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2009 SUMMER BASEBALL FUNDRAISER - SOUP FEED/AUCTION |
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Sunday May 24rd, 4:00 to 7:00
Roncalli Student Center
Please join us for the Summer Baseball Annual Fundraiser. We will have a Burger Bash prepared by Baseball Parents, along with Salads, Drinks and Deserts. In addition to that, there will be a Auction and Raffle. Hope to see you there |
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Weatherguard Wins All Class Trophy
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August 9th, 2008 at Roddy Field in Bellevue, NE
The All Class Championship series game between the Class B state champ Weatherguard Systems Pride and Class C state champ Wakefield was a good one. Weatherguard prevailed 3-2 in a defensive ballgame. It was a great game requiring less than 90 total minutes to play.
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Roddy Field was in spectacular condition
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It was a beautiful day for baseball. Temps were in the mid 80s with a gentle breeze. The sky was mostly clear, but occasional small clouds drifted over providing filtered breaks from the sun. Roddy Field was well manicured for the event with a classic design mowed into the outfield. One look at the field and both teams were ready to play.
Alex Terry drew the pitching start for Weatherguard. The talented underclassman is always a tough competitor. Wakefield’s lead-off hitter, Joel Nixon, started the game with a single. A sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice play preceded the team’s second single, hit by Mason Nixon. This put runners on the corners with 2 outs. Pride catcher Luke Coenen ended the threat by gunning Mason Nixon out as he attempted to steal second base.
Joel Nixon was Wakefield’s starting pitcher, a right-hander reputed to be among the best pitchers in the state. It was clear early that Wakefield’s strategy did not involve blowing fastballs by Weatherguard hitters. The off-speed game plan worked well. The Pride struck out only once but hit plenty of ground balls and pop flies.
The Pride offense got things going in the bottom of the second inning. Drew Mathews led off with a single to right field. He moved to second base on a well executed bunt by Colin Higgins. Terry reached base as well thanks to a Wakefield error. When Coenen was hit by a pitch, the bases were loaded with 1 out on the board.
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Alex Terry picked up his 7th win of the summer
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That’s when Brad Metzler came through with a single to right field. Mathews scored the game’s first run leaving the bases loaded. Mike Nowak collected an RBI when he drew a bases-loaded walk. Michael Herman was the next Weatherguard batter, and he smoked a 1-hop shot straight at the second baseman. It resulted in a double play to end the inning. But the Pride scored a pair in the frame and grabbed an early lead.
The top of the third inning was good and bad for Wakefield. The first 2 batters of the inning were retired on a strike out and a bunt back to the pitcher. That bunt was a costly one. It resulted in a close play at first during which Joel Nixon injured his right knee trying to beat the throw. He was helped from the field and did not return to the game.
With 2 outs, Chad Clay, Ben Henderson, and Mason Nixon came through with 3 consecutive singles. Clay scored on Nixon’s hit. Henderson also scored thanks to a Pride error. The top of the third inning ended with the score tied at 2.
With Joel Nixon injured, Wakefield inserted Andrew (AJ) Bormann in the pitching spot. Danny Kulus welcomed him to the game with a lead off double. The Pride appeared to be in great shape to score, but it didn’t work out that way. A pair of fly balls to center field and a ground ball to second base ended the third inning with the game still knotted at 2.
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Mike Nowak assumed the role of set-up man pitching the 6th inning for Weatherguard
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Joe Bircher struck out 2 Wakefield batters in the 7th inning earning a save
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Neither team threatened to score again until the bottom of the fifth inning when Herman singled for the Pride. He advanced to second base on a wild pitch giving the Pride another opportunity. Joe Bircher found a pitch he liked and laced it to the right centerfield gap. Herman scored easily on Bircher’s double giving the Pride a 3-2 advantage after 5 innings.
Weatherguard coach Tom Kupfer’s game plan was to hand the pitching over Mike Nowak and Joe Bircher in the late innings. It worked perfectly. Nowak entered in the sixth inning retiring the side. Bircher took over in the seventh collecting his first save of the summer.
Today officially ends Weatherguard’s 2008 campaign. It was a great season. Winning back to back championships is a rare accomplishment, and capturing the Nebraska All Class trophy is the perfect way to end the year. Congratulations to everyone involved!
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Weatherguard Systems Pride - Class B State Champs & All Class Trophy Winners
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Banquet of Champions Celebration
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August 8th, 2008
Cascio's Restaurant was the location for the inaugural Banquet of Champions dinner. Sponsored by American Legion Post 339, the event was a celebration of what is “right” and “good” in baseball. Creighton baseball coach Ed Servais emphasized that point during his key note speech.
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Ed Servais
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Jack Mayfield
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Coach Servais spent most of his time speaking directly to the players. He offered advice about hustle and passion. Servais implored them to play the game with the enthusiasm they had as nine year old baseball players.
Master of Ceremonies for the event was Don Kiviniemi, JR. His closing comments echoed the sentiments of Coach Servais. Kiviniemi was the driving force behind the event.
Jack Mayfield (webmaster of baseballnebraska.com) was also recognized during the evening. Mayfield has done a remarkable job promoting and publicizing Nebraska high school baseball over the past few years. His website attracts thousands of visitors weekly.
When Mayfield had the microphone, he wasted no time in sharing the spotlight. His business included recognizing the time and effort put into the Pride Baseball website. Our group was presented the first “MOJO CUP” (in recognition of the best area high school baseball site).
Note: I am sipping mojo from the cup as this article is being written. Thank you Jack.
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Weatherguard Repeats State Championship
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August 5, 2008 in St Paul, NE
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Weatherguard players raise the state championship plaque in celebration
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Weatherguard Systems got down to business last night downing Gretna 9-3 and won a second consecutive summer state championship in the process. The game was competitive until the final inning when timely hitting combined with sloppy defensive play on Gretna’s part allowed the Pride to pull away.
Ryan Schuetz was the starting pitcher for Gretna. Although this was the fifth time Gretna and the Pride had clashed in 2008, it was the first opportunity for Schuetz to face down the Pride from the mound. He started strong for Gretna retiring the side in the first inning.
The bottom half of the first inning was a different story. Joe Bircher was pitching for Weatherguard - the fifth time in 5 games that he drew the starting assignment against the Dragons. And the most recent of those meetings was a complete game outing 4 days earlier.
Gretna opened the contest with back to back singles by Dario Melendez and Stefen Katsampes. Both players eventually scored due to a passed ball and additional hits by Jay Omar and Schuetz. The 4-hit inning gave Gretna a 2 run advantage after one. The decision to go with Bircher on short rest appeared to be a risky one.
Weatherguard did what they have done all year. They answered their opponent’s early runs with a run of their own in the top of the second. Following a pair of singles by Colin Higgins and Alex Terry, Luke Coenen hit a ground ball to Gretna’s third baseman allowing Higgins to reach home. The Pride trailed 2-1 after the top of the second inning.
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Joe Bircher pitching against Gretna in St Paul
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Popular thinking says you’d better get to a good pitcher early. It only gets tougher once he’s settled in. Such was the story in this one. Gretna scored 2 runs on 4 hits in the first inning, but Bircher found a rhythm and took control of the game. He remained focused throughout the contest striking out 9 batters against 2 walks.
The Pride applied pressure throughout the ballgame, sending a total of 37 batters to the plate. Those 37 plate appearances remarkably yielded zero strikeouts. Their relentless offensive attack produced a second run in the top of the third. The Pride’s 3 and 4 hitters did the damage this time. Danny Kulus came up with a 2-out single and scored when Bircher hit a double to the center field fence.
With Gretna still unable to generate any offense, the next scoring occurred with 2 outs in the top of the fourth. Brad Metzler battled back from an 0-2 count to reach base via a walk. Mike Nowak followed Metzler with a single putting 2 men aboard for Michael Herman. His response was a line drive that plated both base runners. Herman’s hit gave the Pride a lead they would not relinquish.
Weatherguard struck again in the fifth. Drew Mathews reached base via a single and eventually scored thanks to Alex Terry’s sacrifice bunt. Mathews’ score gave the Pride a 3-run margin. It was still anyone’s ballgame, but the momentum was clearly in Weatherguard’s favor.
After a scoreless sixth, the Pride put the game out of reach in the final inning. Gretna had played solid defense most of the game, but the wheels fell off when they committed 3 defensive errors in the seventh. Weatherguard took full advantage of the mistakes scoring 4 runs on a pair of doubles by Higgins and Coenen.
The game was essentially over at that point with Weatherguard leading 9-2 going into Gretna’s final turn at bat. The Pride allowed one run to score on a fielder’s choice play making the final score 9-3. The game ended when Doggett flied out to Higgins in centerfield.
The victory raised Bircher’s 2008 legion record to 10-1. It was the second year in a row that the lefty picked up 2 wins in the state tournament. Notably, all 4 of those wins came against the tournaments’ second place teams.
