Baseball | 4/29/2026 10:29:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Cloud County Community College baseball team swept a road Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) twinbill over Seward County Community College on Wednesday, April 29 to secure the program's first-ever KJCCC West Division Championship.

The T-Birds downed the Saints 9-1 in the first game, and held on to win 13-12 in game two.

It is Cloud County's first KJCCC West Division regular-season title and guarantees the T-Birds one of the top two seeds in next month's 2026 NJCAA Region 6 Plains District Baseball Tournament.

Cloud County will conclude the regular season on Saturday, May 2 with two more games against Seward County, beginning at 1 pm at Lee Doyen Field. The T-Birds will then host a best-of-three series in the opening round of the 2026 NJCAA Region 6 Plains District Baseball Tournament, beginning with game one on Thursday, May 7. The top four teams in the final regular season standings of the West Division earn the right to host a best-of-three series against one of the teams from the KJCCC East Division who finish fifth through eighth in their division. The winners of the best-of-three opening round series will then advance to an eight-team double-elimination tournament that is scheduled for May 13-17 at Eck Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University.

Cloud County opened its final week of the regular season with a 9-1 win over Seward County at Brent Gould Field in Liberal, Kansas.

The T-Birds jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when sophomore short stop Kaden Budke drew a lead-off walk and later scored when freshman outfielder Kellan Burke reached base on an error.

Cloud County scored six more runs in the fifth to extend the advantage to 7-0. Budke scored for the second time when freshman designated hitter Nolan Green drew a bases-loaded walk. Sophomore short stop Lucas Laukkanen was brought home on a RBI fly out by sophomore first baseman Luke Clayton. Freshman London Dingwell drew another bases-loaded walk, scoring Burke. Sophomore catcher Vasya Seymour then cleared the bases with a two-out double, scoring Green, sophomore second baseman Joey Marino and sophomore outfielder Carter Cathers.

Clayton and Marino added RBI singles in the top of the sixth inning to make it 9-0.

The Saints avoided the shut out by plating one run in the bottom half of the seventh.

Sophomore Stocton Timbrook improved to 7-0 on the year, holding Seward County to no runs on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts in five innings pitched. Freshman Gage Gannon threw the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Cloud County completed the doubleheader sweep with a 13-12 victory in game two. The T-Birds held off a ninth-inning rally by Seward County.

Cloud County jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Clayton clobbered a two-run home run in the top of the first inning, while Burke added a RBI hit in the frame.

Seward County tied the game with four runs in the bottom half of the first, but the T-Birds regained control with two runs in the top of the second inning. Freshman outfielder Broxton Barrientos belted a solo shot for his second homer of the season, while redshirt freshman outfielder Simon Baker scored Budke on a two-out single to give Cloud County a 6-4 lead.

The Saints responded with a run in the bottom of the third, but the T-Birds answered with a run of their own in the fourth when Baker tripled to drive in Laukkanen.

Cloud County posted two runs in each of the final three innings. Clayton and Seymour scored in the seventh, Laukkanen and Baker crossed home plate in the eighth, and Seymour and Marino added runs in the ninth.

Seward County then scored seven-runs in the ninth inning, cutting the deficit to 13-12 on a two-RBI double by sophomore Juan Alvarez. With the tying run at second base, Cloud County sophomore Kai Rempel struck out sophomore Grant Cox to end the game and preserve the win.

Rempel recorded the final two outs in the ninth. Freshman Ian Razak made the start for the T-Birds, going five innings where he allowed five earned runs on eight hits. The lefty struck out three while issuing four walks on his way to his eighth victory of the season. Freshman Jackson Fox worked 3.1 innings in relief. Fox allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits with two walks while punching out seven.

Baker led the offense, going 4-for-6 with a triple and a double, four RBI and one run scored. Laukkanen finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored. Budke and Burke both had two hit games, recording one double apiece. Burke and Clayton both drove in a pair of runs, while Clayton, Budke and Seymour scored two runs each.

With the wins, Cloud County improves to 45-5 overall and 26-4 in KJCCC play. The T-Birds finished the regular season at 21-2 in true road games. Cloud County has also won five in a row and 13 of their last 14 games.

The T-Birds host the Saints for two games on Saturday, May 2. First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm from Lee Doyen Field in Concordia, Kansas. The contests will be broadcast live on the T-Bird Sports Network.

During Saturday's doubleheader, Cloud County will honor its sophomore class of 2026 as part of its annual Sophomore Day festivities.