Archives Fall 2010 - Winter 2011

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NEBRASKA AMERICAN LEGION BASEBALL NEWS

BaseballNebraska has been selected as the official source of Nebraska American Legion Baseball 2011 post-season tournament information.

According to the terms of an agreement that was approved Friday by the Department of Nebraska Athletic Committee, BaseballNebraska.com is now the Department's designated outlet for publication of tournament brackets, schedules and scores for 2011 Area and State tournaments and playoff games for Classes A, B and C.

Although the Department's website, www.nelegionbaseballnet, will continue to provide administrative information and resources for the more than 300 Legion baseball programs in the state, the task of publishing post-season information has been delegated to BaseballNebraska, the state's leading website devoted to the coverage of high school and Legion baseball.

The outsourcing of post-season tournament information is an effort to provide the best possible service to the Department's constituents, according to Legion Activities Director Brent Hagel-Pitt. "As we looked at ways to improve the timely dissemination of post-season tournament information, it made a lot of sense for us to team up with BaseballNebraska, which has established an outstanding track record of doing so for Class A Legion tournaments over the past five years," Hagel-Pitt stated.

The Department's website will facilitate the transition by providing links to post-season information on BaseballNebraska.com.

In other news from last weekend's Mid-Year American Legion Convention held in Grand Island, the Athletic Committee announced the selection of Area and State tournament sites for the 2011 post-season. | 2011 Legion Post-Season Sites |

Quick Bits (in descending chronological order)

USA Baseball and Japan to Return to Omaha in 2011 - Feb. 9

USA Baseball and the Omaha Sports Commission announced today that the 2011 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and Japan Collegiate All-Stars will play the fifth and concluding game of their 38th Collegiate All-Star Series at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., on July 8, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. CT.

The game marks the second year in a row that the two teams will meet in Omaha. In 2010, the U.S. defeated Japan, 4-1, in a one-game international friendship exhibition at Rosenblatt Stadium, the former and long-time home of the College World Series. | More |

Ladwig Selected to Pre-Season All-American Team; Millard West Picked #27 Nationally - Feb. 9

A.J. Ladwig, a right-handed senior pitcher and infielder at Millard West, has been selected to the 2011 Louisville Slugger Pre-Season High School All-American Team. The team was selected by editor Lou Pavlovitch, Jr. and his staff at Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and was published in CBN's January 28th issue.

Ladwig, a Wichita State signee, was one of thirty top high school players from around the country selected to the team as pitchers, along with another twenty pitchers who were picked as multi-position players. A.J. is a member of an impressive group of hurlers that includes Husker recruit Bubba Starling, Tennessee lefthander Daniel Norris and Archie Bradley of Oklahoma. He is the only Nebraska player selected to this year's All-American team.

Over his past three seasons (Summer 2009, Spring 2010 and Summer 2010) A.J. has compiled a 21-2 win-loss record with sixteen of those wins coming in 2010. He was a first-team selection to the World Herald's All-Nebraska team and the Journal-Star's Super-State team last spring and was a unanimous All-Metro First Team selection. His 1.04 ERA last summer set a new single-season record for the Millard West Legion program. He was also among the state's leaders in numerous offensive categories last spring and summer.

The same issue of College Baseball Newspaper also contained the Easton Sports National High School Pre-Season Poll in which Ladwig's team was ranked 27th nationally. The Wildcats were the only Nebraska team in the thirty-team ranking which picked Sumrall, MS as the nation's top high school team. The only teams selected from contiguous states were Christian Brothers College in St. Louis and Lawrence (KS) Free State. Florida (4), California (3), Texas (3) and Nevada (2) were the only states with multiple teams in the rankings.

The Wildcats finished the 2010 spring season with a 32-5 record (.865) and placed fourth in the state tournament. The Key To Omaha Wildcats Junior Legion team finished runner-up in the Class A State Tournament last summer. Over the past five years the spring program has a 140-42 record (.769), however, a state title has so far eluded veteran head coach Frank Ryan who is preparing for his 16th season at the school and his 31st overall. Coach Ryan is assisted by Darrell Parks, Jason Rohde and Don Story.

| Louisville Slugger Pre-Season All-American Team | Easton Sports Pre-Season Poll |

Former Nebraska High School Players Meet Fans at Creighton Steak Fry - Feb. 6


Seven former Nebraska high school and Legion ballplayers were introduced as part of the 2011 Creighton Bluejays baseball roster Saturday night at the program's annual pre-season steak fry fundraiser. From left to right: John Sorenson (Millard South, So., RHP), Vince Bellino (Creighton Prep, Sr, INF), Jonas Dufek (Millard West, Sr., RHP), Brad McKewon (Millard South, Fr., OF), Trever Adams (Lincoln Southeast, Sr., OF), Jordan Makovicka (Ulysses, So., OF), Michael Blatchford (Columbus, So., OF).


Former Central and Creighton standout Pat Venditte, shown with Brad McKewon, will report soon for Minor League Spring Training with the Yankees organization.	Senior outfielder Vince Bellino brought his own personal cheering section to the Steak Fry -- his sister, Jays Dancer Anna Bellino.

2011 Baseball Manual Released; Class B to Have Six Districts - Feb. 4

The NSAA published its 2011 Baseball Manual this week, and, as expected, the number of Class B districts has increased from four to six to accommodate the growing number of teams in that classification. With the addition of four new teams this season, Class B now has twenty-six teams, the same as Class A. In each class four of the districts will have four teams, and two will have five teams. District tournaments will be played May 6th through 10th.

Both state tournaments will now include six district tournament champions plus two Wild Card qualifiers as has been the case for Class A for several years. Since its inception in 2008, Class B's state tournament field has consisted of four district champions and four Wild Card teams. The increase in Class B districts was brought about by the efforts of coaches who introduced a proposal into the NSAA legislative system this fall.

