News - Top Sports News - The top sports news from Topeka & Shawnee County.

Details: Created: 25 March 2026

By CHARLES SPURLOCK

TopSports.news

The Seaman Viking baseball team opened the home portion of its 2026 season Tuesday with a doubleheader with United Kansas Conference foe Basehor-Linwood, winning 8-5 in Game 1 and dropping Game 2, 5-1.

The Vikings were able to jump out to an early 5-0 lead over the first two innings while only getting one hit. They were aided by four walks and three hit batsmen.

“It was nice to put up three in the first and two more in the second,'' Seaman coach Steve Bushnell said. "Their starting pitcher (junior Sam Porterfield) struggled with his control, but to come out early and get a lead with Axton Brewer (junior starting pitcher) on the hill, certainly allowed us to get comfortable and settle in.”

Following a couple of runs by the Bobcats in the top of the third inning to cut the lead to 5-2, the Vikings responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth.

Viking senior third baseman Cooper Hayes hit a fly ball over the left-fielder for a triple and came home to score on an error on the throw back to the infield from the left-fielder.

The Vikings tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend their lead to 8-2, thanks to another triple from junior Bryson Fehr and a single from senior Cole Rosenberger.

Bobcat senior first baseman Steven Zimbelman hit a two-run homer in the top of the seventh off of sophomore relief pitcher Michael Dobbs, who picked up the win.

Details: Created: 24 March 2026

By RICK PETERSON

TopSports.news

Tuesday's 2026 Shawnee Heights girl soccer season-opener didn't go the T-Birds' way, with a string of injuries derailing Heights in a 3-0 home non-league loss to Lawrence at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.

Shawnee Heights junior Nina Bolanos (left) battles Lawrence's Maggie Wagner for the ball in Tuesday's 3-0 T-Bird loss to the Lions. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]

Heights entered its season-opener with a couple of players already nursing minor injuries and the situation got a lot worse Tuesday, with T-Bird junior standouts Morgan Robinson, Nina Bolanos and Brylee Garner all leaving the game with injuries.

But if there was a bright spot for Nic Simons' T-Birds, it was that none of the injuries appeared to be series and that they happened early in the year and not in crunch time at the end of the season.

"If I'm going to get bit by the injury bug I'd rather have it Game 1 then going into the postseason,'' Simons said. "Like I said to the kids, this is 10 out of 10 times not the speech that I'd be having after the game, but you know what, a little adversity to start the season is not necessarily bad for us.''

Robinson, one of Heights' top offensive threats, left the game at the 24:08 mark of the opening half and Garner was in and out of the game before calling it a night in the second half and Bolanos left the game late in the game with an ankle injury.

Shawnee Heights was still able to go into halftime locked in a scoreless deadlock before the 1-0 Lions took control in the second half.

Senior Stella Comparato scored the only goal Lawrence would need just 2:32 into the second half and Comparato added a second goal at the 23:59 mark and freshman Layla Simmons scored the Lions' final goal with 18:57 remaining.

Shawnee Heights struggled to mount much offense in the game, finishing with just one shot on goal.

"Obviously, losing Morgan early, that's a killer and losing Nina late obviously didn't help us at all,'' Simons said.

The T-Birds will return to action on Thursday, hosting Lawrence Free State at Bettis, before Heights has a week off to try to get back to full strength.

LAWRENCE 3, SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 0

Lawrence (1-0) 0 3 -- 3

Shawnee Heights (0-1) 0 0 -- 0

Lawrence-- Goals: Stella Comparato 2, Layla Simmons. Shutout: Lillian Poteete. Redcard: Sidra Besson.

Details: Created: 24 March 2026

By TODD FERTIG

TopSports.news

The Washburn Rural baseball team gave coach Jay Mastin his 200th career victory in a 14-1 home romp over Gardner-Edgerton in the Junior Blues’ season-opener Tuesday.

Washburn Rural baseball coach Jay Mastin picked up career win No. 200 in Tuesday's 14-1 win over Gardner-Edgerton. [Photo by Todd Fertig/TSN]

Rural senior pitcher Isaac Ansley spun five efficient innings, which were a sharp contrast to the opponent. The visiting Trailblazers’ parade of hurlers were crippled by free passes and balks, compounded by shaky defense behind them. The Junior Blues produced 14 runs on just eight hits, only one of which went for extra bases.

The all-time leader in wins at Washburn Rural with 175, Mastin kicked off the season with his 200th career win, which the team and fans celebrated after the game. Starting his 14th season at Washburn Rural, Mastin racked up his first 25 victories during three seasons at Perry-Lecompton.

“I’ve had a lot of great players here over the years. I have a great, great coaching staff,” Mastin said. “And I’m very fortunate. We have had great support. We’ve got a first-rate facility, a lot of support from administration, a lot of support from parents, and just a great group of kids to be able to coach.”

Ansley worked around a double in the first inning, then came out for the second frame with a 3-0 lead. He allowed just one walk in the second, then saw his team put up three more runs. The Junior Blues’ pitcher gave up two hits which produced the Trailblazers’ only run in the third. When he came back for the fourth, he was working with a 12-1 lead.

“It helps, 100 percent,” Ansley said of the run support. “First inning, you get three runs, you can just pitch with the lead, start out on top, get outs and trust your defense. Then they kept putting up crooked numbers each inning and just helped me a lot.”

Ansley faced just 20 batters and used just 47 pitches to get through five innings. He allowed four hits and one walk.

“I had location, pitch selection, got on top,” Ansley said. “The catcher helps. He called the game. Defense helped me out with some great plays and I always trust them.”

Senior Austin Ditch spearheaded the Junior Blues’ offense with two singles. Junior Dominic Nimz cracked an RBI double in the fourth.

Mastin was happy to get the milestone victory out of the way and put one in the win column to start 2026.

“You don’t know (what you’ve got),” Mastin said of opening games. “You always feel like you could use another practice or two. But on the other hand, we’re ready to play and ready to compete. When you have Gardner-Edgerton as your opener, you know that’s no guarantee. They are a quality program. So, this is a good win.”

Ansley praised the preparedness of the senior-led Junior Blues, a group which qualified for the Class 6A state tournament a season ago.

“I feel this team is ready to go from the beginning,” Ansley said. “A lot of guys coming back, and this team is really fun, having a lot of fun energy.”

“We’ve got a good, tight group of seniors, a lot of them got a lot of playing time last year,” Mastin said. “And we’ve got a group of juniors right behind them who are going to push and compete this year.”

WASHBURN RURAL 14, GARDNER-EDGERTON 1

Gardner-Edgerton (0-2) 001 00— 1 4 6

Washburn Rural (1-0) 336 2x — 14 8 0

Ansley and Newberry. Hart, Cassida (2), McCall (3), Kohl (4) and Lewis. W -- Ansley. L -- Hart. 2B -- Gardner-Edgerton: Swaim 2, Washburn Rural: Nimz.

Details: Created: 24 March 2026

By Rick Peterson

TopSports.news

Highland Park junior standout JoJo Kingcannon has received a pair of individual honors from the Meadowlark Conference, earning first-team recognition while also being named the conference's defensive player of the year.

JoJoKingcannonSMN 1 JoJo Kingcannon, Highland Park