Voice of the Student - November 22, 2021

Summer 2017

I have played baseball for most of my life. Every time I step onto the diamond my goal is to have a great time and hopefully play well. With that mindset, I have had a ton of success and fun playing a game I love. With that being said, out of all the years I have played baseball not one compares to the summer of 2017. That summer we put together an all-star team. The kids on that team were from Ulysses, Elkhart, Southwestern Heights and Syracuse. Most of us didn’t know each other before this, but we became great friends.

When we first started having practices it looked like maybe we wouldn’t be able to compete at a high level. Our first tournament was in Liberal, and no one really expected anything from us. We had to play the Liberal Rattlers and they are known in Southwest Kansas for being really good. We ended up coming away with a victory against them and Garden City.  We then went on to win that tournament and got a spot in the state tournament.

Our first game at state we won easily, that was when we realized how good we could be. Our second game was against the team that has won state the 3 previous years. We started slow but eventually came back and beat them. The next day we won easily against Lyons and we clinched our spot in the State Championship game. We found ourselves playing against Frontenac which was the team that had won state the previous 3 years. If you win the state championship you get to go to Regionals in Minnesota. Frontenac was confident they were going to beat us; they already rented suburbans for the trip. We ended up winning the championship game 12-2 and became state champions.

Ulysses greeted us back home with congratulations and pride. The team members from Ulysses were even interviewed by Bob Dale on his morning show. The community was very supportive and local businesses helped fund our trip to Minnesota. We went from a team that no one expected to win any games to a team that was competing at the highest level. We didn’t win much in the Minnesota Regional tournament, but it was a great experience.

Winning the State Championship was amazing and brought a joy that I have never felt before. It wasn’t just about winning, however. The time I spent with my teammates in the dugout, hotel or anywhere else was what really made it special. We were complete strangers one day then brothers the next. We brought so much to each other that summer.    

Ryan Nightengale is a senior at UHS in Mrs. Pfingsten’s English class. He is the son of Tim and Margaret Nightengale.

Each week, in collaboration with UHS teacher Jodi Pfingsten, the Ulysses News will feature a student column in this space. Student writings are submitted by Mrs. Pfingsten after being edited in class. Student subjects and writing styles will vary based on the guidelines set forth by Mrs. Pfingsten and the Ulysses News.