State Softball Championship Finals Preview
The NSAA State Softball Championships return to Omaha’s Connie Claussen Field on Monday with first pitch slated for 12:30 in the Class C championship game between Bishop Neumann and Douglas County West. It will be the second year for the winner-take-all championship games with Class B to follow at 3:30 and Class A set for a 6:30 first pitch.
“Last year was great for our sport,” said Millard North coach Travis Unzicker, whose Mustangs are one of two teams to return in 2024. “The girls had such a great atmosphere and to see it come alive like that sure was something for us coaches who have been around for a long time.
“It was fun to see it.”
All three games will be broadcast statewide on Nebraska Public Media and can be streamed as well on their website. Larry Punteney and former Nebraska and Papillion-LaVista pitching standout Peaches James will call the action. Live scoring is also available on the NSAA Softball Championships HQ page.
Class A: Gretna, MIllard North to meet for third time
Top-seeded and top-ranked Gretna (37-0) looks to complete just the third undefeated Class A season in state history on Friday night when they face third-seeded Millard North (31-6). The two teams combined for 61 runs in winning their three games in Hastings to advance.
Both coaches expect a little less offense in the championship game.
For Gretna, Nebraska commit Alexis Jensen has been a stalwart in the circle all season. She blanked her last two opponents in Hastings and brought an ERA of 0.35 to the state tournament. Millard North, however, will have options as they used both Jayda Juarez (12-2) and Jaydn Pokorny (15-4) in Hastings.
“We are going to have to pitch really, really well,” Unzicker said. “I think with Gretna, it’s a matter of just getting them to not have square contact when they hit it. We have to get them to hit into some outs and not make any errors behind our pitchers.
“They are just so good 1-9 in the order.”
The respect is mutual for Gretna and coach Bill Heard. While the Dragons have won the previous matchups 7-1 and 10-0, he believes the Mustangs have one of the best offenses in Class A.
“Millard North is about as talented offensively as we have seen all season,” he said. “They have a lot of players who have played a lot of high-level softball and it will take our best effort to win this game.”
The Dragons have gotten a huge state tournament at the plate from catcher Carlie Muhlbach. The senior catcher is 7-for-9 in the tournament with 10 RBI and three home runs. Jensen has struck out 31 batters in three games.
Unzicker said consistency at all nine positions in his batting lineup will be crucial to have a chance to turn the tables on the Dragons. Sophomore outfielder Abby Beard has been on a tear in the tournament batting 8-for-14 with 11 RBI and six home runs. The 1-5 spots in the Mustang lineup have driven in 17 runs in the tournament.
“Our 1-5 have been really good recently and Abby has probably been our best hitter the past month,” Unzicker said. “But our bottom four have done a good job of getting on base. We will need that on Monday. We need our top hitters batting with people on base.”
Class B: Something in the Orange; Beatrice, Hastings in rubber match
Sometimes things don’t go as everyone else has planned.
But, things in the Class B state tournament went just as Hastings (31-7) and Beatrice planned coming into the week. With defending champion Northwest and second-ranked 2023 finalist Blair in the Class B field, most thought a rematch was inevitable.
Not so for Beatrice (29-5) and the Tigers, who rolled through bracket play undefeated en route to the state championship game which will have a 3:30 first pitch on Monday. Both teams knocked off Blair in bracket play – the Lady Orange first, then Hastings – after the Bears eliminated Northwest on Thursday afternoon.
“I am not sure we ever expected we’d go 3-0 (in bracket play),” Hastings coach Blake Marquardt said. “We didn’t expect things to get crazy like they did either. But, I think at the same time, our team expected to be in the championship game.”
Beatrice coach Gary Lytle said his team has been playing as well as they have all season the past few weeks.
“I think our pitchers did a great job in Hastings,” Lytle said. “And I think on Monday we will have to be very disciplined at the plate. We’ve been doing a pretty good job of swinging at good pitches we can hit.”
Beatrice survived a “wind blowing out” 17-9 slugfest with Gretna East to open the tournament. Centerfielder Tatum Templemeyer was 4-for-5 in the contest with nine RBI and three home runs as the Lady Orange belted six total. Later that night, Beatrice used four home runs to upend Blair 5-3.
