Inside Edge wins KCCBL title
KANSAS CITY, MO — Inside Edge wrapped up a strong 22-10 season by capturing the Kansas City Collegiate Baseball League (KCCBL) championship. Led by Head Coach Jared Patterson, the team relied on an explosive offense and clutch pitching to take home the title.
The summer collegiate schedule moves fast, making focus a top priority. Patterson kept his team grounded by breaking the summer down into small, achievable goals. "I think managing expectations while having a pretty clear and realistic goal was something that helped us stay consistent all summer," Patterson said. "We were determined to go 3-1 each week to put ourselves in a good position heading into playoffs."
Inside Edge featured one of the standard-setting lineups in the league, powered by a mix of high average and major power: Sam Krzykowski (Northwest Missouri State): Led the team with a .403 batting average and 31 hits. Cullen Kleinsasser (Rockhurst University): Provided the power with 7 home runs and 36 RBIs. Core Contributors: Braedan Barbee (Rockhurst University) (.388 AVG, 26 RBIs), Luke Briley (University of Arkansas-Fort Smith) (.375 AVG), Cooper Callahan (SEMO) (.500 AVG, 14 RBIs), and Carson Hilton (Eastern Michigan University) (.373 AVG, 36 runs scored) kept the offense moving.
On the mound, managing pitch counts meant everyone had to step up. "On the pitching side, we had to piece it together each week due to pitch counts, but Noah Wagner (KCKCC), Jorden Rugg (Avila University), and Merek Davenport (KCKCC) gave us quality appearances pretty much each week," Patterson explained. "Austin O'Gorman (University of Arkansas-Fort Smith) and Alex Krueger (Kansas Wesleyan University) stepped up in big moments in the postseason for us."
For Patterson, who also coaches at Avila University, the summer was about more than just trophy hardware. It was about preparing his players to return to their college programs with confidence. "The biggest thing I feel helps players in the summer is giving them something to believe in," Patterson said. "We had several weeks where we were shorthanded on the pitching side, but you couldn’t tell by how our guys attacked the game. I feel it’s important that they go into the fall coming off a season with that kind of mentality."
The title marks another major milestone for Inside Edge Baseball, proving once again that their development model produces winners at every level of the game.
