Some seasons are measured by championships. Others become something even more rare — the kind of once-in-a-generation run where every piece falls
into place, talent meets timing and a team catches lightning in a
bottle.
That was the story for
Mulvane (Kan.) in 2026. The Wildcats put together a 28-1 campaign capped by winning the Class 4A state
championship, earning the No. 1 spot in the Small Town Top 25 high school baseball rankings and arguably putting together the greatest season in school
history.
Located on the outskirts of Wichita along the Sedgwick
and Sumner county lines, Mulvane is a railroad and agricultural
community with more than 150 years of history. Before this spring, the
school's athletic tradition included nine state championships with four of those in cross country. Baseball had produced just one previous title in
1986. Perhaps the most celebrated team in school history was the
unbeaten 1968 football squad that finished 8-0 and was ranked No. 1 in
the state.
Now, that distinction belongs to the 2026 Wildcats.
Mulvane outscored opponents 312-37 on the season and won its final 18 games en route to a state title. (PHOTO: Courtesy of MulvaneSports.com)
Head coach
Steve Nelson believes the team's defining characteristic wasn't simply talent, but a willingness to sacrifice individual success for a
common goal.
"The talent on this team is the best I've ever seen
since I started coaching," Nelson said. "But what made them really
special is they all sacrificed their individual accomplishments for the
team goal of achieving a state championship. When we were able to
combine that talent with what was best for the team as a whole, we knew
they would be special."
That isn't to say Mulvane lacked star power.
Grey Sanders was named the MaxPreps Kansas Player of the Year after posting an 8-0 record with a microscopic 0.14
ERA. But even with one of the state's premier players leading the way,
the Mulvane's greatest strength was the collective buy-in that
transformed an exceptionally talented roster into a championship team.
Averill Park (22-5) captured the second state championship in program history while St. Joseph-Ogden claimed its first state title
after falling short in the title game on two previous occasions.
The Small
Town Top 25 is determined by the MaxPreps
computer ratings. Schools must have fewer than 1,000
students and be located in a town with a population under 10,000 to be eligible
Final 2026 Small Town Top 25
1. Mulvane (Kan.)
Record/rating: 28-1, 34.7
Class 4A state champion
2. Averill Park (N.Y.)
Record/rating: 22-5, 33.8
Class A state champion
3. St. Joseph-Ogden (St. Joseph, Ill.)
Record/rating: 40-2, 30.9
Class 2A state champion
4. Tuttle (Okla.)
Record/rating: 36-4, 30.4
Class 4A state champion
5. Boyd (Texas)
Record/rating: 39-3, 30.0
Conference 3A Division 1 state champion
6. Saltillo (Miss.)
Record/rating: 30-7, 30.0
Class 6A state champion
7. Brock (Texas)
Record/rating: 32-7, 29.6
8. Bunn (N.C.)
Record/rating: 26-3, 29.6
Class 4A state champion
9. Sumrall (Miss.)
Record/rating: 32-6, 29.3
Class 5A state champion
10. Fryeburg (Maine)Record/rating: 17-3, 29.2
Class B state champion
11. Mooreville (Miss.)Record/rating: 30-8, 28.7
Class 4A state champion
12. Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.)Record/rating: 19-4, 28.0
Class 2A state champion
13. Union County (Lake Butler, Fla.)Record/rating: 24-7, 27.9
Rural Division champion
14. Okarche (Okla.)Record/rating: 23-5, 27.9
Class 1A Division I state champion
15. Paradise (Texas)Record/rating: 36-5, 27.8
Conference 3A Division 2 state champion
16. Iowa Park (Texas)Record/rating: 33-6, 27.7
17. Franklin (Texas)Record/rating: 36-3-2, 27.6
18. Park River (N.D.)Record/rating: 20-5, 27.4
Class B state champion
Class 1A state champion
20. Lanier County (Lakeland, Ga.)Record/rating: 33-4, 26.6
Class A Division II state champion
21. Waynedale (Apple Creek, Ohio)Record/rating: 31-3, 26.3
Division 5 state champion
22. Point Pleasant Beach (N.J.)Record/rating: 20-6, 26.1
Group 1 state champion
23. Mize (Miss.)Record/rating: 31-8, 26.0
Class 2A state champion
24. Honoka'a (Hawaii)Record/rating: 17-0, 25.3
Division 2 state champion
25. Tremont (Ill.)Record/rating: 38-2, 25.2
Class 1A state champion
Next 25
Record/rating: 28-1, 25.1
Class 1A state champion
27. Westlake (La.)Record/rating: 29-11, 24.8
Non-Select Division 3 state champion
28. Cedar Grove-Belgium (Wis.)Record/rating: 23-5, 24.5
Division 3 state champion
29. Wall (Texas)Record/rating: 34-10, 24.4
30. Madelia (Minn.)Record/rating: 26-3, 24.4
Class A state champion
31. Gordon Lee (Chickamauga, Ga.)Record/rating: 40-4, 24.4
Class A Division I state champion
32. East Rutherford (Bostic, N.C.)Record/rating: 25-7, 24.3
33. Rattan (Okla.)Record/rating: 27-4, 24.2
Class 1A Division II state champion
34. Latta (Ada, Okla.)Record/rating: 31-3, 23.9
Class 2A Division I state champion
35. New Home (Texas)Record/rating: 29-8, 23.7
Class 2A Division 1 state champion
36. Mifflinburg (Pa.)Record/rating: 19-6, 23.5
37. Huntington (Texas)Record/rating: 30-10, 23.4
38. Wimberley (Texas)Record/rating: 23-9-1, 23.4
39. Calumet (Okla.)Record/rating: 23-6, 23.3
Class B state champion
40. Logan-Rogersville (Rogersville, Mo.)Record/rating: 31-5, 23.2
41. Milan (Tenn.)Record/rating: 27-7-1, 22.9
Class AA state champion
42. Burton (Texas)Record/rating: 29-4, 22.8
Class 2A Division 2 state champion
43. St. John's (Delphos, Ohio)Record/rating: 21-7, 22.8
Division 7 state champion
44. Bermudian Springs (York Springs, Pa.)Record/rating: 24-4, 22.7
Class 3A state champion
45. Ariton (Ala.)Record/rating: 34-9, 22.6
46. Standish-Sterling (Standish, Mich.)Record/rating: 29-4-1, 22.6
47. Napavine (Wash.)Record/rating: 25-2, 22.5
Class 2B state champion
48. Dale (Okla.)Record/rating: 19-6, 22.5
49. Burlington (Kan.)Record/rating: 25-3, 22.4
50. Brookland (Ark.)Record/rating: 29-8, 22.1
