Video: Runner avoids tag at home plate
See a Washington runner get creative to score a runGreat coaches have been known to mold pretty good baseball teams into champions. And sometimes a little luck goes a long way toward producing a state championship.
But nothing beats talent, and as the Nebraska state baseball tournament was wrapping up last weekend we began digging through our stat database here at MaxPreps, and we now reveal our Nebraska Top 10 Triple Crown pitchers.
Millard West and Bellevue West landed a pair of pitchers each in this week's Top 10, beginning with the Wildcats' Kyle Stevens, who comes in at No. 3. The Nebraska Class A state runner-up Wildcats, who are listed at No. 2 in MaxPreps' final Nebraska big school baseball ratings, placed Jarrett Seaton at No. 10.
Pushing their way into the Top 10 for the Thunderbirds were C.J. Hlavac and Cameron Taylor at Nos. 7 and 9, respectively. Zach Argo of Norris did not achieve the Triple Crown for pitchers, but he did come the closest, therefore he is seated atop the Top 10. Argo produced the state's No. 2 win total (9), top number of strikeouts (74) and landed the fourth-best earned run average (0.93).
Grand Island's Trey Kissack and Connor Schwetschenau of Omaha Skutt Catholic squeeze into the Top 5 at second and fourth, respectively, while Arlington's Clayton Koch rounds out the Top 5.
Nebraska's Top 10 Triple Crown pitchers
1. Zach Argo, Norris (Firth), Sophomore0.93 earned run average, 9 wins, 74 strikeouts
2. Trey Kissack, Grand Island, Senior1.23 earned run average, 6 wins, 72 strikeouts
3. Kyle Stevens, Millard West (Omaha), Senior1.28 earned run average, 6 wins, 51 strikeouts
4. Connor Schwetschenau, Skutt Catholic (Omaha), Senior1.60 earned run average, 7 wins, 55 strikeouts
5. Clayton Koch, Arlington, Sophomore0.77 earned run average, 4 wins, 42 strikeouts
6. Jacob Uhing, Elkhorn, Senior0.90 earned run average, 10 wins, 33 strikeouts
7. C.J. Hlavac, Bellevue West, Junior1.88 earned run average, 5 wins, 47 strikeouts
8. Brennen Bales, Nebraska City, Junior1.66 earned run average, 5 wins, 42 strikeouts
9. Cameron Taylor, Bellevue West, Junior2.13 earned run average, 5 wins, 71 strikeouts
10. Jarrett Seaton, Millard West (Omaha), Senior1.48 earned run average, 6 wins, 35 strikeouts