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Joe Bircher and Mike Nowak after the game
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Winning repeat championships isn’t all that uncommon in sports. But this year’s accomplishment appeared unlikely 12 months ago. Teams don’t often bounce back after losing the kind of talent this team lost after the 2007 season. Players like Mark Schlueter, Mark Shepherd, Ross Ossino, Drew Petersen, and John Ocken don’t come along every year. Each brought something special to the team that was irreplaceable.
The 2008 Crimson Pride didn’t dwell on those losses. Instead, they worked hard and developed faith in each other’s abilities. The team regularly defeated teams from schools that dwarfed Roncalli/Brownell Talbot. The Pride expected to win every game, and they usually did. They never quit!
When the baseball gods frowned on their game, the Pride lost with class. We didn’t see fits of temper from this group. The 2008 Weatherguard team put losses behind them better than any team in memory. They learned from their mistakes and grew stronger because of them. This team focused on positives. It never mattered who was batting. When the chips were on the table, 18 young men believed in the same thing – each other. The result was more than a championship. It was an experience they will cherish forever.
Winning the Class B championship qualifies Weatherguard to play another game against the Class C champions from Wakefield. That contest will be played at Roddy Field (Bellevue East High School). Game time is 3pm this Saturday (August 9th). The winner will have the option to play in a division 2 legion regional in Pratt, Kansas. A second game will also be played Saturday evening between the 2 Class A champions (Papio South and Millard West).
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Pride Drops Game vs Wayne
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August 4, 2008 in St Paul, NE
Weatherguard Systems lost its first game of this year's state tournament 10-5 to Wayne. The loss sets up an interesting scenario for tomorrow night's championship game. The Pride will play the winner of a playoff game involving Gretna and Wayne. The Gretna/Wayne game is scheduled to begin at 5pm. The tournament championship contest will follow at 8pm.
Tonight's game was one to forget for Weatherguard. The Pride had 4 total hits, committed 8 errors and allowed 9 unearned runs. The team's lone bright spot was Alex Terry. Batting in the 8 hole, tonight's designated hitter collected his second homerun of the tournament.
The Pride played poorly, but Wayne deserves a lot of credit. They played a clean game and took advantage of the opportunities they had to score runs.
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Weatherguard Off to Good Start
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August 2, 2008 in St Paul, NE
Weatherguard Systems won its first 2 games in the 2008 State Baseball Tournament in St Paul, Nebraska. The first game was a 13-2 blowout win over Wahoo. The second was a 6-2 win over Gretna. Both games involved solid overall performances offensively and defensively for the Pride.
Alex Terry was Weatherguard's MVP in the Wahoo game. He pitched 6 innings of no hit baseball before yielding an infield hit to open the 7th inning. Terry also brought some offense to the game. His first plate appearance resulted in an RBI single. Terry added a 3-run homer in the top of the 7th as an exclamation point.
There were several offensive standouts in the Wahoo game. The Pride pounded Wahoo pitching for 14 hits including 2 hits a piece by Danny Kulus, Mike Nowak, Drew Mathews, and Terry. Luke Coenen, Joe Bircher, Colin Higgins, Mathews, and Terry picked up extra base hits during the game.
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Alex Terry picked up a pitching win and hit a 3-run homer against Wahoo
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Joe Bircher picked up his 9th win of the summer when the Pride downed Gretna 6-2
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The day 1 win over Wahoo set up a day 2 match-up between tournament co-favorites Gretna and Weatherguard.
The Gretna vs Pride game began as a pitchers' dual between Gretna's Jay Omar and the Pride's Joe Bircher. There was not a hit by either team until Michael Herman came through with a 2 out double in the bottom of the 3rd inning. The game was scoreless through 3 complete innings.
Bircher started the game strong on the mound facing the minimum allowing no hits through 3 2/3 innings. Scott Doggett changed that with a solo homerun in the top of the 4th inning. Bircher kept his composure and struck out the following batter to end the inning.
Weatherguard responded in the bottom of the 4th inning with 4 hits and 2 sacrifices. The Pride also benefited from 2 Gretna errors in the frame to plate 4 runs. The inning ended with Weatherguard leading 4-1. The Pride added 2 more runs in the 6th inning which extended the lead to 6-1 going into the 7th inning.
Gretna's Mitch Reinig led off the 7th with a nicely executed bunt single down the 3rd base line. Jay Omar followed Reinig with a pop fly that dropped for a hit behind Weatherguard's first baseman. Fly balls by Ryan Schuetz and Stefan Katsampes followed. Reinig tagged-up and scored on the second of those fly balls to end the game's scoring.
The game was close in many respects, but Weatherguard won every aspect of the game. The Pride out hit the Dragons, made fewer mistakes, and took advantage of Gretna's miscues. Both pitchers did a nice job. Omar struck out 6 Weatherguard batters against 3 walks and 1 hit batter. Bircher struck out 8 Dragon batters, issued 1 walk, and hit no batters. The result was a 6-2 final score.
A noteworthy aspect to the Gretna game was the heat. It was 100 degrees outside when the game started. Both teams did a great job in spite of the heat. Hustle was apparent throughout. Sunday's forecast in St Paul also calls for triple digits.
Weatherguard's victory sets up a winner's bracket contest at 8pm Sunday night with the surprising tournament hosts from St Paul. It will be a fun game with a lot on the line. The winner is guaranteed a spot in Tuesday's championship game. The community of St Paul has demonstrated extraordinary support for its team. The bleachers have been full of rowdy fans each time its team has played.
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Weatherguard Wins Area B-3
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July 28, 2008 at Memorial Field in Valley, NE
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Joe Bircher picked up his 8th win of the summer
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Mike Nowak earned his 5th save of the summer
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Brad Metzler (2 hits, 3 RBI)
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Alex Terry (2 hits, 2 RBI)
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Colin Higgins (scored 3 times)
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Weatherguard Systems came up big when the heat was on. Not only was it a 95 degree afternoon, but the Pride fell behind early. They showed what they are made of, and fought their way to a 6-3 victory over the Bennington Badgers.
The Badgers did a nice job hitting the ball in the early going. Bennington collected 4 hits during the first 2 innings scoring a pair of runs in the second to grab an early lead. Weatherguard starting pitcher, Joe Bircher, was tougher after that, and Bennington had a hard time getting anything more. Bircher threw 5 1/3 innings striking out 10 without issuing a walk. He was replaced in the 6th inning by Mike Nowak who added another strike out to the tally. The win was Bircher's 8th of the summer. The save was Nowak's 5th.
The Pride played well defensively, but had a difficult time scoring against Bennington's starting pitcher, Ben Milliken. The lefty had nice movement on his pitches and held the Pride to 4 total hits during his 4 2/3 innings on the mound. Milliken pitched well until control problems ended his day in the fifth inning. He hit 2 batters, walked 3 batters, and allowed 1 hit during that frame. The result was 4 runs on the board for Weatherguard Systems. The resulting 6-2 advantage was too much for Bennington to overcome. The Badgers threatened in the top of the seventh inning, but could only push 1 run across.
Offensive standouts for the Pride included Colin Higgins, Alex Terry, and Brad Metzler. Higgins reached base and scored 3 times during the game. Terry had a pair of hits including a big 2 run single to key the decisive fifth inning. Metzler batted 3 times collecting a RBI in each plate appearance. His first 2 appearances were run scoring singles. And his final appearance was a bases loaded situation during which he was hit by an errant pitch.
The win gave Weatherguard Systems the B-3 tournament championship. It represents the seventh consecutive year that Coach Tom Kupfer's Pride has won an area tournament and qualified for state. This year's state tournament will be played in St Paul, Nebraska. The Pride's first game in that event is scheduled for 11am against the winner of the area B-4 tournament (being played tonight in Schuyler).
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The 2008 Weatherguard Systems Pride Celebrate the Area Tournament Championship
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Terry Tosses Shut Out vs Blair
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July 25, 2008 in Valley, NE
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Alex Terry
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Alex Terry demonstrated once again why he is such a valuable member of the Weatherguard pitching staff. The young lefty kept Blair off balance throughout the game. The result was a 5 inning shutout. Terry limited the Bears to 3 hits while facing 20 total batters.
Offensively, the Pride jumped on Blair's pitching early. The first 4 Weatherguard batters of the game hit their way on base. Each of these players eventually scored putting a lot of pressure on the Bears.
The Pride had a nice game at the plate collecting 10 hits in the 5 inning game. Six of the hits were for extra bases. Joe Bircher and Danny Kulus each had 2 doubles in the contest. Bircher was 4 for 4 at the plate, had 4 RBI, and scored 3 runs himself.
With today's win, Weatherguard automatically qualifies for the championship game Monday at 5:30pm. If the Pride wins that contest, they will be district champions. Should they lose the 5:30pm game, a second contest will be played at 8pm to determine the district championship. Weatherguard's opponent will be determined Sunday afternoon when Blair plays the winner of the Bennington/Arlington elimination game.
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Badura Shuts Down West Point
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July 24, 2008 at Valley Memorial Field
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Dylan Bardura
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Weatherguard Systems improved to 2-0 in the B-3 district baseball tournament with a 10-0 win over West Point. The victory represented the Pride's second consecutive 2 hit shut out. West Point was the tournament's top seed.
