Lincoln East, Omaha Skutt Catholic and Central City/Centura have top seeds at NSAA Baseball Championships
By Terry Douglass – For the Nebraska School Activities Association
The NSAA State Baseball Championships begin its third return to three classes and the two-bracket, winner-take-all championship games on Friday. The format has fit well for returning champions Lincoln East (Class A) and Malcolm (Class C) as both Lancaster County schools have won back-to-back titles.
There will, however, be a new champion in Class B as both Elkhorn North and Norris – the 2023 and 2024 champions – were ousted in district play and could not snag one of two wild card spots available to the tournament.
Play begins at four sites across the Omaha metro with Class A play on Friday, with Classes B and C playing opening round games on Saturday, May 17. The championship games will be played at Werner Park in Omaha on Friday, May 23.
Up to date championship information will be delivered via the NSAA Baseball Championship Central page. All first round and state semifinals will be broadcast on the NFHS Network. The three championship contests will be broadcast on Nebraska Public Media.
All-Class State Tournament Bracket
CLASS A: Lincoln East eyeing another trip to the state final
Despite reaching the state-tournament final in each of the past two seasons, Lincoln East coach Mychal Lanik doesn’t put a whole lot of stock into the idea of postseason experience being a significant advantage.
That was evident last season, he said. Coming off winning a state title in 2023, the Spartans showed signs of nervousness in a narrow first-round win.
“Once the ball is thrown, some of that goes out the window,” Lanik said of having experience at state. “We like our experience, offensively, and we have guys who have been in that environment, but we also know we’re going to run into some really, really high-end pitching and we have our work cut out for us.”
Top-seeded Lincoln East’s quest to reach a third consecutive state championship game begins Friday when the Spartans face Papillion-La Vista (20-11) at 10 a.m. at Tal Anderson Field in Omaha.
Unlike the past few seasons, Lanik said he thinks this year’s Class A tournament is completely wide open.
“In recent years, it felt like there were three or four teams that kind of separated themselves from the pack throughout the year,” Lanik said. “This year, I think all of the teams playing in the district finals were good enough to make a deep run.
“All eight teams that qualified are really capable. They all have Division I commits and power arms. I think it’s a really deep and talented field, for sure.”
The Spartans will face Papillion-La Vista in the opening round and be joined in the top bracket by Millard South and Millard West. Those games will open the tournament at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM on Friday.
The bottom bracket – with second-seeded Papillion-La Vista South will play in a second session with games at 4:00 and 7:00 PM. The Titans will face Millard North, while Kearney and Elkhorn South will face off in the nightcap.
While East’s 29-3 record would indicate the Spartans have outclassed the competition this season, Lanik disagrees.
“Obviously, our record is outstanding and it’s a testament to our kids, their how-to-win awareness and the toughness that they have, but it hasn’t felt like a dominant season,” Lanik said. “We’ve had some struggles offensively and defensively, at times. We’re still a work in progress and we know that.”
Statistically, it’s difficult to find a weakness in the Spartans. Their team ERA is 1.61, team batting average is .317 and East’s team fielding percentage is .950.
“I think probably the biggest strength of our team is the depth of our lineup,” Lanik said. “It has definitely been one of the more complete teams we’ve had here in terms of being able to win in different ways. That gives us some confidence going into the week.”
Nebraska recruits Jeter Worthley (.354 batting average and 120 career starts) and Joey Senstock (.311 with four home runs and 30 RBIs), along with Carter Harmes (.312 with two homers, eight doubles and 28 RBIs) and Troy Peltz (12 extra-base hits and 26 RBIs) lead East’s offense. Sophomore Kalai Larsen adds punch with a .412 batting average and 10 doubles.
On the mound, Jack Ohlers has logged a team-high 41 innings, compiling a 6-2 record with a 1.37 ERA. The Spartans have several other quality arms, including Santino Arranaga (5-1 with a 0.47 ERA) and Grayson Bjorkman (5-0 with a 2.82 ERA). Luis Cockell (4-0 with a 0.74 ERA) and Senstock (three saves) thrive in the closer role for the Spartans.
