By NATHAN SWAFFAR
Topsports.news
MANHATTAN – Friday was truly a moment 40 years in the making for Mulvane baseball
Thanks to a four-run fifth inning and a big two-way performance by senior Manny Myers, Mulvane captured the Class 4A title over Hayden, 9-4, the school’s second state title and first since 1986.
Hayden senior Kade Mitchell (2) is congratulated by teammate Max Becker after scoring a run in Friday's Class 4A state championship game. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Mulvane coach Steve Nelson did not downplay what the win means not only for the program, but also for the entire town.
“You can probably look around in the crowd and what it meant for them and how many people we had travel even farther than they normally do for this,” Nelson said. “We just have a really close-knit town as it is, and I know everyone wanted this really bad. It means a ton.”
After only pitching five total innings all season, Myers entered in relief of Mulvane starter Brody Clasen, who allowed four runs in 2⅔ innings, and was nails the rest of the game. He pitched the final 4⅓ innings, only allowing one hit and striking out two.
And Myers came up just as big at the plate, including a two-run, bases-loaded single in the fifth inning.
After heading into the fifth with a 5-4 lead, Mulvane led 9-4 at the end of the inning and kept it that way to the end.
Outside of Myers for Mulvane, Reed Hackleman added two RBI and two walks despite not collecting a hit. Clasen and Hagen Warkins also added RBI.
Hayden senior Kade Mitchell slides home to score a run in Friday's 9-4 Class 4A championship game loss to Mulvane. [Photo by Jesse Bruner/Special to TSN]
Hayden senior Kade Mitchell ended the day with two hits and a team-leading two RBI. Zayne Litchenauer and Everett Tourtillot also finished with RBI.
Starting pitcher Max Becker took the loss for Hayden.
Despite Friday's defeat, Hayden coach Bill Arnold said this Wildcat group should have nothing but pride in their season.
“It’s been a great group of kids to coach,” Arnold said. “This group of seniors is special, and we weren’t able to bring home a state championship today, but they have nothing to hang their heads about. They represented our school, our community very well.”
Mulvane got on the board first in the bottom of the first, scratching two runs across in an inning that included multiple hit batters and walks.
But Hayden responded in the top of the third, scoring four runs to take the lead.
Mitchell tied things up with a two-RBI single before back-to-back RBI singles by Zayne Litchenauer and Everett Tourtillott made it 4-2 after the top half of the inning.
But Mulvane answered swiftly with two runs in the bottom of the frame to tie it up at 4-4.
Mulvane also turned defense into offense the next inning.
After throwing at a runner at home to end the top of the fourth, Mulvane took back the lead in the bottom half of the frame after an RBI single by Myers to make it 5-4.
That’s when the breakthrough fifth inning came around and Mulvane added four insurance runs, highlighted by Myers' two-run hit.
“We’ve got to throw strikes,'' Hayden said. "In high school baseball, I’d venture to bet that 90% of the guys who walk or get hit by a pitch end up scoring.
“We put ourselves in a bad situation right there. Bottom line is that they hit the ball extremely well and I’m just proud of our guys for competing.”
Mulvane's 28-1 campaign was also heavily fueled by how the 2025 season came to an end exactly a year earlier when Mulvane fell 3-1 to Rock Creek in the quarterfinals.
“It stung us,” Myers said. “Those seniors last year, they deserved something more than what they got. It was exactly 365 days since we lost to Rock Creek, and that just lit a fire under us to work even harder and get to where we ended up this year.”