Another significant change for 2011 is the implementation of a revised state tournament bracket for A and B that will do away with the bye date that the undefeated team has previously enjoyed on Day 4 of the tournament. In the past, that undefeated team has rested on Day 4 while the three one-loss teams played two games to determine who would play the undefeated team in the championship. Under the new bracket, all four teams will play a single game on Day 4. If the previously undefeated team loses, it remains alive to play the winner of the other game in a winner-take-all single championship game. If the previously undefeated team wins, the surviving one-loss team must beat it twice for the title.

The pairings of the undefeated team and the three one-loss teams in two Day 4 games will attempt to avoid match-ups of prior opponents. A "who-plays-whom" guide for various scenarios is set forth on page 18 of the Manual.

The proposal to revise the tournament was supported by a majority of baseball coaches as it went through the NSAA legislative process in 2009-10. A significant consideration was to protect pitchers in the losers' bracket from throwing on short rest.

Husker Big 12 homestands on both weekends of the state tournament required some schedule shifting. As a result, none of Saturday's first round games will be played at Haymarket, meaning that at least two teams in each tournament will never set foot on Hawks Field. And, the finals for both tournaments will be played at 10:00 am, with Class B on Thursday the 19th and Class A on Friday. The good news is that Sherman Field is currently undergoing renovations and should be a more hospitable venue.

Important dates for the 2011 season:

February 28 - First Practice Date

March 17 - Season Opens

April 26 - Cut-off date for seeding

April 28 - District Tournament Assignment / Seeding Announced

May 6, 7, 9, 10 - District Tournaments

May 14, 16-20 - State Tournament

Creighton Baseball to Unveil 2011 Team at February 5th Steak Fry - Jan. 28, 2011

Creighton University head coach Ed Servais will introduce his 2011 Bluejays baseball team next Saturday evening, February 5th, at the program's annual fundraising Steak Fry to be held at The Slowdown, 729 N. 14th St. in Omaha. Social hour will begin at 4:00 with dinner to follow at 5:00pm.

The 2011 Bluejays' roster includes seven former Nebraska high school and Legion baseball players, led by senior standoutsTrever Adams and Jonas Dufek. Adams, a 2007 Lincoln Southeast grad who spent his first two collegiate seasons at Hutchinson Community College, broke into Division I baseball with a huge year in 2010, leading the team in eight offensive categories and ranking among the top offensive players in the conference. Dufek, a 6'5" right-hander out of Millard West (2007), will return in his role as the team's #1 starter after posting an 8-3 record a year ago.

Other Nebraska prep alumni on the team are senior Vince Bellino (Creighton Prep), sophomores Michael Blatchford (Columbus), Jordan Makovicka (Ulysses) and John Sorenson (Millard South) and freshman Brad McKewon (Millard South).

The Bluejays open the season with a three-game series to be played at USA Baseball's National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina on February 19 and 20, with Toledo as the opening day opponent. The home opener will a three-game series against Ritchie Price Jr.'s South Dakota State Jackrabbits March 11 - 13.

The big story for the Jays 2011 season will be the mid-April move to their new home at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, which will also serve as the new home of the College World Series. The Bluejays will take the field for the first time in the new $127 million facility on April 19th against the Cornhuskers. Creighton will also host the Missouri Valley Conference tournament at the TeeDee May 24 - 28.

Those interested in attending the Steak Fry may purchase advance tickets for $35 by contacting Barb Epps (402-280-5577 or bepps@creighton.edu ). Tickets will be $40 at the door.

| Steak Fry Flyer | Roster | Schedule |

Francis "Link" Lynam, Member of National Champion McDevitts, Dies at Age 88 - Jan. 26, 2011

Francis "Link" Lynam of Papillion, father of Papillion-LaVista South head coach Bill Lynam and a member of the 1939 Omaha McDevitts team that won Nebraska's only American Legion national championship, died Tuesday at the age of 88.

Mr. Lynam produced the go-ahead runs in the top of the 13th inning of the 1939 Western Sectional championship in Stockton, California with a bases-loaded two-run base hit on a full-count fastball. That 6-4 win over a Los Angeles team sent the McDevitts to the American Legion World Series, which they won in four games here in Omaha at Fontenelle Park.

Mr. Lynam was on hand at Sherman Field in Lincoln last May to watch son Bill's team win the Class A state championship, the first-ever state championship in any sport for a Papillion-LaVista South team.

As a pharmacist, his Lynam Drug in Papillion sponsored Midget (Junior Legion) teams in the seventies and eighties that won state championships with sons Jim (1975) and Mike ('81 and '82) on the rosters. Oldest son Mark also won a Midget Championship in the mid-60's playing for Markel Ford (Prep). Lynam and his wife Margaret raised five sons and two daughters and celebrated their sixty-first wedding anniversary in September. Son Jim coaches the reserve baseball team at Papillion-LaVista High School.

A vigil service will be held Thursday evening at 7:00 at Heafey-Heafey-Hoffmann-Dworak-Cutler funeral home at 78th and Center, with the family receiving visitors prior to the service, beginning at 5:00. The funeral mass will be celebrated 10:30 Friday morning at St. Columbkille in Papillion.

With the death of Mr. Lynam, there are now three surviving members of the McDevitt's: retired Omaha dentist Sam Buda, Sam Russo and Jack Larkin. Russo and Larkin live out-of-state.

| About the 1939 McDevitts | McDevitts Inducted into Omaha Sports Hall of Fame |

UNO Mavericks' Roster Features Thirty In-Staters - Jan. 19, 2011

University of Nebraska Omaha head coach Bob Herold has expanded his portfolio of local talent for the upcoming season. This year's edition of Mavericks baseball will feature thirty former Nebraska high school or Legion ballplayers -- up from 23 in 2010 and 19 in 2009.

