Month: May 2019

Blue Devils’ 23-9 Jayhawk record best in 15 years

Rally caps weren’t needed too often at home for the Blue Devils of KCKCC, who finished 20-5 at home and 39-16 overall including a 23-9 record that was the best since the 2005 season. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Statistically, it was an outstanding year for baseball at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

The Blue Devils’ 23-9 record in the Jayhawk Conference was the best in 15 years and their outright third place finish was the highest since 2007. They finished fourth in the nation in triples and 11th in doubles. Their team batting average of .325 ranked 21st nationally.

After a 0-4 start in Texas, the Blue Devils won 19 straight and 21 of 22 games. Their 39 wins left them one win short of a 40-win season for the third time in four years under coach Matt Goldbeck.

Unfortunately, it all ended on a sour note. Originally scheduled to have a bye week the first week of the season, it was pushed back to the end of the season because of horrific spring weather so while the other eight teams in the Jayhawk were winding up conference play, the Blue Devils had no one to play except for one game with William Jewell’s junior varsity.

Paired against defending Region VI champion Barton County in the opening round of the playoffs, the Blue Devils were sent to the sidelines by 6-2 and 7-3 losses.

“We just didn’t play well and Barton played really well,” Goldbeck said. “And we really felt good going into the regional.”

The disappointing finish, however, did not stop four-year colleges and universities from snapping up some of the sophomore leaders.

Pitchers Orlando Ortiz and Carlo Soto have signed with NCAA Division universities, Ortiz at Troy State in Alabama and Soto at Southern University in Louisiana. First baseman Eric Hinostroza will continue at Washburn; catcher J.T. Goodfellow and second baseman Traice Hartter at Central Oklahoma; and pitcher Victor Gotay at Kaiser University in Florida. Still others are weighing their options.

Graduation is hitting the KCKCC roster hard this season, taking the entire infield of Hinostroza, Hartter, shortstops Kemper Bednar and Kevin Santiago, third baseman Brady Holder and Goodfellow behind the plate. Also departing will be three of the four starters in Ortiz, Soto and Gotay.

Hinostroza (.359) and Bednar (.355) led the Blue Devils in hitting. Santiago led the team in home runs with six while hitting (.333) and Hartter batted .317. Both finished with 32 RBI. Goodfellow hit .319 and Holder .236.

Ortiz (6-2) led the pitching staff in earned run average (3.53) and strikeouts (80) while Soto was 6-1 with a 3.92 ERA and Gotay 2-3 with a 4.68 ERA. Each had 10 or more starts. Jose Amaro, who had four saves, and southpaw reliever Hunter Paxton (2-1) will also be lost to the pitching staff.

On the plus side, three of this season’s top four hitters will return. Jose Sosa, who was the designated hitter and played first base, led the team in hits (70), extra base hits (27), and RBI (43) while hitting .350.

Outfielders Eduardo Acosta (.352) and Tyler Henry (.345) were close behind. Henry led in slugging (.613) and second in RBI (42), led in triples with eight and shared the lead in extra base hits (27) with Sosa; Acosta was third in RBI with 36. Catcher Griffin Everitt who hit .319 in 35 games also returns as well as infielder Trey Hoover (.278).

Osvaldo Mendez, who was 7-3 with a 4.26 ERA and a Gold Glove winner, and reliever Gaby Ramos, 4-3 with three saves in 14 games return to head the pitching staff. They will be joined by Matthew Fred, who was 2-1 in 11 games; and Zavier Morin, 2-0 with two saves.

Recruiting for next season is well under way.

“We have an offensive group to build around but we need arms, more pitching depth,” said Goldbeck said.

Weather undoubtedly cost the Blue Devils another 40-win season. They did not get outside until their annual spring road trip to the Dallas area where they lost their first four games, two of which they lost after leading going into the final innings. Once on track, they won 19 in a row and 23 of 25.

In finishing 13-9, the best conference record since a 26-10 mark in 2005, the Blue Devils won seven of nine conference series but three losses in four games to Cowley and a four-game split with Johnson County left them a game back of JCCC for second and three games back of first place Cowley, which won the East for the 13th time in the last 19 years – and the Region VI championship.