Dylan Badura dominated West Point from the opening pitch. The junior lefty did not allow a hit until the 5th inning. He struck out 8 total batters including at least 1 in each of the game's 5 innings.
Weatherguard batted well in the game collecting 11 total hits. The third inning was huge for the Pride as the team sent 9 batters to the plate and scored 5 runs. Mike Nowak got things going in the decisive inning with a lead off homer that left the field in a hurry. Later in the inning, Colin Higgins, Alex Terry, and Luke Coenen hit consecutive doubles.
The game ended early due to the 10-run mercy rule.
Weatherguard will next face Blair tomorrow evening at 8pm in a battle between the tournament's two remaining unbeaten teams. The winner of that game automatically qualifies for the tournament championship game on Monday.
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Weatherguard Wins First Round Game
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July 23, 2008
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Coach Kupfer does his thing before the game begins
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Weatherguard Systems got its Area B-3 tournament started on the right foot Wednesday night downing the tournament hosts from Waterloo / Valley 7-0.
The game started with Waterloo's Austin Burke at the plate. He opened the game with a single to right field. It was a noteworthy hit because his team would not get another one until the 6th inning. Joe Bircher threw 5 sturdy innings for the Pride collecting his 7th win of the summer. He was relieved in the 6th inning by Mike Mazur who has come on strong on the mound this summer. Bircher and Mazur combined to throw a 2-hit shut out.
Brad Metzler stood out offensively for Weatherguard. Batting in the 9-hole, Metzler's first at bat was a bases-loaded double to the left field fence. His shot cleared the bases and effectively put the game out of reach. Metzler added a second hit in the 6th inning.
The win puts the Pride in tomorrow's 8pm winners bracket slot against the tournament's top seed from West Point.
Weatherguard actually won twice in this game. They beat Waterloo Valley on the field, and the organization cashed-in on the "match the pot" fundraiser. John Terry's ticket was the winner. He promptly handed the winnings over the Kathy Sullivan and said, "put this in the concession fund". Kathy was smiling ear to ear as she added $89 to the 2008 concessions earnings. Thanks John!
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The Weatherguard Systems Pride After Introductions
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Weatherguard Scrimmage & Cookout
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Coach Kupfer and Kyle Klabunde (2006) discuss how the rules apply to the scrimmage
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July 20, 2008 at Roncalli High School
The Pride Seniors held a nine inning scrimmage Sunday afternoon with a group a talented alumni. The scrimmage ended with the score knotted at two.
Greats from the Pride's recent past roamed the field and dug into the batters box against today's version of the team. Participants included Nick Bidroski, Brad Cook, Kyle Klabunde, Drew Petersen, John Ocken, Ross Ossino, Mark Shepherd, and Mark Schlueter.
A large group of families and friends attended the event, and it was a great time. The smell of brats and burgers filled the air. Hearty conversations reminiscing about past glory and projecting future accomplishments were everywhere.
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Weatherguard Downs Sox / Loses to Burke
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July 15th, 2008 at Roncalli Field in Omaha
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Coach Tom Kupfer and his 5 graduated players are pictured from the left:
Tom Kupfer, Joe Bircher, Mike Nowak, Bob Sullivan, Brad Metzler, Danny Kulus
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Weatherguard Systems completed its regular season schedule splitting a double header Tuesday afternoon. The Pride defeated the Millard Sox 11-3 in the first game and dropped a decision to Reagan Buick (Burke) by the same score in the late game.
The team played hard but was clearly tired after its 6 game weekend in Minnesota. Fatigue is understandable considering the group had played nearly 60 innings of baseball between Friday and Tuesday.
It was the final home appearance on the schedule for Weatherguard Systems. Five graduated seniors were thanked for their contributions to the baseball program during a brief ceremony. All of these young men made significant impacts during their years in the program. And all of them will participate in competitive college athletics. Four of them will play college baseball, and the other will play college football.
Among the group's biggest accomplishments while playing baseball for the Pride were helping the team win a state tournament in 2007 and qualifying for the high school state tournament in 2008.
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Brandon Herring
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Mike Mazur
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The first game of the afternoon was between the Millard Sox and Weatherguard Systems. Brandon Herring was the starting pitcher for the Pride. He did a great job and held the Sox in check for 3 innings. He was replaced in the 4th by Mike Mazur who also pitched well. Mazur's performance is noteworthy because he threw most of a game against Richfield, MN 1 day earlier.
Weatherguard had little trouble generating offense against the Sox. They collected 9 walks, were hit by pitches twice, and added 5 hits including doubles by Joe Bircher and Matt Giannone. The game ended early due to the 8 run mercy rule.
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Michael Herman
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The second game did not go Weatherguard's way. Reagan Buick (Burke) was sharp led by their hard throwing right hander, Zach Weinandt. The Pride hit the ball fairly well generating 8 hits and striking out only twice. The problem was scoring. Weatherguard left baserunners stranded at third base in 3 of the 5 innings played.
Michael Herman was Weatherguard's starting pitcher. Herman had pitched sparingly this season, but he looked sharp on the hill. He retired Burke's first 8 batters before running into trouble. The sophomore hurler collected the first 2 outs in the third inning before hitting Burke's 9 hole hitter with an errant pitch.
Herman kept his composure and induced a routine ground ball from the next batter. A fielding error kept the inning going, and things got worse after that. By the time the inning ended, Burke had batted through its order and scored 5 unearned runs. Weatherguard never got it going after that.
Herman was replaced in the fourth inning by Bob Sullivan who pitched 1 inning. Nate Rump then made his first senior team pitching appearance in the game's final inning.
A tired Crimson Pride baseball team played hard but ran out of steam. Coach Kupfer is giving the team a much needed break. Practice will resume Friday, so the team can start preparing its area tournament. That event will be held in Valley, Nebraska beginning Wednesday, July 23rd.
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Weatherguard Wins Pool at Gopher Classic
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Danny Kulus
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Mike Nowak
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Alex Terry and Nate Rump
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Drew Mathews
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Joe Bircher
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Celebrating a Nowak HR
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Bob Sullivan
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James Johnson
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CLICK HERE TO VIEW GOPHER CLASSIC PHOTOGRAPHS...
July 14th, 2008, Veterans Field in Minnetonka, MN
Weatherguard Systems gave a great effort at the largest American Legion baseball tournament in the country. The Pride went 4-1 in pool play winning the Excelsior pool in the process. Weatherguard dropped a 1 run game in the quarter finals to end their tournament run.
Here are the scores along with some stand out performances in each game:
Game One: Weatherguard 4-2 Over Anoka
Danny Kulus got the pitching win collecting 5 Ks without issuing a walk. Mike Nowak had 2 hits, stole a base, scored a run, and collected a save on the hill.
Game Two: Weatherguard 1-0 Over Eagan
Alex Terry pitched 6 2/3 innings scattering 6 Eagan hits and collecting the win for Weatherguard. Drew Mathews had the game winner in the bottom of the 6th inning. His hit produced the game's only score.
Game Three: Weatherguard 4-1 Over Fargo
Joe Bircher picked up the win striking out 13 Fargo batters and allowing 3 hits. Fargo's only score was an unearned run in the bottom of the last inning. Mike Nowak had a huge game at the plate which included a 3 run homer in the 3rd inning and a run producing single in the top of the 7th inning.
Game Four: Excelsior 8-7 Over Weatherguard
This game was a 13 inning slug out with Excelsior coming up with the win. Both teams made big defensive plays time and again during the 6 extra innings. It ended when Excelsior's Matt Norring hit a walk off double in the bottom of the 13th inning.
Game Five: Weatherguard 7-1 Over Thunder Bay
Bob Sullivan earned the win throwing a complete game on 80 total pitches. Sullivan faced 25 batters during a 2 hitter. Mike Nowak was a difference maker at the plate again in this game adding a single and a homerun to his tournament totals.
Game Six: Richfield 3-2 Over Weatherguard
Mike Mazur pitched a nice game but did not receive enough run support to earn a win. The Pride made solid contact during the game but had bad luck with numerous sharply hit balls going directly to Richfield defenders. Drew Mathews had a triple to right field which was the only extra base hit of the game for Weatherguard. The game ended when Mike Nowak was thrown out at home trying to score the tying run in the top of the 7th inning. Richfield's pitcher did a great job and limited Weatherguard to 4 total hits.
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Weatherguard Seniors Celebrate the Pool Championship with Some New Friends from Fargo, ND
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Gopher Classic Tournament Schedule
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SITE #8 (Minnetonka HS - Veterans Field - hosted by Excelsior)
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Fri, July 11th
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Sat, July 12th
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Sun, July 13th
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Anoka, MN
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Roncalli, NE
9:30am
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Thuder Bay, ON
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Eagan, MN
9:30am
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Excelsior, MN
vs
Roncalli, NE
9:30am
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Excelsior, MN
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Thunder Bay, ON
12:00pm
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Fargo, ND
vs
Roncalli, NE
12:00pm
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Eagan, MN
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Anoka, MN
12:00pm
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Roncalli, NE
vs
Eagan, MN
2:30pm
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Anoka, MN
vs
Thunder Bay, ON
2:30pm
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Roncalli, NE
vs
Thunder Bay, ON
2:30pm
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Fargo, ND
vs
Anoka, MN
5:00pm
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Excelsior, MN
vs
Anoka, MN
5:00pm
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Fargo, ND
vs
Thunder Bay, ON
5:00pm
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Fargo, ND
vs
Eagan, MN
7:30pm
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Excelsior, MN
vs
Eagan, MN
7:30pm
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Excelsior, MN
vs
Fargo, ND
7:30pm
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Note that the Gopher Classic is a huge tournament. Roncalli is participating in one of 8 sites throughout the Twin Cities area. Pool winners qualify for additional games on Monday and Tuesday with the championship being played in the Metro Dome. Go to http://www.tricitybaseball.org/gopherclassic.htm to read more about the event.
