An unsuccessful pickoff attempt and a missed pop up in foul territory could not faze Millard North’s Jackson Smith.
The senior struck out the final three Lincoln East hitters, including the last two with the potential tying run on third, to finish off a 6-5 Mustang win in eight innings to claim the Class A state baseball title Saturday night at Werner Park.
“I’m confident, I have the confidence in myself, and I trust my team to make plays behind me and just put in the work,” Smith said.
The title is the third in program history for the Mustangs (26-10), and their first since 2005. Millard North lost to Lincoln East in the 2025 title game.
“It’s great for the school,” Millard North coach Bob Hlavac said. “We have such great support from the administration and the students, obviously, and it’s good to get Millard North where it needs to be.”
Bradyn Erickson led off the bottom of the eight with a sharp single to left and Huxton Katt came in to run for him. Smith appeared to have Katt picked off, but Katt broke for second and the tag was a moment late.
With Katt on second, Smith tracked down a pop up in foul territory but just overran it, to give Cade Anderson the chance to see another pitch. Smith struck Anderson out on the next pitch for the first out.
Katt stole third during Kalai Larsen’s at-bat, forcing the Mustang infielders to come in on the grass. Smith struck out Larsen on three pitches and then needed four to dispatch Trevor Roach and set off a celebration 21 years in the making.
“Last year (the final loss) was just rolling through my head,” Hlavac said. “So Smitty was really good up on the mound there in that eighth inning, and he earned it up there.”
Deacon Hurley put the Mustangs in front in the top of the eighth with a triple to right. Carson Burke walked with one out, and after a strikeout, Hurley laced the first pitch to right. The Lincoln East right fielder dove to try and make the catch and the ball rolled to the fence, allowing Burke to score easily and put Millard North ahead 6-5.
“(The pitcher) was really hanging curveballs, and I knew he was going to come back to his fastball, so that’s what I was looking for right there,” Hurley said.
Millard North trailed 5-4 and had not had a hit since the third when Caden Shafer lined the first pitch of the sixth into the bleachers in left to knot the game at 5-all.
“I was just looking to get on base and get someone to drive me in and we could tie it up, but I got a good swing on the ball and got it over,” Shafer said. “I didn’t really think it was gone, I thought it was just going to be a double, and I got pretty much all the way to first and I looked out and it was bouncing in the bleachers.”
Shafer was the only Mustang to have multiple hits, and he led Millard North with three RBIs.
The Spartans (32-3) scored four runs in the first to grab a 4-3 lead. Bryson Rhodes delivered a three-run triple to put Lincoln East in front.
Millard North scored three in the top of the first, with Shafer lining a two-run single up the middle to Smith and Burke.
The first inning lasted 42 minutes and featured seven runs, five hits, two errors and three walks. There was also a sizable delay while Millard North’s Tanner Evans received treatment for a cut on his hand he received when his hand got stepped on while stealing third.
Colin Driffill threw four scoreless innings for the Mustangs after allowing five runs over the first two frames. He struck out six and allowed four hits in six innings.
“After he got out of that first inning, I think he settled in and kind of was the Colin that we saw all year,” Hlavac said.
Greyson Bjorkman allowed two runs in seven innings of relief for the Spartans.
