A year ago, Zane Shaw wasn’t sure what his college baseball prospects would look like. Coming off an injury in his sophomore year, he had something to prove to colleges. Then, Shaw and the Free State baseball team went 28-2 and won the Sunflower League and 6A state championship, with Shaw being a top pitcher for the team. That got him phone calls and visits with Division I schools, one of which was ...
Andrew Smith has always played baseball. From tee-ball through his high school career, “there’s never really been a time where I haven’t felt like playing,” Smith said. Now, Smith is set to continue his playing career in college after he committed to Allen Community College. The commitment fulfills a lifelong dream for the Free State graduate. “I’ve always loved the sport and have always pictured ...
The 2025 Kansas team in the High School Baseball National Championship Series went 2-2 in a national tournament over the weekend, with three Free State Firebirds on the team. Ben Graves, Ryker Mahnke and Zane Shaw joined some of the top 2026 and 2027 baseball players in the state on the roster and made it to the semifinal round of the national tournament. The HSB-NCS included all-star teams of rising juniors ...
Three Free State baseball players are a part of the 2025 Kansas High School Baseball National Championship Series team, the most from any Kansas high school this year. Ben Graves, Ryker Mahnke and Zane Shaw are three of 19 players on the 2025 Kansas team in the three-day baseball tournament in Omaha, Neb., that features teams from Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, ...
Carlos Vasquez and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers had an unforgettable year in 2025. The Hilltoppers won the Conference USA baseball tournament and made an NCAA regional for the fifth time in school history. Vasquez was a crucial part of that, as he finished second on the team in batting average at .366 and started every game for the Hilltoppers at third base. So when Vasquez entered the transfer portal at ...
Eddie Roman Nose is having a busy summer. Roman Nose is hopping between multiple AAU teams this summer and traveling around the country competing in basketball tournaments. With one year left in his high school career, Roman Nose is hoping to finish strong and accumulate offers from colleges. The best way to get college teams to come with offers is a strong high school season in which he leads the Lawrence boys ...