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Every baseball player’s goal is to make it to the big leagues. For players stuck in Single A, Double A or Triple A, the only thing they can do is put up good numbers and force the club’s hand when it comes to promoting them to the next level.

Former Winnetonka High standout Nick Van Stratten is doing his part to force the Kansas City Royals upper management to take a closer look at him.

For the second week in a row Winnetonka High pole vaulter Sammee Schram had her chance to clear 10 feet, 6 inches. For the second week in a row Schram just missed on her three tries.

However, the misses were much easier to swallow as she stood there collecting her sixth-place medal at the Missouri Class 4 State Track and Field Championships on Friday, May 29.

Winnetonka High had its chance to put Liberty in a deep hole at the Class 4 Sectional 8 game. Instead it missed out and fell 8-3 on Tuesday, May 26.

Liberty starter Paul Krogmeier could not find the strike zone, walking the first two batters.

The Griffins banged Krogmeier for two singles and a double to go with those opening walks.

When Liberty High’s Sara Page failed to convert at 9 feet, 6 inches in the girls pole vault, Winnetonka pole vault coach Jeff Fogel got to deliver the good news to his vaulters — they were headed to Jefferson City for the Class 4 State Track and Field Championships.

With the tension released, Sammee Schramm and Marissa Shelton went back to work at the Class 4 Sectional 4 meet Saturday, May 23, at Blue Springs South High. The results ended with Schramm winning the meet with a height of 10-0. She beat Lee’s Summit West’s Clare Petrucci on misses. Shelton finished fourth after clearing 9-6, but having more misses than Blue Springs’ Megan Wright.

At the time it just looked like Winnetonka High’s baseball team was adding a few insurance runs to pad the victory.

The two runs the Griffins pushed across in the bottom of the sixth would prove very valuable in an 8-7 win against Fort Osage in the Class 4 District 15 championship Thursday, May 21.

At the time it just looked like Winnetonka was adding a few insurance runs to pad the victory. The two runs they pushed across in the bottom of the sixth would prove very valuable in an 8-7 win over Fort Osage in the Class 4 District 15 championship Thursday, May 21.

Pitcher Nick Martinez reached on a bunt to start the inning and moved to second after a sacrifice. Left fielder Chris Egorugwu sliced a double down the right field line to score a pinch runner and make the score 7-5. It was the second big play of the inning for Egorugwu who saved a run from scoring in the top half with an inning-ending diving catch.

“It is almost always that way,” Winnetonka coach Brett Jones said. “You will see a guy make a big play in the outfield and then come up and have confidence at the plate. I was confident Chris was going to do that.”

After Anthony Davis struck out, third baseman Nathaniel Horton blooped a single behind the short stop to score Egorugwu for the eventual winning run. It was the second year in a row the Griffins beat the Indians in the district finals.

“It was one of our goals at the beginning of the season, so it was nice to accomplish that, but we have bigger goals to achieve,” Horton said.

After pushing across two runs in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 8-7, the Indians' BK Thomas grounded to Horton who bobbled the ball, but still got Thomas at first for the final out.

"I was just trying to let it all go at that point," Horton said. "I just let my arm out and made the throw."

Martinez relieved starter Chris Fitzpatrick with one out in the fourth. He immediately got out of a one out, runners on first and second jam, when second baseman Jesse Semanko made an over the shoulder catch in short right center and then doubled off the runner at second. Martinez went 3 2/3 allowing only two runs.

“Nick has been solid all year long,” Jones said. “He changes speeds about as well as anyone you will see. He came in and got the job done.”

The win set up a rematch with Liberty in the sectional matchup Tuesday, May 26, at 4 p.m. The Blue Jays beat the Griffins 5-1 in the first round of the Northland Baseball Tournament.

“We have to work ahead in the count and have a better approach at the plate,” Jones said. “They came over earlier in the year and pretty much handed it to us. We are going to be more prepared this time.”

Sports writer Bill Knust can be reached at 389-6605 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A week before the Class 4 District 8 meet Winnetonka High’s Andy Helmick was outraced to the finish line in the 400 meters by Park Hill South’s Josh Scott.

The two dueled again Saturday, May 16, at Park Hill High. This time Helmick beat Scott to the finish line for the win and the district title. The athletes were separated by one-hundredth of a second. Helmick won in 49.33 seconds, while Scott finished in 49.34.

Now the challenge for that group of girls is to put that big win past them and focus on advancing further into the postseason. The comforting thing is the Griffins will be back at Park Hill for the Class 4 District 8 meet Saturday, May 16.

“We took that as a little disrespect. It put a fire under us,” shortstop Anthony Davis said. “We deserve to be the two seed this year, so we will see what we can do. It really doesn’t change anything because it is win or go home at this point.”

It was cold and it was late, but none of that mattered to the Winnetonka High baseball team Monday, April 27.

The Griffins had scratched and clawed their way to a 10-9 win against rival North Kansas City at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in a fundraiser game for breast cancer research.

Winnetonka coach Brett Jones said two big things came from the win.