For most of the season, Barton baseball was in control of the Jayhawk West. The Cougars were either on top of the West standings or near it.

Friday afternoon at Lawson-Biggs Field, the Cougars put the hammer down. Barton put the final nail in the coffin of the last team that could catch them with a doubleheader sweep.

Barton clinched the Jayhawk West title with a sweep of Colby. Barton won the opener by a 6-5 margin to increase its lead over Colby to a pair of games with three to play.

The Cougars then clinched the title with a wild 18-10 nightcap to secure the school’s 10th conference title.

The two teams met again Saturday in a twinbill that was meaningless to the Cougars but still had big implications for the Trojans.

The teams split those games with Colby winning the opener 7-3. Barton won the second game 6-5.

Barton ended 24-8 in the West. Colby tied for second at 21-11 along with Cloud. Hutchinson and Butler both finished on their heels at 20-12.

The Cougars moved within a game of the title with the tight win in the opener. 

A key inning in the win was the third as Barton knocked around four doubles in the frame, including the first three batters.

Joel Nieves started the inning with a double to left-center. Alex Rodgers followed suit to the same part of the ballpark for a 1-0 lead. Ricardo Sanchez delivered a two-bagger to right-center and Barton had a 2-0 lead after three batters.

One out later it was Dryden Howse’s turn as he doubled in Sanchez on a hit to right then scored when Connor Allen followed with a single to make it 4-0.

The Cougars held that lead into the fifth when Colby responded with three of its own to make it a 4-3 game. Barton added single runs in the fifth on a Henry Hayman single to score Rodgers then again in the sixth on a Rodgers sac fly that scored Riley Silva. 

The Cougars took a 6-4 lead into the top of the seventh in the scheduled 7-inning contest.

It got interesting.

Barton closer Carson Cornelius came in and gave up two hits to the first three batters then allowed a run to score on a groundout for the second out.

With the tying run on second, Barton Coach Brent Biggs called on Logan Redeker to slam the door. He did just that, getting Jake Ticer to fly out. Ticer had homered in the sixth.

Zack Thornton picked up the win, going the first six innings and giving up four runs. The win kept him unbeaten on the year at 8-0.

Things didn’t look so good for Barton in the second game as Colby scored six times in the first inning.

But the Cougars didn’t panic in the 9-inning game. The Cougars put up six runs in the second inning and six more in the third inning to go up 13-7.

The closest Colby got after that was at 15-10 in the eighth inning. But the Cougars erased any doubt with a three more in the bottom of the inning for an 18-10 lead and eventual win.

Barton collected 19 hits in the win, paced by a perfect 6-for-6 day at the plate from Rodgers in his leadoff spot - all singles. Rodgers scored five times and drove in three. Rodgers has scored 106 runs - the most in single season history at Barton.

Sanchez had a big game right behind him, driving in five while going 2-for-4 and scoring twice. Those five RBI gave him 84 on the year to set a record at Barton. Two more on Saturday have him at 86.

Hayman hit his ninth home run while driving in three runs.

Nieves was 5-for-6 over the two games, scoring four times.

Colby went up 6-0 in the first three innings of the opener Saturday and never looked back. The Trojans led 7-1 into the final inning before the Cougars scored twice to make it 7-3.

The Cougars were able to complete the split and the series win the regular season finale. Sanchez had a big game, going 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBI and two runs scored. Sanchez started the game with his ninth home run of the season.

Silva had two hits and two RBI and a triple.

Thursday

Game1

Barton 6, Colby 5

Colby  000  031  1 - 5  7  2

Barton 004  011  x - 6 11 1

Barcello and Laduba’ Thornton, Cornelius (7), Redeker (7) and Allen. W - Thornton (8-0). L - Barcello (6-4). S - Redeker (1).. 2B - Simpson, Colby; Rodgers, Sanchez, Howse, Nieves, Barton. HR - Simpson, Colby.

Game 2

Barton 18, Colby 10

Colby   610  200  010 - 10  9  1

Barton 166  200  03x - 18 19 1

Carter, McGrath (2), Arnold (3), Rutherford (8) and Hosie; Stuart, Kohlmeier (1), Huff (3), Lanik (5) and Allen. W - Huff (1-1). L - McGrath (1-3). S - Lanik (2).. 2B - Biggins, Vulcano, Colby; Sanchez, Hayman, Howse 2, Stewart, Barton. 3B - Froehlich, Biggins, Colby; Sanchez, Allen, Barton. HR - Ticer, Colby; Hayman (9), Barton.

Saturday

Game1

Colby 7, Barton 3

Barton  000  010  2 - 3  5  1

Colby   123  001  x - 7  9  3

Reynolds, Riley (2), Ellison (4), Schultz (6) and Allen; Onisto, Dobberthien (5), Froehlich (7) and Laduba. W - Dobberthein (3-1). L - Reynolds (6-1). 2B - Rodgers, Hayman, Barton; Barcello, Colby. HR - Laduba, Colby.

Game 2

Barton 6, Colby 5

Barton 100  211  010 - 6  11 1

Colby  002  001  200 - 5  10 4

Cain, Bartels (5), Nedved (7), Walker (7), Cornelius (9); Nichols, Dobberthien (5), Hutcheon (6), Hampu (8), Rutherford (9) and Hosie. W - Walker (1-0). L - Hampu (4-4). S - Cornelius (9). 2B - Vulcano, Colby. 3B- Silva, Barton. HR - Sanchez (9), Barton; Ticer, Harsulla, Colby.