2014 Nebraska high school baseball state tournament roundup

While Omaha Westside was sweeping through the Class A field in capturing its second-straight state baseball championship last week, Pius X (Lincoln) had to rebound from a 5-3 Game 8 loss to runner-up Skutt Catholic (Omaha) last Monday for its Class B title.

The early-tournament loss forced the Thunderbolts to win a pair of contests on "Championship Thursday," including a 7-5 win that turned the tables on Skutt in the title game.

Pius' Ryan Junker was named the losing pitcher in Monday's loss after surrendering seven hits and four earned runs in three innings of work. But Thursday, in the title game, he stepped up on the mound in the fifth inning with runners on second and third and delivered.

After giving up a sacrifice fly that allowed a run to score, cutting the Pius lead to 6-5, Junker picked off a Skutt runner at second to end the threat.

"They got the best of me and I wanted to prove to my teammates I wanted this as much as they did," Junker told the Lincoln Journal Star Thursday. "I wanted to prove we would get through this. It was just a bump in the road. Everything comes down to little tiny things. It's one pitch or one pickoff."

Visit the MaxPreps Nebraska baseball page for brackets and rankings

After eliminating Elkhorn 10-4 in the first game Thursday, Pius chalked up five runs in the first inning against Skutt. Troy Charf's Thunderbolts (26-6) added a run in the second inning and another in the sixth. Skutt trailed just 6-4 at the conclusion of the fourth inning after tallying two runs apiece in the second and fourth innings.

"Hats off to them. They came out with five in the first, but we came back and made it a game," Skutt coach Shawn Exner told the Omaha World Herald. "We didn't lay down. We were within striking distance. They were determined to make it a game, and they did."

Junker found himself in hot water in the top of the seventh inning after giving up a walk and a single to put Skutt runners on second and third with two outs. Holding on to a 7-5 lead, Junker got a strikeout to end the threat.

Nolan Hakel got the nod as the Class B tournament's MVP after he delivered a three-run triple in the first inning and then came home when Nolan Meyer, the next batter up, dealt Skutt another blow with a two-run homer. Hakel led the Class B field with 11 RBIs in the state tournament.

Omaha Westside 7, Creighton Prep (Omaha) 3

Three singles, a walk and an infield throwing error gave Westside a 4-0 advantage in the bottom of the first inning and all of the lead it would need in knocking off Creighton Prep for a second-straight title, the school's seventh overall.

The Warriors added three more scores in their half of the fourth inning to go up 7-0 before a single, walk and double allowed Creighton Prep to avoid the shutout in the top of the seventh inning.

You can't say enough about Westside's Jake Meyers, who is easily the Class A Most Valuable Player. The Nebraska recruit was the winning pitcher in the title game after allowing just two earned runs and five hits, while striking out 12 batters and walking four more in a complete-game effort for the Warriors.

At the plate, Meyers went 2-for-3, scored a pair of runs and knocked in another. For the tournament, Meyers was 11-for-18 and scored nine runs.

"Jake was just too good," Creighton Prep coach Pat Mooney told the World Herald following the game. "What did he strike out, 98 guys?"

All-Tournament Teams

Class A
Grant Suponchick, Papillion-LaVista South
Riley Baasch, Grand Island
Jake Meyers, Omaha Westside
Devin Stueck, Omaha Westside
Dillon O'Doherty, Omaha Creighton Prep
Drew Fitzmorris, Omaha Westside
James Babic, Bellevue West
Thomas West, Millard North
Jonah Ulane, Millard South
Sam Brunswick, Millard West
Calvin Hehnke, Grand Island
Jake Allen, Omaha Creighton Prep
MVP: Jake Meyers, Omaha Westside

Class B
Jonah Holzapfel, Omaha Roncalli
Jack Morock, Elkhorn
Byron Hood, Norris
Drew Smith, Elkhorn
Brandon Utrup, Lincoln Pius X
Nolan Hakel, Lincoln Pius X
Alex McGinnis, Crete
Ben Klenke, Seward
Michael Helman, Lincoln Pius X
Brett Nice, Bennington
Jacob Barton, Omaha Skutt
Kyle O'Neill, Omaha Skutt
MVP: Nolan Hakel, Lincoln Pius X

Class A State Tournament Baseball Scores
Game 1: Omaha Westside 7, Millard North (Omaha) 5
Game 2: Papillion-LaVista South 5, Millard South (Omaha) 4
Game 3: Grand Island 11, Creighton Prep 3
Game 4: Millard West (Omaha) 5, Bellevue West 4
Game 5: Millard North 12, Millard South 5
Game 6: Omaha Creighton Prep 9, Bellevue West 1
Game 7: Omaha Westside 4, Papillion-LaVista South 1
Game 8: Grand Island 2, Millard West 1
Game 9: Millard West 4, Millard North 3
Game 10: Omaha Creighton Prep 8, Papillion-LaVista South 7 (8 innings)
Game 11: Omaha Westside 9, Grand Island 4
Game 12: Omaha Westside 8, Millard West 6
Game 13: Omaha Creighton Prep 20, Grand Island 6 (6 innings)
Game 14: Omaha Westside 7, Omaha Creighton Prep 3

