CANEY — Humboldt High’s historical season continues.
The Cub baseball team dominated in its two games in Wednesday’s Kansas Class 3A Regional Baseball Tournament. The Cubs outscored their semifinal and championship game opponents 23-4 in capturing their first-ever Class 3A Regional title.
Humboldt rolled over Burlington 13-3 in the semifinals. The Cubs showed why they were the No. 1 seed in the regional tournament by dispatching Neodesha High’s Bluestreaks 10-1 for the championship.
The Cubs capped their perfect regular season with a berth in the 2012 Kansas Class 3A State Baseball Tournament. Humboldt (23-0) head to Manhattan to play in Kansas State University’s Tointon Family Stadium, May 25-26.
Humboldt makes its second appearance in a state baseball tournament in its 14-year history of competitive high school baseball. In 2009, the Cubs finished third in the Kansas Class 2-1A State Baseball Tournament.
That was the year Cub head coach Mike Miller came on board with the HHS baseball program. The HHS alumnus had just been hired as the head football coach for the Cubs and served as an assistant coach when the Cub team played in the 2009 state baseball tournament.
“We really competed today and our guys really deserve it with the way they prepare and the effort they give every day,” Miller said.
“We knew that if we pitched and played defense the way we had all year that at the end of the day, we would be headed to state.”
The Cubs went into the 3A regional tournament confident since all the teams were out of the Tri-Valley League. Humboldt delivered a perfect 12-0 run through the TVL this season.
After sophomore Grayson Pearish tossed a six-hitter in the semifinals for the Cubs Wednesday, junior Nathan Whitcomb got the starting nod for the regional championship game. Pearish and Whitcomb have been a 1-2 punch on the mound for the Cubs all season.
Both delivered at the regional tournament. And so did the Cub offense.
Burlington jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 2 1/2 innings in the semifinal game. Miller said Pearish struggled with his command early then settled in and pitched well.
“We played tight early on and did some uncharacteristic things that led to their runs. We haven’t found ourselves behind in many games this year so I was really proud of the way we responded with five runs to take the lead,” Miller said.
“Burlington has a good, young squad that we knew would give us a challenge and it was a battle until we were able to break it open for eight runs in the sixth to end the game with a run rule.”
Humboldt’s offense came to life in the bottom of the third. The Cubs scored five runs and played with a 5-3 lead until scoring eight more times in the sixth for the 13-3 win.
