It will be a Friday of first at the 2023 State Baseball Tournament. The first time three classes (A, B, C) will crown a champion and the first time the baseball championships will be televised over the air across the state on Nebraska Public Media.
There are 13 players currently committed or signed to play Division I baseball after high school on the rosters of the six teams.
Lincoln East
AJ Evasco- Kansas State
Jeter Worthley- Michigan
Joey Senstock- Nebraska
Garrett Springer- Missouri State
Millard West
Drew Dermer – Iowa
Tyson Lewis – Arkansas
Nick Venteicher – Creighton
Elkhorn North
Ryan Harrahill – Nebraska
Colin Nowaczyk – Creighton
Sam Huff – Nebraska
Norris
Kale Fountain – LSU
Bryce Fountain – Nebraska
Kaizer Papenhagen – Omaha
Class C, Malcolm vs Omaha Roncalli, 1 p.m.
Maddox Meyer (5-2) will take the mound for the No. 1 seed Clippers. The junior right hander has a 2.42 earned run average in 37.2 innings pitched with a team-high 49 strikeouts. His last start, a state tournament win over Platteview, he gave up no runs in five innings pitched with six strikeouts and surrendered just two walks. Meyer can also be tough at the plate with 34 runs scored and a .340 batting average.
The Clippers are led by senior Hayden Frank and sophomore Mason Wisnieski at the plate. Wisnieski leads the team with a .557 batting average and hits (39). Frank, a multi-sport star, is second on the team with a .432 batting average and leads the team in home runs (6) and runs scored (45).
Roncalli is led by Wyatt Yetter. The senior leads the team in batting average (.355), hits (27), RBI (20), doubles (10), triples (4), stolen bases (14) and tied for the team lead in home runs (2).
Class B, Norris vs Elkhorn North, 4 p.m.
Creighton bound Nowaczyk started for the Wolves in the only meeting between the two Eastern Midlands Conference foes. It was a quick 1.2 innings pitched with 12 batters faced in the 8-7 Norris win. He’ll look for a better start and to match his .029 ERA in the rematch.
The Titans will start Washburn bound Collier Hestermann on the mound. His last outing was Monday, a 10-0 win over Elkhorn, he went 5.2 innings, gave up just three hits and walked one batter while striking out eight.
Class A, Millard West vs Lincoln East, 7 p.m.
The two most consistent teams this season square off for a winner-take-all title game. East is 2-0 against the Wildcats this season but they haven’t faced arguably the best pitcher in the state in Iowa signee Drew Deremer.
Dermer has a perfect 7-0 record with 38 strikeouts in 37.1 innings pitched this season. The Spartans will throw junior Carter Mick who has familiarity with the Wildcats. In the April 29 win (7-3) over Millard West, Mick gave up just three earned runs in 5.1 innings pitched while striking out 10 Wildcat batters.
It didn’t take long for Yutan transfer Tyson Lewis to make an impact for the Wildcats. The Arkansas commit leads the Wildcats in batting average (.460), hits (57) and stolen bases (41). Creighton commit Nick Venteicher is third on the team with 31 runs batted in, second in hits (44) and leads the team with 13 doubles.
The Spartans are led by sophomore catcher Jeter Worthley. His .363 batting average, .516 on base percentage, 20 stolen bases and 39 runs scored lead the team. Corner infielder AJ Evasco is hitting .362 while leading the team with 38 hits and 32 runs batted in.
