DRAGONS REACH 40-WIN MARK IN ROAD SPLIT AT PRATT
Hutchinson CC Sports Information
PRATT – Just after posting its 21st run-rule victory of the season, the Hutchinson Community College baseball team was shocked in a walk-off loss on Saturday at the Pratt Beavers.
Six different Blue Dragons drove in two or more runs as No. 20 Hutchinson rolled to a 20-8 victory over the Beavers in a series-clinching win in Game 1. But in Game 2, the Dragons saw Pratt score three runs in the bottom of the ninth to upset Hutchinson 4-3.
The Blue Dragons reached the 40-win plateau for the 12th time in program history with a record of 40-12. Second-place Hutchinson trails league leader Cloud County by two games at 22-6. Hutchinson closes out the 2026 regular season next weekend with Garden City. The first two games of the series will be at 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at Williams Stadium in Garden City. The final two games, including Sophomore Recognition Day, will be at 1 and 3:30 p.m. next Saturday at Hobart-Detter Field.
Blue Dragon head coach Brock Nehls becomes just the second Blue Dragon head coach with three 40-win seasons, joining Ryan Schmidt. Nehls is the first Blue Dragon coach with three-straight 40-win seasons, winning 51 games in 2024 and 40 in 2025.
GAME 1 RECAP – Hutchinson 20, Pratt 8 (6 innings)
The Blue Dragon offense started the day with a four-run first inning and kept going in Game 1 on Saturday.
Hutchinson hammered out 18 hits as all nine starters collected at least one hit and 8 of 9 starters had at least one RBI.
Eli Duncan went 3 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and four RBIs. He had a two-run double in the first, an RBI single in the fourth and a bases-loaded walk in the sixth. Duncan's double was his team-high 20th of the season, which ties Truan Mehl and Michael Helman for ninth on the single-season doubles list.
Jackson Schanuel was 3 for 5 with a season-high four runs scored and three RBIs. Aidan Marien was 2 for 5 with a run and two RBIs. Schaunel and Marien both have scored 73 runs this season, which is tied for ninth on the Dragon single-season runs list.
Anthony Mazza was 2 for 5 with three runs and two RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 13 games. Jordan Kuhnau was 2 for 3 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Mazza and Kuhnau have scored 77 runs this season, which ties for sixth on the Dragon single-season list.
Cru Huenfeld drove in a pair of runs and is now third on the single-season RBI list with 86 after going 2 for 2 with an two RBIs and a season-high four runs scored.
Finn Hochstein was 2 for 3 with a run and two RBIs.
Starting pitcher Karter Chamberlain improved to 6-1 this season going four innings for the victory. He allowed seven hits and six runs with two strikeouts and two walks. Lincoln Muller closed out the game with two innings.
The Blue Dragons posted their record ninth game of scoring 20 or more runs in a season and their 32nd game of 10 or more runs. The Dragons now have 33 games of 10 or more hits.
GAME 2 RECAP – Pratt 4, Hutchinson 20, Pratt 3
The Blue Dragons were held to a season-low three hits and were shut out for the first six innings in Game 2.
Trailing 1-0 after six, the Dragons finally got on the board when two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases before Kuhnau roped a three-run double by Kuhnau to right-center to score Diesel Purnell, Marien and Mazza for a 3-1 lead.
That was the score heading to the bottom of the ninth when Pratt got a leadoff home run from Carter Allen and a two-run walk-off double from Landon Cochran to shock the Blue Dragons.
Brayden Henry pitched seven solid innings in his second career start. He struck out a season-high seven and allowed six hits and one run. Nate McCombs (2-1) suffered the loss.
Kuhnau was 1 for 2 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Blue Dragons. Kuhnau now has 83 RBIs, which ties Ben McLaughlin for fourth on that single-season list.
Mazza went 1 for 2 to extend his current hitting streak to 14 games. Mazza now has 151 career runs, which is No. 3 in Blue Dragon history and No. 4 with 159 career hits, which is tied for fourth with Dylan Nedved.
Purnell had the other Blue Dragon hit.
The 2026 Blue Dragons are now third in team history with 631 total hits, ninth in stolen bases with 133 and No. 4 in hit-by-pitches with 130.