BLUE DRAGON BASEBALL TEAM PICKED TO FINISH FIFTH

IN 2008 JAYHAWK WEST RACE

HCC Sports Information

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The Hutchinson Community College baseball team was picked to finish fifth in the 2008 Jayhawk Conference Western Division season, the league announced on Tuesday.

Hutchinson, which opens the 2008 season on Friday with a six-game swing through Texas, comes off a season where it went 30-25 and was ousted in the opening round series of the Region VI Tournament in three games by Neosho County.

Defending Region VI champion and Jayhawk West co-champion Butler was picked to win the West in 2008. Seward County, which tied Butler for the 2007 league title was picked second. Barton County was picked third and Colby was fourth.

Fourth-year head coach Kyle Crookes (111-60) brings seven position players and four pitchers back from last year’s team.

Catcher Matt LaGree is the Blue Dragons' leading returning hitter after a freshman season where he hit .316, third best in 2007, with two home runs and 10 RBIs. Outfielder Matthew Yerby also returns after batting .309 with nine RBIs.

Right-handed pitcher Ben Graham (2-1, 3.20 ERA, 15 appearances) will likely make the jump to the starting rotation after working out of the bullpen as a freshman.

The Blue Dragons open the 2008 season on Friday in Midland, Texas. HCC will take on West Texas College at 10 a.m. and Midland College at 3 p.m.

The Blue Dragons will play at home for the first time on March 1-2 to open Jayhawk Conference Western Division play against Cloud County in a four-game series at Hobart-Detter Field.

2008 Jayhawk West Baseball Predicted Order of Finish

1. Butler

2. Seward County

3. Barton County

4. Colby

5. Hutchinson

6. Garden City

7. Cloud County

8. Dodge City

9. Pratt

INFO CENTER

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Drafted Dragons

After HCC
Weight Room
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Records

2008 SCHEDULE

February 17

Midland College

Noon - Midland, Texas

Ranger College

3 p.m. - Midland, Texas

February 18

New Mexico Junior College

Noon - Odessa, Texas

Odessa College

3 p.m. - Odessa, Texas

February 19

Cowley College

2 p.m. (9 Innings) - Arkansas City, Kan.

February 24

Fort Scott

11 a.m. - at Fort Scott

Iowa Central

2 p.m. - at Fort Scott

February 25

Iowa Central

11 a.m. - at Fort Scott

Fort Scott

2 p.m. - at Fort Scott

February 28

Rose State

11 a.m. - Oklahoma City, Okla.

March 1

Cloud County

3 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

March 2

Cloud County

1 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

March 8

Butler

3 p.m. (DH) - El Dorado, Kan.

March 9

Butler

1 p.m. (DH) - El Dorado, Kan.

March 13

Rose State

1 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

March 15

Barton County

3 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

March 16

Barton County

1 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

March 18

Brown Mackie

3 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

March 20

Maplewoods

3 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

March 22

Dodge City

3 p.m. (DH) - Dodge City, KS

March 23

Dodge City

1 p.m. (DH) - Dodge City, KS

March 26

Cowley College

3 p.m. (9 Innings) - Hobart-Detter Field

March 29

Garden City

3 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

March 30

Garden City

1 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

April 4

Brown Mackie

3 p.m. (DH) - Salina, Kan.

April 5

Maplewoods

1 p.m. (DH) - Kansas City, Mo.

April 6

Make-Up Date

1 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

April 9

Indian Hills

3 p.m. (DH) - Ottumwa, Iowa

April 9

Indian Hills

1 p.m. (9 innings) - Ottumwa, Iowa

April 12

Pratt

1 p.m. (DH) - Pratt, KS

April 13

Pratt

1 p.m. (DH) - Pratt, KS

April 19

Seward County

1 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

April 20

Seward County

1 p.m. (DH) - Hobart-Detter Field

April 26

Colby

1 p.m. (DH) - Colby, KS

April 27

Colby

1 p.m. (DH) - Colby, KS

May 3-4

Region VI First Round

TBA

May 9-13

Region VI Championship

Wichita, KS

May 24, 31

JUCO World Series

Grand Junction, CO