Alum coach returns to help lead Wichita Heights baseball to a City League title

When Mark McBratney returned to his alma mater to become the head baseball coach at Heights, he wanted to pass on the same life lessons that he learned while playing for the Falcons.

Coached by an all-alumni staff, Heights returned to its roots and won its first outright City League championship since 2007 this season. The No. 2-ranked Falcons (20-5) earned the top seed in the Class 6A regionals and begin postseason play on Tuesday at McAdams Park.

“Our number one goal in this program is to produce good men into society,” said McBratney, a 2003 Heights graduate. “If we can help them fight through adversity, we know as former players that baseball is parallel with life and adversity. So giving them the tools to fight through adversity is going to prepare them for life and I’m extremely proud of this group.”

It’s a philosophy that McBratney learned while playing for former head coach Joe Auer, who has since retired from coaching baseball but remains a five-time state-champion coach in boys basketball at the school.

Auer attended several games throughout the season and has supported McBratney and his staff during their turnaround.

“We went into Heights as little boys thinking we were better than we were and coach Auer turned us into men,” McBratney said. “What he instilled in us has always been a goal of mine to give back to the kids that I coach today. I’m honored to be leading this program and have him backing us. It’s always been our goal to get this program back to where we were and make all of those dudes proud who have played in the program.”

Heights was just an average team last season, but with a returning core of players who have been starting since their freshman year, the Falcons have made the leap as a legitimate championship contender.

The turning point in the season came during a seven-day stretch in April when Heights won 5-1 on the road at Lawrence Free State, ranked No. 4 in 6A, pulled off a dramatic doubleheader sweep of Bishop Carroll, No. 3 in 5A, to essentially claim the GWAL title, then won 6-4 over Blue Valley West, No. 6 in 6A.

Senior Jackson Ellison has been a two-way star for the Falcons, as he owns a 4-0 record with a 0.97 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 29 innings on the mound. He is hitting .440 at the plate with three home runs, 28 RBIs, 23 runs scored and 10 stolen bases.

Cooper Oakley (.430 average, 29 RBIs) and Carson Smith (26 RBIs, 1.17 ERA in 18 innings) have teamed with Ellison to give Heights a trio of veterans who have also become team leaders.

Other standout seniors include Alec Maldonado (6-2, 3.23 ERA), Landon Joynt (.403 average, 18 RBIs, 15 stolen bases), Cale Milleson (.264 average, 25 runs, 11 stolen bases) and Caleb Cross, while junior Brady Boomsma (.410 average, 25 RBIs, 29 runs) and sophomore Kasch Oakley (.369 average, 22 RBIs, 23 runs) have also been big bats in the lineup.

“The next step for us building a good culture was to start playing for the man standing next to you,” McBratney said. “You have to understand the game at that level. It’s not always about getting a hit for yourself every time. It’s sometimes about making the pitcher throw eight straight pitches, then that buys the next guy up a fastball that he can do damage on. These kids have done a really good job of embracing that, fighting for the guys next to them.”

KSHSAA baseball postseason regional schedule

Class 6A

Wichita Heights (at McAdams Park)

No. 8 Wichita West (11-12) vs. No. 9 Wichita Northwest (11-13), 2 p.m.; No. 1 Wichita Heights (20-5) vs. No. 16 Wichita North (6-19), 4; championship, 6.

Topeka (at Hummer Sports Park)

No. 7 Liberal (13-10) vs. No. 10 Derby (11-15), 2 p.m.; No. 2 Topeka (15-4) vs. No. 15 Wichita East (7-18), 4; championship, 6.

Lawrence Free State (on Wednesday)

No. 6 Washburn Rural (13-9) vs. No. 11 Campus (10-14), 2 p.m.; No. 3 Lawrence Free State (19-6) vs. No. 14 Dodge City (9-15), 4; championship, 6.

Maize (on Thursday)

No. 5 Manhattan (16-6) vs. No. 12 Garden City (7-11), 2 p.m.; No. 4 Maize (19-7) vs. No. 13 Junction City (9-15); championship, 6.

Class 5A

Note: All games will be played 25 minutes following the previous game.

Maize South

No. 8 Hutchinson (17-9) vs. No. 9 Hays (16-9), 2 p.m.; No. 1 Maize South (19-4) vs. No. 16 Salina Central (7-18).

Bishop Carroll (at Westurban-Adams on Wednesday)

No. 7 Andover (17-9) vs. No. 10 Goddard (14-10), 2 p.m.; No. 2 Bishop Carroll (20-5) vs. No. 15 Arkansas City (8-18).

Andover Central (on Wednesday)

No. 6 Great Bend (18-8) vs. No. 11 Salina South (13-13), 2 p.m.; No. 3 Andover Central (20-5) vs. No. 14 Emporia (8-14).

Topeka Seaman

No. 5 Kapaun Mt. Carmel (19-7) vs. No. 12 Goddard Eisenhower (12-12), 2 p.m.; No. 4 Topeka Seaman (17-6) vs. No. 13 Newton (11-13).

Class 4A

Note: All games will be played 25 minutes following the previous game.

Abilene

No. 8 Mulvane (16-9) vs. No. 9 Lyons (14-8), 3 p.m.; No. 1 Abilene (20-2) vs. No. 16 Winfield (5-20).

Pratt

No. 7 Wellington (17-9) vs. No. 10 Ulysses (12-8), 2 p.m.; No. 2 Pratt (22-4) vs. No. 15 Concordia (7-13).

Clay Center

No. 6 Scott City (13-5) vs. No. 11 Circle (15-11), 3 p.m.; No. 3 Clay Center (20-4) vs. No. 14 Buhler (13-13).

McPherson

No. 5 Larned (16-6) vs. No. 12 Rose Hill (13-10), 2 p.m.; No. 4 McPherson (19-7) vs. No. 13 Chapman (12-10).

Class 3A

Douglass

No. 1 Trinity Academy (16-4) vs. No. 4 Douglass (13-10), 2 p.m.; No. 2 Wichita Collegiate (14-5) vs. No. 6 Chaparral (9-9), 4; championship, 6.

Halstead

No. 1 Kingman (20-5) vs. No. 4 Cheney (11-8), 2 p.m.; No. 2 Hesston (16-4) vs. No. 3 Haven (18-7), 4; championship, 6.

Class 2-1A

Flinthills

Semifinals—Sedgwick 11, Moundridge 1; Marion 10, Chase County 0. Finals—Marion 6, Sedgwick 1.

Sedan

Semifinals—Medicine Lodge 3, Cedar Vale-Dexter 1; Sedan 11, Belle Plaine 8. Finals—Medicine Lodge 9, Sedan 2.