The Spartans boast some impressive numbers, but Lanik said a highly motivated senior class has been the X-factor for East’s success.
“We have great senior-player leadership,” Lanik said. “They hold each other accountable and they expect to win. With some teams, it’s the coaches who have to drive everyone to work hard and to execute, but that’s not the way this team is.
“Our seniors know what the expectations are and they know how to win. They lead the charge because they want it so bad. I’m just blessed to be their coach.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Trevor Roach, Lincoln East (2-0, one save, 0.33 ERA); Easton Schneider, Papillion-La Vista (.359 average, 23 RBIs, 9 doubles); Landyn Albrecht, Papillion-La Vista (6-0 record, 1.57 ERA); Brady Perich, Millard South (.469 average, 27 RBIs, 12 doubles); Tyler Albert, Millard South (6-2 record, 1.98 ERA, 56 Ks); Brycen Botos, Papillion-La Vista South (5-1 record, 2.45 ERA, 4 HRs, 20 RBI); Danny Wallace, Papillion-La Vista South (1.75 ERA, top-rated Nebraska prep prospect); Marcus Hankins, Millard North (.386 average, 2 HRs, 26 RBIs, 13 doubles); Noah Gartner, Millard North (2-2 record, 1.44 ERA, 45 Ks); Bryce Andersen, Kearney (.405 average, 11 doubles, 5-3 record, 2.86 ERA); Kole Throckmorton, Kearney (.368 average, eight doubles, five triples, 27 RBIs); Brody Jindra, Elkhorn South (.410 average, 3 HRs, 19 RBIs, 5-0 record, 1.37 ERA); Owen Musil, Elkhorn South (.365 average, 2 HRs, 28 RBIs).
FIRST-ROUND MATCHUPS (FRIDAY). At Tal Anderson Field | Lincoln East (29-3) vs. Papillion-La Vista (20-11), 10:00 AM; Millard South (23-10) vs. Millard West (21-12), 1:00 PM; Papillion-La Vista South (24-8) vs. Millard North (20-11), 4:00 PM; Kearney (22-9) vs. Elkhorn South (16-10), 7:00 PM.
CLASS B
Pitching, defense key for Omaha Skutt Catholic
If pitching and defense do indeed win championships, Omaha Skutt Catholic appears well-positioned to make a title run in Class B.
The top-seeded Skyhawks take a 22-5 record into Saturday’s first-round game against Hastings (13-11). Skutt has a team ERA of 2.19, holds opposing batters to a .175 average and has a team fielding percentage of .966.
“Pitching has definitely been our calling card this year,” Skutt coach Damon Day said. “And we’ve played great defense behind it.”
The Skyhawk pitching staff is led by Jace Ziola, who is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA. The senior leads Class B with 77 strikeouts in just 35 innings pitched.
“Jace is arguably the best pitcher in the state, in my humble opinion,” Day said. “He has overpowering stuff and is a potential Major League Baseball draft choice. He goes out and sets the tone.”
Behind Ziola, Skutt can turn to Bubba Day (7-0 record with a 1.20 ERA), Easton Elam (6-1 record, 1.31 ERA) and Huston Beran (2-1, 2.16 ERA) for additional quality innings.
The Skyhawks aren’t lacking at the plate, either. Luke Van Dyke leads the way with a .465 batting average as Skutt hits .329 as a team. Dylan Van Dyke (.400 with 22 RBIs), Cooper Smith (.342 with three home runs and 26 RBIs) and Gage Gunther (.361 with 22 RBIs) solidify the lineup.
“Our philosophy on offense is to always try to score first, and if we do that, we can add from there,” Day said. “I think that approach has allowed us to be consistent. It’s a very tough offensive group.”
