WICHITA — The Barton Community College Cougars were two outs away from beating No. 1 ranked Johnson County, one of the greatest baseball teams in Region 6/Plains District history.

However, the Cougars learned a hard lesson about pitching to Johnson County's Ryan Bradford, the NJCAA's all-time leading single-season home run hitter.

Bradford drilled a game-winning grand slam homer to rally Johnson past Barton 11-9 in Friday's Region 6/Plains District baseball tournament.

The Cougars gift wrapped the Cavaliers' rally with three ninth-inning walks and a critical error. Bradford's 38 homers have helped produce 104 runs batted in.

The Cavaliers trailed 6-0 against the Cougars (35-23) before outscoring Barton 11-3.

Once the Cavaliers beat the Cougars, there was no doubt they'd win Region 6. Johnson County (61-3) swept Kansas City 15-10 and 9-2 to qualify for the 2026 NJCAA World Series May 23-30 at Grand Junction, Colo.

Barton's J.J. Spafford's delivered a home run, double, and four RBI. Hayden Oviatt also collected three hits and scored three runs. Rhett Winchester added three hits and drove in three runs, highlighted by his bases-clearing triple. Kyle Walker and Micah McGavran rounded out the Cougars' five multi-hit performances with two hits apiece.

Cougar first-time starter Jake Field permitted three earned runs over 51/3 innings with four strikeouts against the nation's second-highest hitting team.

Winchester's 3-run triple scored Walker, Oviatt and Spafford following Spafford's RBI single for a 4-0 lead.

Spafford delivered an RBI double and Oviatt singled home McGavran after a triple for a 6-0 lead.

Bradford's 37th home run was followed by a 3-run Johnson sixth inning. Boston Bruce's 2-run homer tied it 6-6.

Spafford delivered the season's biggest blast with a 2-run eighth-inning homer to score Oviatt. A bases-loaded hit batter handed the Cougars an insurance run for a 9-6 lead.

BARTON 13, HUTCHINSON 3 — Barton Cougar Kyle Walker doubled and tripled, scored three runs and drove home three runs to spark a 13-3 run-rule victory over Hutchinson in Friday's elimination game.

Dalton Jorgensen drove home three runs.

Winchester delivered a 2-run single and Kyler Horsman hit an RBI single in a 5-run second inning. Carter Helm and Jorgensen added RBI groundouts.

Walker drilled a 2-run double and Winchester hit an RBI fly ball in a 3-run third. Jorgensen's 2-run double followed RBI doubles by McGavran and Oviatt in a 4-run sixth inning.

Cougar pitcher Braden Hauschel (6-4) pitched a 6-inning complete game.

Barton 042 000 030 — 9 15 1

Johnson 000 013 205 — 11 9 1

Field, Lang (6), Mackwood (7), Ritchie (9) and Jorgensen. Sudderth, Holman (2), Waldschmidt (8), Frazier (8), Siebert (8) and Bruce. W—Siebert. L—Ritchie. 2B—BC—Spafford. 3B—BC—Winchester. HR—BC—Spafford; JC—Bradford 2 (37/38), Bruce.

Barton 153 004 — 13 13 1

Hutchinson 002 100 — 3 5 1

Hauschel and Jorgensen. Yeager, Heskett (2) and Mazza. W—Hauschel, 5-7. L—Yeager. 2B—BC—Walker, Horsman, Oviatt. 3B—BC—Walker, McGavran.

NJCAA, Colorado Springs

G1 5-24—9 a.m—No. 5 Walters State, Tenn. (52-11) vs. No. 6 Seminole, Okla. (48-12)

G2 5-23—noon—No. 1 Johnson County (62-3) vs. No. 10 Hartford (54-6)

G3 5-23—3 p.m.—No. 2 Blinn, Texas (45-12) vs. No. 9 Salt Lake, Utah (38-15)

G4 5-23—7 p.m.—No. 3 Midland, Texas (50-10) vs. No. 10 Wabash Valley, Ill. (43-20)

G5 5-24—10 a.m.—No. 4 La. State Eunice (45-11) vs. No. 7 Miami Dade, Fla (37-18)

G6 5-24—2 p.m.—Losers G1, G2

G7 5-24—7 p.m.—Losers G3, G4

G8 5-25—9 a.m.—Winners G3, G4

G9 5-25—1 p.m.—Winners G6, G7

G10 5-25—6 p.m.—Winners G1, G2

WICHITA ECK STADIUM

REGION 6 BASEBALL

SUNDAY—Johnson 9, Kansas City 2

SATURDAY—Johnson 9, Cowley 1; Johnson 15, Kansas City 10

FRIDAY—Barton 13, Hutchinson 3; Johnson 13, Cloud 4; Kansas City 4, Cowley 3, 10 innings; Johnson 11, Barton 9

THURSDAY—Kansas City 14, Barton 12; Cowley 11, Johnson 5; Cloud 11, Butler 3; Hutchinson 18, Seward 10

WEDNESDAY—Kansas City 10, Butler 2; Barton 11, Cloud 9; Johnson 11, Seward 3; Cowley 4, Hutchinson 2