BY JIM MISUNAS

jmisunas@gbtribune.com

It's true that Cats have nine lives.

It's also true that Cats land on their feet.

The Great Bend Bat Cats are back!

After a 9-day weather-related layoff, the Bat Cats return home Wednesday against the Liberal BeeJays (22-10) to start a 2-day homestand.

Great Bend (26-10, 21-7 Jayhawk) will likely play either the Kansas Cannons (9-3) or the Hutchinson Monarchs (8-4) at 6 p.m. Sunday for the Jayhawk League postseason championship.  The Bat Cats have qualified for the 2023 NBC World Series Aug. 3-12 at Wichita State.

"We're excited to have everybody back in town," said Great Bend coach Jonathan Mariani. "Some circumstances are beyond our control, but we'll have most of our players returning. The players have had opportunities to keep up with their skills."

The Bat Cats will go through an informal workout Tuesday.

"We'll get back into a game routine Tuesday," he said. "The two games against Liberal, we'll get guys batting and pitching. Sunday's a championship game, so we'll approach it that way. Our guys have played good baseball this summer. We have confidence in our bullpen."

JAYHAWK 2ND HALF 1ST HALF OVERALL

Kansas Cannons 9-3 12-6 21-12

Hutchinson Monarchs 8-4 7-11 16-15

Haysville Aviators 8-5 9-9 16-17

Great Bend Bat Cats 6-4 15-3 26-10

Kingman Islanders 4-6 3-15 14-21

Derby Twins 4-7 9-9 16-17

Newton Rebels 0-11 8-10 10-21

7-30—Jayhawk second half at Bat Cats, 6 p.m.

7-29—Monarchs at Twins

7-28—Aviators at Cannons; Rebels at Twins; Monarchs at Islanders

7-27—Liberal at Bat Cats; Twins at Rebels; Monarchs at Islanders; Cannons at Aviators

7-26—Liberal at Bats Cats; Aviators at Cannons; Monarchs at Islanders

7-25—Islanders at Twins

7-24—Twins at Aviators; Cannons at Islanders; Rebels at Monarchs

7-23—Islanders 17, Monarchs 6; Aviators 9, Twins 4

7-22—Aviators 9, Twins 6; Monarchs 9, Rebels 2

7-21—Aviators 13, Rebels 6; Monarchs 12, Cannons 4

7-20—Cannons 3, Monarchs 1

7-19—Aviators 8, Rebels 1; Monarchs 7, Cannons 2; Islanders 8, Twins 4

7-18—Twins 6, Cannons 6

7-17—Islanders 5, Rebels 3; Monarchs 10, Aviators 8

7-16—Twins 10, Bat Cats 4; Islanders 5, Rebels 0; Monarchs 11, Aviators 5

7-15—Bat Cats 6, Twins 3; Islanders 10, Rebels 2; Aviators 11, Monarchs 1

7-13—Bat Cats 6, Rebels 3; Monarchs 9, Twins 5; Cannons 12, Islanders 2

7-12—Bat Cats 13, Newton 7; Twins 6, Monarchs 5; Cannons 8, Islanders 2

7-11—Cannons 6, Rebels 5; Twins 5, Islanders 4; Wellington 4, Aviators 3

7-10—Bat Cats 10, Monarchs 9; Cannons 6, Twins 4; Aviators 6, Islanders 5

7-9—Monarchs 9, Bat Cats 2; Islanders 3, Aviators 2; Cannons 9, Twins 2

7-8—Monarchs 10, Bat Cats 5; Cannons 11, Twins 2

7-7—Bat Cats 12, Aviators 3

7-6—Aviators 7-2, Bat Cats 5-3; Rebels 4-0, Cannons 3-6; Monarchs 15, Black Sox 3; Twins 9, Islanders 5

7-5—Twins 9, Islanders 5

7-4—El Dorado 4, Cannons 3

7-3—Bat Cats 10, Dodge City 5

7-1—Bat Cats 5, Colorado Springs 2; Islanders `15, Aviators 9; Twins 13, Wellington 3

6-30—Colorado Springs 4, Bat Cats 1; Dodge City 5, Twins 3; Aviators 7, Rebels 6

6-29—Bat Cats 15, Colorado Springs 8; Hays Larks 7, Cannons 3

6-28—Bat Cats 5. Liberal 3; Cannons 9, Aviators 7; Monarchs 6, Islanders 0; Islanders 4, Monarchs 1; Twins 7, Rebels 4

6-27—Aviators 7, Cannons 0; Rebels 6, Twins 5

6-26—Bat Cats 7, Dodge City 3; Aviators 9, Cannons 1; Monarchs 7, Islanders 2; Rebels 6, Twins 5

6-25—Bat Cats 5, Rebels 2

6-24—Cannons 5, Bat Cats 3; Rebels 6, Monarchs 4; Rebels 5, Monarchs 4; Aviators 14, Twins 9

6-23—Bat Cats 13, Bat Cats 4; Monarchs 10, Newton 6; Twins 7, Aviators 3; Islanders 10, Kansas Curve 6

6-22—Bat Cats 12, Cannons 4; Twins 5, Aviators 2

6-21—Bat Cats 7, Islanders 4; Cannons 7, Monarchs 6

6-20—Bat Cats 5, Islanders 4; Rebels 12, Aviators 7; Cannons 14, Monarchs 9

6-19—Bat Cats 14, Islanders 3; Cannons 20, Monarchs 0; Aviators 5, Rebels 2

6-18—Monarchs 8, Twins 4

6-17—Bat Cats 15, Twins 2; Islanders 5, Rebels 3; Aviators 8, Monarchs 7

6-16—Bat Cats 7, Twins 4; Rebels 12, Islanders 7; Monarchs 5, Aviators 2; Cannons at Larks

6-15—Twins 10, Bat Cats 3; Islanders 9, Rebels 3; Aviators 4, Monarchs 1

6-14—Cannons 10, Islanders 5

6-13—Bat Cats 9, Rebels 6; Twins 7, Monarchs 6; Cannons 5, Islanders 1

6-12—Cannons 7, Islanders 6; Monarchs 12, Twins 9; Bat Cats 5, Rebels 2

6-11—Bat Cats 5-6, Monarchs 6-0; Rebels 5, Cannons 1

6-10—Aviators 14, Islanders 6; Cannons 6, Twins 4; Rebels 8, Curve 3

6-9—Cannons 14, Twins 7

6-8—Bat Cats 8, Monarchs 7; Twins 6, Cannons 2; Aviators 7, Islanders 6

6-7—Bat Cats 11, Aviators 4; Cannons 5, Rebels 2; Twins 12-7, Islanders 8-1

6-6—Bat Cats 4-13, Aviators 1-2; Twins 7, Islanders 3; Cannons 3, Rebels 2; 

6-3—Islanders 10, Bat Cats 9; Cannons 6, Aviators 3