Jayhawk League Adds Great Bend Team

The Jayhawk League will lose one and maybe two teams and will gain one team for the summer of 2017.  Jayhawk League officials met for their annual meeting on Saturday in Wichita.  The league, which originated in 1976, will lose the Bethany Bulls and maybe the Wellington Heat.  The Bulls have been in the league the past two years.  Bethany was 6-30 in ’15 and 13-29 in ’16 in league play.  Wellington has until September 1 to determine whether they will stay in the league.  The Heat were 17-25 this year in league play.  The Lake Havasu, Arizona Heat moved to Haysville in 2010 and won the Jayhawk.  The moved to Wellington in 2013 and won the league in 2014.  They were NBC runner up in 2013.

Meanwhile a team from Great Bend will join the league.  They will be known as the Big Bend Bat Cats.  So the schedule has yet to be determined pending Wellington’s decision.  If the Heat bolt the league, a seven team league will play a round robin schedule.  If there are eight teams, there will be divisions.

The league has also decided to adopt NCAA college baseball rules instead of American League rules.  Some league specific rules may be proposed.

The Jayhawk has discussed an all star game as a possibility.  Wichita is the preferred location for scouts.  The event would need a location and sponsor.

The NBC indicates they plan on keeping the pool play format for the 2017 NBC World Series but are looking at options to avoid meaningless games at the end of a three game pool.  The Kansas Stars, made up of former MLB players are expected back next year.  The ESPNU broadcast is a possibility again.