BY JIM MISUNAS
It was perfectly fitting when the 2023 Jayhawk Collegiate League All-Star showcase turned into a Great Bend Bat Cat celebration. The first-half Jayhawk champions from Great Bend displayed their baseball ability from start-to-finish.
Bat Cat Armani Raygoza (El Paso, Texas) beat teammate Jackson Webster (Birmingham, Ala.) 4-3 to capture the Home Run Derby title boosted by several of Raygoza’s Texas relatives.
Stripes player Raygoza drilled a pair of home runs in the Stars versus Stripes All-Star Game.
The Stars won 8-7 on a dazzling steal of home by Newton Rebel Antonio Avila in the eighth inning. Bat Cats reliever Kevin Schoneboom earned a save for the Stars by retiring the final three batters.
Avila singled, stole second base and raced to third base on a wild pitch. Avila slid safely ahead of catcher Mason Wray's tag when Haysville Aviator pitcher Alex Ronk didn't watch him.
There were numerous Bat Cat pitcher vs. Bat Cat hitter matchups, none bigger than Raygoza’s back-to-back home runs against teammates Kyle Winkler and Jonathan Treto.
Cale Blasi scored on an error for a Stripes 1-0 lead. Bat Cat Robby Bolin scored on teammate's Jace Woita's sacrifice fly for a 1-1 tie. Tytin Goebel scored on a Stars' sacrifice fly by Bat Cat Grant Nottlemann for a 2-1 lead.
Sam Wiese doubled home Raygoza and Tommy Davis for a 3-2 Stripes lead. Raygoza's 2-run homer drove home Blasi for a 5-2 lead. Bat Cat Jake Tatom singled in Rocco Gump for a 6-2 Stripes lead.
The Stars scored five runs against Bat Cat Brett Allen following two walks and two hit batters. Nottlemann, Ben Waliczek, Avila and Kade Snodgrass delivered RBIs for a 7-6 lead.
Raygoza's second homer for the Stripes secured a 7-7 tie.
Stripes 102 021 100 – 7 8 1
Stars 110 005 01x – 8 7 1
Van, Creason (2), Riley (3), Stacy (4), Klein (5), Allen (6), Shultz (7), Ronk (8) and Wray. Roberts, Arnett (2), Hernandez (3), Chamberlain (4), Winkler (5), Warady (6), Treto (7), Gillig (8), Schoneboom (9) and Nottlemann. W—Gillig. L—Ronk. SV—Schoneboom. 2B—STARS—Goebel; STRIPES--Davis. 3B—STRIPES—Tatom, Wiese. HR—STRIPES—Raygoza 2.
