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Fern, Hayden, Busch get all-SEK baseball honors
Pittsburg seniors Beck Fern (11) and Cole Hayden (14) both earned all-Southeast Kansas League first team for their outstanding play during the 2026 season. BROCK SISNEY / THE MORNING SUN

Pittsburg baseball earned three all-league selections when the Southeast Kansas League released the all-league teams following the completion of the 2026 season.

Senior teammates Beck Fern and Cole Hayden earned first team and junior catcher Max Busch second. Fern and Hayden signed with community colleges Coffeyville and Fort Scott, respectively.

The Purple Dragons finished their first season under head coach Troy Scribner with a 10-13 overall and 8-4 SEK League record, losing both games against league champion Fort Scott and taking splits against Chanute and Coffeyville.

The Dragons’ season ended on a 6-4 loss in a Class 5A regional semifinal against Leavenworth at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park. They led 4-0 before surrendering all six runs in the bottom of the sixth.

One of the Dragons’ highlight wins was their first of the season, 9-8 against 4A fourth-place Paola early in the season at Frontenac. The Dragons also took a tough 4-3 loss against 3A state champion Girard in April, surrendering their lead to the Trojans in the seventh under similar circumstances to the Leavenworth loss.

League champion Fort Scott led the way with six selections: Kaden Cannon, Kanin Brown, Dierks Kegler and Tyler Anderson first team and Dexter Williams and Creed Clayton second.

ALL-SOUTHEAST KANSAS LEAGUE BASEBALL

FIRST TEAM

Chanute: Brady Alonzo, Jacob Thompson, Karter Naff;

Coffeyville: Ryley Robson;

Fort Scott: Kaden Cannon, Kanin Brown, Dierks Kegler, Tyler Anderson;

Independence: Kamen Sprague, Spencer Crain;

Labette County: Kam Good;

Pittsburg: Beck Fern, Cole Hayden

SECOND TEAM

Chanute: Kasen Audiss, Colin Keating, Gage Frazell;

Coffeyville: Jaxin Hershey;

Fort Scott: Dexter Williams, Creed Clayton;

Independence: Brock Sanders, Kellen Lanning;

Labette County: Colton Ghering, Mason Morris;

Parsons: Connor Largent;

Pittsburg: Max Busch

Pitcher of the Year: Kaden Cannon, Fort Scott

This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund