By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The Great Bend Bat Cat baseball team would not exist if not for the host families that give the players a place to stay each summer. On Sunday, the team hosted an event at Dry Lake Brewing in downtown Great Bend to find more host families. Bat Cats General Manager Roger Ward said about a dozen beds are still needed.
"We wouldn't have a team," he said. "That's how important it is for us and every summer collegiate team. And again, our community has been resilient and they always step up. Sometimes, it might be two days before the players arrive but it always happens. You hope that, year-by-year, it gets a little easier, but things come up with families that have done it in the past."
The Bat Cats are coming off a banner season. The team was pushing for a club record for wins before the July 16 storm temporarily brought things to a halt. The Bat Cats still finished the year at 30-12 with a quarterfinal loss in their fourth NBC World Series appearance. In May, the organization received $10,000 from 100+ People Who Care for renovations at Al Burns Memorial Field. The team hosted the all-star game and home run derby in July, and the Barton County Commission proclaimed June 21, 2023, as Great Bend Bat Cats Day. To keep the tradition going, more host families are needed.
"These guys are pretty low-maintenance and they're not at home as much as you'd think," Ward said. "They're all very responsible because they have something to lose, meaning they could lose their scholarship if they mess something up, if they did anything wrong at the host family's house. There's a lot on the line for them, but they're very gracious of it."
In seven years, the Bat Cats have brought in players from 22 states and five countries. The 2024 group is scheduled to begin arriving in Great Bend on May 28. They will make an appearance at the Fridays on Forest event in May and be part of the June Jaunt parade on Saturday, June 1. That evening is Opening Day for the team.
Anyone interested in becoming a host family can contact Ward by calling Ward at (620) 282-8159 or Bat Cat President Amy Ney at (620) 617-1236, or by emailing [email protected].