By Matt Browning

Haven’s Andy Dirks saw his life change in a dramatic way when he went to Hutchinson Community College. 

The Blue Dragons won back-to-back Jayhawk West championships, the program’s first Region VI title in 30 years and a first-ever appearance in the NJCAA World Series while Dirks was in the program.

Dirks’ two-year record was 82-35 in 2005 and 2006 and he was firstx-team All-Jayhawk West and first-team all-Region VI as a sophomore.

As a centerfielder he had a .371 career batting average with 106 hits. His 41 career stolen bases were tied for seventh at the conclusion of his career.

After Hutchinson, Dirks went onto Wichita State, where he was a two-year starter for the Shockers. 

Dirks has gained plenty of national attention at WSU with his streak of reaching base safely in 73 consecutive games and his hitting streak of 29 games, which was the fourth-longest in Shocker history.

Dirks was selected by the Tigers in the eighth round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft. At that time, Dirks was the highest-drafted Blue Dragon in program history.

Called up to the Tigers for the first time in 2011, Dirks was with the Tigers when they went to the World Series in 2012. In 297 games with the Tigers, Dirks was a .276 hitter with 268 total hits, 47 doubles, seven triples and 24 home runs. Dirks drove in 100 runs and scored 150 runs.

Dirks now resides in Michigan, where he is a well-established and successful realtor.