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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Christian Roduner's college baseball career at Emporia State is winding down, but the Rossville native made sure last weekend that he won't soon be forgotten.
Turning in a Senior Day performance for the ages against Fort Hays State, Roduner went 2 for 4 with a home run, two runs scored and three runs batted jn for ESU in a 13-3 first-game MIAA win over the Tigers and then put that performance to shame in the second game, achieving one of baseball's rarest single-game feats when he hit for the cycle in the Hornets' second straight 13-3 romp.
Roduner is believed to be the first Hornet to hit for the cycle since Emporia State moved to the NCAA Division II ranks in 1992.
"I had never done that,'' said Roduner, the MIAA HItter of the Week. "I was close my freshman year at Colby (Community College). I was a triple away from a cycle, but I didn't get it.''
Emporia State senior infielder Christian Roduner, a Rossville native, hit for the cycle in last Saturday's 13-3 MIAA win over Fort Hays State. [Photo courtesy of Stephen Coleman]
On Saturday Roduner was able to get the triple, arguably the hardest of the four cycle components to get, out of the way on his first at bat.
"The triple was the luckiest one,'' Roduner said. "I hit it to dead center and it actually kind of kicked off the center fielder's glove and it winded up rolling down the fence and it was a standup triple. That was a lucky one for sure.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Editor's note: If Shawnee County athletes would like to have their college letter of intent signing pictures in any sport published on TopSports.news, submit them to
Topeka High's Lilly Smith (middle front) has signed a college basketball letter of intent with Spoon River College in Canton, Ill. [Submitted]
Cair Paravel Latin senior Basia Nesbett-Tucker has signed a volleyball letter of intent with Calvary University. [Photo courtesy of Jan Pabitzky]
Washburn Rural senior pole-vaulter Mike Mercer has signed a track and field letter of intent with McPherson College. [Submitted]
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After putting together a 27-1 singles record for Hayden this spring, senior Alex Sherer will represent Rossville in postseason tennis. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After a wait of nearly four years, senior Alex Sherer is officially a Rossville Bulldawg tennis player.
Following an impressive 27-1 singles run this season as a co-op player for Hayden, Sherer will switch gears this weekend and represent Rossville in Class 3A-1A regional competition Friday and Saturday at Salina Central High School, vying for a berth in the 3A-1A state tournament on May 14-15 at Wichita.
Sherer was unable to play his first two years of high school tennis because Rossville did not field a team and his chance to compete as a co-op player for Hayden and Rossville his junior season was wiped out by COVID-19.
But all the stars finally aligned for Sherer this spring and he's doing his best to make up for lost time.
Sherer competed in a full regular-season schedule for Hayden, finishing that stint with the singles championship in last Saturday's Emporia tournament, and will now represent Rossville as a one-man team in postseason.
"It's been fun,'' Sherer said. "I've been making new friends and re-meeting people I had met before and just trying to be a good teammate and have a good time.''
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
It's no secret among local high school football coaches that there's an abundance of athletic talent in the Topeka area.
The major objective of Tuesday's Topeka Area Football Coaches Association Junior Day Combine was about making sure that knowledge is no secret to college coaches either.
Seventy-four prep players, most from the class of 2022, were on hand Tuesday at Shawnee Heights to show off their talents while representives from 18 area Division II, NAIA and junior college football programs were in attendance to take a first-hand look.
"We've done this 14 out of the last 15 years,'' said camp organizer Jason Swift, head coach at Shawnee Heights. "Last year was the only year we didn't do it, because of COVID.
"This was a good number (of participants). We've got good football players in Northeast Kansas and this is a chance to promote it.''
Topeka West junior Mikael Glenn goes through an agility drill at Tuesday's Junior Combine at Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
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By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Seaman's baseball team had to work out of numerous jams against Shawnee Heights Tuesday night, starting with an eventful first inning and going down to the final pitch of the night.
But the Vikings had an answer for each and every situation, riding strong pitching and key defensive plays to a 2-0 rivalry win over the T-Birds on Heights' Senior Night at the Bettis Family Sports Complex.
"When you play guys that you know, that you've grown up with, you can throw the records out because they want to beat you,'' Seaman coach Trent Oliva said. "That's a good ballclub over there and we're going to get their best shot just like we're going to try to give them our best shot.''
Seaman, which improved to 14-3, scored what proved to be the game-winning run when junior Maclane Finley singled and scored in the top of the first inning, but Shawnee Heights loaded the bases in the bottom of the first, setting the tone for the night.
Seaman pitcher Brady Stuewe is congratulated by catcher Andrew Kirmer after the final out in Tuesday's 2-0 Viking win over Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
