followed it up with 35 runs against the Bulldogs in their two games. Louisburg jumped out to early leads and secured a pair of 15-2 and 20-12 victories at Lewis-Young Park.

“The guys played really well all night,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “They were locked in from the first pitch. They’ve been having great approaches at the plate and that’s led to really good team at bats. We’re really starting to play some good baseball all around.”

Louisburg (11-5) had to deal with a little adversity in the first game as starting pitcher Corbin Hamman had to leave the game after getting hit in the hand. Sophomore Alex Saad came in for relief as he gave up one earned run and struck out five.

The Wildcat bats took care of the rest.

Louisburg, which had a 2-1 lead going into the bottom of the second inning, scored five runs in the second, three in the third and five more in the fourth to complete the run-rule win.

The top of the Wildcat order got things started. 

Junior Declan Battle recorded three hits — which included a double and a triple — and scored four times, along with an RBI.

Sophomore Luke Schultz and junior Nathaniel Lamm also swung the bat well and both had 4 RBIs. Schultz and Lamm each had two hits, that included a triple from Schultz and a double from Lamm.

Junior Brody McGreer also did some damage from the bottom of the order as he had three hits, three runs scored and had an RBI. Danny Napier, Hamman and Jackson Howard all drove home a run.

In the nightcap, Louisburg once again got out to a great start as it scored all 20 of its runs in the first four innings. The Wildcats took an 8-1 lead after two innings, and then proceeded to score three in the third and nine in the fourth.

Anderson County kept the game alive with five runs in the fifth, but the Wildcats’ 8-run lead at the time was all they needed to pull off the sweep.

Battle stayed hot in the second game as he tallied three more hits, including a triple and scored four more times.

Napier and Howard drove in a bulk of the Wildcats’ runs as they each had five RBIs. Howard finished with three hits, including two doubles and walked twice.

As for Napier, he also tallied three hits. His biggest came by virtue of the long ball as he hit a 3-run home run, and he also finished with a double.

Schultz and freshman Bristol Barbour each had a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Lamm tallied three hits and scored four times. McGreer and junior Jack Anderson also drove home a run.

Schultz, Barbour and Battle combined to get the win for Louisburg on the mound.

Louisburg will try and keep its four-game winning streak going Tuesday as the Wildcats travel to Eudora for a doubleheader. It’s two of the final four games on the Wildcats’ schedule and Larson realizes his team needs to finish strong heading into the postseason.

“Continuing to play well in these last four games heading into the postseason will be huge for us,” Larson said. “The more we can play every game at a high level, the better prepared we will be come playoff time.”

Louisburg junior Nathaniel Lamm celebrates with teammate Corbin Hamman after scoring a run last week. The Wildcats swept Osawatomie on Thursday.

Coming off a pair of tough losses earlier last week, the Louisburg baseball team didn’t waste much time getting back in the win column Thursday when the Wildcats hosted Osawatomie. 

Louisburg dominated both contests from the opening inning and never looked back in a 15-5 win in the opener and a 16-1 victory in the nightcap. The Wildcats improved their record to 9-5 on the season.

“It is always great to bounce back from a couple tough losses,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “The team responded well and took care of business.”

The Wildcats got their bats going early in the first game as they scored 12 runs in the opening frame to take the early lead and never looked back.

Junior Declan Battle started for the Wildcats and picked up the win as he allowed no earned runs and gave up just two hits and had three strikeouts. Senior Jackson Kush pitched an inning of relief and struck out the side.

Seniors Corbin Hamman and Cade Driskell came through with the bats as each of them recorded a double and had 3 RBIs a piece. Sophomore Alex Saad also had two hits, a double and 2 RBIs.

Juniors Nathaniel Lamm and Jackson Howard each drove home a pair of runs. Lamm also scored three times. Battle, from his leadoff spot, had two hits, an RBI and two stolen bases.

The Wildcats used one big inning to seal the win in the second game. Louisburg had a 13-run second inning that helped propel them to a 15-run victory in three innings.

