BLUE DRAGON BASEBALL |
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No. 7 Hutchinson (6-3, 0-0) vs. Colby (4-6, 0-0) When: Thursday, March 1, 2018 Where: Hobart-Detter Field, Hutchinson, KS Game 1: Noon Game 2: 2 p.m. Videostream: Blue Dragon Sports Network, 11:45 a.m. Game 1 link Game 2 link Twitter: @bluedragonsport |
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
The No. 7-ranked Hutchinson Community College Baseball team opens defense of his 2017 Jayhawk West championship as the 2018 title chase begins on Thursday at Hobart-Detter Field.
The Blue Dragons (6-3) will meet the Colby Trojans (4-6) in the first two game of a four-game series in the new Jayhawk West format. Games three and four of the series will take place in Colby on Saturday.
Game times for Thursday's doubleheader have been pushed up one hour to Noon and 2 p.m. because of issues with the lights at Hobart-Detter Field.
Both games of Thursday's doubleheader will be videostreamed live on the Blue Dragon Sports Network with Steve Carpenter calling the action at 11:45 a.m.
Hutchinson enters the conference season riding a three-game win streak with a 19-12 win over Independence on February 18 and a doubleheader sweep of previously unbeaten Redlands 13-5 and 6-5.
The Blue Dragons have been very good offensively in the early stages of the season. Hutch is hitting .348 as a team and is averaging 8.5 runs and nearly 10 hits per game. Hutch has hit 14 home runs though nine games. Sophomore Wyatt Divis has three, while sophomore Bobby Morgensen and freshman Zach Baxley have two each.
One concern for head coach Ryan Schmidt is the lack of consistent innings for his young pitching staff. Before the Blue Dragons played on Tuesday, it had been nine days since Hutch played a game.
The pitching staff is carrying a 5.53 team ERA with opponents hitting .277 against. Another concern is Hutch pitchers have allowed 10 home runs.
Colby has played only one game since February 21, a 10-0 win over McCook on Sunday.
The Trojans are hitting .448 at a team and are averaging 81 runs per game. Andy Leader is the top Colby hitter at .440. Jacob Bouzide hit at .409 with a pair of home runs.
The Colby pitching staff has a team ERA of 8.51.
Last season, Hutchinson and Colby split a four-game series in Colby.
The rest of the Jayhawk West slate on the first weekend of conference play has Seward County at Pratt, Cloud County at Garden City and Butler and Dodge City. Barton has the open conference week this week.