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In knew the Hutchinson Monarchs win over Santa Barbara to win the NBC World Series title was a big upset. But after reading this Taylor Eldgridge article it is clear it was a YUGE upset.
The Hutchinson Monarchs engineered one of the most memorable upsets in the 89-year history of the National Baseball Congress World Series to win the organization’s first national championship.
The Monarchs never trailed in a stunning 6-3 win over the Santa Barbara Foresters in the championship game at Eck Stadium on Saturday night, snapping the Forester’s 20-game winning streak and denying their bid to become the first franchise to win four straight national titles.
Santa Barbara, with 10 NBC championships to its credit since 2006, had not lost in Wichita since the 2019 quarterfinal and outscored opponents 180-34 during its historic winning streak that spanned four summers.
Ending the season celebrating with championship belts and trophies was quite the detour from how Hutchinson began the summer. The Monarchs had a 5-10 record at one point near the end of June, a dismal start that included a 22-0 loss to the Kansas Cannons.
Even with a second-half surge, the Monarchs (19-16) barely finished above .500 in the Jayhawk Collegiate League and were fortunate just to receive a bid to the NBC World Series.
Once they arrived in Wichita, the Monarchs were a different team. They cranked out 58 runs in five straight wins, including a 17-0 battering of Five Tool Kraken in Friday’s semifinals, to set up a showdown with the three-time defending champions.
Hutchinson featured mostly Kansas junior college players, while Santa Barbara’s championship lineup featured hitters from Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Dallas Baptist, Texas Arlington and Santa Clara. The Monarchs started Cole Toureau, who was 0-6 with a 9.36 ERA at Hutchinson Community College this past season, while the Foresters started Carson Turnquist, a Perfect Game 10 recruit coming out of high school.
The Hutchinson Monarchs engineered one of the most memorable upsets in the 89-year history of the National Baseball Congress World Series to win the organization’s first national championship.
The Monarchs never trailed in a stunning 6-3 win over the Santa Barbara Foresters in the championship game at Eck Stadium on Saturday night, snapping the Forester’s 20-game winning streak and denying their bid to become the first franchise to win four straight national titles.
Santa Barbara, with 10 NBC championships to its credit since 2006, had not lost in Wichita since the 2019 quarterfinal and outscored opponents 180-34 during its historic winning streak that spanned four summers.
Ending the season celebrating with championship belts and trophies was quite the detour from how Hutchinson began the summer. The Monarchs had a 5-10 record at one point near the end of June, a dismal start that included a 22-0 loss to the Kansas Cannons.
Even with a second-half surge, the Monarchs (19-16) barely finished above .500 in the Jayhawk Collegiate League and were fortunate just to receive a bid to the NBC World Series.
Once they arrived in Wichita, the Monarchs were a different team. They cranked out 58 runs in five straight wins, including a 17-0 battering of Five Tool Kraken in Friday’s semifinals, to set up a showdown with the three-time defending champions.
Hutchinson featured mostly Kansas junior college players, while Santa Barbara’s championship lineup featured hitters from Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Dallas Baptist, Texas Arlington and Santa Clara. The Monarchs started Cole Toureau, who was 0-6 with a 9.36 ERA at Hutchinson Community College this past season, while the Foresters started Carson Turnquist, a Perfect Game 10 recruit coming out of high school.
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