Sophomore Luke Schultz recorded a rare inside-the park grand slam, which was one of several big hits on the night. He also started the game for the Wildcats and pitched three innings, gave up one unearned run and had two strikeouts.

Driskell and Hamman both had another big game as they had 4 and 3 RBIs, respectively, to go along with a pair of hits, including a double.

“Luke is swinging it really well for us,” Larson said. “He smoked that ball (grand slam) to the fence and took advantage of it. Corbin and Cade were seeing the ball well all night. Both had great at bats all night and were really good with runners on.”

Senior Kaleb Carter recorded a pair of doubles and drove home three, while freshman Danny Napier added a 2-run double. Battle tripled and also scored three times for Louisburg, as did junior Jack Anderson.

Louisburg will try and keep its winning ways going Thursday when it hosts Anderson County for a doubleheader at Lewis-Young Park. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Ottawa takes two from Louisburg

Louisburg squared off with one of the top teams in the Frontier League last Tuesday when it hosted Ottawa.

The Cyclones, who placed fourth at the state tournament a year ago, handed the Wildcats a pair of 9-8 and 18-5 losses at Lewis-Young Park.

Errors were costly for the Wildcats as they committed 10 between the two games, which led to some big innings for the Cyclones.

“Ottawa is a great team,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We battled all night long. A few mistakes ended up hurting us in the end. The good thing is we will learn from it and get better.”

In the opener, the Wildcats found themselves down 9-3 going into the fifth inning, but tried to battle back. Louisburg scored four runs in the fifth on RBI hits from Nathaniel Lamm, Corbin Hamman and Jackson Kush.

Lamm had a big day at the plate with a 4-for-4 performance and 3 RBIs, while Kush had 2 RBIs. Junior Wyatt Holland also drove in a run.

Louisburg added another run in the sixth to make it a one-run Ottawa lead, but could get no closer.

The Wildcats continued to hang with the Cyclones in the nightcap. Louisburg trailed just 6-4 after three innings, but Ottawa answered with four in the fourth and seven in the sixth to seal the win.

Junior Jackson Howard and freshman Bristol Barbour each had two hits to lead the Wildcats. Junior Declan Battle finished with 2 RBIs and Lamm also drove home a run. Sophomore Luke Schultz also tripled and scored a run.

Louisburg boys basketball coach Ty Pfannenstiel will take over the school’s activities director role next school year. He also resigned his basketball position after coaching the Wildcats for the last six years.

Beginning next school year, Louisburg High School activities will have a little different look to it — especially at the top.

Ty Pfannenstiel will serve as the school’s new activities director and will take over for current AD, Michael Pickman, who will focus on his assistant principal duties and curriculum. 

Pfannenstiel, who has been the boys basketball coach for the last six years, resigned his post to take on the activities director position. He also stepped down as an assistant football coach.

Currently the weight room instructor, Pfannenstiel will spend half his day teaching and the other half in the AD role.

All of the moves were approved during Monday’s meeting of the USD 416 Board of Education.

“This is very exciting for me,” Pfannenstiel said. “It’s definitely going to be a change. I have been a teacher and a coach for 18 years. I still get to be a teacher half-time, and now I get to step into a new role as an administrator. It is going to be all sports and activities and I am looking forward to the new direction.”

As for Pickman, he gets the opportunity to focus more on the academic side as a full-time assistant principal. He was hired as an assistant principal/ activities director in April of 2020.

“I am very excited to commit more fully to the assistant principal role as education and curriculum have always been my true passion,” Pickman said. “Being able to support the teachers, students, and administrative staff by providing data, feedback, and assessing teaching and learning goals and initiatives in the building and district aligns with that passion and the opportunity arose to allow for that. I hope to enable and promote continued growth in the various curriculums and initiatives and structures that make Louisburg a fantastic district in a supportive community.

“Ty has experience and is passionate about athletics and activities. As it is where his passion is, I have every confidence he will do a fantastic job in his new role and look forward to witnessing where he takes our programs moving forward.”

