The Barton Community College baseball team had plenty to celebrate Friday afternoon in the final home regular season games at Lawson-Biggs Field as the Cougars took care of home turf earning a 6-5 and 18-10 doubleheader sweep over Colby Community College clinching the program's 10th Jayhawk West crown.
Exploding for four doubles and four runs in the third inning, Barton withstood a late Trojan charge as Logan Redeker secured his first collegiate save stranding the tying run at second locking down a 6-5 win in the opener. In the nightcap, the Cougars overcame a pair of six run deficits with back-to-back six run frames cruising to the 18-10 twin bill sweep.
Securing its' first title since the 2018 season, the Cougars sit at 23-7 in the KJCCC and 38-15 overall while Colby slips to 20-10 in the Jayhaw West and 34-18 on the season. The teams will conclude the 2022 regular season Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader from Colby's Memorial Field.
Alex Rodgers led the offense out of the leadoff spot slashing .875 on the afternoon going 7-for-8 from the dish driving in five runs, scoring seven times and swiping five bags extending his program single season runs (105) and steals (54) records.
Ricardo Sanchez drove in a team high six runs becoming the school's new single season RBIs record holder with 84 while the freshman concluded the day 3-for-8 lacing a triple and pair of doubles extending his program's two-bag single season record to 34.
Joel Nieves pieced together a second team best average of .833 concluding the day 5-for-6 out of the nine spot driving in one and crossing the plate four times.