Severe storms possible today, flash flood watch issued

Severe storms are possible this afternoon and tonight in Wyandotte County, according to the National Weather Service. (National Weather Service graphic)
Two to three inches of rain will be possible today through Saturday morning in Wyandotte County, according to the National Weather Service. (National Weather Service graphic)
Wyandotte County is under a moderate risk of flash flooding from 10 a.m. Friday through 7 a.m. Saturday. (National Weather Service graphic)
Wyandotte County is under a flash flood watch through Saturday morning. (National Weather Service graphic)

Damaging winds, large hail, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes are possible in the region this afternoon into tonight, with a chance of flash flooding, according to the National Weather Service.

A flash flood watch is in effect for Wyandotte County from 10 a.m. Friday, May 24, through 7 a.m. Saturday, May 25, the weather service said.

The chances for flash flooding will continue tonight and overnight, and motorists should be careful to avoid flooded roads, according to the weather service.

Thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon along a frontal boundary that will most likely extend from north central Missouri into northeastern Kansas, the weather service said.

Several rounds of storms will be possible along this front as it is forecast to move slowly, according to the weather service. Another round of severe storms will be possible overnight.

New heavy rainfall will prolong flooding along the Missouri and lead to new flooding on its tributaries, the weather service said.

A flood warning continues for the Missouri River at Parkville until late Tuesday night, the weather service said. Minor flooding is forecast. The river was at 25.31 feet on Friday morning, where flood stage is 25 feet. The river will continue to rise to nearly 26.7 feet by early Sunday afternoon, then fall below flood stage Tuesday morning.

A flood warning continues for the Kansas River at 23rd Street, where the gauge is at Kansas Avenue and the state line, until late Tuesday night. Minor flooding is forecast. The river will rise above flood stage, 33 feet, by early Sunday morning and continue to rise to nearly 35.1 feet by Sunday evening, the weather service said. The river was at 31.4 feet on Friday morning. The river will fall below flood stage by Tuesday morning.

Today, the high will be near 80, with a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 11 a.m., the weather service said. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. A south southwest wind of 10 to 15 mph could gust as high as 26 mph. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is possible.

Tonight, there is a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with some of the storms producing heavy rain, according to the weather service. The low will be around 67 with a south southwest wind of 11 mph. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain are possible.

Saturday, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 81, the weather service said. A south southwest wind of 7 to 13 mph will gust as high as 24 mph. Between a quarter and half of an inch of rain is possible.

Saturday night, there is a 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 65 with a south southwest wind of 6 to 9 mph. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is possible.

Sunday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 80 and a south wind of 5 to 8 mph, the weather service said. New rainfall amounts of between a tenth and quarter-inch is possible.

Sunday night, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 68. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of rain is possible.

Monday, Memorial Day, there will be a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 83.

Monday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low of 68, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms likely after 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 82.

Tuesday night, there is a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 57.

Wednesday, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 74, the weather service said.

Wednesday night, it will be mostly clear with a low of 57, according to the weather service.

Thursday, the high will be near 76 with mostly sunny skies, the weather service said.

For more weather information, visit www.weather.gov or listen to a weather radio.

Wyandotte County is under a slight risk of severe weather on Saturday. (National Weather Service graphic)
Wyandotte County is under a marginal risk of severe weather on Sunday. (National Weather Service graphic)
From Saturday to Sunday morning, Wyandotte County could receive 1.5 to 2 inches of rain. (National Weather Service graphic)
On Saturday, Wyandotte County is under a moderate risk for flash flooding. (National Weather Service graphic)
The Missouri River at Parkville was in minor flood stage on Friday morning. The gauge is on I-435 between Wyandotte County and Platte County. (National Weather Service – USGS graphic)
The Kansas River at 23rd Street, where the gauge is at Kansas Avenue and the state line, was in the action stage on Friday. (National Weather Service – USGS graphic)

Police investigating homicide near South 71st Terrace and Kansas Avenue

Kansas City, Kansas, police are investigating a shooting death overnight in the 600 block of South 71st Terrace, according to a spokesman.

Officers responded around 2:51 a.m. and found a woman who had been shot, the spokesman stated.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department also responded and confirmed the victim was dead, according to the spokesman.

The homicide is under investigation by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division. Anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.