The Lincoln Lutheran baseball team made the most of a second chance to get into the baseball state tournament.
After earning a wild card spot into the tournament following a loss in the district final, the Warriors advanced to their first ever-state title game, and behind a two-hitter from pitcher Braxton Glines, they ended the season with the title, defeating Mount Michael Benedictine 3-2 in Saturday’s Class C championship game at Werner Park.
Lincoln Lutheran senior Braxton Glines poses with the trophy after pitching a gem in the Class C state championship game. Photo by Jandi Green.
“I remember being in the outfield of our district final, looking at our guys and saying, ‘Hey, guys, I don’t really have any words. I’m not really sure if we’re going to be able to play more baseball,’’’ Lincoln Lutheran coach Logan Ryan said. “And we had to wait and see some things happen.
“We got into the wild card, and then we got here and made it happen. We had a run. Just a really, really cool couple of weeks for us.”
The title comes in just the third year of the Warriors having a solo program. Four previous state tournament appearances had come as parts of various co-ops.
“Everyone was just questioning how things were going to work and how things were going to play out, but we just came to state, gave it our all, and it’s kind of a surreal feeling,” Glines said.
Glines, one of two seniors for Lincoln Lutheran (19-7), walked one and allowed two hits while striking out seven. He needed just 83 pitches to finish his Warrior career with a win.
“We call him Big Game Brax for a reason,” Ryan said. “That’s because he’s going to show up, throw strikes and do whatever it takes to get us to this point.”
Glines retired the first nine Mount Michael hitters in order before walking Ashton Burroughs to open the fourth.
“I was confident,” Glines said. “My approach was just to throw strikes and let my defense work.”
The Warriors jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings by taking advantage of Mount Michael miscues.
Glines reached on a fielding error at second base in the first inning, which allowed Kruz Fiddler to score the game’s first run.
In the second, Preston Rodencal singled to left and Jake Bokelmann scored after a misplay in the outfield. Fiddler followed with a fly ball to left that a Knight dropped, allowing Rodencal to push Lincoln Lutheran’s lead to 3-0.
The teams combined for three hits, one for the Warriors, and seven errors, including four by the Knights.
“Our offense wasn’t quite swinging it the way we had all year, but pitching and defense just carried us all the way,” Ryan said. “I don’t think if you had told me we would have one (hit) that we were going to win (Saturday), but I’m definitely going to take it.”
The Knights (14-3) scored single runs in the fourth and sixth to get within one at 3-2. Miles Wewel had a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Leo Sheridan doubled to left in the sixth to plate Colin Joslin.
Mount Michael had the potential tying run on second with one out in the seventh after a throwing error on a dropped third strike and a sacrifice bunt, but Glines got Noah Stricklett to line out into a double play to end the game.
Stricklett hit a liner at second baseman Cooper Thome, who caught it and then beat the Knight runner to second to set off a Lincoln Lutheran celebration.
“Off the bat it was hit pretty hard and our second baseman’s got his glove up, so I knew he was going to catch it,” Glines said. “And then I thought he was going to toss it to our shortstop, but he just ran it himself.”
Preston Peatrowsky allowed just one hit in 4.2 innings for Mount Michael, but he issued eight walks. Mount Michael pitchers combined for 10 walks.
“We’re really blessed to be in this situation.”
Lincoln Lutheran head coach Logan Ryan talks after winning the Class C baseball title.#nebpreps pic.twitter.com/2KH1UmucGb
— Hurrdat Sports (@HurrdatSports) May 23, 2026
