ARCHIVES - Fall 2008 - Winter 2009

Skutt Alum Walz Gets Win Over #4 Arizona State

University of Kansas righthander T.J. Walz earned a big win Saturday over the #4 team in the nation as the Jayhawks defeated  Arizona State, 3-2, on the road.  The former Omaha Skutt standout threw 6 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on six hits with just one walk and six strikeouts.  During one stretch, he retired ten of twelve batters faced.  It was the second win of the season for Walz as the Jayhawks improved to 10-4.  It was only the third loss of the season for the Sun Devils against thirteen wins.  | Game Summary | T.J. Walz Roster Page |

Omaha Company Protects Hitters with Innovative, American-made Safety Products

Hitters try to push thoughts of personal safety out of their minds when stepping into the batter's box, but that's not always easy when facing an 85+ mph fastball.  Thanks to local sports equipment manufacturer, EMask, the risks of catastrophic injury can easily and economically be reduced.  Their EMask facemask and 100 MPH EHelmet  batting helmet set the standard for hitter protective headgear.  Click above to learn the story behind this fascinating start-up company headquartered in downtown Millard. 

2009 Season Approaches as First Official Practices Begin Today

With two and a half weeks remaining until the first pitch of the 2009 season, tryouts and practices for Nebraska high school baseball teams get underway today  -- the first official day of practice under the NSAA rules.  Most ballfields are covered with the remnants of more than 6" of snow that fell last Friday, but that snowcover should disappear in the coming days as temperatures climb into the upper fifties by the end of the week.  For most programs, tryouts and drills will be conducted indoors over the next few days as coaches go through the difficult task of winnowing the number of aspiring ballplayers down to the final rosters. 

Coaches are currently providing BaseballNebraska with the preseason forecasts for their teams so look for our team reports and preseason Top 10 in each class in the coming days. 

Frerichs and Ryan Selected 2008 Varsity Coaches of the Year

Four Nebraska high school coaches were recognized Tuesday night by their colleagues as the Nebraska Baseball Coaches Association announced its 2008 Coaches of the Year.  Spring Varsity honors went to Elkhorn's Jerry Frerichs, who guided the Antlers to a repeat state championship.  Millard West's Frank Ryan was recognized as the top Summer Varsity head coach for taking the Wildcats to the American Legion World Series.  At the Juniors level, Elkhorn's Josh Snyder was recognized for the spring season, and Millard South's Tom Cooper earned summer season honors.  In the University / College division, UNO head coach Bob Herold was selected Coach of the Year following the Mavs' second forty-five win season in three years. 

Millard West Ranked #12 in National Pre-Season Poll

The Baseball America/National High School Baseball Coaches Association Preseason Top 50 poll published today (February 26) ranks the Millard West Wildcats as the #12 team in the Nation.  The Wildcats are the only Nebraska team ranked in that poll or in the Easton Sports / Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Pre-Season Poll where the Millard West team is ranked #28.  The Wildcats' 2008 American Legion World Series opponent, Las Vegas Bishop Gorman HS, is ranked #1 in both polls.  No Nebraska players were included in the three BaseballAmerica pre-season All-American teams announced today.

BaseballNebraska Seeks Reader Assistance with Advertising Leads

BaseballNebraska.com is a free resource for our readers, and we intend to keep it that way.  However, this site can't exist without reliable sources of revenue to fund its operation.  Rather than using a paid-subscription model, our solution to revenue generation is to sell advertising placement on the website.  In order to identify prospective advertisers across the state who might like to advertise here, we are asking for your assistance.  Click link above for information on how you can help. 

Farmer Receives Pre-Season All-American Honors

Kurt Farmer, a hard-hitting Columbus High School senior shortstop, has been named to the Louisville Slugger Pre-Season High School All-American First Team.  The Husker recruit was one of twenty-three infielders from across the nation selected by Collegiate Baseball magazine to receive the honor.  The publication also named eleven other Nebraska high school players to its annual "Players to Watch" list. 