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Monarchs Score 2 in 7th Inning to Win
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July 9, 2008, Fricke Field in Papillion, NE
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Starting pitcher, Dylan Badura, and catcher Matt Giannone head to the dugout following pregame warm ups.
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You won't find more evenly matched teams than Weatherguard Systems and the Papillion Monarchs. Both teams compliment solid pitching with sturdy bats and dependable defenses. When teams like these meet on the field, winning and losing normally comes down to a few key situations. A bad hop, a bad call, or a big hit is all that is required.
That was case in this one. Weatherguard out-hit the Monarchs and led most of the way. But Papillion scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the 7th to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The most amazing part of it was that they scored both 7th inning runs without generating a hit.
Dylan Badura was the starting pitcher for the Pride, and he threw a great game. The underclassman pitched 5 complete innings allowing 2 runs (1 earned) and struck out 5 Monarch batters. During an impressive stretch of pitching, Badura struck out the first, second, and third hitters in Papio's batting order.
The score was tied after 5 innings, and Mike Nowak replaced Badura on the hill for the final 2 innings. Nowak retired the Monarchs in order during the 6th inning including a pair of strikeouts. Nowak then came up big in the top of the 7th with his bat. His solo homerun shot over the left field fence gave the Pride a 1 run lead going into Papillion's final turn at bat.
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Do not adjust your monitor! Luke Coenen's mohawk was designed to provide some late summer magic. Luke stands 6' 1" under normal conditions. The Mohawk boosts him to 6' 3".
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The bottom of the 7th inning was a nightmare. Nowak consistently fired fast balls and breaking balls over the plate for what looked like strikes to Weatherguard fans. The umpire saw most of those pitches differently and called ball after ball. The first 4 batters were granted walks which tied the score at 3. A shallow fly ball to right field put one out on the board and allowed the Pride's infielders to back up to double play depth.
The strategy almost worked. Papillion hit a sharp ground ball to second base. The Pride collected the out at second, but the throw to first was a split second behind the batter. The winning run scored on the hit. Weatherguard's coaches argued runner interference on the final out because Papillion's base runner did not slide into second base (which is required on such a play). The umpire disregarded the argument, and the game officially ended.
In addition to Nowak and Badura, Michael Herman also had a stand out game for the Pride. The middle infielder returned to the line up after resting a sore foot for a little more than a week. It didn't take him long to make a difference. Herman generated 2 hits, collected a walk, and was hit by a pitch in his 4 plate appearances. He also scored the game's first run.
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July 7, 2008, Roncalli High School in Omaha, NE
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Bobby Sullivan earned the win over Benson
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Danny Kulus picked up a save against Benson
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Rain was in the forecast, but the baseball gods held weather at bay long enough for Weatherguard Systems to play a pair of games against metro area competition. There was some rust coming off the holiday break, but it ended up being a good afternoon for the Pride. After downing Associated Fire (Papio South) 6-3, the Pride handled Kinman Lawncare (Benson) by the same score.
The first game involved Associated Fire and Weatherguard. Joe Bircher was the starting pitcher for the Pride, and he struggled to find his groove early. Bircher allowed 2 hits and issued 4 walks over the first 2 innings. He got it going in the 3rd inning and the Titans were unable to mount much of an attack after that. Bircher struck out 5 and held Papio South to 3 total hits in the game. Mike Nowak replaced Bircher on the mound for the final inning and picked up his second save of the season. The win was Bircher’s 5th.
The Pride hit the ball well against Associated Fire piling up 11 total hits. The offensive attack was led by Nowak and Alex Terry – each had 3 hits in the contest. Nowak’s second hit of the game ended up being important. His 5th inning double put him in position to score a few batters later courtesy of a Colin Higgins single. That score came with 2 outs on the board and represented the winning run.
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Drew Mathews had 3 hits in the Benson game
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Pride baseball legends Ross Ossino and Drew Petersen enjoy some of the action
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Weatherguard hosted Kinman Lawncare (Benson) in the second game. Bobby Sullivan was the winning pitcher in this one throwing 5 strong innings for the Pride. Sullivan handed out 5 Ks and kept Benson from scoring until the third inning. Danny Kulus took the mound for the final 2 innings and picked up his first save of the season. Kulus was tough in relief retiring all 6 batters he faced – 3 of them on strikes.
Drew Mathews was the Pride’s leading batter in the second game. The first baseman collected 3 hits, knocked-in a run, stole a base, and scored a run himself. Mathews is among Weatherguard’s hottest hitters. Nate Rump also had a nice game at the plate highlighted by his 2 run double in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
The Pride was originally scheduled to play tomorrow afternoon against Omaha South. That game is being forfeited by South. Weatherguard’s season record currently stands at 14 wins against 10 defeats. They are next in action Wednesday at Papillion’s Fricke Field. That game is scheduled to begin at 5:30pm.
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J.J. Higgins and David Herman lead the charge for the grounds crew at Roncalli's Baseball Field. When J.J. isn't riding tractors, he can be found near a water puddle or a dirt pile.
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Raburn / PI Midwest Downs Weatherguard
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July 1, 2008, Roncalli High School Field in Omaha
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Josh Raburn piled up 10 K's & held Weatherguard to 1 run
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Nick Ludemann went 4 for 4 at bat for PI Midwest
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PI Midwest (Creighton Prep) pitched well and played error-free baseball this afternoon downing Weatherguard Systems on its home field. The game was competitive throughout, but the Junior Jays’ steady offensive and defensive pressure produced a 5-1 win.
Josh Raburn was PI Midwest’s starting pitcher. He battled control issues going into deep pitch counts with many batters. He walked 3, hit a batter, and allowed 8 total hits. But he also showed great stuff when he needed it. A South Dakota State pitching recruit, Raburn struck out 10 Weatherguard batters, and only allowed 1 run in the contest.
Offensive standouts for PI Midwest were easy to find. Nebraska recruit, Nick Ludemann. went 4 for 4 at the plate. He scored twice and picked up 1 RBI. Mike Pritchard produced fireworks of his own with the game’s only homerun. His shot over the right field fence ended up being the winning run. Tom Grant also shined in limited action. Grant’s only appearance was as a pinch runner in the 7th inning. He stole 2nd base on one pitch, and took 3rd on the next.
Weatherguard Systems came out on the short end of a 5-1 score, but they competed throughout the game. Starting pitcher Alex Terry retired the side in the top of the 1st inning. In the bottom half of the inning, singles by Michael Herman, Danny Kulus, and Colin Higgins produced a run and gave Weatherguard the early lead.
The lead didn’t last long. Ludemann doubled for PI Midwest in the top of the 2nd inning. He scored a few batters later courtesy of a Max Huerter single.
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Danny Kulus went 3 for 4 at the plate against PI Midwest
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Alex Terry struck out 6 PI Midwest batters in a losing effort
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The bottom half the 2nd inning was key to the game. The first Pride batter of the inning was retired on strikes, but the next 3 reached base via consecutive walks. Raburn took stock of the situation during a coaching visit to the mound. A strike out followed by a ground ball ended the Weatherguard threat without any runs being scored.
PI Midwest led off the 3rd inning with Pritchard’s homerun. They added another run later in the decisive inning along with insurance runs in the 4th and 7th innings.
Kulus stood out offensively for Weatherguard Systems. The Dana baseball recruit was 3 for 4 at the plate. He was the only Pride batter to register more than 1 hit in the contest.
Terry pitched well in the game. He fought through a number of tough situations and grew stronger later in the game. Terry had success against several of PI Midwest's best hitters. He collected 6 strikeouts while walking only a single batter. Most impressive was Terry's 3 K's against PI Midwest's lead off batter.
With the loss, Weatherguard moves to 11-9 on the season. The team is in action again tomorrow evening at Orval Smith Field in Ralston. The game is scheduled to begin at 5:30pm (weather permitting).
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Weatherguard Shuts Out Millard South
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June 29, 2008, Millard South High School in Omaha
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Pitcher Joe Bircher and Catcher Luke Coenen have been a good combo this summer
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It had been 10 days since Weatherguard Systems played a game uninterrupted by weather. You typically see some rust after that kind of layoff. Not tonight. The Pride played error-free baseball handing the Primetime Patriots (Millard South) a shut out loss on their home field.
