Team Picture courtesy of Max Islein

Coming off a 17-10 season which ended in the regional semifinals, the Mustangs are determined to get back and play deeper into the postseason with the help of six seniors who all saw significant time in 2025.

Under second year head coach Mark Vaughn, the Mustangs have hit the ground running with their seniors leading by example.

“They know the expectations,” said Vaughn about the returning seniors. “They know what they’re doing and they’ve really taken on a leadership role so far this year and it’s been helpful.”

It doesn’t hurt when half of your returning players are also your top three pitchers from the previous season. Bodie Rodriguez, Grayton Gross, and Chance Hogan led the Mustangs in innings pitched, and each posted an ERA under 2.50.

Rodriguez and Gross are both considered frontline starters. Rodriguez  threw 45.2 innings as a junior with an ERA of 1.53, the lowest on the team. Gross will also be lined up to pitch in Central’s biggest spots. As a junior, his 1.99 ERA in 38.2 innings was second lowest only to Rodriguez.

Hogan split time between starting and coming out of the bullpen last season. He could serve in a similarly valuable role after posting a 2.48 ERA in 31 innings.

Eli Kreighbaum, Henry Tibbits, and Parker Graves will also see time on the mound.

Parker Graves anchors the middle of the batting order after leading the Mustangs with 33 hits and a .407 batting average. Oscar Perez will provide a key boost, coming off a team-best 24 RBIs and seven doubles.

Not to mention Bodie Rodriguez and Chance Hogan, who hit .308 and .299, respectively, while also handling significant responsibilities on the mound.

When asked about his team’s offensive identity, Mark Vaughn emphasized the importance of hunting their pitch and making the opposing pitcher work until they get it.

“If we get a pitch we like early, I want them getting after it,” Vaughn said. “And if we do find ourselves in a two-strike count, we want to battle, put the ball in play and put some pressure on the defense.”

After stealing 33 bases as a team last year, Vaughn and his staff are excited about the possibility of stealing more bases.

“Another thing we’re really excited about as a staff, is our athleticism,” Vaughn said. “We feel like we’re going to be able to take the extra base, steal some more bags by being aggressive on the base paths.”

With the regular season around the corner, there’s plenty of reasons for Central to be excited, but the goal for 2026 is to built towards the postseason and be playing their best at the end of the year.

The Mustangs open the season at Junction City on Friday and have their home opener the following Tuesday against Dodge City.