Prestigious TPX Top 96 Clinic Coming to Omaha During CWS

Omaha Burke High School has recently been selected as one forty-five sites nationally to host a prestigious TPX Top 96 Clinic for High School Players in 2009, according to Burke Assistant Coach Scott Hodges.  The two-day clinic will take place during the College World Series on June 22 and 23rd and is expected to draw high school players and college coaches from across the nation.

Fire Displaces Northwest Coach and Family; Relief Fund Established

Omaha Northwest Assistant Baseball Coach Matt Tigani and his family, including  three young children, have been rendered homeless by a fire that destroyed their duplex and most of their personal possessions Saturday night.  Tigani, who teaches at Parrish School, an OPS alternative high school, has been a football and baseball assistant at Northwest for the past three seasons.  Northwest and Parrish have established an emergency relief fund for the Tigani family.  Contributions can be made at any US Bank location.  Our readers are encouraged to help this young coach who has given so much of his time for our sport, our young people and our community.

2nd Annual Nebraska Baseball Coaches' Clinic to be Held Jan. 31 - Feb. 1 in Fremont

A group headed by Kansas City Royals scouting director Steve Gossett has recruited some highly respected college coaches as presenters for the Second Annual Nebraska Baseball Coaches' Clinic on Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1 at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont.  The target audience for the instructional clinic is high school and youth baseball coaches from across the state as well as parents of baseball players who are looking to learn techniques from some of the best teachers in the game.  

 2009 Huskers to be Introduced at 'Meet and Greet' and Home Run Club Banquet

University of Nebraska baseball fans can catch a preview of the 2009 Huskers during a "Meet and Greet" event this Saturday, January 24 at the Hawks Championship Center in Lincoln.  Fans will be able to watch the Huskers go through a workout and drills, listen to comments from the Husker coaching staff and participate in an autograph session. The workout and drills portion will take place from 9 until 11 a.m. with the autographs and light refreshments being served afterwards.  In addition, the Husker Home Run Club Preseason Banquet is set for Friday, Jan. 30th at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln.  The Huskers' roster includes eleven former Nebraska high school players, including freshmen Kash Kalkowski, Josh Raburn and Nick Ludemann.  The season begins for the Huskers on February 20th with a three-game series at Louisiana-Lafayette before the home opener at Hawks Field on February 25th against North Dakota.   | Banquet Information | Husker Baseball |

Cap on Baseball Contests Advances to NSAA Representative Assembly

A proposal to impose a twenty "date" limit on the number of baseball games played during the spring season has been approved in five of six NSAA districts during recent Second District Meeting voting -- including Districts V and VI which have no schools playing baseball.  District II (Omaha Metro area), which has thirty-seven of the fifty-five schools statewide that participate in baseball, voted against the proposal by a 79-0 margin.  The proposal now advances to the NSAA Representative Assembly in April.  District II may be able to defeat the proposal there if support from a few delegates from other districts can be found.

UNO Baseball To Honor Former Coach Bob Gates at 2009 Diamond Club Banquet

The UNO Mavericks Baseball program will host its annual Diamond Club Banquet on Sunday, February 8 at the Millard Plaza Ballroom with a special tribute to former skipper Bob Gates, who led the Mavericks from 1977 until his retirement in 1999.  The event, which is open to the public, starts with a 5:00 cocktail hour followed by dinner at 6:00.  Current head coach Bob Herold was named 2008 North Central Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Mavs to a 45-13 record, a #8 national ranking and a conference championship in the NCC's final year.  The Mavs 2009 roster inclues sixteen former Nebraska high school players, including newcomers Joe Holtmeyer of Prep, Brady Hohl and Brett Koehn of Millard North, Jake Benne of Lincoln North Star and Colby McCord of Papillion-LaVista.  The 2009 season begins for the Mavericks on February 13-14 with a double header at Lakewood, CO against Colorado Christian, followed by a twelve-game road trip before Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association rival Missouri Southern comes to town for the home opener on March 14.  UNO home games are played at the Mavs' ballpark at Boys Town.  | Banquet Information and Order Form |  UNO Baseball |