Seven of the nine freshmen on the roster are former Metro Conference standouts: Kyle Kruger, Zach Williamsen and Anthony Falcone of Millard West, Beau Suponchick and Caleb Palensky of spring and summer state champion Papillion-LaVista South, Rob Wheeler of Elkhorn and Omaha Burke's Mitch Kracl.

Coach Herold also recruited a talented group of in-state players out of the juco ranks, including four from National Champion Iowa Western: Scotty Donner (Crofton), Brandon Winkelmann (Omaha Gross), Ben Brown (Millard West) and Ralston's Derek Landis. The Mavs' juco haul also includes Bellevue East's Cory Buckley (Iowa Central), Grand Island's Nathan Zook (Southeast CC) and former Prep slugger Mark Waldron (Butler CC).

Division II First Team All-American Joe Holtmeyer (Creighton Prep), a junior right-hander, will anchor the staff after leading D-II with 152 strikeouts and 15.67 strikeouts per nine innings while compiling a 9-2 record in 2010. Holtmeyer was the MIAA Pitcher of the Year last year and one of six finalists for the Tino Martinez D-II Player of the Year award.

Tyler Splichal, a sophomore out of Bellevue East, is the Mavs' top returning offensive producer after a breakout freshman year in which he led the team in doubles (22) and was second in hits (82), average (.410), home runs (5) and RBI (42 - tied with Millard North's Brady Hohl). Elkhorn alum Travis Jacoby led the team with 15 stolen bases in 15 attempts.

The Mavs (32-20) went to their sixth straight NCAA Regional in 2010 and finished third in the conference with a 28-12 record behind Central Missouri State and Emporia State.

UNO fans can meet the 2011 Mavericks baseball team at a Season Opener fundraising event on February 19th hosted by the UNO Diamond Club. | Roster | Schedule |

Top Class B Teams Over the Past Five Years - Jan. 19, 2011

As promised, we dug through the historical records of the twenty-two teams that played Class B spring baseball last year and crunched the numbers to produce a list of the top teams in the class over the past five years. But, wait ... many of them haven't even been playing baseball that long! Yikes! What to do? | Read on |

Norfolk Returns to Class A for 2011; Will be Joined by Norfolk Catholic and Lutheran - Jan. 18, 2011

After spending a year in Class B baseball, Norfolk will return to Class A for the 2011 season with a helping hand from Norfolk Catholic and Lutheran Northeast. The three schools approved a new cooperative agreement for baseball last summer. | More |

Bass Brothers Back Together as Brett Transfers to Iowa Western- Jan. 18, 2011

After spending the fall semester at Creighton University, former Millard West standout Brett Bass has transferred to Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs where he joins his brother, Brandon, on the Reivers' baseball team. As a freshman last year, Brandon was the starting shortstop for Iowa Western and drove in the go-ahead run that gave the Reivers their first ever NJCAA National Championship.

Brett is immediately eligible and will have a great opportunity to become an everyday player, said IWCC assistant coach Rob Allison. "Brett's bat will give him a chance to be in the lineup, plus he can put a lot of pressure on the opposing defense with his speed and baserunning skills," noted Allison.

The Reivers open the season at Seward Community College in Liberal, Kansas on February 10th and play their first home game March 27th on the new RamTurf artificial surface installed at IWCC's home field last fall.

| 2011 IWCC Roster |

2011 Season Around the Corner- Jan. 17, 2011

The Nebraska high school baseball season begins two months from today on March 17. Don't worry about that snow; last year we learned that anything is possible!

The first day of practice is February 28th per the NSAA Baseball Manual -- speaking of which, the 2011 Manual was approved by the Board of Directors last Friday and should be available on the NSAA website very soon.

College baseball is in a thirty-day countdown to opening day on February 18th. The Huskers open against Texas State at San Marcos on that day, and the Creighton Bluejays open the next day against Toledo in Cary, North Carolina.

Nebraska will kick off fan support of the 2011 season with the Husker Home Run Club Banquet on Friday, January 28th at the Embassy Suites in LaVista.

The UNO Diamond Club will host its annual Season Opener fundraiser February 19th at Knights of Columbus Hall, 4323 Washington Street in Omaha. The Mavs open on the 25th against Augustana at a location to be announced.

And, finally, at the Major League level, pitchers and catchers will report February 13 - 17. The Royals Caravan will make a stop in Omaha this week at the Ultimate Baseball Academy on Thursday, 5:15 - 7:30.

2011 Legion Baseball Post-Season Sites Announced - Jan. 15, 2011

The host sites of Area and State Tournaments for Classes A, B and C American Legion baseball were announced today by the Department of Nebraska Athletic Committee. | More |

Top Class A Teams Over the Past Five Years? - Jan. 14, 2011

Without any research or cipherin', can you name the top five baseball teams in Class A over the past five years based on win percentage? Better yet, can you put them in the correct order?

Update Jan. 17, 2011 Sorry, no winners, but we did have some very good responses. Millard West dad Greg Standish came the closest by correctly listing the top four in order but whiffed on #5. To find out who the Top Five teams over the past five years are and see where your favorite team ranks, check out our Five Year Overview of Class A Teams. Class B will be coming soon.

Diamond Spirit Summer Collegiate Program Adds Two Assistant Coaches - Dec. 30, 2001

Arden Rakosky, General Manager / Head Coach of Omaha Diamond Spirit has announced the hiring of two new assistant coaches for the 2011 Season.

Hired as the new Pitching Coach is local product Brett Gilcrist, who joins the staff after completing his first season as Pitching Coach at Southwestern Iowa Community College in Creston, Iowa. Coach Gilcrist is a graduate of Omaha Central High School where he gained All-State Honors as a senior and earned a scholarship to play baseball at Missouri Western University. He later transferred to Creighton University where an injury halted his college career. After graduation in 2007, he began his coaching career with Omaha Bryan High School and Team Nebraska. In his coaching career Coach Gilcrist has worked with more than 20 players who have gone on to play Division l baseball and more than 60 who have gone on to play college baseball at some level. He was the first coach in Bryan Bear history to take his team to the State Tournament, doing it twice, along with the first trip to State with his Legion team. Gilcrest was a member of the 2005 Diamond Spirit team as a pitcher.