Coming into the state tournament, Skutt’s lone loss against Class B competition was a 5-4 setback at Lincoln Pius X in the regular-season finale. The Skyhawks responded by winning their two district games by a combined score of 20-3.
“We’re confident in our abilities when we play the game the way we’re supposed to play it,” Day said. “When we play up to our level, we’re a very competitive baseball team. We played a tough schedule, so I feel like we’re battle-tested as far as the competition we’ve played.”
Skutt is bidding for its first state title since 2017. But Day said winning the tournament won’t be easy. Waverly and Gretna East join the Skyhawks on the top half of the bracket with 25-3 Bennington on the bottom side.
“If you look at the strength of a Waverly team, a Gretna East team and you look at what Bennington has done all season long, it’s a testament to the strength of Class B,” Day said. “You’ve also got some strong newcomers, so I think you’ve got a lot of really, really good baseball teams in there.
“If you’re a fan of high school baseball, it should be fun to watch because any team in there can get hot and make a run.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ian Shaw, Hastings (.440 batting average, 11 RBIs); Carlos Jimenez, Hastings (5-1 record, 2.80 ERA; Bruin Sampson, Waverly (.367 average, 22 RBIs, 8 doubles); Brennan Miller, Waverly (6-1 record, 0.84 ERA, 27 RBIs); Nolan Green, Gretna East (.357 average, 2 HRs, 17 RBIs, 10 doubles); Trevor Cox, Gretna East (5-2 record, 1.24 ERA); Hunter Spencer, Bennington (.385 average, 5 HRs, 38 RBIs, 11 doubles); Jarron Utterback, Bennington (6-1 record, 1.03 ERA); Bostyn Happ, Seward (.422 average, .507 OBP); Brycen Burt, Seward (4-1 record, 2.95 ERA); Bryson Sargent, Ralston (.448 average, 18 RBIs, 2-1 record, 1.56 ERA); Dallas Whetzal, Ralston (5-1 record, 0.91 ERA); Logan Legner, Omaha Gross (.387 average, 18 RBIs); Kayo Rempe, Omaha Gross (6-0 record, 1.27 ERA).
FIRST-ROUND GAMES (SATURDAY). At Tal Anderson Field | Omaha Skutt Catholic (22-5) vs. Hastings (13-11), 10:00 AM; Waverly (20-9) vs. Gretna East (17-9), 1:00 PM; Bennington (25-3) vs. Seward (15-7), 4:00 PM; Ralston (16-6) vs. Omaha Gross Catholic (16-7), 7:00 PM.
Class C: Experienced Kernels taking aim at Class C title
A wealth of experience and sustained success has No. 1-seeded Central City/Centura favored to win the Class C state title.
The Kernels bring a 21-1 record into Saturday’s first-round game against St. Paul/Palmer (10-8) and have lofty goals after making a strong run at state last season. In fact, this is essentially the fifth consecutive trip to the state tournament for the core program, which qualified three straight seasons (2021, 2022 and 2023) as Central City/Fullerton/Centura.
“These seniors were eighth-graders when this program started its run, so they haven’t experienced not being at the state tournament,” Kernels coach Brandon Detlefsen said. “That’s a benefit to any team to have been down there. Just knowing the atmosphere of the games is big and our kids don’t get too high or too low.
“A lot of our guys have played in some pretty big games.”
With eight returning starters, Central City/Centura started fast, winning its first 17 games. A 5-2 loss on April 29 to fellow Class C state-tournament qualifier Adams Central was the only blemish on the Kernels’ record.
Whether or not that one loss was a good thing depends upon who you talk to, Detlefsen said.
“We had a debate about it among our coaching staff, but it’s just your mindset and how you look at it,” Detlefsen said. “As a competitor, you want to go undefeated, but we never really talked about it as one of our goals. Obviously, with eight returning starters from a team that went to the final four last year, we knew the ultimate goal was to try and win a state championship, so maybe it was a good thing to lose once and get the monkey off your back.”
