DRAGONS PLACE 12 ON ALL-JAYHAWK WEST BASEBALL TEAM

Hutchinson CC Sports Information
Backed by a record-breaking offensive season, the Hutchinson Community College baseball team had 12 players named to the 2026 All-Jayhawk West baseball team, which was released on Thursday morning.

The Blue Dragons landed six players on the first team – Anthony Mazza, Eli Duncan, Jordan Kuhnau, Cru Huenfeld, Karter Chamberlain and Brayden Henry. Jackson Schanuel, Wes Lyerly and Finn Hochstein were named to the second team. Aidan Marien, Diesel Purnell and Merek Yeager were honorable mention selections.

The six first-team all-conference selections were the most by a Blue Dragon team in program history. The 2017 and 2024 teams had five first-team selections. The 12 overall selections tied the 2024 Blue Dragons for the most on a single all-Jayhawk West team.

The statistics used to decide the 2026 all-conference team were based on the stats accumulated through the 32 conference games played only and not a player's full-season stats.

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ANTHONY MAZZA – 1st-Team Catcher
The sophomore from Prairie Village, Kansas, hit safely in 26 of 28 conference games played in 2026.

Mazza hit .460 in conference play (46 for 100) with 14 doubles, two triples and eight home runs. He drove in 31 runs and scored 54 with eight stolen bases.

Mazza had a four-hit game against Barton with a double and home run on April 11. He had 15 multi-hit games in conference play.

For the entire 2026 regular season, Mazza hit .435 with 77 hits, 19 doubles, 13 home runs and 58 RBIs. He tied a school record for the longest hitting streak of 25 games and had another 14-game hitting streak, making him the only Blue Dragon in history with three hitting streaks of 10 or more games in a career.

ELI DUNCAN – 1st-Team 2nd Base
Listed as a first-team selection at second base, the sophomore from Palo Alto, California played more than half of the Jayhawk West season as Hutchinson's starting shortstop.

Duncan hit .417 in 32 conference games started, going 45 of 108 at the plate. Duncan had 11 home runs, five doubles and three triples with 45 RBIs and 46 runs scored. Duncan also stole 11 bases.

Duncan had two two-home runs games in conference play at Dodge City on March 12 and against Seward County on April 19. He had three four-RBI games in league games.

Duncan hit .439 (75 for 171) through the entire season with 20 doubles, 16 home runs and 71 RBIs.

JORDAN KUHNAU – 1st-Team 1st Base
A redshirt freshman from Garfield, Minnesota, Kuhnau led the Blue Dragons in conference games with a .482 batting average, 54 total hits and 62 RBIs in 32 games played.

Kuhnau was 54 for 112 in Jayhawk West games with 19 doble a triple and 15 home runs. He posted four games with four hits and 17 multi-hit games. Kuhnau had four two home-run games in conference play against Colby on March 7, Dodge City on March 14, Butler on March 28 and Seward County on April 18. He had a seven-RBI game against Butler on March 28. Kuhnau had a 1.042 slugging percentage in conference play.

Kuhnau hit .434 (79 for 182) with 23 doubles, 21 home runs and 86 RBIs with 83 runs scored in the 2026 regular season.

CRU HUENFELD – 1st-Team Outfield
A freshman from Overland Park, Kansas, Huenfeld led the Blue Dragon in Jayhawk West games with 17 home runs and posted a 1.042 slugging percentage in conference games.

Huenfeld hit .425 in 32 conference games (51 for 120). Huenfeld had 36 extra-base hit in conference play, including 15 doubles and the 17 home runs. He had 61 RBIs and 48 runs scored.

Huenfeld had a pair of two home-run games in conference play against Cloud County on April 4 and at Seward County on April 16. He drove in six runs against Dodge City on March 14 and had three other five-RBI games.

For the season, Huenfeld hit .396 (78 for 197) with 23 doubles, 22 home runs and a school single-season record 95 RBIs.

KARTER CHAMBERLAIN – 1st-Team Starting Pitcher
After pitching only two games before shutting his 2025 season down, the redshirt freshman from Lincoln, Nebraska, had a very strong 2026 season for the Blue Dragons.