Also, joining the Diamond Spirit staff is Phil Savage from Hamilton, Ontario. Coach Savage brings 3 years of collegiate summer baseball coaching experience to the Spirit, including being an Assistant Coach for the 2009 Coastal Plains League Champions, Forest City (NC) Owls and being an Associate Scout for the Toronto Blue Jays. Coach Savage will be in charge of the fielders and coach first base.

Coach Rakosky notes that these quality coaches will help the organization continue to move forward towards elite status while also delivering quality instruction to players and providing a high-level summer collegiate experience in eastern Nebraska.

Founded in 1994 by Rakoksky, Diamond Spirit began play in the ten-team M.I.N.K. League last summer. The program provides a competitive summer baseball opportunity for many former Nebraska high school players now competing at the collegiate level. | Omaha Diamond Spirit | M.I.N.K. League |

Groth Jumps to Head of 2012 Class with Two D-I Offers - Dec. 20, 2010

Austin Groth, a two-sport standout at South Sioux City High School, has become the first member of the Class of 2012 known to have received a Division I baseball offer. And, in Austin's case, it's not just an offer . . . it's two offers.

Unofficial recruiting visits to Nebraska and Creighton in late November and early this month resulted in offers from both schools for the 6'1", 170-pound right-handed pitcher and shortstop. "Creighton is definitely looking at him as a pitcher," said Austin's mother, Amy. "I think Nebraska pretty much sees him as a pitcher, too."

As a sophomore in 2010, Austin was 16-2 on the mound during the spring (7-1) and summer (9-1) and recorded a 0.87 ERA last spring while helping the Cardinals to their first-ever state tournament appearance. He earned 2010 Class B First-Team All-State honors from both the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha World Herald.

Earlier this fall, Austin competed in USA Baseball's National Team Identification Series at USAB's National Training Center in Cary, North Carolina. (See story.)

Groth (rhymes with "both") commuted from South Sioux to Omaha to play select ball for Tagge-Rutherford and Pacesetters during his youth baseball career. According to Pacesetters' Dean of Coaches Bill Olson. "Austin possesses an excellent arm, has great athleticism, outstanding range at shortstop and a tremendous attitude," said Olson, who oversees the Ultimate Baseball Academy Fall Elite program in which Austin competed this fall.

Austin is currently helping the Cardinals (3-0) defend their 2010 Class B state basketball title by leading the team with a 26 points per game average. Groth was a Class B All-Tournament selection last spring while teaming with All-Nebraska classmate Mike Gesell in the Cardinals' backcourt.

In addition to being an elite two-sport athlete, Austin is also a top student with a 4.0 grade point average.

According to Amy Groth, Austin has also received recruiting attention from Arkansas, Kansas State, Baylor, Virginia Tech and Evansville.

Northwest Grad Kinman Signs with D-I University of South Alabama - Dec. 13, 2010

Kyle Kinman, a 2009 Class A First-Team All-Stater who led Omaha Northwest to the state tournament that year, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play at the University of South Alabama. The Division I signing comes after Kinman earned Jayhawk Conference Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference honors last spring as a two-way standout at Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kansas. The lefty led the Grizzlies' staff with an 8-2 record and a 2.22 ERA and recorded five complete games in ten starts. When not pitching, Kinman played left field where he hit .347 with 11 home runs, 41 RBI and a team-leading .632 slugging percentage.

Located in Mobile, South Alabama plays in the 11-team Sunbelt Conference where the Jaguars finished 5th in 2010 with a 17-13 record (32-27 overall). Kinman will finish his career at Butler this year under new head coach B.J. McKay who takes over as skipper following the departure of Steve Johnson to Division II Ft. Hays State. McKay had been the hitting coach under Johnson for the past six seasons.

Kinman's 11 home runs were second only to former Creighton Prep standout Mark Waldron who hit 14 long balls for the Grizzlies and drove in a team-leading 61 RBI with a .344 average. Waldron earned Second Team All-Jayhawk Conference honors for the second straight year for the league champion Grizzlies. Waldron enrolled at UNO this fall and will continue his collegiate career with the Mavericks.

Former Husker Pitcher Broekemeier Reincarnated as Wide Receiver - Nov. 28, 2010

Joe Broekemeier was a promising Husker baseball recruit with a 93 mph fastball when he arrived on campus in the fall of 2006. Three baseball seasons later he had thrown only ten innings as a Husker after battling shoulder problems and eventually undergoing labrum surgery. A once-promising baseball career was going nowhere.

Fast forward from Broekemeier's disappointing 2009 baseball season to last Friday. A little-known Husker wearing #9 is on the field as the Cornhuskers' starting wide receiver, replacing Nebraska's injured offensive standout Niles Paul on Senior Day at Memorial Coliseum in a nationally-televised game that would decide the Big 12 North Championship. Fans quickly check their programs to find out who this #9 is and discover that it's none other than .... Joe Broekemeier!

How the Aurora native made the transition from a injury-plagued baseball career to a starting role in a pivotal football game that sent Nebraska to the Big 12 Championship in its final season in the conference is a story of perseverance and undeniable athletic ability. | More |

Pius Catcher Trevon McGill Commits to Creighton - Nov. 23, 2010

Creighton University picked up its second in-state baseball recruit from the Class of 2011 today as Trevon McGill of Lincoln Pius X announced his commitment to the Bluejays. Beatrice left-hander John Oltman previously signed with the Jays during the early signing period which ended last Wednesday.

Like Oltman, McGill is an exceptional student with a 4.0 average and ranks first in his class. He intends to major in chemistry at CU. Trevon earned Class B First Team All-State honors from both the Omaha World Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star in 2010 after hitting .428 and helping the Thunderbolts return to the Class B state tournament for the third straight year. He was also named to the LJS 2010 Super-State Second Team.