Pickman took over LHS activities at a difficult time as the school was coming back from COVID-19 and the all challenges it presented. As tough as that situation was, he appreciated the relationships he built.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my role as activities director and was presented a fantastic growth opportunity and am grateful for being given it,” Pickman said. “I had a goal of being present for athletes and coaches and for the patrons, so I hope people saw that presence. I was blessed to have great leadership in place in our coaches and sponsors, and tried to support them best by advocating for their needs and supporting them to do their job of being great role models and passing on their passion and knowledge to students.

“Ultimately, I am most proud of our student athletes and activity participants and being part of their journey. I believe that sports are an extension of the classroom and I wanted to help ensure that character and sportsmanship were just as important and success, and I am overjoyed to have a wealth of memories where our fans, students, participants, and coaches and sponsors proved that to be true of LHS.”

While taking on the challenge of being a new administrator is one he is looking forward to, leaving his coaching roots behind was a difficult decision for Pfannenstiel.

In 2021, Pfannenstiel led the Wildcat boys basketball team to the Class 4A state championship game and finished as the state runner-up.

“That was definitely the biggest thing that was holding me back,” Pfannenstiel said. “I love basketball and the kids that I have worked with. There is a group coming up that I really enjoy coaching, and leaving that behind was one of the biggest challenges for me. Whoever takes over the program, I think it will be good transition for them because they will have a great group of kids to work with.

“Originally, I was going to be allowed to coach a sport and they didn’t want to take coaching away from me. The more I thought about it, if I want to do a good job at this, I need to focus on being the AD and that will be something that will benefit me and all the other activities.”

Pfannenstiel believes the move is a good one for the school in general as it will allow Pickman and principal Amy VanRheen to focus more on the academic side of things.

“This is something that is definitely needed,” Pfannenstiel said. “Our administrators are so busy with all the stuff they do during the school day, but they are also going to all the activities as well. Hopefully this will be a big help for Mrs. VanRheen and Mr. Pickman.”

Although he won’t official start his new position till next school year, Pfannenstiel is already starting to transition into his new role — one that is looking forward to.

“My job in the weight room and coaching has all been about sports,” he said. “That is what entices me about this job is that I am still going to be all about sports and activities. I just want to be a support for our coaches and our athletes and be advocate for our students.” 

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

CORBIN HAMMAN, SENIOR, BASEBALL

Louisburg senior Corbin Hamman helped the Wildcat baseball team to its biggest win to date last Thursday at home against Tonganoxie. Hamman pitched a complete game, and struck out eight batters, in a 3-1 win over last season’s Class 4A state runner-up.

Hamman has also been one of the Wildcats’ top pitchers this season as he has recorded three wins on the year and leads the team with 34 strikeouts in five starts. The win over Tonganoxie was the Wildcats’ seventh win in 10 games to start the 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.

Previous winners:

Week 1: Rowan Yows

Week 2: Sabra Brueggen

Week 3: Danny Napier

Senior Corbin Hamman allowed just one run in a complete game effort as the Wildcats defeated Tonganoxie, 3-1, on Thursday at Lewis-Young Park.

Louisburg faced one of its more difficult challenges on the season as the Wildcats hosted the defending state runner-up Thursday at Lewis-Young Park.

The Wildcats also had to do it without their head coach. Kade Larson was away to be with his wife for the birth of their first child, so assistant coach Jeff Lohse took over head coaching duties and former assistant Jarrod Worthington helped fill in for Larson. 

It seemed to be a seamless transition and the players didn’t waste anytime giving Larson an early present on his new arrival.

Louisburg struck first with a two-run first inning, and that was all senior Corbin Hamman needed as he pitched a complete game and helped the Wildcats to a 3-1 victory over Tonganoxie.

It was the second win in three games for Louisburg after a split with Bonner Springs last Tuesday. It also improved the Wildcats’ record to 7-3 on the season.

“It was a huge win for us,” Larson said. “I’m so glad we had the support of everyone, and others were able to step in and keep the train rolling in the right direction. Worthington was great for us and so positive in the dugout with the guys. 

“We have some great leadership on this team from freshmen all the way up to seniors and I had no doubt they were going to do what was needed. Corbin threw his butt off and had some great defense behind him.”