Creighton Baseball to Host Annual Steak Fry on February 7

Creighton University Head Baseball Coach Ed Servais will introduce his 2009 Bluejays at the annual Creighton Baseball Steak Fry to be held Saturday, February 7 at Kitty Gaughan Pavillion next to the CU home field, beginning at 5:30.  The Bluejays return eleven Nebraska high school baseball players from the 2008 roster plus two new Nebraska players for the 2009 season.  The event is open to the public, and tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door.  Practice begins on Feburary 1 in preparation for a season-opening four-game  series at Huntsville, Texas against Sam Houston State beginning February 20th -- part of a fourteen game southern road trip before the March 13th home opener.  |Ticket Information and Order Form |  Creighton Baseball |

Nebraska American Legion Announces Post-Season Sites

Don Kiviniemi, Jr., chairman of the Athletic Committee of the Nebraska American Legion, has announced site selections for the 2009 American Legion post-season tournaments.  The Class A Senior Legion National Division Tournament will be played at Sherman Field in Lincoln, while Roddy Field in Bellevue will be the site of the Class A American Division Tournament.  Those tournaments will be held July 24-28 with the champions meeting on August 1st to determine the Class A State Champion.  That championship game will be played at the home field of the National Division Champion.  Click link above for a complete listing of tournament sites. 

Skutt Summer Baseball Program to Host Barn Party Fundraiser

When:  Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009 - 7 p.m.- 11 p.m
Where:  The BARN- 15220 Military Rd. - (Military and "State"-- East of 156th street on Military)
Includes: Food, drinks, music and Silent Auction
$25.00 per person for Barn Party

Items to be auctioned include College World Series Tickets, Pelini Autographed football, Creighton basketball tickets, BaseballNebraska Prospects Gold Listing and more.

New this year:  Texas Hold'em tournament (begins at 8 pm.- separate fee to enter)-- First Place prize

Purchase tickets from members of the Skutt baseball team or Coach Keith Engelkamp at Skutt.  (402-672-7711)

BaseballNebraska Unveils Premium Prospects Listings as Database Picks up Steam

Baseball Nebraska's fledgling Prospects service is gaining traction as 29 prospects and 22 coaches, representing six states, have signed on for the free service.  "Starting the service has been a bit of 'chicken and egg' situation," observed BaseballNebraska publisher Jack Mayfield.  "Coaches are looking for players, and players are looking for programs.  So the key has been attracting both parties to the table.  I think we've finally gained critical mass now, and I expect this thing to hit high gear as we get closer to the season."  BaseballNebraska has augmented the free listing service with two premium levels -- gold and silver -- that allow for the prospect to include more detailed information in his listing. 

Nebraska Reserve Baseball League Expands to 32 Teams for 2009

The future of high school baseball in the state looks bright as the Nebraska Reserve Baseball League continues to grow and improve.  The fifteen-and-under league, which was formed in the Omaha Metro area in 2006, is poised for growth outside of the Metro with the addition of three Lincoln select teams for 2009.

Ultimate Baseball Academy Mega-Facility to Open in January

After spending most of 2008 in temporary facilities, Coach Bill Olson and the rest of the UBA staff will move into a spacious new 55,000 square foot  facility at 120th & "I" Streets in West Omaha in early January.  The state-of-the-art  facility features a full-size indoor turf infield and raises the stakes among contenders in the indoor baseball training marketplace. 

Southeast's Scheffert to Represent State in International Home Run Derby

Husker signee Josh Scheffert will escape wintertime in Nebraska for a few days at the beginning of the New Year while competing as one of seventy contestants in an international home run derby event in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

Update 1/3/09:  Josh hit a total of four home runs, stroking one long ball during the wood bat phase of the competition and three more during the metal bat competition.  In order to advance to the finals, Josh needed to finish in the top five in the preliminary round which consisted of 68 hitters.  As things stood when he came to the plate, that meant he would need at least nine home runs.  Dante Bichette, Jr., a sophomore from Florida and son of the former major leaguer, was the leader with eleven followed by three hitters with ten each and one with nine.  The left-handed hitters, who were expected to thrive in the ballpark, had not yet come to the plate.   Josh represented his home state well in the competition and will return home on Sunday and back to classes on Monday.  Congratulations, Josh. 