The 6', 190-pounder will be a three-year starter for head coach Troy Charf this spring after earning a starting position at third base as a sophomore. While used primarily behind the plate last year, the versatile McGill also pitches and plays outfield.

Trevon received additional exposure by playing for the Strike Zone Elite Team this fall and for the UBA Elite Team a year ago. Like Oltman, he also was a member of Team Nebraska that competed in a showcase tournament this summer in the Chicago area. In addition to Creighton, he received offers from Division I schools South Dakota State and University of Evansville and Division II Augustana College.

McGill's commitment raises to twelve the number of players from the Nebraska high school Class of 2011 known to have accepted offers to play Division I baseball.

Kearney Legion Head Coach Steve Spongberg To Step Down - Nov. 22, 2010

Spongberg

Steve Spongberg, head coach of the Kearney Senior Legion baseball team for the past 32 years, is stepping down. Spongberg's resignation was announced at last Tuesday's meeting of the Kearney Legion Association, according to Association president Terry Broadfoot. Spongberg will be succeeded by Kearney Post 52 Junior Legion head coach Brad Archer, who earned Coach of the Year honors in 2009 following three consecutive state championships. Archer has coached in the Kearney program for thirty years.

Known among coaches and umpires statewide as a fiery competitor, Spongberg built an impressive record of success at Kearney. According to a recent article in the Kearney Hub, he compiled a 1,176-489 win-loss record (.706 winning percentage) as head coach and had just one losing season. His teams won thirty or more games twenty-seven times in his thirty-two seasons at the helm and achieved forty or more wins nine times. | More |

Peitzmeier Signs With Fullerton - Nov. 17, 2010

Tyler Peitzmeier signs his National Letter of Intent to play baseball at Cal State Fullerton during a ceremony at Yutan High School Tuesday evening. Looking on as Tyler signs are Platte Valley head baseball coach Kurt Finkey (left), Omaha businessman and CSUF booster Jim Venuto (right), Tyler's longtime pitching coach Jim Haller (back row left), Tyler's parents Kristi and Mike, and Yutan Legion head coach Gary Hollst. | More |

Beatrice Left-Hander John Oltman Becomes State's 11th Division I Signee - Nov. 16, 2010

The number of NCAA Division I baseball signees from the Nebraska high school Class of 2011 continues to grow. John Oltman, a 6'1", 180 pound left-handed pitcher and outfielder at Beatrice, announced today that he has signed a Letter of Intent to play baseball at Creighton. The addition of Oltman raises the number of known Division I signees to eleven, five of whom are left-handed pitchers.

Oltman earned Honorable Mention honors last spring on both the Lincoln Journal Star's Super-State Team and the Omaha World Herald's All-Nebraska Team after leading the Orangemen with 40 strikeouts. This past summer the southpaw posted a 3-0 record with 1.42 ERA and competed for Team Nebraska in 11th Annual Midwest Classic Baseball Tournament in Plainfield, Illinois.

"John is a very deserving young man who works as hard as anyone I've coached," commented Beatrice head coach Bill Bruhn. Oltman, a 4.0 student, received a partial baseball scholarship and an academic scholarship from the Bluejays, according to Bruhn. "Not only is John a very good ballplayer and student, more importantly, he is a fine young man," commented Beatrice Activities Director Neal Randel.

The Early Signing Period ends tomorrow. So far, Oltman, who signed last Wednesday, is the only Nebraska high school senior to announce his commitment to the Jays. Baseball recruits can also sign during the regular signing period, which runs from April 13 through August 1.

In other recruiting news today, Iowa Western Community College assistant coach Rob Allison announced that Millard West shortstop Adam Morey has committed to the Reivers, the defending NJCAA National Champions. Morey, a First-Team All-Metro Coaches' selection last spring, was also named to the OWH All-Nebraska Second Team and the LJS Super-State Second Team after hitting .481on the season. Last summer he led the state in Runs Batted In with 61 and was among the state's leaders in five other offensive categories. Morey will have a new infield to play on at IWCC following the installation of a new RamTurf playing surface this fall.

Division I Baseball Recruits to QB Teams in Football State Championship Games - Nov. 16, 2010

Blake Headley, Millard South	Caleb Wallingford, Elkhorn

Recent Division I baseball signees Blake Headley of Millard South and Caleb Wallingford of Elkhorn will play under the bright lights at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln next week as starting quarterbacks of teams competing for football state championships. Both signed baseball letters of intent last week and are among a group of ten Nebraska high school seniors who have committed to play baseball at Division I schools. Headley, who plays shortstop and pitches for the Patriots, will become a Husker, and lefty hurler Wallingford will attend Kansas State.

Headley will lead defending state champion Millard South (11-1) against Millard North (10-2) in the Class A state title game next Monday, with kickoff at 7:15. North handed the Patriots their only loss of the season, a 21-16 setback on September 17th. Wallingford and the Antlers (10-2) will take on undefeated Crete (12-0) on Tuesday for the Class B crown. Crete's junior signal caller, Derek McGinnis, also pitches and plays infield for the baseball Cardinals. All three QB's are three-sport athletes who will turn their attention to basketball as soon as their football seasons conclude. (Photos by Steven Branscombe.)

Millard South running back Quentin Urban stretches the ball across the goal line for the go-ahead touchdown with 4:26 left in the game as the Patriots defeated Creighton Prep 21-14 in Class A quarterfinals action at UNO's Caniglia Field last Friday. Urban, who ran for 158 yards on 12 carries in the game, was a 2010 Class A All-State First Team selection in baseball as a utility player by both the Omaha World Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star. Photo by Steven Branscombe.

