BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
WICHITA — Great Bend Bat Cats coach Roger Ward made sure his phone was fully charged after a long weekend.
The reputation of the Jayhawk Collegiate League paid dividends when the Great Bend Bat Cats joined defending champion Hutchinson and Junction City in the 16-team field.
"We're grateful for the opportunity to play on a big stage. I got the phone call Sunday morning that we were in," Ward said. "The NBC directors knew our body of work was good and we'd compete. We've played consistent baseball. It's the best baseball group I've coached."
Hutchinson has won two of the past three NBC titles.
"The guys were rejuvenated when we got a bid," Ward said. "They'll play the best baseball they can. We'll come up with a pitching plan to attack the pool play games and make a run in single-elimination."
Kansas Jayhawk outfielder Tyson Owens (.272, 14 HR) and Northern Oklahoma-Enid catcher Walker Wakefield (.471, 33-70) will bolster the batting lineup along with five extra pitchers.
"We've picked up some extra hitters and pitchers," he said. "Hopefully, we can compete."
Leading hitter Andrugh Yee (.326, 11 HR, 44 H, 42 RBI) will miss the NBC because of a college commitment.
The Bat Cats play the Liberal Bee Jays and the Shawnee (Kan.) Between the Lines Hornets in pool play.
The Bat Cats have won at least three games in four prior NBC appearances.
Great Bend is 13-9 overall with prior NBC World Series appearances in 2017 (3-1, 9TH), 2019 (4-4, 5TH), 2021 (3-2, 5TH) and 2023 (3-2, 5TH).
The Bat Cats have been eliminated by Cheney's Diamond Dawgs 5-3 and 10-8, Waco, Texas Missions 7-5 and the Seattle Studs 6-1.
NBC POOLS
POOL A—Lonestar Baseball 1-0 (+1), Seattle Blackfins 1-0 (+1), TPA Texas 0-1 (-1), Hutchinson Monarchs 0-1 (-1)
POOL B—Austin Gold Sox 1-0 (+3), Junction City Brigade, Oklahoma Lookouts, Seattle Cheney Studs 0-1 (-3)
POOL C—Santa Barbara Foresters 1-0 (+8), BTL Hornets 1-0 (+2), Liberal Bee Jays 0-1 (-2), Great Bend Bat Cats 0-1 (-8)
POOL D—Hays Larks, San Diego Stars, Alaska Goldpanners vs Tess’s Army
BAT CATS NBC HISTORY (13-10)
2026 (0-1)—Santa Barbara 8, GB 0
2023 (3-2, 5TH)—GB 4, Tulsa Sandlot 2; GB 17, Five Tool Kraken 11; GB 17, Seattle Blackfins 5; Santa Barbara 5, GB 4; Seattle Studs 6, GB 1
2021 (3-2, 5TH)—Austin Lonestar 7, GB 5; GB 13, Wichita Elite 0; GB 9, Wichita Sluggers 1; GB 5, Hutchinson Monarchs 4; Cheney 10, GB 8
2019 (4-4, 5TH)—GB 6, Wichita Sluggers 3; Waco Missions 7, GB 5; GB 5, Hays Larks 4; GB 24, Hutchinson Monarchs 10; Santa Barbara 6, GB 1; GB 11, Colorado Gameday 1; Haysville 6, GB 1; San Diego Stars 6, GB 1
2017 (3-1, 9TH)—GB 9, Dallas Dirtbags 5; GB 7, Hattiesburg, Miss. 2; GB 8, Inland Empire, Calif. 4; Cheney 5, GB 3
NBC WORLD SERIES
6-23—Lonestar Baseball 6, Hutchinson Monarchs 5; Austin Gold Sox 10, Seattle Cheney Studs 7
-23—Lonestar Baseball 6, Hutchinson 5; Austin Gold Sox 10, Seattle Cheney Studs 7
6-24—Seattle Blackfins 6, TPA Texas 5; Between the Lines Hornets 7, Liberal 5; Santa Barbara Foresters 8, Great Bend 0; Junction City Brigade vs Oklahoma Lookouts
66-25—12—Hays Larks vs San Diego Stars; 3 p.m.—Alaska Goldpanners vs Tess's Army; 6 p.m.—Hutchinson vs TPA Texas; 9 p.m.—Seattle Blackfins vs Lonestar Texas
6-26—12 a.m.—BTL Hornets vs Santa Barbara; 3 a.m.—Junction City vs Seattle Cheney Studs; 6 a.m.—Great Bend vs Liberal; 12—Oklahoma Lookouts vs Austin Gold Sox; 3 p.m.—Hays Larks vs Tess's Army; 6 p.m.--San Diego Stars vs Alaska Goldpanners
6-27—12—Austin Gold Sox vs Junction City; 3 p.m.—TPA Texas vs Lonestar Baseball; 6 p.m.—Seattle Cheney Studs vs Oklahoma Lookouts; 8:30 p.m.—Hutchinson vs Seattle Blackfins
6-28—12—San Diego Stars vs Tess's Army; 3 p.m.—Great Bend vs BTL Hornets; 6 p.m.—Alaska Goldpanners vs Hays Larks; 8:30 p.m.—Liberal vs Santa Barbara
6-29—12, 3, 6, 8:30
6-30—12, 3, 6, 8:30
6-31—6, 8:30
8-1—7 p.m.
