When it came to the makeup of KCKCC’s first and only team to reach the NJCAA DI World Series, “Dottes” carried the load.
“One of the things I’m most proud is that 20 of the 21 players on that team were from Wyandotte County high schools – Bishop Ward, Washington, Wyandotte, F.L. Schlagle, J.C. Harmon, Piper and Bonner Springs,” said then head coach Dave Klein. “We needed a little more pitching so we recruited Paul Pearce from Shawnee Mission Northwest, but
all the rest were from Wyandotte County.”
The Blue Devils’ starting infield included Barry Davies, Gregg Creten, Jeff Watson and Bob Poje. Kevin Fouts handled the catching duties backed by Lynn Sebree. Steve Rezin, Ken Harvey and Larry Spies started in the outfield with Pat Young and Steve Pennock getting considerable playing time. Watson, Kevin Mendon, Ed Hernandez and Mark Harrison had the most pitching starts with Bob Hagen and Pearce in relief. Backup infielders included Lee Smith, Loren Breedlove, Dave Hoffman and Dave Wolf.
What was even more incredible is that the trip to the World Series came in just the third season of KCKCC baseball.
“Dr. Jack Flint (then KCKCC president) came to me and asked if I knew anything about baseball because he knew I grew up in Brooklyn when the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees were all in New York,” said Klein, whose first move was adding Mike Haen as an assistant. An instructor in law enforcement, Haen had experience coaching youth and American Legion baseball in the area. When Klein resigned after the 1978 season, Haen was named head coach only to be tragically shot and killed in the line of duty as a reserve police officer.
The Blue Devils were an immediate success, finishing 27-4 and 27-6 in the first two seasons in games played in Liondotte Park. In 1976, they moved to the new Eisenhower Field where they won the greater Kansas City Community College championship while breezing to the Jayhawk East title with a 10-2 record.
The Blue Devils swept the Region VI playoff, defeating Neosho 3-2, Coffeyville 4-3, Independence 25-1 and Johnson County 9-1.
That set up a best-of-three series against West Division champion Hutchinson. Rain forced the playoff to be delayed five days, and the Blue Devils were no-hit 3-0 in the first game. Facing elimination, KCKCC won the second game 4-1 as Mendon struck out 10 in posting his ninth win. Tied 1-1 in the seventh, KCKCC scored three times on hits by Watson, Rezin and Harvey. The Blue Devils took no chances in the decisive third game, winning 9-2 behind a two-run home run and two singles by Fouts and Harrison’s seventh straight win.
To reach the World Series, KCKCC still had to win the four-state Central District, which was made up of champions from Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado and Kansas.
KCKCC opened with a 2-1 win over Florissant Valley (Mo.) behind Mendon’s two-hit pitching and a Fouts’ home run but a 4-3 loss to Eastern Oklahoma forced the Blue Devils into the loser’s bracket. Getting a five-hit shutout from Watson, KCKCC stayed alive with a 5-0 win over Lamar (Colo.) to reach the finals against an Eastern Oklahoma team that had not lost.
Faced with winning twice, the Blue Devils also lost home field advantage because rain forced the finals to be moved to Johnson County. Down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the Blue Devils tied the game on a single by Creton, double by Fouts and a throwing error on a botched squeeze play and then won 3-2 in the 10th on a single by Davies following hits by Rezin and Fouts.
KCKCC spotted Eastern Oklahoma five unearned runs and a 5-0 deficit in the final game before Davies led a Blue Devil comeback with a two-run double off the fence and a home run inside the rightfield foul pole. The Blue Devils pulled even in the eighth on a Larry Spiess squeeze play and then got the go ahead run on a single by Watson, who also got the win.
Ranked No. 17, the Blue Devils were 10-1 to win the eight-team World Series in Junction City, Colo., but it wasn’t to be. St. Clair (Mich.) escaped two early inning KCKCC threats for a 4-2 win in the opening round and Albernarie, N.C. eliminated the Blue Devils 6-0 in the second round.
Five Blue Devils were named to the All-Region VI team, shortstop-pitcher Jeff Watson, who hit .331 and was 8-2 on the mound; second baseman Gregg Creten (.319), outfielder Ken Harvey (.362), designated hitter Barry Davies (.375 with 26 extra base hits); and pitcher Mark Harrison, who had a 1.62 ERA as a starter and No. 1 reliever.