Class B State Tournament Baseball Scores
Game 1: Norris (Firth) 12, Crete 1 (5 innings)
Game 2: Elkhorn 13, Roncalli Catholic (Omaha) 4
Game 3: Skutt Catholic (Omaha) 1, Seward 0 (8 innings)
Game 4: Lincoln Pius X 2, Bennington 0
Game 5: Omaha Roncalli 9, Crete 8
Game 6: Seward 5, Bennington 3
Game 7: Norris 16, Elkhorn 13
Game 8: Omaha Skutt 5, Lincoln Pius X 3
Game 9: Lincoln Pius X 11, Omaha Roncalli 1
Game 10: Elkhorn 8, Seward 6
Game 11: Omaha Skutt 9, Norris 8 (8 innings)
Game 12: Elkhorn 11, Omaha Skutt 10
Game 13: Lincoln Pius X 8, Norris 7 (12 innings)
Game 14: Lincoln Pius X 10, Elkhorn 4
Game 15: Lincoln Pius X 7, Omaha Skutt 5

Class A Batting Average (Min. of 3 at bats)
(Player, School, Hits-At Bats, Percentage)
Riley Baasch, Grand Island 8-13 .615
Jake Meyers, Omaha Westside 11-18 .611
Jackson Bruckner, Millard South 3-5 .600
Alec Lee, Grand Island 7-13 .538
James Babic, Bellevue West 3-6 .500
Thomas West, Millard North 6-12 .500
Enoch Culliver, Omaha Creighton Prep 2-4 .500
Devin Stueck, Omaha Westside 7-14 .500
Michael Emodi, Omaha Creighton Prep 8-17 .471
Matt Eardensohn, Millard West 7-15 .467

Class A Runs Scored
(Player, School, Runs Scored)
Jake Meyers, Omaha Westside 9
Devin Stueck, Omaha Westside 8
Jason Allbery, Omaha Creighton Prep 6
Kirkland Kudlacz, Omaha Creighton Prep 6
Dillon O'Doherty, Omaha Creighton Prep 6
Bryce Rogokos, Millard North 5
Zane Zitek, Omaha Creighton Prep 5
Jack Wilson, Millard North 4
Cole Stobbe, Millard West 4
Alex Hechtner, Omaha Creighton Prep 4
Craig Petrich, Omaha Creighton Prep 4
Drew Fitzmorris, Omaha Westside 4
Grant Horton, Papillion-LaVista South 4

Class A Runs Batted In
(Player, School, Runs Batted In)
Dillon O'Doherty, Omaha Creighton Prep 7
Drew Fitzmorris, Omaha Westside 7
James Babic, Bellevue West 5
Thomas West, Millard North 5
Jason Allbery, Omaha Creighton Prep 5
Alex Nielsen, Omaha Westside 5
Riley Baasch, Grand Island 4
Jaden Coen, Grand Island 4
Calvin Hehnke, Grand Island 4
Alec Lee, Grand Island 4
Cole Stobbe, Millard West 4
Jack Wilson, Millard North 4
Michael Emodi, Omaha Creighton Prep 4
Craig Petrich, Omaha Creighton Prep 4
Kyle Thompson, Omaha Creighton Prep 4
Mitchell Hagan, Omaha Westside 4
Will Patterson, Omaha Westside 4
Grant Suponchick, Papillion-LaVista South 4

Class A Slugging Percentage (Min. of 3 at bats)
(Player, School, Total Bases-At Bats, Slugging Percentage)
James Babic, Bellevue West 7-6 1.170
Riley Baasch, Grand Island 14-13 1.077
Thomas West, Millard North 11-12 .917
Jake Meyers, Omaha Westside 16-18 .889
Anthony Cloyd, Millard South 4-5 .800
Dillon O'Doherty, Omaha Creighton Prep 14-18 .778
Alec Lee, Grand Island 10-13 .769
Alex Hechtner, Omaha Creighton Prep 9-12 .750
Kyle Thompson, Omaha Creighton Prep 9-12 .750
Grant Suponchick, Papillion-LaVista South 8-11 .727

Class A Earned Run Average (Min. of 3 innings pitched)
(Player, School, Innings Pitched, Earned Runs, Earned Run Average)
Jonah Ulane, Millard South 6.2 0 0.00
Sam Brunswick, Millard West 5.1 0 0.00
Matt Eardensohn, Millard West 5.0 0 0.00
Cole Johnston, Millard West 4.0 0 0.00
Chris Olsen, Millard North 3.3 0 0.00
Jake Meyers, Omaha Westside 14.0 2 1.00
Matt Waldron, Omaha Westside 7.0 1 1.00
Calvin Hehnke, Grand Island 6.0 1 1.16
Zach Meyer, Millard North 5.3 1 1.32
Zac Zagozda, Omaha Creighton Prep 5.0 1 1.40
Jeff O'Doherty, Omaha Creighton Prep 4.4 1 1.59