Baseball-Playing Quarterbacks Lead Teams to Semi-finals - Nov. 12, 2010

Three days after signing baseball Letters of Intent with Division I schools, Millard South's Blake Headley and Elkhorn's Caleb Wallingford will try to lead their teams into state championship football games. The pair is among five baseball players who will be starting quarterbacks in Saturday's Class A and Class B semi-final games. Headley, a shortstop and right-handed pitcher, signed with the Huskers on Wednesday, and lefty hurler Wallingford inked with Kansas State.

Headley's Patriots (10-1), the defending Class A state champs, will host Lincoln Southeast (10-1) at Buell Stadium at 6:00pm Saturday. Headley has been among the state's passing leaders this season but occasionally shares snaps with running threat Quentin Urban. Urban pitches and plays in the outfield for the baseball Patriots and earned All-State honors last spring as a utility player.

Wallingford and the Antlers (9-2) will host 10-1 Blair Saturday at 7:00 after handing the Bears their only loss earlier in the season. The Bears feature senior quarterback Jordan Flynn, a right-handed pitcher and infielder for the Blair baseball team.

Fleet-footed Jimmie Forsythe, a right-handed pitcher and outfielder for Omaha Burke, will lead the 10-1 Bulldogs against Millard North (9-2) at Burke Stadium Saturday at 6:00pm.

In the other Class B semi-final -- a battle of unbeatens between Crete (11-0) and two-time defending champion Aurora (11-0) to be played at 2:00 Saturday at Doane College -- junior quarterback Derek McGinnis will guide the Cardinals offense. McGinnis is a right-handed pitcher and infielder.

BaseballAmerica Bat Guide Answers Questions about Bat Selection for 2011 - Nov. 12, 2010

National publication BaseballAmerica has issued an electronic edition of an informative guide to bat selection, entitled "BaseballAmerica Bat Guide: Helping You Make Sense of the New Rules and Regulations for Non-Wood Bats for 2011 and Beyond." Please note that the publication addresses both rules governing the college game as well as rules of the National Federation of High School Associations (NFHS) which governs Nebraska high school. High school standards are addressed on pages 7 and 8 of the publication. Also see our multi-part series on bat standards: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Division I Recruits Sign National Letters of Intent - Nov. 12, 2010

A bumper crop of NCAA Division I baseball recruits that includes four left-handed pitchers inked National Letters of Intent Wednesday, the first day of the Early Signing Period. Eight of the ten Nebraska high school baseball players who had previously given verbal commitments to Division I programs made it official on Wednesday according to information issued by their respective schools. The other two are expected to sign their NLI's before the Early Signing Period ends on November 17th. At Creighton Prep, lefties Pete Macke (University of Pittsburgh) and Kyle Kubat (University of Nebraska) and Division II signee Zak Leighton (Northwest Missouri State) participated in a signing ceremony with parents, coaches and administrators. Across town a pair of dominant right-handers, AJ Ladwig and Zach Kallman, signed on the dotted line at Millard West. Both are headed south of the border where Ladwig will attend Wichita State and Kallman will become a Kansas State Wildcat.

At other signings in the Millard school district, Millard South's Blake Headley, who is preparing for a semi-finals game on Saturday as the Patriots' quarterback, signed with the Huskers, and Millard North's Casey Gillaspie inked with Wichita State. Gillaspie and West's Ladwig will be joined at the Missouri Valley school by outfielder Taylor Doggett who signed his NLI with the Shockers at Lincoln Southeast yesterday afternoon. Elkhorn left-hander Caleb Wallingford, who, like Headley, will QB his team in football semi's Saturday night, has reportedly signed his Letter of Intent to play for Kansas State and will be recognized with signees in other sports at a ceremony to be held at the school on February 18th.

Lefty Tyler Peitzmeier will sign with Cal State Fullerton in a ceremony at Yutan High School next Tuesday evening after returning from a recruiting trip to Fullerton this weekend where he will meet other future Titans. Future Husker Taylor Anderson of Lincoln Southwest did not participate in a signing ceremony at the school Wednesday but certainly has other readily available means of delivering his NLI to the Nebraska program coached by his father. | Signing Day Photos |

NSAA Proposal To Expand Class B Districts Advances - Nov. 11, 2010

A proposal to increase the number of districts for Class B baseball from four to six has been overwhelmingly approved in NSAA Districts I and II. Last Thursday District I member schools approved it by a vote of 8 to 1 with 38 schools abstaining, and yesterday District II approved it by a vote of 39-0 with 44 schools abstaining. The measure, which is an attempt to keep the number of districts in line with growth in Class B over the past three years, now advances to a vote in all six districts in January. The number of Class B programs currently registered to play baseball this spring has increased to twenty-six, the same number that compete in Class A.

Reserve Tournament Planned to Benefit BaseballNebraska - Nov. 4, 2010

A 16-team tournament for summer Reserve teams is being planned as a fundraising event to benefit BaseballNebraska, the non-profit corporation that promotes Nebraska high school and Legion baseball. The tournament will take place at four Metro sites over the weekend of May 20-22 with teams playing a round-robin schedule at each site. Teams interested in participating are encouraged to contact Bob Greco as soon as possible. | More Information |

Wahoo Seeking Legion Coaches - Nov. 2, 2010

Wahoo Baseball Association is taking applications to fill head coaching positions at both the Junior Legion and Senior Legion levels for the 2011 season. See flyer for more information.

Macke To Sign with Pittsburgh - Nov. 1, 2010

Left-handed pitcher Pete Macke of Creighton Prep has given his verbal commitment to play baseball for the University of Pittsburgh Panthers. Macke visited the Pitt campus over the weekend and "just loved the place," according to his father, Mark Macke. Pete also considered offers from Nebraska, Creighton, Minnesota and the University of Nebraska Omaha.

Pitt, coached by Joe Jordano, plays in the twelve-team Big East Conference that includes Louisville, UConn, St. Johns and Notre Dame among others. The Panthers finished third in the conference in 2010 with an 18-8 record and will open the 2011 season in a brand new baseball facility to be known as Peterson Sports Complex.