Hamman limited the Chieftains’ chances all night as he gave up just one run on six hits. He also recorded eight strikeouts and didn’t give up a walk.

The Wildcats gave Hamman a lead to work with early with two runs in the first inning. 

Hamman scored the game’s first run after he opened the game with a walk, stole second and scored on a single by Cade Driskell. 

Junior Wyatt Holland came around to score the second run on a single by Nathaniel Lamm and a Tonganoxie error. In the top of the third, Tonganoxie cut the Louisburg lead in half.

It remained a 2-1 game until the bottom of the sixth. Driskell opened with a single and Holland came in to pinch run. He went on to steal second and went to third on a Tonganoxie error.

Lamm came through again for Louisburg as he singled home Holland to give the Wildcats a cushion. Hamman took it from there as he retired the Chieftains in order in the seventh.

Driskell and Lamm each had two hits to lead the Wildcat offense and were responsible for all three Louisburg runs. Hamman and Brody McGreer also had base hits in the game.

The schedule doesn’t get an easier for Louisburg as it hosts Ottawa for a doubleheader Tuesday at Lewis-Young Park. The Cyclones finished fourth in the state tournament a year ago.

Louisburg splits with Bonner Springs

Louisburg scored the first four runs of the game last Tuesday at home against Bonner Springs, and the Wildcats were able to hold on for an 8-6 victory over the Braves.

As good as the first game went for the Wildcats, their offense couldn’t follow suit in the nightcap as Bonner Springs handed Louisburg a 2-0 loss to force a split at Lewis-Young Park.

“The guys played well overall in game one,” Larson said. “We had some struggles in the field, but we kept our composure and found a way to pull off a win. We put pressure on them and had some great situational hitting to score runs. 

“Game two we struggled with the situational hitting side of things. The guys played really well in the field and had some great pitching. We just hit the ball right at them when we had runners in scoring position.”

In the opener, sophomore Luke Schultz led the Wildcat bats as he reached base four times, with two hits — including a double — and a pair of walks. He also scored two times and drove home a run.

Junior Declan Battle also finished with two hits and an RBI and senior Cade Driskell had 2 RBIs on the night. Junior Wyatt Holland also had an RBI double.

Sophomore Alex Saad started the game for Louisburg and went 3 2/3 innings and struck out four, while giving up two runs. Battle came in for the final three frames and struck out six despite having to work out of a difficult final inning.

The Wildcats took an 8-2 lead into the seventh inning before Bonner Springs scored four times to make it close.

Louisburg had a tough time getting its offense going in the nightcap as the Wildcats had just two hits. Bonner Springs scored a run in the first and second innings to secure the win.

Freshman Bristol Barbour had a strong outing for Louisburg as he pitched six innings and struck out eight, while giving up just the two runs. Schultz pitched the final inning and struck out a pair.

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

DANNY NAPIER, FRESHMAN, BASEBALL

Louisburg freshman Danny Napier put himself in the Wildcat baseball history books last week. Napier became the first Wildcat player to hit three home runs in one game last Thursday during the Wildcats’ win at Wellsville. Along with the three home runs, Napier also had 9 RBIs in the victory.

In the second game against the Eagles, he also recorded an RBI double, which gave him 10 RBIs for the doubleheader. Napier also did some damage on the defensive end. As the team’s starting catcher, Napier threw two runners out from behind the plate.

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: Rowan Yows

Week 2: Sabra Brueggen

Louisburg freshman catcher Danny Napier hit three home runs in one game Thursday during the doubleheader opener at Wellsville. Napier also finished with 9 RBIs.

WELLSVILLE — Danny Napier may be just a freshman, but with three swings of the bat, he put himself in the Louisburg baseball history books.

Napier cranked three home runs and had 9 RBIs in the Wildcats’ 12-3 victory in Thursday’s doubleheader opener over Wellsville. He then followed it up with a double and another RBI in Louisburg’s 6-3 win in the nightcap at Wellsville. Napier also threw out two runners from behind the plate.

It was a memorable outing for a Wildcat team that got a much-needed sweep after falling to Spring Hill for the second time, earlier last week.

