HUMBOLDT — It took just nine innings for the Humboldt Cubs to sweep the Bluestem Lions here Monday. The Cubs posted a 15-0 win in four innings in the early game before notching a 13-1 win in five innings.
Humboldt’s success on the night can largely be attributed to the pitching staff. Seniors Blake Ellis, Brody Gunderman, Kyler Isbell, Cole Mathes, and Logan Page combined to allow a single earned run on three hits with a combined 19 strikeouts.
“It was a big night for our pitchers,” Humboldt head coach Mike Miller said, noting the Cubs are playing five games across four days. “It was important to keep everyone available throughout the week. We wanted to be aggressive in the strike zone, force contact, and rely on our defense.”
It is difficult to have anything negative to say about an offensive effort after scoring 28 runs in nine innings, which is why Miller had nothing but praise for his hitters. After struggling slightly through the first five games, the Cubs were approaching at-bats with much more intention.
“Pitching this year has definitely been ahead of hitting… but I thought tonight our hitters started turning the corner,” Miller said. “We had some really good at-bats, hit the ball harder, squared it up more, and drove it into the gaps.”
Guys like Mathes (.438, 7 RBI, 5 SB) and senior Colden Cook (.318, 6 RBI, 4 2B) were squaring up shots to right-center and left-center fields all night.
“Being willing to shorten up your swing with a runner on third and less than two outs, just to get the ball to the right side and drive in a run—that’s what it’s all about,” Miller said. “I thought we did a really good job of that tonight, even when we got behind in the count.”
Senior Jacob Harrington is the lone exception to any discussion of struggles at the plate this season. Harrington is hitting a blistering .478 with 11 RBI and 3 stolen bases.
“The way he’s swinging the bat this year has been a big plus,” Miller said. “He struggled a bit last season, but he’s come through with some clutch hits already.”
Defense looked crisp all night for the home team. For an old-school, fundamental-focused coach like Miller, this is a sight for sore eyes. Though, he expects as much from such an experience- heavy roster.
“That’s a big deal for us. They’ve played a lot of baseball… so they’ve got game awareness, they know the situations, and they’re just fundamentally sound,” he said.
And experienced, they are. The Cubs returned all but one varsity letterman from a year ago. That loss was still major, as Sam Hull was a 1st Team All-State dual-threat.
“Sam was a guy that, at any moment, could hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Miller said. “He was kind of our extra-base hit guy last year, and we leaned on him heavily. We’ve got guys who can fill that role this year, but it’s not quite the same.”
One such possible replacement is Page. The senior is known for a hot bat, and currently sits with a 2-1 pitching record to go along with a 1.97 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 10 2-3 innings.
“We’re trying to get Logan to step into that spot—he’s had some struggles early on, but I thought he swung it a lot better tonight,” Miller said.
There will also be a need for younger faces to step up, though Miller has already seen some of this develop.
“Ty Shaughnessy is a freshman who’s done some good things on the mound early in the year,” he said. “Kolton Hanson can play just about anywhere—he’s pitched well in JV games and had some solid at-bats. Grady Elder’s another one. I’ve been impressed with his bat in JV action, and he got a big hit for us tonight. Some of these young guys are getting chances and making the most of them.”
Some of this innate varsity ability seems to come from Humboldt’s underclassmen routinely finding varsity playing time in the fall and winter before playing baseball. Miller believes this is one of the biggest strengths of Class 3A and below.
“Some of these guys were starters on a really good varsity football team, and a few played big minutes in basketball too,” he said. “They’ve played in some big moments, made some big plays, so stepping onto the varsity baseball field isn’t their first big moment.”
Up next
Humboldt traveled to Chanute on Wednesday, taking a 1-0 loss to the Blue Comets. It was another slow night offensively for the Cubs, as they never tallied more than one hit in an inning and managed just one at-bat with runners in scoring position.
Humboldt (6-2) traveled to Fredonia on Thursday to take on the Yellowjackets (1-5). The Cubs then take on the Eureka Tornadoes (0-5) on Tuesday.
