Baseball | 5/13/2026 11:20:00 PM

Box Score In their opening game of the 2026 NJCAA Division I Plains District Baseball Tournament double-elimination bracket, the Cloud County Community College baseball team fell 11-9 to Barton Community College at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kansas on Wednesday, May 13.

The loss drops the T-Birds to 49-6 on the season. Cloud County will return to action on Thursday, May 14 at 10 am against Butler Community College. Butler dropped its first round game against Kansas City Kansas Community College, 10-2.

The T-Birds fell behind Barton 8-0 before mounting a valiant multi-inning comeback, highlighted by seven runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game at 9-9. But the Cougars pulled back in front with a two-RBI single by redshirt freshman Dalton Jorgensen in the top of the eighth inning and held on for the win.

Barton scored one run in the top of the first and expanded the lead to 4-0 in the third inning off a three-run home run by freshman Micah McGavran. Jorgensen added a RBI in a four-run fifth inning that ballooned the Barton lead to 8-0.

The tide began to change in the bottom half of the sixth frame. Freshman designated hitter Nolan Green singled to right, scoring redshirt freshman outfielder Simon Baker, while sophomore first baseman Luke Clayton drove in freshman outfielder Kellan Burke on a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 8-2.

Barton got a run back in the top of the seventh, before Cloud County responded with seven runs to equalize the game at 9-9. Baker drove in a pair of runs with a single to left. A double by Green scored Baker and sophomore short stop Lucas Laukkanen. Sophomore catcher Vasya Seymour brought home a run on a single to left, while sophomore second baseman Joey Marino capped the scoring with a two-RBI single to right field, scoring Green and Clayton.

The tie didn't remain for long. McGavran led off the eighth inning with a walk, followed by a base-hit by sophomore Hayden Oviatt. Two batters later, Jorgensen connected on a single to right field, scoring McGavran and Oviatt to put Barton in front 11-9.

The T-Birds left two on base in the bottom of the eighth and stranded 11 total runners in the game.

Green led Cloud County offensively with a 4-for-5 performance with a double, three RBI and one run scored. Baker and Burke added two hits each. Baker had two RBI. Marino also drove in two runs.

Freshman Ian Razak suffered the loss after pitching 2.2 innings in relief, allowing one earned run on four hits with one strikeout. Sophomore Cole Linton made the start, throwing four innings where he allowed four earned runs on nine hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Sophomore Kai Rempel, freshman Jackson Fox, sophomore Stocton Timbrook and freshman Gage Gannon also pitched in relief.

Cloud County will continue play in the NJCAA Division I Plains District Baseball Tournament at 10 am Thursday, May 14, taking on Butler Community College. The T-Birds swept the Grizzlies in a four-game Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference series in April. Cloud County has won eight of its last ten meetings with Butler.