Chamberlain posted a 6-1 record with a 5.35 ERA in eight conference starts this season. Over 37 innings, Chamberlain struck out 38 with a pair of seven-strikeouts games against Cloud County on April 4 and Seward County on April 18. Chamberlain won his final four conference starts.

For the regular season, Chamberlain posted a 7-1 record with a 6.29 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched.

BRAYDEN HENRY – 1st-Team Relief Pitcher
A freshman from Buhler was a mainstay out of the Blue Dragon bullpen, not allowing a run in seven relief appearances in conference games.

For the league season Henry was 2-0 with three saves and a 1.05 ERA. The runs he allowed in league games were starts against Seward County and Pratt, where he struck out 15 in 12 innings pitched in those two games. Henry had 28 strikeouts in 25 2-3 innings in Jayhawk West games this season. He had saves against Dodge City, Barton and Garden City.

Henry posted a 5-2 record with three saves in 16 overall appearances in 2026 with a team-low 2.21 ERA. He had 43 strikeouts and only four walks in 36 2-3 innings. Opponents hit only .197 against Henry.

JACKSON SCHANUEL – 2nd-Team Outfield
Schanuel, a freshman from Newcastle, Oklahoma, hit .451 in 32 Jayhawk West games this season. He had 51 total hits with eight doubles, nine home runs and 44 RBOS. Schanuel scored 54 runs and stole 10 bases.

Overall, Schanuel was Hutchinson's top hitter with a .440 batting average, collecting a team-high 81 hits with 18 doubles, four triples, 15 home runs and 71 RBIs.

FINN HOCHSTEIN – 2nd-Team 3rd Base
A sophomore from Seward, Nebraska, Hochstein quietly had a huge season for the Blue Dragons.

Hochstein hit .394 in 32 Jayhawk West games with 41 hits, 10 doubles, eight home runs, 29 RBIs and 31 runs scored. He was 6 of 6 in stolen bases.

For the entire season, Hochstein hit .391 with 49 hits, 13 doubles, 13 home runs with 48 RBIs and 48 runs scored.

WES LYERLY – 2nd-Team Starting Pitcher
Working every conference starter in either the No. 1 or No. 2 starting slot, the sophomore from Prairie Village, Kansas had a 4-2 record in eight starts with a 5.19 ERA in Jayhawk West play. Over 43 1-3 innings, Lyerly had 22 strikeouts and allowed 51 hits and 37 runs scored.

Lyerly was 7-2 in the regular season with a 4.95 ERA in 12 started and 13 overall appearances. He had a team-high three complete games. Opponents hit .267 against him. He had 38 strikeouts on 60 innings pitched.

AIDAN MARIEN – Honorable Mention Designated Hitter
A freshman from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Marien was a tremendous leadoff hitter for the Blue Dragons in 2026. He had a .362 batting average and a .527 on-base percentage with 10 steals in conference play. Marien had 38 hits, six doubles, six homers and 27 RBIs with 46 runs scored in 31 Jayhawk West games.

Marien hit .400 overall in the regular season with 72 hits, 15 doubles, eight homers and 43 RBIs while scoring 77 runs and stealing 18 bases.

DIESEL PURNELL – Honorable Mention Shortstop
A freshman middle infielder from Peculiar, Missouri, Purnell hit .352 in 30 Jayhawk West games with 38 hits, eight doubles and five home runs, including a grand slam. Purnell drove in 24 runs, scored 29 runs and stole six bases.

A .349 hitter in 50 games in the regular season, Purnell had 58 total hits, 13 doubles, four triples and five homers with 44 RBIs and 43 runs scored in the regular season.

MEREK YEAGER – Honorable Mention Starting Pitcher
A freshman from Muenster, Saskatchewan, Canada, Yeager was 5-2 with an ERA of 7.86 in eight Jayhawk West starts. Yeager was among the Jayhawk West leaders in strikeouts with 42 in 39 innings pitched in league games.

Yeager was 6-2 with a 6.32 ERA in 13 starts this season.