By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Ryan Schmidt's 2011 Shawnee Heights team garnered the top spot on TopSports.news' Best of the Best baseball Top 10.
The T-Birds posted a perfect 25-0 record on the season, capped by a come-from-behind 6-4 win over Seaman in an all-city '11 Class 5A championship game.
Shawnee Heights' 2011 baseball team was tapped for the No. 1 spot on TopSports.news' Best of the Best list, posting a perfect 25-0 record and winning the Class 5A state championship. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Seaman's 2010 baseball team captured its third straight Class 5A state championship, posting a 23-2 record. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Seaman's 2008 baseball team won the first of three straight Class 5A state championships, losing just one game on the year. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Steve Bushnell's 2010 and 2008 Seaman teams hold down the No. 2 and No. 3 spots on the Best of the Best Top 10, with the Vikings' '10 team capturing Seaman's third straight 5A title while the '08 team started off the three-peat.
Hayden's 2015 baseball team went 24-1 en route to the Class 4A-I state championship, capped by a 10-0 win over McPherson. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Silver Lake baseball posted an undefeated season in 1970, winning the Class 2A-1A state title. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Bill Arnold's 2015 Hayden team is No. 4 on the Top 10 after posting a 24-1 record and earning the 4A-Division I championship while Silver Lake's undefeated '70 team, including county legend Lon Kruger, rounds out the top five.
Former Major League pitcher Jim Golden played a big role as Silver Lake won a second straight Class B state title in 1954. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Alan Cunningham coached Silver Lake to a third straight Class 3A state baseball championship in 1998. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Silver Lake, which has won 15 state championships, also holds the No. 6 and 7 spots on the Top 10, with former Major League pitcher Jim Golden leading the Eagles to a second straight Class B championship in 1954 and coach Alan Cunningham leading Silver Lake to a third straight 3A title in '98.
Hayden baseball did not allow a run in the 2009 state tournament on the way to the Class 4A state championship. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Craig Cox's 1994 Shawnee Heights baseball team won the school's first Class 5A state championship. [Submitted photo to KSHSAA.org]
Aaron Becker's 2009 Hayden Wildcats are ranked No. 8 on the Top 10 after going 20-4 and not allowing a run in the 4A state tournament.
Craig Cox's No. 9 Shawnee Heights won the school's first 5A title in '94, while No. 10 Topeka West won its lone 5A title in 2003 under the late Brett Cowdin, who also coached Hayden to a state championships in '97.
Heights' 11 championship team also received the most votes in Reader's Choice balloting, followed by Seaman's '10 team, Hayden's '09 and '15 teams and Heights' '94 team to round out the top five.
Topeka High's '47 team, which won Shawnee County's first state title, earned the No. 6 spot on the Reader's Choice Top 10, followed by Washburn Rural's Class 6A title team in '50, a tie between Silver Lake's '70 and West's '03 team for the eighth spot and Silver Lake's '98 team in 10th.
A panel of current and past sports media professionals with more than 120 years of combined experience helped determine the final Best of the Best Top 10.
Here's a look at the Top 10 and Readers Choice Awards:
TSN TOP 10 BEST OF THE BEST BASEBALL TEAMS
1. Shawnee Heights (2011) -- Ryan Schmidt's T-Birds posted a perfect 25-0 record on the way to the Class 5A state championship, the fourth in school history. Shawnee Heights beat Seaman 6-4 in an all-city championship game, with the T-Birds rallying from a 4-2 deficit. Top players for Shawnee Heights included future Wichita State catcher Tyler Baker, current Washburn University assistant coach Connor Crimmins and former WU standout and Minor League player David Gauntt.
2. Seaman (2010) -- Steve Bushnell's Vikings posted a 23-2 record on the way to their third straight Class 5A state championship. The Vikings beat Bishop Carroll in the championship game. Future Missouri State standout Eric Cheray and NCAA Division II player of the year Ryan Colombo were members of the Seaman team.
3. Seaman (2008) -- Seaman lost just one game on the season, as Steve Bushnell's Vikings began a streak of three straight Class 5A state championships. Future Oklahoma State player Robbie Rea was a standout for Seaman, as were Zach Carlson, Trent Speaker, Cory Deedrick and TJ Lorson.
4. Hayden (2015) -- Bill Arnold's Wildcats went 24-1 on the season to win the Class 4A Division I championship. Future Kansas State pitcher Brogan Heinen and Washburn standout Jacob Head were key players for Hayden, which took a 10-0 win over McPherson in the state final.
5. Silver Lake (1970) -- The Eagles posted a perfect record and claimed the Class 2A-1A championship. The late Rene Poort, who later became a well-respected football and basketball official, coached Silver Lake while future Kansas State basketball legend and longtime NCAA Division I coach Lon Kruger was a standout for the Eagles.
6. Silver Lake (1954) -- Future Major League pitcher Jim Golden starred for the Eagles, who won their second consecutive Class B state championship. V.J. Kolzow coached Silve Lake.
7. Silver Lake (1998) -- Alan Cunningham coached Silver Lake to its third straight Class 3A state championship. Shannon Kruger was a member of all three of the Eagles' title teams from '96-'98.
8. Hayden (2009) -- Aaron Becker's Hayden team posted 20-4 record and did not allow a run in the state tournament en route to the championship. Future Wichita State standout TJ McGreevy played a big role in the Wildcats' championship run.
9. Shawnee Heights (1994) -- Craig Cox coached Shawnee Heights to its first of the T-Birds' four Class 5A state championships. Future Kansas player Sparky Wilhelm was a standout for Heights.
10. Topeka West (2003) -- The late Brett Cowdin coached the Chargers to their lone Class 5A state championship, with West posting a 23-2 record on the season. Top players for West included Tych Cowdin, Daniel Heflin, Shawn Joy, Mike Williams and Jay Tunnell.
READERS CHOICE BASEBALL AWARDS
1. Shawnee Heights (2011) -- No. 1 in TSN Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
2. Seaman (2010) -- No. 2 in TSN Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
3. Hayden (2009) -- No. 8 in TSN Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
4. Hayden (2015) -- No. 4 in Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
5. Shawnee Heights (1994) -- No. 9 in Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
6. Topeka High (1947) -- Won Shawnee County's first state baseball title and the Trojans' lone championship in the sport.
7. Washburn Rural (1950) -- Washburn Rural put together an undefeated season en route to the Class B championship.
8. (tie) Silver Lake (1970) -- No. 5 in Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
8. (tie) Topeka West (2003) -- No. 10 in Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
10. Silver Lake (1998) -- No. 7 in Best of the Best Top 10 (see capsule above).
Next up: Girls basketball Best of the Best Top 10 teams and Reader's Choice awards.