Hitters Advancing to Championship Round:

	Dante Bichette, Jr.	Florida	2011
	Randal Grichuk	Texas	2009
	Ryan Gunhouse	Texas	2009
	Bryce Harper	Nevada	2011
	Christian Walker	Pennsylvania	2009

Walker, a University of South Carolina recruit, was crowned World Champion after hitting nine home runs in the Championship Round.  Harper, who is yet to play his sophomore season at Las Vegas High School, hit the longest home run on the day with a record-setting 502' bomb.  More information at www.power-showcase.com.

NSAA Proposal for Baseball Contest Limits Advances to Second Vote

A Beatrice proposal for a seventeen date cap on spring baseball schedules was fended off by Westside's introduction of a less-restrictive twenty game alternative.  The seventeen date cap is now dead, but the twenty game limit is moving forward to a second vote in early January, accompanied by a noticeable lack of support from its sponsor and many athletic directors from baseball schools. 

Hodges Hire Headlines Coaching Changes

Not to be outdone by the MLB Winter Meetings, the Metro League coaches meeting on December 7th generated some newsworthy announcements.  At the top of the list was an announcement that Omaha Burke assistant Scott Hodges will be the new Senior Legion head coach for Ralston First State Bank.  Click the link above for details and other news and information from the meeting. 

Hurting Hurlers Hurry Healing for 2009 Season

Senior aces Patrick Johnson of Elkhorn and Danny Pierce of Bellevue East are the latest to join a growing list of Nebraska high school pitchers who have undergone surgery on their throwing arms.  Unlike the recent rash of "Tommy John" recipients, these two are facing a bigger challenge -- battling back from labrum surgery. What's a labrum anyway?  And how does a pitcher prevent a potentially season-ending labrum injury?   

Legion Baseball Post-Season Dates Set for 2009

The state American Legion Athletic Committee met recently to set the dates of the 2009 post-season tournaments for Classes A, B & C Senior and Junior Legion teams. 

Proposed NSAA Rule Changes Would Affect Baseball

Beginning in 2010, Nebraska high school baseball programs could see their seasons shortened by two weeks and the maximum number of games played limited by a seventeen "date" cap if recently submitted proposed changes to the NSAA's Baseball Manual are adopted. 

Class B Expands with Addition of Yutan and Waverly for Spring 2009

Baseball continues to grow as the Chieftains and Vikings add baseball to their spring sports offerings.  The addition of Yutan and Waverly increase the number of Class B teams to eighteen and the total number of programs playing spring ball to 44.

Brandon Bass Wins National Batting Award

Brandon Bass, a senior at Millard West High School, has recently been named the recipient of the 2008 Louisville Slugger Award, presented annually since 1945 by the Hillerich and Bradsby Company of Louisville, Kentucky to the American Legion player compiling the highest batting average during national competition. 

Winkelmann, Daeges, Kalkowski, Williams  and Scheffert Finish Atop Leaders

The Nebraska high school Classes of 2007, 2008 and 2009 were each represented among the top five individual statistical category leaders for the 2008 Nebraska Class A American Legion Senior Legion season as Brandon Winkelmann (2008), Cody Daeges (2007), Kash Kalkowski (2008), Chris Williams (2009) and Josh Scheffert (2009) finished atop the statewide leaderboard.

Fall Baseball Thriving in Football Country

Even though football is the undisputed king of the fall sports scene in Nebraska, participation in fall baseball is on the upswing in the Cornhusker state as five "Elite" teams and dozens of youth teams hit the diamond weekly under bright autumn skies.

Link to Fall Baseball teams

Husker Recruits Experience Unique Baseball Opportunities

University of Nebraska baseball recruits Josh Scheffert and Kurt Farmer head into their senior seasons with valuable out-of-state baseball experiences under their belts.