The Millard South Patriots will square off against the Norfolk Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Millard South is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Papillion-LaVista South, who was ranked second at the time (Millard South was ranked fourth). The Patriots were the clear victors by a 16-5 margin over the Titans on Monday. The result was nothing new for the Patriots, who have now won 11 contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Noah Haakinson
| 04/28/25 vs Papillion-LaVista South | 1 |
| 04/15/25 @ Millard West | 1 |
| 04/11/25 vs Lincoln East | 2 |
| 04/07/25 vs Elkhorn North | 0 |
| 04/01/25 @ Westview | 1 |
| 03/25/25 @ Burke | 1 |
Millard South got a great performance from Noah Haakinson as he struck out six batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). Haakinson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Braden Swaney was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI he has posted over his last 11 games. Carson Derr was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Millard South was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .556. They are a perfect 13-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Norfolk was able to grind out a solid win over Wayne on Monday, taking the game 11-6. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.
Ethan Synovec made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Norfolk is 3-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 3-11 otherwise. Synovec was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ayden Papstein, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double. He has become a key player for Norfolk: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-12 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Hayden Kelley, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Norfolk's victory bumped their record up to 6-12. As for Millard South, their win bumped their record up to 18-7.
Norfolk's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Millard South hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .358. It's a different story for Norfolk, though, as they've only averaged .230. Will they be able to contain Millard South's hitters?
Millard South took their victory against Norfolk when the teams last played back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 11-3 score. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
