Baseball Looks to Rebound as Grizzlies Come to Colby

After a difficult conference-opening series, the Colby Trojans baseball team looks to bounce back this week as the Trojans return to the diamond for a pair of matchups against Butler.

Colby enters the week following a tough four-game stretch against No. 18 Hutchinson this past weekend. The Trojans will now host the Grizzlies on Thursday (March 12) with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. before traveling to El Dorado, KS, for two more games on Saturday (March 14).

The Trojans currently sit at 5–11 (0–4 KJCCC) play after facing the nationally ranked Blue Dragons. Despite the early conference setback, Colby has shown flashes offensively throughout the first portion of the season. As a team, the Trojans are hitting .243 while posting a .412 slugging percentage.

Sophomore Turner Zdunich has been the standout at the plate for Colby so far this season. Zdunich leads the team with a .364 batting average and an impressive .795 slugging percentage. He also leads the Trojans with five home runs, which is tied for eighth-most in the conference, and is the only Colby player with double-digit RBIs with 19 on the year.

Jacob Mraz has also been a steady presence in the lineup, hitting .305 while driving in nine runs and collecting four extra-base hits. Callum Thomson provided one of the offensive highlights of the season during the Trojans' matchup with Hutchinson on Saturday (March 7). Thomson drove in seven runs in the game, highlighted by a grand slam that helped spark the Colby offense.

Butler enters the series with an 8–9 (3–1 KJCCC) mark. The Grizzlies are coming off a strong series against Garden City, where they picked up three straight wins, including a run-rule victory.

Offensively, Butler has been one of the stronger hitting teams in the conference early in the season. The Grizzlies are batting .332 as a team while slugging .566. Yusei Uzawa leads Butler at the plate with a .466 batting average and has also drawn 16 walks so far this season. His batting average currently ranks third in the KJCCC. Dany Wideman provides power in the middle of the Grizzlies' lineup, leading the team with six home runs while batting .356. Tanay Vyas has also been productive offensively, leading Butler with 27 RBIs, which ranks fifth in the conference.

On the mound, Andrew Dechaine has been one of Butler's most effective pitchers, posting a 1.93 ERA across five appearances and 4.2 innings pitched. Shane Holman has made five starts for the Grizzlies and has recorded 19 strikeouts so far this season.

With conference play still in its early stages, the Trojans will look to regroup and build momentum as they take on Butler in the upcoming four-game set.