Great Bend Panthers earn first WAC baseball victory

Reliever Daxton Minton seals the win with two key strikeouts in the final inning.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 8:34am

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A fragmented, geometric painting in the style of Pablo Picasso, depicting the dynamic action of a baseball game with players and field elements broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and form.An abstract, cubist-inspired illustration captures the intensity and movement of a pivotal moment in the Great Bend Panthers' first Western Athletic Conference baseball victory.Great Bend Today

The Great Bend Panthers, led by first-year head coach Mike Stettinger, earned their first victory in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) by defeating the Dodge City team. Reliever Daxton Minton sealed the win by striking out the final two Dodge City batters in the last inning.

Why it matters

The WAC is a highly competitive baseball conference, so this win represents an important milestone for the young Great Bend Panthers team as they work to establish themselves in the league.

The details

Great Bend's baseball team, under the leadership of new head coach Mike Stettinger, managed to secure their first victory in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) by defeating Dodge City. The game came down to the final inning, where reliever Daxton Minton stepped up and struck out the last two Dodge City batters to clinch the win for the Panthers.

  • The game took place on April 7, 2026.

The players

Mike Stettinger

The first-year head coach of the Great Bend Panthers baseball team.

Daxton Minton

The reliever for the Great Bend Panthers who struck out the final two Dodge City batters to secure the victory.

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The takeaway

This win represents an important step forward for the Great Bend Panthers as they work to establish themselves as a competitive force in the highly challenging Western Athletic Conference.