Macke is the second left-hander in Prep's 2011 class to commit to a Division I school. Teammate Kyle Kubat previously announced his intent to sign with Nebraska. The initial signing date for NCAA National Letters of Intent is November 10th.

Proposal to Increase Number of Class B Districts Introduced into NSAA Legislative System - Oct. 31, 2010

A proposal to increase the number of district tournaments for Class B from four to six was introduced into the NSAA legislative process last week. The proposal seeks to amend the Baseball Manual to give Class B the same six district, two Wild Card system that has been used for Class A for many years. With the addition of four new baseball programs for 2011, Class B will now have the same number of teams (26) as Class A.

Prior to the 2008 season, all baseball schools competed in a single class. When Class B was created in August 2007, the largest twenty-six teams were placed in Class A with a six district, two Wild Card format. The remaining sixteen teams were placed in Class B where, for the past three years, they have competed in four districts with four Wild Card teams also advancing to state. The proposal introduced last week includes as part of its rationale a statement that Class B has now outgrown the present 4 + 4 scheme.

A BaseballNebraska survey distributed to Class B coaches in mid-October found strong support for increasing the number of districts. The survey was sent to twenty-four coaches, and all twelve coaches who responded favored more than four districts.

The proposal was introduced in District I and District II which, collectively, have 56 of the 67 schools that participate in baseball. The proposals will be voted on in District Meetings to be held in November. According to NSAA Assistant Director Jim Angele, if there is strong support for the proposal in district voting, the change in number of Class B districts could be implemented for the 2011 season.

Wayne Adds Baseball for 2011; Class B Now Equal in Size to Class A

The Wayne Community Schools Board of Education voted last night (Oct. 11) to add high school baseball at Wayne High School, beginning with the 2011 season. Wayne joins two other schools -- West Point Central Catholic and Fort Calhoun -- that have recently confirmed to BaseballNebraska that they will add baseball as a varsity sport for the coming season. Dodge will co-op with West Point CC, and it is possible that Scribner-Snyder may make it a three-school co-op. In addition to those schools, the brand new Elkhorn South High School which opened this fall will have a baseball program. And, Plattsmouth had previously voted to add a Junior Varsity team in 2011 with Varsity to follow in 2012. Other schools that may be considering the addition of baseball to their spring sports offerings have until January 1, 2011 to register with the NSAA.

Elkhorn South will be coached by Todd Beran. That program will be without seniors for the coming season as the Class of 2011 remains together at Elkhorn High School. The head coach at Fort Calhoun will be Michael Huffman, who also serves as the head football coach at the school. West Point Central Catholic and Wayne are in the process of filling their coaching positions, and former Bellevue West assistant coach Jim Olsen will lead the new Plattsmouth program.

The four new varsity programs for 2011 will increase the number of teams competing in Class B from 22 to 26, the same number that compete in Class A. The number of spring baseball programs in the state has increased from 39 in 2007 -- the last year in which teams competed in a single class -- to the current 52, a 33% gain in four years. Competition in Class B began in 2008 with 16 teams.

Ft. Scott (KS) Community College Announces October 23rd Showcase

The 8th Annual Midwest High School Baseball Showcase will be held at Ft. Scott Community College on Saturday, October 23rd. The Showcase will include a pro-style workout, an academic talk and an optional campus tour. Registration begins at noon. The fee is $50. Players who are interested in attending should contact head coach Ryan Mansfield as soon as possible to make a reservation (see Flyer). Current Greyhounds include Omaha Central alum Josh Samuelson and 2010 Skutt graduates Corey Stringer and Brett Swain.

Collegiate Fall Practices Conclude with Intra-squad Scrimmages

The Huskers will wrap up fall practice with their annual three-game Red-White Series to be played Thursday, Friday and Saturday (October 14-16) at Haymarket Park. The Thursday and Friday games will start at 3:00 with Saturday's finale beginning at 9:00 am in advance of the Texas-Nebraska football showdown at Memorial Stadium at 2:30. Admission is free. Several former Nebraska high school players, led by senior right-hander Casey Hauptman (Millard South), are expected to contribute for the Huskers in 2011. | More information |

The University of Nebraska Omaha Mavericks are in the midst of a seven-game Red-Black series at Boys Town. The Black team has a 2-1 advantage going into Game 4 to be played today (Monday, Oct. 11) at 3:00pm. The series will continue with a doubleheader beginning at 2:00pm on Wednesday and concludes with Game 7 Thursday at 3:00pm. The Mavs feature a number of outstanding former Nebraska high school players, led by Division II strikeout king, Joe Holtmeyer (Creighton Prep). | More Information |

Creighton University will wrap up the fall with a pair of scrimmage games to be played Tuesday (Oct. 12) and Thursday (Oct. 14), both running from approximately 4:15 until 5:30 at the CU Sports Complex. Senior right-hander Jonas Dufek (Millard West) led the Bluejays' staff last spring with an 8-3 record.

How Baseballs Are Manufactured

Thanks to Millard West parent Drew Grant for bringing this video segment to our attention. It's amazing to see that MLB baseballs are still hand-made.

Bohm and Patterson Selected to Represent USA in Puerto Rico

Alec Bohm and Shea Patterson, teammates on the 13U Frozen Ropes Tigers team that won the 2010 USSSA State Championship in the Major Division, have been selected to represent the USA in Puerto Rico in the 13-14 year old age group in 2011. The two ballplayers were selected by the sponsoring organization, Coast to Coast Baseball, following a recent tryout held at the Ultimate Baseball Academy. Shea is a freshman at Skutt Catholic. Alec is an eighth grader at Elkhorn Ridge Middle school.

Huscroft Selected to Compete in Showcase

Millard South sophomore Jake Huscroft was recently selected by Coast to Coast Baseball to compete in the 16 – 18 year old division showcase games to be held in Arizona and Florida this December and throughout the summer of 2011. In 2008 Jake was invited to Florida to try out for a spot on the 14 year-old USA Baseball team, and in 2009 he played in the USSSA All-American Games held in Kissimmee, Florida.