If there was any rust in the Crimson Pride attack, it was demonstrated by some pitching control issues. Weatherguard pitcher Joe Bircher walked 2 and hit 2 batters in his outing. He more than made up for those mistakes with 10 strike outs and a pair of pick off plays en route to a complete game victory.
It was a big few days for Bircher. First he committed to play college baseball at Bradley University next season. Then he followed his college decision with a pitching win over Millard South. The lefty improved his summer record to 4-1 with the win. All 5 of his starts have been complete game performances and all have involved double digit strikeout totals.
The game began with Weatherguard’s Mike Nowak at bat. After falling behind in the count, Nowak worked the situation like a pro. He fouled off several pitches and eventually reached base the hard way being hit by an off target fast ball. Michael Herman followed Nowak with an RBI double shot to the outfield fence. Bircher brought Herman home from there with the first of his two hits on the night.
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Alex Terry led the Weatherguard batting attack with 3 hits and 2 runs batted in against the Patriots
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Trailing 2-0, the Primetime Patriots threatened to answer in the bottom of the first inning. Brad McKweon led things off with a double. He advanced to third base on a passed ball and stood 90 feet from pay dirt with nobody out. A pair of strike outs and a fly ball caught by Brad Metzler in right field ended the threat.
Alex Terry produced the game’s next run with a 2-out single in the third inning. The hit scored Danny Kulus from second base. Terry duplicated the accomplishment with another 2-out single to score Bircher in the fifth inning. The junior-to-be had a nice game and led the Weatherguard attack with 3 singles.
The Patriots threatened again in the 4th inning. Pat Burkhardt collected a single and Colton Thomas was hit by a pitch. Millard South had 2 on base with nobody out. Clean up batter, Austin Bell produced a fly ball to right center which advanced Burkhardt to 3rd base. Bircher responded to the challenge by striking out Nick Shreiver and inducing a shallow fly ball by Alex Duncan to kill the threat.
Colin Higgins was back to his old tricks in this game. In 4 plate appearances, the center fielder was hit by pitches twice and walked twice more. Higgins leads the team in both categories. He also holds an impressive .552 on base percentage average.
The win improves Weatherguard’s summer record to 11 wins against 8 defeats. The Pride’s schedule this week includes games Tuesday and Wednesday. The Tuesday contest is against Creighton Prep at Roncalli (3:00pm). Wednesday’s game is a late one. It is scheduled to begin at 8:00pm against Ralston at Orval Smith Field.
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Westside / Decker CWS Tournament
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Coverage of the Post 1 CWS Tourney
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Danny Kulus Has a Big Game
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June 7th, 2008, Omaha Home for Boys Baseball Field
Kinman Lawncare (Omaha Benson) was on a roll after downing its rival from Omaha Northwest. The Bunnies' celebration wouldn't last long. They were about to get a big dose of Danny Kulus.
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Danny Kulus
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Kulus got his first pitching start of the season in this game, and he had a nice outing. The senior was strong throughout striking out 8 Benson batters and walking only two. Kulus allowed 3 hits and threw a complete game shut out.
The hot pitching performance would have be enough for most players, but Kulus didn't stop there. He also hit the cover off the ball. The Pride's 3-hole hitter went 3 for 3 in the contest knocking in a pair of runs along the way.
Bradley Metzler also turned in a solid offensive performance. The Weatherguard utility player had 2 hits, batted in a run, and crossed the plate twice himself.
Colin Higgins was once again productive at the plate without getting a hit. The center fielder made 3 plate appearances in the game. He walked twice, stole a pair of bases, and collected a RBI with a ground ball in the third inning.
With the win, Weatherguard improved its summer record to 7-3. They play again tomorrow at 11:30am against Bellevue West. That game will be followed by a game against Omaha Northwest. If the Pride wins its pool, they will play in tomorrow's championship game which will not begin until after the 7pm contest between Benson and Elkhorn is complete.
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Weatherguard Wins Defensive Game
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June 7, 2008 at Omaha Home for Boys Field
Elkhorn Post 211 must be tired of playing Weatherguard Systems (Roncalli). The scores have differed, but the results have been the same with the Pride coming out on top the last 5 times the teams have locked-up. This morning's game ended in a 2-0 Weatherguard victory. It was the second time this week that the Pride dealt the Antlers a loss.
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Joe Bircher
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The story of this game was pitching and defense. Tadd Johansen was the starting pitcher for Elkhorn. He rolled through the opening inning retiring the game's first 3 batters on a pair of strikeouts and a fly ball to the second baseman. Johansen worked quickly during the game and held Weatherguard to 5 hits.
Joe Bircher was on the hill for the Pride. The bottom of the first inning was the only time Elkhorn threatened to score. Jake Ritzdorf led off for Elkhorn reaching base on a Pride fielding error. Elkhorn's second batter (Ben Zahm) executed a bunt single. With two men on base and zero outs, Elkhorn was in great position to put a run on the board. Bircher struck out the next 3 batters, and the Antler's chance to score evaporated.
Bircher picked up 10 Ks against no walks during the ballgame. He allowed 3 hits and hit a batter. With the win, the senior improved his early summer pitching record to 3-0. Those wins have come over the Nebraska class A regular season champs, the Nebraska class A state tournament champs, and the Nebraska class B state tournament champs.
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Michael Herman
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The game's only scoring came in the top of the second inning. Bircher led off with a line drive single to left center. Colin Higgins was then hit by a pitch. With two on, Alex Terry executed a sacrifice bunt. Elkhorn's only error of the game came on his bunt which loaded the bases for Drew Mathews. The junior promptly knocked in the game's first run with a single to left field. The game's only other score came on a ground ball double play a few pitches later.
Michael Herman had a nice game at the plate for Weatherguard. The sophomore went 2 for 3 on the day. His other batting attempt looks like an ordinary ground ball in the scorebook. But it might have been the hardest hit ball he had all game. He smoked the ball, but it went straight to the shortstop. Herman has been impressive with his bat this summer. His .364 batting average is currently the team's best.
Among the Pride's most productive offensive contributors lately has been Higgins. In 28 plate appearances this summer, the junior has collected 8 walks, has been hit by 3 pitches, and has executed a sacrifice. Higgins owns a .519 on base percentage which leads the team.
With the win, Weatherguard improves to 6-3 on the season. The team plays again at 7pm this evening against Kinman Lawncare (Omaha Benson).
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Pride Bounces Back - Terry Dominates
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June 4, 2008, Roncalli Field in Omaha, NE
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Alex Terry threw a complete game 2-hitter
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Among the 2008 Weatherguard baseball team's greatest attributes is "resiliency." A day after a poor showing against Omaha Central, the Pride bounced back in dominating fashion. The result was an 11-3 victory over the 2008 Nebraska Class B high school state champions from Elkhorn.
Alex Terry was on the mound for Weatherguard and retired the first 3 Elkhorn batters he faced. The sophomore pitcher started fast and never let up. Terry worked efficiently on the mound and didn't allow a hit until there were 2 outs in the top of the 5th inning. He was one strike away from a no hitter.
Weatherguard's batters showed up at the park ready to hit in this game as well. The first inning was huge. The Pride sent 13 batters to the plate and scored 9 runs in its first turn at bat. Elkhorn's starting pitcher was unable to complete the first inning. He was removed after facing 12 batters and recording a total of 2 outs.
The Pride is in action again this Friday when they play a pair of games during the day. The first game is scheduled to begin at 11:30am against Bellevue West. The second game is scheduled to start at 2:00pm against Omaha Northwest. The contests are part of the Ames Street Bash baseball tournament and will be played at the Omaha Home for Boys (50th and Ames).
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Weatherguard Wins Last Game of Turf Classic
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June 1, 2008, Westside Field in Omaha, NE
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Dylan Badura K'd 7 Sioux Falls batters against 2 walks in picking up a complete game win
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Brendan Solis had a pinch hit double and scored the winning run in the 7th inning
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Weatherguard Systems ended the Westside Turf Classic with a 3-2 win over the Sioux Falls Cyclones.
Dylan Badura was fantastic on the mound for the Pride. The junior left-hander struck out 7 Cyclones while walking only 2 during a complete game pitching performance. Badura faced a total of 28 batters and limited Sioux Falls to 2 runs, only 1 of which was earned.
Badura mixed his pitches and did a fine job changing speeds. He kept Sioux Falls off balance by locating both fast balls and breaking balls for strikes. In addition, he worked well out of the stretch picking off a pair of Cyclone baserunners. Badura was particularly sharp late in the game. His final inning included 2 of his 7 strike outs.
The other hero in this game was Brendan Solis. The junior was asked to pinch hit with the score tied at 2 in the bottom of the 7th inning. With 2 strikes, Solis blasted a double to the right center field gap. He scored the winning run when Mike Nowak laced a single up the middle.
With the win, Weatherguard improved its summer record to 4-2. The Pride is in action again Tuesday evening against Omaha Central at Boyd Park. That game is slated to start at 8pm.
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Weatherguard Beats GI / Loses to Westside
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May 31, 2008, Westside Field in Omaha, NE
Day 2 of the Turf Classic followed a similar script as Day 1 for the Weatherguard baseball team. The Pride won its first ballgame of the evening and dropped its second.