As for Napier, it was the first time a Wildcat player hit three home runs in one game and there has never been a player to drive home nine runs in a contest, prior to Thursday.

“Danny was really seeing the ball well all night,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “To our knowledge we have never had a player hit three home runs in a single game, let alone have 9 RBIs. He was on an absolute tear that game and really helped the team. He brings a ton of natural power to the plate and has a chance to hit one out every time he steps to the plate.”

Louisburg senior Corbin Hamman also put together a dominant performance on the mound. He finished one out shy of a complete game.

Hamman gave up just one earned run on five hits and struck out 10. Junior Declan Battle got the final out to secure the Wildcat victory.

“Corbin threw really well all night,” Larson said. “He mixed pitches well to keep hitters off balance. Corbin was able to work out of a few jams and never backed down no matter the situation.”

Along with Napier, the Wildcat bats came alive as the team combined for 15 hits in that first game. Sophomore Luke Schultz, senior Cade Driskell and Battle all tallied three hits. Battle, Driskell and Nathaniel Lamm each drove home a run, while Schultz scored three times.

The Wildcats (5-2) broke the game open a tie game with four runs in the third, then added two more in the sixth and five in the seventh to seal the win.

In the nightcap, the Wildcats got another strong pitching performance from freshman Bristol Barbour as he pitched six innings and gave up three runs on three hits. Barbour also struck out nine on the night.

Battle came in for the final inning of relief and struck out the side to secure the sweep for Louisburg.

“Bristol also threw really well,” Larson said. “He gave up a few hits but responded really well in some high pressure situations and got out of it while limiting any damage. He work ahead in the count and showed he loves to compete on the mound. 

The Wildcats had to rally from two runs down, but they bounced to back to tie the game in the third. Hamman singled home Wyatt Holland and then Napier doubled home senior Kaleb Carter to make it a 2-2 game.

Louisburg took the lead in the fifth when Jack Anderson scored on a Hamman groundout. The Wildcats added two more in the sixth on RBI singles from Anderson and Carter.

Battle, Schultz and Anderson each had two hits to lead the Wildcat offense and Hamman had 2 RBIs. Napier and Holland also doubled for Louisburg.

“It’s always great to leave with two wins,” Larson said. “The guys played well all night. We had some great at bats that kept pressure on them throughout the night. We can clean a few things up defensively, but overall I thought we played really well.

“The guys had a great approach in game two. They kept pressure on them all night and we had a ton of great team at bats. We hit a lot of balls hard right at the defenders. A lot of guys laid down some great bunts to move/score runners which is always great to see. We’ve had some great chemistry so far and everyone continues pulling for one another to get the job done.”

Louisburg drops single game to Spring Hill

Louisburg has won five of its first seven games to start the year, but those two losses have come at the hands of Spring Hill, including one last Tuesday.

The Wildcats traveled to Spring Hill for a lone contest, but came up short in a 5-1 loss to the Broncos.

Louisburg sophomore Alex Saad had a strong outing for the Wildcats as he pitched all six innings and gave up just three earned runs. He also had five strikeouts and just one walk.

Luke Schultz led the Wildcat bats with two hits and Wyatt Holland scored the team’s lone run on a Spring Hill error.

The Broncos took advantage of four Wildcat miscues and scored four runs in the first two innings. 

Louisburg senior Corbin Hamman (pictured), along with sophomore Alex Saad, combined to allow just one unearned run and struck out 12 Baldwin batters Tuesday in Baldwin City.

BALDWIN CITY — Louisburg tallied just four hits in Tuesday’s game against Baldwin, but the Wildcats took advantage of what little opportunities they had.

On a night with not a lot of offense, the Wildcats coaxed nine walks, and along with the four hits, helped give them a 5-1 victory over the Bulldogs in Baldwin City.

Louisburg scored four of its five runs on a passed ball or wild pitch, as the Wildcats caused havoc on the base paths and improved to 3-1 on the season.

“It’s always good to leave with a win, especially against another league team,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We didn’t swing it our best, but we continued to put pressure on them all night. More than a couple times we hit the ball hard, just right at them. Near the end we were finally able to push a few across.”