Hastings survived in the opening round as well, getting a 6-5 win over Scottsbluff when junior Hadyn Laux sacrificed in the winning run in the bottom of the sixth. They were in full control in beating Pius 14-4 on Wednesday evening and then ending Blair’s season in a 10-5 win on Thursday.
Each team has some pitching depth should they need it in Omaha.
Beatrice got different, but dominating, outings from Layla Boyko and Karrigan Henrichs in Hastings. Boyko had a complete game 14 strikeout effort against Pius and Henrichs struckout just two in a complete game performance against Blair.
Hastings has ridden the arm of freshman Ella Tinsman in the circle, and Maddie Wenzl started the tournament against Scottsbluff. Tinsman has 22 strikeouts in the tournament and pitched the Tigers final two games of bracket play.
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Class C: Neumann returns, DC West in new territory
Bishop Neumann (32-2) has been to the NSAA state tournament nine times in the past ten years. They played in last year’s state championship and four others, winning titles 2017 and 2021. DC West, not so much.
“I have been telling our kids that every game they are playing they are making history (for our school),” DC West coach Ady Watts said. “Hosted districts for the first time ever. Made it to state for the first time ever. Won a game at state for the first time ever.
“Nothing has bothered them and they are so fun to be around. We are in zero pressure mode right now.”
You can add the first state championship game ever to the list of Falcon accolades so far in October. The confidence they are playing with is not lost on Neumann head coach David Brabec. Neumann defeated DC West 8-0 in a triangular with Central City on September 26th.
“Man, are they hot,” Brabec said. “We have a great respect for their program. We will see a totally different team than the one we saw earlier in the season. They are pitching very well and hitting the ball everywhere.”
The evidence? The Falcons (27-8) scored 34 runs and gave up just five in defeating Fort Calhoun twice and top-seeded Hastings St. Cecilia 11-2 in the second round. They had lost to both of those teams in the regular season as well. Bella Zach, Bailey Anderson and Maddison Zach each have at least one four RBI game in the state tournament. Sydney Atkins (22-7) has pitched all 18 state tournament innings with 22 strikeouts.
The Cavs trailed in all three games at the state tournament, but each time rallied. They have one of the top pitchers in the class in junior Addison Sylliaasen. She is 27-2 with a 2.02 ERA and pitched for the Cavs in last year’s state title game. Neumann belted six home runs in their 13-3 win over Ashland-Greenwood to advance to Monday’s state title game.
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STATE FINALS NOTEBOOK
FOR FEEK: Gretna head coach Bill Heard was thrust into the basketball spotlight last winter when taking over the reins for best friend and boys basketball Brad Feeken who passed away just before Christmas after a long illness. He said the softball team talks about his lessons often. They’ll take many to Monday. And use others from a disappointing exit in 2023.
“Be yourself,” Heard said. “Winning is hard, so you just have to be yourself. I think what we went through all of last year could have been the best thing that ever happened to us. We learned so much about adversity and enduring through hard things.”
A SEND OFF: Hastings coach Blake Marquardt says his players don’t get the experience most do at a state tournament. “We don’t get the bus trips and the hotel rooms like everyone else.” So, he’s looking forward to a bus ride with his players on Monday.
“To get to leave Hastings and go play in Omaha is a dream come true for our kids,” he said. “We have been to state so many times, but the thrill of being in this championship game is great.
DIFFERENT RUBBER MATCH: Sure, Hastings and Beatrice each have wins against each other during the season. Beatrice defeated Hastings 8-6 on opening weekend and Hastings returned the favor 8-2 on September 24.
Lytle doesn’t think either game matters too much now.
“I think about the only thing the same is we will know each other’s lineups,” he said. “Both teams have improved, grown up and just gotten so much better.”
UNDERSTUDIES: The last time Gretna won a state softball championship in 2015, Heard was the coach. And, two of his standout players were DC West head coach Ady Watts and assistant Taylor Stamm. Now, they pass on the lessons.
“What you remember from being on those teams is how much you appreciate your teammates,” Watts said. “They helped us believe in ourselves, to have confidence in ourselves and to trust those around you.”