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Joe Bircher struck out 11 in a complete game victory over Grand Island
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Mike Nowak had a double and a 3 run homer against Westside
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The win on this day came against the 2008 Nebraska class A high school state champions from Grand Island by a final score of 6-1. Joe Bircher picked up his second win of the summer with another solid pitching performance. The senior limited the Islanders to 4 hits striking out 11 on his way to a complete game victory.
Bradley Metzler remained a hot batter for Weatherguard offering a multiple hit game. Sophomore Alex Terry had the biggest hit of the game in the 4th inning. His 2 RBI triple broke a 1 to 1 tie.
Weatherguard's second game of the evening was against the tournament hosts from Westside. The Pride got off to a quick start taking a 5-0 lead, but Westside rallied and eventually won the contest 11-7. Mike Nowak was Weatherguard's starting pitcher, and he pitched well. The right hander did not allow a hit until the bottom of the third inning. He was relieved by Danny Kulus in the 4th inning. Kulus threw well too, but he eventually would be charged with the loss.
Nowak did more than just pitch in this game. He also hit the ball with power. The pitcher/shortstop belted a double and scored in the first inning. Then he added a 3 RBI homerun in the second inning. Kulus and Terry also had extra base hits in this ballgame.
Westside is a talented club. They are blessed with team speed, and they know how to use it. They were clearly the most aggressive team the Pride had faced on the bases this year. Westside took extra bases whenever the opportunity presented itself. Westside hit the ball well too, but base running was the difference.
Weatherguard plays again bright and early tomorrow morning. Game time is 9am at Westside. The opponent is a legion team from Sioux Falls, SD.
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Weatherguard Wins/Loses: Day 1 of Turf Classic
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May 30th, 2008, Westside Field in Omaha, NE
The Weatherguard Systems Pride baseball team won its first game and lost its second in the Westside Turf Classic tournament.
In the first game, Alex Terry got the pitching start. He was sharp from the beginning holding Omaha Central to 5 hits in a complete game effort. Central scored twice in the game, but only one of the runs was earned. The final tally in that contest was Weatherguard 10, Central 2. The worm turned in the second contest, and the Pride lost to Pius 11-3.
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Alex Terry
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Bradley Metzler
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The Weatherguard offense was active in the Central game. Pride batters collected 10 hits in the game on top of 8 walks. Two additional batters reached base when they were hit by pitches.
The offensive results in the second game against Pius were not as productive, but the Pride continued to hit the ball. No Weatherguard batters struck out against Pius, and the Pride recorded eight hits in the losing effort.
With so much offense, picking a leading performance of the day was not easy, but Bradley Metzler was very productive. Batting from the lead off spot for the first time this year, the senior went 5 for 7 at the plate. He scored 3 times on the day, was hit by a pitch, and had an RBI double in the Pius game.
In addition to his offense, Metzler sparkled defensively at second base. He made a diving stab on a sharply hit ground ball to rob Central of a hit and he made an over the shoulder catch on a fly ball hit into right field. The kid had a great day.
After the first day of the Westside Turf Classic, Weatherguard's 2008 summer record stands at 2-1. The Pride is in action again tomorrow when they will compete against a pair of outstanding Class A baseball teams. The first game is scheduled to begin at 6:15pm against the 2008 high school state champions from Grand Island. The second game of the day will be against the tournament host from Westside. That game is scheduled to start at 8:30pm.
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Bircher, Nowak are all state
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Several Crimson Pride players were rewarded this week for the team’s outstanding 17-4 record this spring and the school’s first trip to the state baseball tournament since 1984.
Senior pitcher Joe Bircher was named Class B first team all-state by both the Omaha World-Herald and Lincoln Journal Star and second team all-Nebraska by the World-Herald.
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Mike Nowak
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Joe Bircher
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Senior Mike Nowak also was named Class B first team all-state for a spring season in which he was second in the state in home runs, led the state in saves while pitching and sparkled with his glove at shortstop.
Honorable mentions for the all-Nebraska teams were senior slugger Danny Kulus and sophomore pitcher Alex Terry.
The final spring stats for Class B showed a number of Pride players among the state leaders.
In batting average, Kulus finished at .412 and Bircher at .400.
Three Pride players were among the leaders in hits: Kulus with 28, Bircher with 26 and Nowak with 24.
Nowak was among the leaders in doubles with 7, followed by sophomore second baseman Mike Herman with 6.
Among the RBI leaders were Kulus and Bircher with 21 and Nowak with 18.
Nowak, the Pride’s leadoff hitter, was fifth in runs scored in Class B with 25.
In pitching victories, Terry was second with 7 and Bircher was fifth with 5.
Pride pitchers recorded four of the top seven ERAs in the state in the spring: Bircher second at 0.77, Terry fifth at 1.37, Nowak sixth at 1.64 and Bob Sullivan seventh at 1.81.
Bircher also finished fourth in strikeouts with 70.
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Bob Sullivan
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Danny Kulus
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Michael Herman
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Alex Terry
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Bircher Shuts Down Creighton Prep
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May 25, 2008, Roncalli Field in Omaha, NE
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Joe Bircher struck out 15 batters in a complete game shut out over PI Midwest (Creighton Prep)
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Sunday afternoon was a great time to start the 2008 legion baseball season. Mostly sunny weather and a steady breeze greeted players, coaches, and fans as they arrived for the noon game. The Weatherguard Systems Pride played well earning a 3-0 win over PI Midwest (the American Legion team for Creighton Prep).
Concerns about a hangover from a poor Roncalli showing in the state baseball tournament were erased early. Joe Bircher was on hill for Weatherguard and started strong. He struck out the first 3 batters of the contest. The theme for the game was established at that point. By the time it was over, Bircher would collect 15 strikeouts in a complete game shutout.
Creighton Prep’s biggest threat was in the second inning. That inning began with Bircher’s only walk of the game to power hitter Derek Nelson. Charlie Krueger followed the walk reaching base on a Weatherguard throwing error. With 2 on and nobody out, Prep appeared to be in business. Bircher had other ideas. The lefty responded with 3 consecutive strikeouts killing the threat.
Nebraska pitching recruit Nick Ludemann drew the start for PI Midwest and was a hard luck loser in the game. Ludemann pitched well allowing 1 run on 2 hits during 3 1/3 innings on the mound. He removed himself from the game when he cramped-up in the fourth inning. The relief pitcher was Jace Anderson who finished the game for the Jays.
Offensively, the Pride managed 5 hits and pushed 3 runs across. The winning run was plated in the second inning. Drew Mathews reached base on a walk. He advanced to third base on a Colin Higgins single, and scored one batter later when Alex Terry hit a ground ball to the short stop.
Insurance runs were added in the fifth and sixth innings. Mike Nowak led off the fifth inning with a double for the Pride. A fly ball and a ground out followed. Nowak scored when Bircher helped his own cause with a line drive RBI single up the middle.
The final run of the contest was scored in the sixth inning by Mathews. It was the designated hitter's second run of the game. Mathews reached base on a dropped third strike and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Colin Higgins. Luke Coenen took advantage of the opportunity with a 2-out, RBI single down the third base line. Mathews scored easily from second base.
Weatherguard is in action again Tuesday evening at Burke. That game is scheduled for a late start with the first pitch being thrown at 8pm.
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Four Honored as All Conference
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Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
The River Cities Conference announced its all conference baseball team this morning. Four Roncalli baseball players were among those selected.
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Joe Bircher - First Team All RCC
The senior pitcher / first baseman ended the 2008 high school baseball season with a 5-1 pitching record and a 0.77 earned runs allowed average. In pitching 45 1/3 innings, he struck out 70 batters and issued 15 walks. Offensively, he ended the season with a .400 batting average, slugged .523, and collected 21 runs batted in.
Joe has not yet picked a college destination but plans to play baseball at the next level. He also plans to pursue a premedical degree.
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Danny Kulus - First Team All RCC
The senior pitcher / first baseman / outfielder ended the 2008 high school baseball season with a team high .412 batting average. He also achieved a .544 slugging percentage and produced 21 runs batted in. Danny was successful on the mound as well. He pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief without issuing a walk.
After the summer, Danny will continue his baseball career while pursuing a teaching degree at Dana College in Blair, NE. He eventually wants to teach high school students and coach baseball.
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Alex Terry - First Team All RCC
The sophomore pitcher / outfielder completed the 2008 high school baseball season with a 7-1 pitching record and a 1.37 earned runs allowed average. He collected 24 strike outs against only 11 walks, and opponents only managed to hit .219 when Alex pitched. Offensively, he batted .246 and had an on base percentage of .338.
Alex's 7-1 record is remarkable and is the best among Nebraska sophomores this year. Alex is the only sophomore on the All RCC starting team this season.
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Mike Nowak - Honorable Mention All RCC
The senior pitcher / shortstop ended the 2008 high school baseball season with a .364 batting average. He led the team in several offensive categories. His 25 runs scored, 5 homeruns, 7 doubles, and .697 slugging percentage were team bests. On the mound, Mike had a 1.64 earned runs allowed average, collected 26 strike outs, and held opponents to a team best .157 batting average.