The Wildcats found themselves down 1-0 going into the top of the fifth inning, but were able to tie it up. Junior Declan Battle worked a walk, stole second and scored on a double by freshman Danny Napier.

From there, Louisburg scored its final four runs on either a passed ball or wild pitch and the pitching was able to take care of the rest.

Senior Corbin Hamman started the game and pitched four innings and gave up an unearned run and struck out five. Sophomore Alex Saad came in a shut the door for the Wildcats.

Saad pitched the final three innings and gave up just one hit, while he struck out seven.

“Those runs were all Hamman and Saad needed to close the door,” Larson said. “They were throwing really well and competed all night. We had a few mistakes that led to some extra baserunners, but both Saad and Hamman found a way to get out of it every time.”

Junior Wyatt Holland had a big night at the plate for Louisburg as he reached base four times on a pair of walks and two singles. He also scored twice.

Sophomore Luke Schultz also tallied a base hit, while Battle and Hamman each earned a pair of walks and scored runs. Junior Brody McGreer also scored a run for the Wildcats.

Louisburg will try to avenge its lone loss of the season Tuesday when it travels to Spring Hill for a single game. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

Louisburg second baseman Brody McGreer tries to tag a Spring Hill runner out Thursday at Lewis-Young. On Wednesday, the Wildcats traveled to Harrisonville and came home with two wins.

HARRISONVILLE, Mo. — Louisburg head baseball coach Kade Larson wasn’t quite sure what to expect from his team in Wednesday’s season opener against Harrisonville.

The Wildcats feature a number of underclassmen in their starting lineup and on the mound. Larson knew he had talent, but wasn’t sure how it would all come together.

Louisburg certainly put together a strong first showing.

The Wildcats cruised to a 13-1 victory in the first game against Harrisonville and then followed that up with a 6-3 victory in the nightcap at Harrisonville High School.

“It was great starting off the season with two wins,” Larson said. “The guys came ready to play in game one and really swung it well. Their game two starter was solid and it took us a few innings to get to him, but the guys stuck with a great approach and found a way to put some runs on the board late.”

Louisburg got a good combination of pitching and offense to come away with the wins and it was a senior starter that got the Wildcats off on the right foot.

Corbin Hamman pitched a complete game in the opener as he lasted six innings and struck out six. He also allowed just one earned run and had no walks.

Solid pitching continued into the second game. Sophomore Alex Saad kept the Harrisonville batters off balance and he struck out 11 in five innings and gave up two unearned runs.

Junior Declan Battle finished off the game as he gave up just one earned run in two innings and also struck out two.

“Hamman, Saad and Battle all threw really well for us throughout both games,” Larson said. “All three threw a ton of strikes and that usually leads to a lot of outs. Hamman going the distance for us was huge. He really let his defense work and made them put the ball in play leading to lots of quick outs.

“Saad threw really well in game two and you could tell he was on a mission on the mound all night.”

The offense followed suit, especially in the first game. The Wildcats pounded out 13 runs on nine hits.

Louisburg led 3-1 after the third inning, but scored three in the fourth and seven in the sixth inning to blow the game open.

Freshman Danny Napier led the Wildcat bats as he recorded a pair of hits, including a triple, and had 3 RBIs. Sophomore Luke Schultz also drove home two runs and had a double.

“Luke and Danny got our bats going with a couple big hits which was great to see,” Larson said. “Anytime younger guys can step up it is great for everyone to rally behind. Both have swung it well all spring and have some great potential to be a force for us throughout the season.”

Junior Brody McGreer had a pair of hits, while seniors Jackson Kush, Cade Driskell and Hamman each had runs batted in. Battle scored three times and finished the game with three stolen bases.

Schultz had another big game in the nightcap as he went 3-for-3, including a triple and an RBI. Battle finished with a pair of hits, including a double from the leadoff spot and scored two runs.

Junior Wyatt Holland also had an RBI hit as the Wildcats scored three in the fifth to overcome a 2-0 deficit. Louisburg then tacked on a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to get the sweep.

