BY JIM MISUNAS
The bracket will be drawn for the Great Bend Bat Cats at 7 p.m. Monday for the Summerball Showdown Aug. 3-7 at Goddard's fully-turfed Genesis Sports Complex.
The blind draw will be announced on the SBSKansas Facebook page.
Last year’s tournament champion the Kansas Cannons have beaten the Hays Larks twice this summer.
“They recruited us and we’ll give someone else a shot,” Ward said. “We’re getting away from the NBC World Series for at least a year. We’ve had great success at the NBC in three of five years.”
The Summerball Showdown will feature a blind draw with each team playing two play-in games. Teams will be seeded into a single-elimination bracket.
“We feel good about the decision we made,” Ward said. “Maybe we can put our stamp on that tournament and be a part of it for a long time.”
Nine teams represent the Kansas Collegiate League Baseball – Kansas Cannons (31-3), Kansas Curve (19-15), El Dorado Walnuts (16-14), Park City Rangers (16-16), Wellington Heat (15-16), Dirtbags (14-16), Valley Center Mud Daubers (15-17)
Midwest Moos (11-21) and McPherson Pipeliners (6-25).
Great Bend Bat Cats baseball coach Roger Ward faces a daunting task heading to postseason play. It's possible the Bat Cats (30-11, 26-10 Sunflower) will play one baseball game in 17 days after playing a 37-game schedule with four forfeits.
The Wichita Lobos (3-31) have forfeited their final four Sunflower Collegiate League baseball games to Great Bend, leaving the Bat Bats schedule in on hold. Scheduled home dates Tuesday and Thursday have been canceled.
“We had two big home games scheduled Tuesday and Thursday,” said Bat Cats coach Roger Ward. “We have obligations with sponsors and fans. Our guys are here to play baseball.”
Last year’s Bat Cats league schedule was also plagued by teams dropping out. Two other Sunflower Collegiate teams – 316 Elite (3-25) and the Mulvane Patriots (3-29) – have also apparently canceled their final four games. Mulvane last played July 14 and Elite played July 15. Several Sunflower Collegiate teams have prevented Bat Cats play-by-play announcer Mark McClure from broadcasting road games.
The treatment by other league teams has left a bad taste in Ward's mouth.
“It’s a bad dream,” Ward said. “You don’t envision this happening every year. When you get to the last series of the year, it’s too easy for teams to say we’re done. We need to make sure we’re getting the right teams and organizations in our league.”
Great Bend has scheduled a home finale July 26 against the Liberal Beejays. Ward is doubtful he'll be able to schedule any other games. He's considering playing intrasquad games.
Ward said the Bat Cats have enjoyed all-time crowds at the new and improved Al Burns Memorial Field.
“It’s been nice to get back to Al Burns Memorial Field,” Ward said.