Mike plans to continue his baseball career at the University of Nebraska Kearney next year.
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The 2008 All RCC Selections:
Joe Bircher-Roncalli Senior, Brian Boro-Gross Senior, Justin Coleman-Beatrice Junior, Jamie Johnson-Skutt Junior, Adam Kresl-Gross Senior, Danny Kulus-Roncalli Senior, Derek Landis-Ralston Senior, Andy Smolinski-Ralston Junior, Alex Terry-Roncalli Sophomore, Brandon Winkelmann-Gross Senior
Beatrice - Justin Wittler, Garrett Bruhn, Korey Diekman
Gross - John Schneider, Tom Van Haute
Ralson - Glenn Fletcher, Kory Robertson
Roncalli - Mike Nowak
Skutt - Payton Brannen, Austin Cole, Andrew Gard
South Sioux City - Alex Groth, Tyler Hohenstein
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BOBBY SULLIVAN HITS HIS SPOTS
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At 6’4”, he stands a head taller than many teammates. As a skilled left-handed pitcher, he is a difficult match up for opposing batters. He hits his spots remarkably well. These are great attributes, but they are not what make Bobby Sullivan most valuable. Sullivan stands out due to his competitive nature and his gift for inspiring and motivating his teammates.
Coach Bryan Nielsen smiles when asked about Sullivan. He laughingly refers to the senior as “Gumby”, but immediately makes it clear that the kid is much more than a jokester. “Bobby is a hardworking team leader who consistently gives everything he’s got…he is not afraid to take the mound in any situation.”
Nielsen continues to say that Sullivan does all these things with a smile on his face. His attitude rubs off on everyone around him. It makes the team better.
Chris Shanahan is another coach that works regularly with Sullivan. Shanahan believes the “sky is the limit” for the lanky lefthander.
Shanahan will talk your ear off about Bobby Sullivan. He is proud of the strides the young pitcher has made in the past year. It is clear to him that Bobby is coming into his own. As Shanahan puts it, “the kid could do great things in baseball as his strength catches up to his talent.”
Bobby’s strongest suit when pitching has always been control. He hits his spots and he doesn’t issue walks. Sullivan matured late, so he learned to “pitch” when some others were learning to “throw”. He might have been late to develop, but recent growth made up for lost time. Bobby has added 40 pounds to his frame and 10 mph to his fastball since last spring.
The best news is that his increased power hasn’t led to a loss of control. Sullivan has faced 82 batters so far this spring. During that span, he has issued exactly 1 walk.
Bobby’s parents, Dan and Kathy, are among the most positive people around. They are active volunteers. They never skip a game. And they never miss a chance to encourage the boys.
The youngest of four children, Bobby grew up chasing after 2 older brothers and a big sister. His siblings are Danny, 29, Eileen, 24, and John, 22. It wasn't easy, but Bobby tried like heck to keep up with them. At long last, he surpassed them in three ways…Bobby is now the tallest of the Sullivan children; he is the first to letter in three sports (baseball, tennis and swimming); and he will be the first to play a sport in college.
Sports have always been a big part of Bobby’s life. As an infant, he attended the baseball, softball, basketball and soccer games of his older brothers and sister.
When he was 3 years old, Bobby insisted on wearing a Dodgers baseball uniform to all of his oldest brother Danny’s games. At one game, someone referred to him as “The Dodger Kid,” a name that stuck with him for some time.
Bobby Sullivan was recruited by numerous schools. After considering his choices, Mount Marty stood out as the best overall fit. (Head coach Andy Bernatow was a left-handed pitcher at Papillion and at Mt. Marty).
Bobby recently signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at the school. Consequently, Sullivan will take his talent to Yankton, S.D at the end of the coming summer. Bobby plans to major in sports management or psychology, with hopes of becoming an athletic director and coach. With Bobby’s positive attitude, the sky really is the limit.
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NOWAK LEARNED LESSONS EARLY
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Michael Nowak trotted toward the dugout after an inning on defense. He was concerned about dealing with the coach. You see… a softly hit ball had been booted by the second baseman, resulting in a missed out. Michael could have fielded it from his position at shortstop, but he let it go instead. Missing outs is not good, and Michael took the problem seriously.
Upon reaching the dugout, he told the coach he was sorry and that it wouldn’t happen again. His coach responded with a laugh and a hug, “Don’t worry kid, I couldn’t be prouder – nobody likes a ball hog!”
You never know which lesson will be learned from a given game. This day’s lesson? Everyone wants to win, but baseball is fun! Nothing else should matter when you’re 5 years old, being coached by your Dad.
Michael’s parents, Jim and Kathy, are never far from their children’s activities. Whether that means coaching youth baseball or decorating for a school party, they enjoy being part of the memories. Jim and Kathy are salt of the earth people raising a wonderful family. Michael is the second of three children. Older brother Christopher graduated from Omaha Northwest four years ago, and younger brother Brennan will begin his high school career next year at Roncalli.
Michael Nowak stands out from the crowd as a high school athlete. He excelled in football and basketball, but baseball was always his favorite sport. The kid’s a natural. Bryan Nielsen is Nowak’s infield coach at Roncalli. There isn’t enough room here to share all the wonderful things Coach Nielsen had to say about his shortstop.
According to Nielsen, “Nowak shows great poise at the plate and has remarkable power for his size and frame.” That opinion is supported by Nowak’s homerun production. The senior’s 6 dingers place him near the top in Nebraska this year. Nielsen is even more complimentary about the young man’s defensive skills. The coach says “Nowak’s hands are as true as any shortstop in the state…and his footwork is remarkable”. It isn’t uncommon for Nowak to change the momentum of a game with his glove. He is a rare athlete that can take your breath away with a play.
Nowak’s talent is widely known. He was recently asked to represent Roncalli in the Collin-Orcutt All Star baseball game; an event reserved for the top baseball players in Omaha. After high school, Michael will take his talent to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Coach Damon Day recruited Nowak after seeing him at a baseball camp last fall. Michael felt good about the situation and committed right away.
The games Michael plays these days are loaded with pressure, but he still finds a way to enjoy them. The kid has a secret. He never knows which lesson will be learned from a given game, but he knows lessons learned yesterday still apply. Everyone wants to win, but baseball is fun! Nothing else matters when you’re 18 years old, being cheered on by your family and friends.
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Brad Metzler - Roncalli Senior Outfielder
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Choosing your best sport is easy for most people – not so with Bradley Metzler. The speedy senior feels at home in football pads, on the hardwood, or patrolling the outfield. If a ball is involved, odds are good that Metzler has played competitively in the activity. He possesses college level skills in baseball, basketball, and football.
It is baseball season now, so Metzler finds himself featured in the two-hole of Roncalli’s batting order. Defensively, he plays wherever he is needed. Last year, that meant second base. This season the team needs outfielders, so that is where you’ll find the versatile Metzler. His coaches are quick to praise the senior. Coach Bryan Nielsen describes Brad as a “tough nosed kid that gives you 100% on and off the field”. Nielsen considers Brad a quiet leader who works very hard and never complains. He is the kind of kid coaches love to coach.
Jim Meister, Roncalli’s activities director and head varsity basketball coach agrees. Meister has coached Brad throughout high school…primarily on the basketball court. Meister uses terms like “special” and “rare” when talking about this young man. He describes Metzler as “one of the most competitive and committed individuals I have coached”. Most importantly, Meister believes Brad’s passion and hard work guarantee success in life.
Bradley’s parents are Brad and Jeannie Metzler. You will normally find one or both of them in the stands when their son is competing. Third among four Metzler kids, Bradley has three sisters. Danielle is 22, Ashley is 20, and little sister Gina is 12.
They get along great now, but it wasn’t always that way. Bradley’s father believes part of the reason the kid got so fast was self preservation. “He needed ‘get away speed’ to escape the wrath of his older sisters”.
Running came naturally for Brad, but it wasn’t always easy for Mom and Dad. There were times they wished he would just slow down. But all that time spent chasing him has paid off. Now, it’s a joy for the family to sit back and watch Brad run on the football field, the basketball court, or the baseball diamond for the Crimson Pride.
What’s next for this remarkable student athlete? A college football career is waiting for young Metzler. Dana College in Blair, Nebraska was his college of choice. They got a good one with Bradley Metzler. |
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DANNY KULUS DELIVERS
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Nobody leaves more on the baseball field than Danny Kulus. He has a knack for making big plays, getting big hits, and doing whatever is necessary to help his team win. That can mean offering his shoulder to an inside fastball or giving up his body to stop a sharply hit baseball. Whatever it takes, Danny Kulus delivers.
The kid has intangible qualities. He is confident, and he wants the bat in his hands in big situations. Examples are too long to list. Just this season, he robbed Gretna of a late game RBI double with a diving catch in left field. A few games later, he came to the plate with the bases loaded and his team behind by two runs at Blair. The result was a bases clearing double that put the Pride on top.
