Baseball Drops Postseason Opener to No. 3 Seed KCKCC

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - The No. 14 seeded Colby Trojans saw their postseason opener get away late Thursday (May 7) afternoon, falling 16-3 to No. 3 seed Kansas City Kansas in Game 1 of the 2026 NJCAA Division 1 Baseball Plains District Tournament series in Kansas City, Kansas.

After battling KCKCC closely in multiple seven-inning contests earlier this season, the Trojans entered the postseason matchup knowing they would need to steal one on the road in the best-of-three series format to keep their season alive. Instead, a massive six-run swing late in the game allowed KCKCC to take control of the series and put Colby one loss away from elimination.

KCKCC struck first in the bottom of the second inning when Lennox Vann launched a three-run home run to center field before Sawyer Tolk added an RBI double later in the inning to give the Blue Devils an early 4-0 lead.

The Trojans continued to battle and finally broke through offensively in the fifth inning. Jake Brooks provided the biggest swing of the day for Colby, crushing a two-run home run to center field to cut the deficit in half and bring some momentum back into the dugout.

After adding three runs in the fourth inning, the Blue Devils erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to put the game out of reach. The inning featured timely hits, multiple walks, and was capped off by a grand slam from Tolk that blew the game open.

Despite the final score, Colby showed flashes offensively throughout the afternoon. Matthew Kesting led the Trojans with two hits from the leadoff spot, while Brooks drove in two runs with his home run. Turner Zdunich also added an RBI double, and Charlie Langford reached base twice via walks and stole a base.

On the mound, Anthony Deblois took the loss after allowing seven runs over 3.2 innings while striking out four. Carter Graham and Gabe Fournier also saw action in relief.

For KCKCC, Tolk finished with five RBIs and two hits, including the grand slam, while Vann added four RBIs of his own. The Blue Devils also showed patience at the plate throughout the afternoon, drawing eight walks.

Now facing elimination, the Trojans must win the next two games of the series to advance to the next round of postseason play and keep alive their hopes of reaching the NJCAA Plains District Tournament at Eck Stadium next week. Game 2 of the series becomes a must-win for Colby as the Trojans look to extend their season and force a decisive Game 3. Game 2's first pitch is set for Friday (May 8) at noon.