Jake Ruhl leads the pitching staff with a 5-1 record and a 0.81 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 34 2/3 innings pitched. However, Detlefsen said the Creighton commit’s status on the mound for the state tournament is up in the air due to an injury, although Ruhl should be able to bat.
Luke Vakiner showed he’s capable of picking up some of the slack on the mound, posting a 6-0 record with a 1.75 ERA. Barrett Fries (4-0 with a 1.67 ERA) and Connor Erickson (4-0, 1.75 ERA) add strong pitching depth, as do Colbyn Peters (1.08 ERA with two saves) and Mason Gorecki (3.00 ERA) out of the bullpen.
Colter Lueders is batting .371 with three home runs, eight doubles and 27 RBIs, while Gorecki adds additional pop in the lineup with four homers, 26 RBIs and a .328 average. Erickson leads off and hits .358 with nine extra-base hits and 18 RBIs for a lineup that includes six regulars batting .300 or higher, including Ruhl (.365 with 10 doubles), Fries (.357) and Kayden Morner (.316).
As a team, the Kernels are hitting .315. They have scored in double figures 10 times.
“We’ve won in a variety of ways this year and the kids know that if we get down a couple of runs, they don’t panic,” Detlefsen said. “It’s just a good group of seniors that keep our dugout going and excited.”
Having already faced several Class C state qualifiers this season, Detlefsen said his team is confident, but won’t get caught overlooking any opponent. The Kernels are joined on the top-half of the bracket by Lincoln Christian and first-time qualifier Fort Calhoun. Two-time defending champion Malcolm (24-2) and the aforementioned Patriots of Adams Central are the top-two seeds on the bottom side of the bracket.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time — that’s coach-speak, I know, but it’s so big for our guys,” Detlefsen said. “With the experience that we have, we have just looked at the postseason as, two (wins) down and four to go. That’s our mentality.”
FIRST-ROUND GAMES (SATURDAY). At Fricke Field | Central City/Centura (21-1) vs. St. Paul/Palmer (10-8), 10:00 AM; Lincoln Christian (13-5) vs. Fort Calhoun (17-6), 1:00 PM; Malcolm (24-2) vs. Elkhorn Mount Michael Benedictine (11-13), 4:00 PM; Adams Central (21-6) vs. Wayne (18-9), 7:00 PM.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Alex Meinecke, St. Paul/Palmer (.424 average, 22 RBIs); Braxton Heater, St. Paul/Palmer (3-0 record, 1.81 ERA); Grant DeHaan, Lincoln Christian (.431 average, 22 RBIs, 7 doubles); Caleb DeWitt, Lincoln Christian (.432 average, 4-1 record, 1.83 ERA); Alex Christensen, Fort Calhoun (.348 average, 19 RBIs); Kenny Wellwood, Fort Calhoun (.340 average, 5-0 record, 0.65 ERA); Mason Wisnieski, Malcolm (.520 average, 4 HRs, 42 RBIs, 6-0 record, 0.37 ERA); Brixon Meyer, Malcolm (5-0 record, 1.50 ERA); Kyle Oldehoeft, Elkhorn Mount Michael (4-2 record, 1.66 ERA); Jackson Teetor, Elkhorn Mount Michael (.432 average); Kaleb Wahlmeier, Adams Central (.403 average, 27 RBIs, 18 SBs); Nick Mousel, Adams Central (.426 average, 19 RBIs); Gavin Redden, Wayne (7-1 record, 1.70 ERA, .360 average, 18 RBIs); Jaxson Kneifl, Wayne (4-1 record, 1.48 ERA, 1 SV)
Terry Douglass is a freelance writer also based in Grand Island. He is the former sports editor for The Grand Island Independent.
Editor Tony Chapman is a freelance writer based in Grand Island. He has written for multiple Nebraska daily and weekly newspapers. His weekly Harvest Sports Newsletter covers a wide variety of Nebraska prep sports.