MaxPreps 2015 Nebraska preseason baseball Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

1. Omaha Westside
2014 finish: 34-3
Head coach: Bob Greco

The defending Class A state champions have a number of all-state players returning from last year's squad, including Matt and Mike Waldron. Matt plays shortstop and pitches while Mike also pitches and plays second base. The rest of the infield looks solid as well with first baseman Mitchell Hagan (junior) and catcher Alex Nielsen. Will Patterson will be the designated hitter.

View last season's Nebraska baseball rankings, presented by the Army National Guard

2. Creighton Prep (Omaha)
2014 finish: 26-9
Head coach: Pat Mooney



The Junior Jays have the pitching necessary to challenge Omaha Westside for a state title. Jefferey O'Doherty, a 6-foot-4 righthander, is ranked No. 2 in the state by Perfect Game, while Jason Allbery, a 6-3 righthander, is ranked No. 3 and was an all-state pick last year. Creighton Prep also has a pair of juniors in all-state lefthander Zacary Zagozda and third baseman Brett Vosik, who rank among the state's best in the Class of 2016.

View last season's Nebraska baseball playoff brackets

3. Millard North (Omaha)
2014 finish: 19-14
Head coach: Dave Cork

The Mustangs lose just five seniors from a team that won 19 games. The top returning seniors include pitcher John Schomers, catcher Zach Gidley, all-state utility player Bryce Rogokos and all-state infielder Riley Herold. The team's top junior is outfielder Nick Engle.

View last season's Nebraska baseball stat leaders

4. Pius X (Lincoln)
2014 finish: 26-6
Head coach: Troy Charf



The Thunderbolts captured the Class B state championship last year and have won the title two of the past three seasons. Three players who earned Class B all-state honors return in infielder Colton Abendroth, outfielder Nolan Hakel and utility player Michael Hellman.

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5. Grand Island
2014 finish: 19-8
Head coach: Rick Kissack

Grand Island finished third in the state Class A playoffs, losing its final two games to Omaha Westside and Creighton Prep. The pitching staff looks solid with Calvin Hehnke (4-1), junior Ryan Krolikowski and Cedric Moreno (2-0) all returning. Alec Lee, a junior, and Riley Baasch are the top two returning offensive players. Lee batted .446 with two home runs while Baasch batted .397 with four home runs.