Trojans Battle-Tested at Midseason, Turning Corner in Conference Play
April 1, 2026
As the Colby Community College baseball team reaches the midpoint of its 2026 season, the Trojans find themselves battle-tested, showing resilience and flashes of high-level play despite a challenging start in conference competition.
Colby currently sits at 10-21 overall with a 3-13 mark in Jayhawk Conference play, numbers that don’t fully capture how competitive the Trojans have been in recent weeks. After navigating a difficult early schedule that included multiple ranked opponents, the team has begun to show signs of growth, highlighted by improved offensive production and a breakthrough conference series win.
Offensively, the Trojans have proven capable of putting up big numbers. The lineup is led by Jacob Mraz, who paces the team with 33 hits and 20 RBIs, while Turner Zdunich has been a major run producer with 32 RBIs and nine home runs. Callum Thomson has added 30 hits and 22 RBIs, while Jake Brooks and Charlie Langford have each contributed 29 and 30 hits respectively, giving Colby a balanced attack from top to bottom.
That offensive potential was on full display during a dominant sweep of Otero College, where the Trojans exploded for 26 runs across two games. The series showcased Colby’s ability to string together hits and deliver power throughout the lineup, with multiple players recording multi-hit performances and home runs.
The Trojans carried that momentum into a high-profile matchup with No. 6 Cloud County, where they showed grit despite coming up short. In one of the most telling performances of the season, Colby erased a seven-run deficit in Game 2 and briefly took the lead late before falling on a walk-off home run. The doubleheader featured 20 hits from the Trojans, reinforcing their offensive depth.
While results didn’t always go their way in that stretch, the experience against top-tier competition helped prepare Colby for what would become a turning point in the season.
That moment came in a four-game series against Barton, where the Trojans broke through for their first conference wins of the year and secured their first series victory. The opener alone was a statement, as Colby rallied from a late deficit and walked off Barton in an 18-17 thriller. The Trojans followed that with a 15-12 win in Game 2 and a 6-5 victory on the road to clinch the series.
Throughout the Barton series, Colby’s offense was relentless, combining timely hitting with power at key moments. Zdunich delivered multiple home runs in the opener, Langford consistently drove in runs, and players like Mraz, Brooks, and Thomson contributed across the board. The Trojans showed not only their offensive ceiling, but also their ability to respond under pressure.
Even in a recent loss to McCook, Colby demonstrated that same fight, mounting a four-run rally in the ninth inning and finishing with 11 hits in the game. The late push underscored a team that continues to compete regardless of the scoreboard.
At the midpoint of the season, the identity of this Colby squad is beginning to take shape. The Trojans are an offense-first team with the ability to produce runs in bunches, backed by a pitching staff that continues to develop against high-level competition. While consistency remains a focus, the recent series win and competitive outings against ranked opponents signal a team trending in the right direction.
With key conference matchups ahead, including a series against Seward County, the Trojans now have an opportunity to build on their recent success and make a push in the second half of the season.