Former Bryan head coach Mike DeMilia Joins Millard North Coaching Staff; Cooper to Millard West

Mike DeMilia, who resigned at the end of the summer as head coach at Omaha Bryan, will became on assistant at Millard North for head coach Dave Cork. DeMilia is currently coaching the UBA Black team this fall. The Bryan position was filled by Eric Fischer, who led the Millard West Junior Legion team to back-to-back state tournament runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010. The vacancy at Millard West caused by Fischer's move has been filled by Tom Cooper, who has been a spring varsity assistant and Junior Legion head coach at Millard South.

Husker Fall Baseball Meet-N-Greet

The Husker Home Run Club will hold its annual Fall Meet-N-Greet at Haymarket Park October 9^th from 10am-to 1pm. The event is a chance to observe a Husker practice / scrimmage, meet the 2011 team and coaches, get autographs and tour the facilities at Haymarket. The event is free for Home Run Club members and for kids under 12 with a $5 admission fee for non-members. Danish muffins and beverages will be served. | Husker Home Run Club | Home Run Club Membership |

Northwest's Kroenke Gets Win in First MLB Start

Former Omaha Northwest southpaw Zach Kroenke earned a win in his first MLB start Friday night as his Diamondbacks prevailed 7-5 over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Groenke went five innings, allowing just two hits while striking out two and walking two. Kroenke's start followed two relief outings in September.

Kroenke is the third hurler from the 2005 Huskers to earn a Major League start, all of whom are former Nebraska high school players. Former Millard South lefty Brian Duensing and his Minnesota Twins are headed to the post-season after winning the AL Central, and Lincoln Northeast alum Joba Chamberlain and the Yankees have a half-game lead over the Rays and are assured of at least a wild card berth in a divisional championship series. After a 5-2 rookie season in 2009, Duensing has come on strong for the Twins this year with a 10-3 record and a team-leading 2.44 ERA in 52 appearances, including 12 starts. The former Patriot will get his final regular season start today (10/2/10) at 12:10 as the Twins host Toronto.

Chamberlain has been used exclusively in relief this season, seeing action in 71 games. He is averaging better than a strikeout per inning (72 in 69.2 innings) while allowing just 22 walks.

Installation of Field Turf Infield to Get Underway at Iowa Western on October 11

To the victors go the spoils. The defending NJCAA World Series Champions will be getting a big facilities upgrade later this fall as a RamTurf infield (show above in computer-generated preview) will be installed at Iowa Western Community College. According to Reivers head coach Marc Rardin, the installation will begin on October 11th, and the artificial surface will run from the backstop to the edge of the outfield and from dugout to dugout, including a turf batter's box and pitcher's mound. The outfield will remain natural grass. Funding for the project is being provided by The Baseball Factory, which has entered into a new ten-year deal with the school to use the baseball facility, as well as residence halls on the IWCC campus, for instructional camps during the College World Series. "This new all-weather infield will help us to continue to compete nationally despite the fact that we have some weather challenges here," commented Rardin.

Keep an Eye on Tennessee Phenom Daniel Norris

Everyone in Huskerland has probably heard of multi-sport superstar Bubba Starling of Gardiner, KS who has committed to the Huskers to play football and baseball -- if he doesn't get snatched up as an MLB first-rounder next June. Starling, a right-hander, throws in the mid-90s and has 4.3 speed in the 40. Another big time hurler in the Class of 2011 to keep an eye on is 6'2" left-hander Daniel Norris of Johnson City, TN. Last month, Norris was named Aflac National High School Player of the Year, Baseball America's Pitching Prospect of the Year and won the 2010 Jackie Robinson Award. Norris, who throws a 92-94 mph fastball and a 75 mph change, is projected by BaseballAmerica to be a top five draft pick.

Low Cost Wireless Internet for Your Pressbox

One of the best mobile internet deals to come along in years has recently been announced by Virgin Mobile. Virgin is offering its MiFi200 Mobile Hotspot for $149.99 and here's the good part ... unlimited Sprint 3G data service can be purchased on a monthly basis for only $40 with no contract. Pay as you go, use it for the summer, then put it away for the rest of the year with no recurring monthly bills. It's a perfect way to get wireless internet to your pressbox -- no wires, no installation, no minimum monthly payments. Not surprisingly, due to high demand the device is temporarily out of stock.

Finishing Up Class of 2010 College Commitments

Attention Class of 2010 ballplayers and parents, family members, teammates and friends of Class of 2010 ballplayers: we are finalizing our list of 2010 college commitments. If a Nebraska high school or Legion ballplayer from the Class of 2010 has committed to play college ball somewhere, and that ballplayer is not currently on our list, please fill out a brief form so that we can include him on our list. Currently, we have 90 ballplayers from the Class of 2010 listed, which is down somewhat from the Class of 2009 (107) and Class of 2008 (111). We want to make sure that our list is as complete as possible.

SkyHawk Baseball Honors Engelkamp

The Omaha Skutt Catholic baseball community honored recently-retired former head coach Keith Engelkamp with a retirement party held at Skutt's baseball field on August 21st.

| A Look Back on Keith Engelkamp's Career

Gretna's Hagge Steps Down

Mike Hagge, spring and summer head coach at Gretna, announced today that he has stepped down from both positions "to pursue other opportunties." Hagge coached Class B Gretna's Legion team for three years, leading the Dragons to a runner-up finish in 2008 and back-to-back state championships in 2009 and 2010. He became the spring head coach in 2009 and took Gretna to the state tournament that year and again in 2010. The Dragons finished third in the Class B state tournament both years. Hagge expressed very positive sentiments about his tenure at the helm in Gretna, stating, "Gretna was great to me, and I can't thank them enough for the opportunity."