If you followed the Great Bend High School Panthers baseball team this spring, chances are you won’t have a problem identifying with the Chiefs’ American Legion 19-and-under team.
“Actually, there’s nobody on our roster that didn’t play for the high school team,” said Chiefs head coach Michael Stettinger, who was the Panthers’ first-base coach. “Our roster is exactly the same as our varsity team.”
The Chiefs play host to a three-team, one-day tournament on Saturday at Al Burns Memorial Field. Great Bend opens play at 9 a.m. against Pratt, prior to taking on Dodge City in the second game of the day at 11. After Pratt and Dodge meet at 1:30 p.m., single elimination will follow with the No. 2 and 3 seeds playing at 3:30, followed by the winner meeting the No. 1 seed in the championship at 5:30.
The Panthers finished the just-completed high school season with a 17-5 record, falling in a Class 5A regional championship game to Salina Central.
The summertime version of the Panthers — the Chiefs — have gotten off to a 2-4 start.
The Chiefs split a doubleheader at Hutchinson on Tuesday night, winning the first game 11-8 in extra innings. They lost 6-1 in the nightcap.
Right-hander Nick Ney pitched all nine innings for the Braves, which went two extra innings after it was tied at 8 after seven complete.
“We haven’t been playing that well so far,” Stettinger said. “Once we start hitting the ball like we’re capable of, we’re going to be just fine.
“One thing about that you always have to remember about summer baseball is that we’re preparing our high school team for next season. Our goal is to try and get better throughout the summer.”

Great Bend Chiefs 2011
19-and-under
baseball roster

P Nick Ney; C Landon Leuenberger; OF Cole Smith; OF/P Connor Sell; OF Sam Hafner; SS Logan Buehler; 2B/P Jace Bowman; 1B Jeff Pike; P/OF/INF Matt Marshall; 3B/P Darien Blackwill; OF/P Mitch Kottas.