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1996 Broncos Information
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Won NBC title, placed in a tie for 4th in the
Jayhawk League (20-16), finished 6th in regional. |
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Broncos General Manager J.D. Schneider and Head Coach Bob Fornelli kept stirring the
pot and stirring the pot that summer. |
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In June, the stew wasn't to their liking.
In early July, the stew wasn't to their liking.
In late July, they got in their final stirrings.
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In August, the stew won the national prize.
Twenty-six non pitchers were used during the summer. Many combinations were
tried.
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When the NBC World Series began, most Broncos faithful were hoping the team could place
in the Top 10 to keep up the team's streak.
After a loss to Tacoma in the fourth game of the National, the team was playing sudden
death - one loss and it could be pack and go.
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The Broncos came back strong in the fifth game and beat a good Denver Cougars team
13-6.
That set up a match with Topeka. The Capitals and the Broncos had split their six
games during the summer.
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The game was close as expected. The Broncos trailed 7-0 after four but managed to
tie it up as the teams went to the ninth. El Dorado had stranded 14 men on base. |
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Yancy Ayres led off the ninth with a seeing-eye grounder between third and short.
Two outs later, he was on third. With one strike on Grier Jones, Topeka catcher
Brian Preston let a pitch get past him: and Ayers raced home for what proved to be the
game-winner. |
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That set up another battle with another Jayhawk League team, Hays, which had sent the
Broncos packing in 1995.
Hays threatened nearly every inning, but the
Broncos came up with three double-plays to win
3-0.
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Now, El Dorado had to face the Wichita Sluggers, a team which had defeated the Broncos
twice in as many games.
This time it was all Broncos as the El Doradoans won 13-6 to advance to the final.
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To win the title, El Dorado would have to defeat Tacoma twice. This was the same
Tacoma team that had ripped the Broncos 13-5 earlier.
The Broncos were ready. Wyley Steelmon hammered a pair of homers and Jones and
Kevin Frederick added one each. El Dorado rolled 13-8 on the strength of a 20 hit
attack.
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Fornelli put the ball in the hands of Nate Robertson and the Maize native responded
with five brilliant innings of 2 hit ball.
Ryan Kohlmier went one inning and was touched for an unearned run.
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After Pat Driscoll went 2/3 of an inning, Fornelli went to a familiar figure, Brad
Ralston, a workhorse for the Broncos all summer.
The Texas Tech hurler responded with 2 1/2 innings of one-hit ball and yielded only one
run, and the Broncos had their third national title.
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El Dorado cleaned up on the NBC honors: |
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Kevin Fredrick was selected as the Most Valuable Player of the tourney.
Frederick and Jeremy Troutman tied for first with 18 hits apiece and Jones was right
behind with 17.
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Frederick and Chris Chiprez tied for first in runs with 15 apiece.
Erick Laruitsen and Troutman were right behind with 11 each.
Troutman was first in stolen bases with 9.
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Frederick lead the tourney in RBIs with 19. Troutman was second at 18 and Jones
third at 17.
Steelmon was second in homers with 4.
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The team was first in homers (13), stolen bases (19) and double-plays (11). |
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