Baseball Game Preview: Sedgwick County Cougars vs. Haxtun Fightin' Bulldogs

Sedgwick County hasn't had much luck against Haxtun recently, but that could start to change on Monday. The Cougars will venture away from home to face off against the Fightin' Bulldogs at 2:00 p.m. Sedgwick County has given up an average of 10.9 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Sedgwick County is headed into Monday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their seventh straight game on Friday. They lost 15-2 to Wiggins.

Flatirons Academy typically has all the answers at home, but on Saturday Haxtun proved too difficult a challenge. They came out on top against the Bison by a score of 7-3. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Fightin' Bulldogs.

Madden Larsen was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 12 batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Those 12 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3. He also hit a double, marking his first of the season.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Grant Statz, who scored three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. Gage Helgoth also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.

Haxtun's win was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-2. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.6 runs over those games. As for Sedgwick County, their loss dropped their record down to 4-7.

Sedgwick County suffered a grim 11-4 defeat to Haxtun when the teams last played back in April of 2024. Can the Cougars avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.