Spring Hill hands Wildcats loss in home opener

Coming off a sweep of Harrisonville, Louisburg was hoping to ride its momentum to another victory Thursday as it hosted Spring Hill at Lewis-Young Park.

The Broncos had other ideas.

Spring Hill scored seven runs combined in the third and fourth innings and handed Louisburg an 8-1 loss.

The Wildcats scored their lone run in the sixth as Danny Napier singled home Declan Battle to prevent the shutout.

“Spring Hill was solid all night,” Larson said. “Their hitters were ready to hit early in the count and their starter on the mound was throwing a lot of strikes with fastballs and offspeed. He kept us off balance and made it difficult to get on base and move them around to score. We will learn from it and try to get better for our game Tuesday against Baldwin.”

Freshman Bristol Barbour made his varsity debut on the mound as he struck out six in 2.2 innings and allowed three earned runs. Sophomores Jayce Toms, Luke Schultz and senior Jackson Kush all pitched in relief.

Louisburg will try and bounce back Tuesday when the Wildcats travel to Baldwin for a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.

Louisburg senior Jackson Kush is one of four seniors on the Wildcat baseball team in 2023. The Wildcats open their season today in Harrisonville.

A season ago, the Louisburg baseball team found itself just a couple runs away from a state tournament berth. 

To try and take that next step, the Wildcats have several returners from a season ago to lead them in 2023 after losing five seniors from a season ago, including three all-league players. They also have a good mix of youth to fill in the holes as well.

Overall, the Wildcats are a deeper team and they hope it will be beneficial for them as they begin their season today in Harrisonville.

“Practice is going really well,” Louisburg coach Kade Larson said. “We have some big shoes to fill from last year, but also have some great returners that have really stepped up to lead. Starting earlier has been a little hectic, but getting those first games out of the way and see how we do will be great. We have got some young guys ready to step up and I am excited to see how they do this year.”

Pitching is going to be important, as it is every year, and the Wildcats will lean on a senior in that regard. Corbin Hamman is the team’s lone returning pitcher from a season ago, but was a bright spot for the Wildcats.

Hamman, who was an honorable mention all-league player a year ago, was one of the Wildcats’ top arms as he pitched a team-high 33 innings and led Louisburg with 43 strikeouts on the year. There will also be several underclassmen who will help fill that rotation.

Junior Declan Battle will see time on the mound and sophomore Alex Saad will fill the top three of the rotation. The Wildcats also have several others in sophomores Luke Schultz, Jayce Toms, junior Jack Anderson and freshman Bristol Barbour that will see varsity action throughout the year.

“I think we have some great pitchers this year,” Larson said. “Corbin Hamman is coming off a great season last year. A few players to watch this year on the mound are Alex, Declan and Luke. We have some returners, but a lot of depth this year.”

The Wildcats will also feature a pair of all-league returners around the diamond as well. Senior Jackson Kush and junior Jackson Howard, who earned honorable mention selections last year, along with Hamman, will look to lead a group of young players. 

Senior Cade Driskell, who is in his third year at the varsity level, will play at the corners in the infield and will switch between first and third base. Howard will see time at first base and as the team’s backup catcher.

Freshman Danny Napier will be the starting catcher for the Wildcats and could also see time at first and third base.

Returning starter Brody McGreer will resume his spot from last year at second base and senior Kaleb Carter will also see time at that spot. Schultz will be the team’s starting shortstop.

Battle, Kush and Saad will start in the outfield, while Anderson, Wyatt Holland and Nathaniel Lamm will also compete for spots. Battle and Kush are returning starters at those positions.

Louisburg will also feature an offense that lost three all-league hitters a season ago, but Larson has liked what he has seen so far.

“We have some returners but a lot of depth this year,” Larson said. “It will be a battle for who is starting this season all over the diamond. Whoever is making plays will get the start. We definitely have a lot to replace, but I think we have the players to do so.”

The Wildcats open their season with a doubleheader today in Harrisonville. Louisburg will have its home opener Thursday as it hosts Spring Hill in a single game at 6:15 p.m.