In a performance worthy of the MLB Home Run Derby, Regal Plastic 3B Taylor Foss helped ensure a sweep against the Ban Johnson Legends in the best-of-three Ban Johnson Collegiate League American Division Series on Wednesday at Creekside Baseball Complex in Parkville.
Foss (Shawnee Mission West/Baker) put Regal in front during the first inning with a three-run home run to right field, but he was just getting warmed up.
He added a solo home run to left field in the fourth inning, going back-to-back with CF Max Pawela (Park Hill South/Colorado State-Pueblo) to lead off the frame, then mashed a two-run homer to center in the fifth for some much-needed insurance in a 12-9 win as Regal slugged its way into the BJCL Championship Series for the first time since 2017.
“I really just wanted to have a good game and have fun, because this is my last summer,” Foss said. “I’m playing every game as if it is my last one. That was my mindset — have fun, and this is it.”
Thanks to his monster night, Foss and his teammates now get to play an extra week with the 2022 BJCL title on the line in a best-of-five series against the BJ Raiders.
“I was just zeroing in the ball up,” said Foss, who finished 3-for-4 with three home runs and six RBIs. “Any ball up or away, I was just trying to stay through it as long as possible.”
Foss’ epic power display proved too much for the Legends to overcome despite home runs of their own from CF Caleb Adams (Lansing/Kansas City Kansas CC), 3B Brendyn Bard (Piper/Kansas City Kansas CC) and C Carter Bergman (Basehor-Linwood/Missouri State).
“Boy, three home runs — that’s hard to anticipate,” Regal manager Clint Culbertson said. “But he’s been swinging it pretty good towards the end.”
LF Beckett Rasmussen (Louisburg/Rockhurst) also had three hits for Regal, which won 4-2 on Tuesday in the opening game of the American Division divisional playoffs.
1B Brady Strickert (Blue Springs South/Northwest Missouri State) and SS Dylan Hufft (Park Hill South/Kansas State) delivered RBI singles during a three-run second inning in the first game of the series.
That proved to be enough for RHP Jake Canent (Blue Valley North/Rockhurst), who struck out eight and scattered five hits with a walk in his third complete game of the summer.
“Our keys have been that our starting pitchers throw strikes, our defense makes outs and we’re opportunistic at the plate,” Culbertson said.
The BJCL Championship Series begins at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at Creekside with one game each night until a champion is crowned.
