Sports

Body Editor’s Note: This is the first of a twopart series. Excelsior Springs’ Class 4 state championship run this spring in baseball is a hint of seasons to come, according to Coleman Weber.

Body ‘A GOOD CHALLENGE’ Excelsior Springs will be given “a good challenge” next season in varsity baseball, interim coach Cody Vaughn predicted June 22.

Body Aiden O’Dell and Dantin McBee are back playing tennis again. Following the end of the Excelsior Springs high school boys tennis season, O’Dell and McBee each took a break from the sport, they said.

Body Metropolitan Community College (MCC)-Maple Woods might have three members of Excelsior Springs’ 2026 Class 4 state championship baseball team on its roster next season.

Body I’m not as apathetic as I thought. The “Tartan Army” has convinced me of that.

Body Ananya Carrel and Olivia Deere got in some more offseason prep work last week for Excelsior Springs’ varsity girls tennis season. Carrel and Deere, who’ll each start their senior year this fall, participated in a high school team camp June 8-12.

Body Kaelan Bedford finished his high school baseball career at Excelsior Springs as a Class 4 state champion. He’s about to begin his college baseball career with a national champion.

Body New Excelsior Springs varsity boys basketball coach Doug Burnett and his Tigers got out of town for a few days this week. The Tigers were slated to conclude a two-day shootout Thursday at Warrensburg, hosted by the University of Central Missouri (UCM).

Body My apathy as a sports fan is growing. A few years ago, after decades of a sometimes passionate, sometimes apathetic, sometimes contemptuous relationship with Major League Baseball, I finally decided I no longer cared about that level of hardball.

Body Upperclassman Owen O’Dell and his Excelsior Springs varsity boys basketball teammates are spending their offseason getting to know Doug Burnett, their new coach. A graduate of Park Hill South High School, Burnett has held various head and assistant coaching jobs.