Class A Strikeouts
(Player, School, Strikeouts)
Jake Meyers, Omaha Westside 21
Calvin Hehnke, Grand Island 11
Mike Waldron, Omaha Westside 10
Jake Allen, Omaha Creighton Prep 9
Logan Jacik, Millard West 8
Lane Uhing, Grand Island 6
Zach Meyer, Millard North 6
Grant Suponchick, Papillion-LaVista South 6
Jeff O'Doherty, Omaha Creighton Prep 6
John Sakowski, Omaha Creighton Prep 6
Matt Waldron, Omaha Westside 6

Class B Batting Average (Min. of 3 at bats)
(Player, School, Hits-At Bats, Percentage)
Jonah Holzapfel, Omaha Roncalli 8-8 1.000
Garrett Skillett, Crete 3-5 .600
Alex McGinnis, Crete 4-7 .571
Jack Morock, Elkhorn 10-18 .556
Byron Hood, Norris 7-13 .538
Cooper Anthony, Crete 3-6 .500
Kellen Jakopovic, Elkhorn 8-17 .471
Kolton Meyer, Norris 8-17 .471
Justin McGill, Omaha Skutt 6-13 .462
Drew Smith, Elkhorn 9-20 .450

Class B Runs Scored
(Player, School, Runs Scored)
Drew Smith, Elkhorn 10
Jack Morock, Elkhorn 7
Brandon Utrup, Lincoln Pius X 7
Bryan McLaughlin, Elkhorn 6
Grant Albers, Norris 6
Nate Oden, Norris 6
Bryce Peterson, Norris 6
Spencer Meduna, Omaha Skutt 6
Chase Hazlewood, Elkhorn 5
Alex Utrup, Lincoln Pius X 5
Josh Gutzmer, Norris 5
Jake Peterson, Norris 5
Jonah Holzapfel, Omaha Roncalli 5

Class B Runs Batted In
(Player, School, Runs Batted In)
Nolan Hakel, Lincoln Pius X 11
Drew Smith, Elkhorn 8
Kolton Meyer, Norris 8
Kellen Jakopovic, Elkhorn 7
Bryan McLaughlin, Elkhorn 6
Jack Morock, Elkhorn 6
Sam Donlan, Lincoln Pius X 6
Byron Hood, Norris 6
Brandon Utrup, Lincoln Pius X 5
Grant Albers, Norris 5
Beau Litz, Omaha Skutt 5

Class B Slugging Percentage (Min. of 3 at bats)
(Player, School, Total Bases-At Bats, Slugging Percentage)
Jonah Holzapfel, Omaha Roncalli 10-8 1.250
Drew Smith, Elkhorn 21-20 1.050
Alex McGinnis, Crete 7-7 1.000
Jack Morock, Elkhorn 18-18 1.000
Byron Hood, Norris 12-13 .923
Kellen Jakopovic, Elkhorn 14-17 .824
Nolan Hakel, Lincoln Pius X 14-19 .737
Ben Wenke, Omaha Skutt 10-14 .714
Matt Morrison, Omaha Roncalli 2-3 .667
Beau Litz, Omaha Skutt 10-15 .667
Scott Wolverton, Seward 6-9 .667

Class B Earned Run Average (Min. of 3 innings pitched)
(Player, School, Innings Pitched, Earned Runs, Earned Run Average)
Zach Petitt, Lincoln Pius X 4.0 0 0.00
Ben Klenke, Seward 7.2 0 0.00
Michael Helman, Lincoln Pius X 11.2 1 0.62
Brett Nice, Bennington 6.0 1 1.16
Michael Johnson, Norris 5.4 1 1.29
Byron Hood, Norris 12.0 3 1.75
Zak Bassett, Omaha Roncalli 6.0 2 2.33
Nolan Hakel, Lincoln Pius X 7.0 3 3.00
Jacob Barton, Omaha Skutt 7.0 3 3.00
Kyle O'Neill, Omaha Skutt 14.0 6 3.00
Reid Karel, Seward 7.0 3 3.00

Class B Strikeouts
(Player, School, Strikeouts)
Byron Hood, Norris 18
Alec Cowger, Elkhorn 13
Michael Helman, Lincoln Pius X 10
Ryne Kortum, Lincoln Pius X 10
Jacob Barton, Omaha Skutt 9
Ben Klenke, Seward 9
Kyle O'Neill, Omaha Skutt 9
Keanu Mendez, Omaha Skutt 7
Reid Karel, Seward 7
Aaron Walsworth, Elkhorn 6