Baseball is a tough game. It takes extra effort to succeed and nobody works harder than Kulus. He worked all winter to improve the little things in his game. And now Danny’s off season work is paying dividends. Where did he get this work ethic? Look no further than his parents. Greg and Jo are always pitching in to help – whether it’s working the field or running the concessions stand.
There is no doubt Greg and Jo are wonderful parents. But they’ll readily admit to a mistake made four years ago. Danny wanted to attend Roncalli even though he lived much closer to Skutt Catholic. Greg and Jo asked him to give Skutt a try.
Eighteen months later, they realized Danny was right all along. Skutt is a fine school, but Roncalli was a better fit. They allowed him to transfer, and are pleased with the results. Danny found acceptance in the hallways. His happiness showed up on his report cards as well as on the baseball field. He hit nearly .400 in his first baseball season at Roncalli and was a key contributor to the team’s state championship.
Coach Bryan Nielsen noticed a transformation in Kulus following his arrival at Roncalli. According to Nielsen, “Danny has grown tremendously as a player and as a young man. He has become a true anchor to our offensive lineup.”
When asked about his favorite memories, Danny immediately mentions the 2007 state championship. He also mentions the time he spends with coaches and teammates. Danny cherishes these friendships, and the experience has had a profound effect on him.
After this summer, Danny Kulus will attend Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. He recently signed a national letter of intent to play baseball for the school. Danny plans to pursue a career in secondary education. He enjoys English and History, and would love teaching those subjects while also coaching baseball. Those of us who know the kid have no doubt he can accomplish his goals. Because whatever it takes, Danny Kulus delivers.
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Joe Bircher - Roncalli's King of the Hill
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Any discussion of Crimson Pride baseball the last two years has to begin with the accomplishments of Joe Bircher. The 6-foot-3 lefty has delivered big win after big win on the mound and anchored the middle of the lineup with his bat. Big Joe’s finest moment might have come last summer in the championship game of the Class B American Legion tournament, freezing Beatrice batters with his laser fastballs on the inside corner. Teammates, classmates and fans poured onto the field in Gretna after he left the final hitter standing defenseless at the plate.
Not satisfied with his accomplishments last year, he had a senior year to remember this spring, leading the Pride to a No. 1 ranking during the regular season and the school’s first trip to the spring state tournament since 1984. And not he’s not ready to stop there: Joe opened the summer season with a three-hit shutout over Creighton Prep, which spent much of the spring ranked No. 1 in Nebraska Class A. With 15 strikeouts, it was as dominating a pitching performance over such a top-level opponent as Pride fans could remember. And it gives a signal that the team is ready to take another run at a state title this summer.
“Roncalli has made major strides in baseball the past few years, as evidenced by its Legion crown last summer and its No. 1 ranking in Class B much of this season,” said Omaha World-Herald reporter Mike Patterson. “I think Joe brings a certain presence out there that allows the whole team to play with more confidence.”
Patterson said that opposing coaches recognize his ability as well. “Coach Keith Engelkamp talked about how tough Bircher was and how fortunate Skutt was to get two runs off of him” after a 3-2 Roncalli win this spring. “I think that was pretty much the attitude of most of the coaches.”
That includes his own coaches. “Joe is a very bright young man and has been awesome to work with,” said Crimson Pride pitching coach Matt Garland. “He is extremely talented and has earned everything that has come to him through hard work. He also assumed a strong leadership role this year, which is invaluable to the team.”
Pride Coach Bryan Nielsen calls him “a bulldog on the mound” and one of the most intelligent players he has ever coached, both in the classroom and on the field, evidenced by his academic and baseball scholarships to study pre-medicine in college. Joe is “One of the very best pitchers in the state, he can match up against any team and give us a chance to win. He exemplifies the words ‘team player.’ He never complains, works extremely hard to perfect his craft, and never takes a play off.”
Being a team player means being humble about his own success and supporting others. When playing first base, he is a frequent visitor to the mound when a teammate is struggling. And it’s not just to pass along advice, which he could easily do. Instead, one teammate recalled giving up a home run and finding Joe trotting over, getting him to laugh, then trotting back to first.
While Joe has always been a great teammate first, his list of individual accomplishments is impressive: Class B all-state 2008, all-class second-team all-state 2007 and 2008, all-River Cities Conference first team 2007 and 2008, all-conference academic 2006, 2007 and 2008, and Collins-Orcutt All-Star in 2008. His stats this spring included a .400 batting average and a 5-1 record with 0.77 ERA, 70 strikeouts and only 15 walks.
Joe Bircher learned his winning ways from his parents, Todd and Katie, both tireless supporters of the Roncalli baseball program. Humility obviously was a lesson taught at home. Just try telling Todd or Katie how great Joe pitched and their first response is typically, “Well, he had a lot of help” or “Everyone played well.” Joe’s older sister Lindsey, who attends UNL, is also a noticeable supporter at games, along with Grandma Bircher, aunts, uncles and cousins.
He is quick to credit coaches with his progress as a baseball player. In addition to coaches Garland and Nielson, he mentions Head Coach Tom Kupfer, who has worked with him on hitting since he was 9 years old, and Chris Shanahan, a fellow left-hander who knows the ins and outs of throwing from the wrong side of the mound. He is especially grateful for his time spent with pitching coach Bill Olson, a legend in Omaha baseball circles and the father of former American League rookie of the year Gregg Olson. He also recalls the positive influence of upperclassmen Matt Shepherd, Bruce Aken and Nick Bidroski, who made sure he felt welcome when he was learning the ropes as a freshman and sophomore with the varsity.
Joe wouldn’t have done so well if he hadn’t enjoyed the game, and he is always relaxed on the field. When he was 10 years old, he came in to pitch the final inning of a tight tournament game amid a din of shouting at umpires, cheering of fans and instructions from coaches. But through it all, Joe was smiling ear to ear, bringing some perspective to the adults who were watching. The fun has never left the game.
And while the rest of us were sweating through the state championship game last summer, Joe was enjoying his time on the mound as his shirtless friends cheered from the stands with his name and number painted on their stomachs. And nobody enjoyed it more when his last pitch blew past the final batter and secured the state title for the Crimson Pride.
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May 5th, 2008, Beatrice NE
It took 9 innings, but Roncalli eventually defeated Gretna 5-4 and picked up its first district baseball championship in several years. With the win, the Pride improved to 17-2 on the year and advanced to the state baseball tournament which starts Saturday.
Joe Bircher and Mike Nowak combined on the mound to strike out 11 Gretna batters. Bircher pitched the first 7 innings, and Nowak took over in the 8th inning. Danny Kulus delivered the game's biggest hit with an RBI single in the top of the 9th inning. That run proved to be the difference.
The Pride plays Gretna again on Saturday, May 10th in the first round of the state baseball tournament. That game is scheduled to begin at 10:00am at Den Hartog field in Lincoln (70th and A Street).
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PRIDE ADVANCES TO DISTRICT FINAL
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May 3rd, 2008, Beatrice NE
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Roncalli coach Tom Kupfer and Crete coach Andrew Bent discussed the rules before the game.
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The Crimson Pride cruised through the semi final round of the B2 district tournament handling Crete 14-0 in 5 innings. Alex Terry, Bobby Sullivan, and Dylan Badura combined to toss a shut out striking out 7 and walking none.
Terry threw the first 3 innings earning the win in the process. Sullivan and Badura contributed an inning a piece of no hit relief. Badura, a junior, collected 3 strike outs during his turn on the hill.
The Crimson Pride offense worked well in this one. In 4 turns at bat, Roncalli collected 12 hits, 1 walk, and had 5 batters hit by Crete pitchers (including 3 hit batsmen in a row in the 4th inning). Brad Metzler and Danny Kulus both were hit twice in the game. The offensive highlights of the day included back to back homeruns by Drew Mathews and Mike Nowak in the 3rd inning.
With the win, the Pride improves to 16-2 on the season and qualifies for the district championship game. They will face Gretna in that one after the Dragons defeated Beatrice 8-3 in the other semi final game. The championship contest will begin at 6:30pm Monday evening.
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TERRY WINS AND NOWAK HOMERS FOR PRIDE
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April 28, 2008, Christensen Field, Beatrice, NE
The Crimson Pride took care of business in Beatrice this afternoon beating the Orangemen 12-5. In the process, sophomore Alex Terry picked up his 6th win of the season. Roncalli's 2008 record now stands at 15-2.
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Alex Terry picked up the win improving his record to 6-0 so far this season
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Mike Nowak hit his 4th homerun of the season (this one a grand slam)
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The game was close to becoming a blowout early. After 2 1/2 innings, the Pride led 7-0.
Beatrice took advantage of Roncalli mistakes in the bottom half of the 3rd inning and plated 3 runs of their own. They added single runs in the 4th and 5th innings to cut the Pride's lead to 7-5 entering the 6th inning.
In the top half of the 6th, Mike Nowak found himself batting with the bases juiced. Someone in the bleachers was heard yelling "be patient up there" as the senior approached the plate. Nowak didn't listen. Instead he blasted the first pitch he saw over the center field fence for a grand slam homerun. His shot rebuilt the Pride's lead to 12-5 with only 2 innings remaining.
Roncalli used 5 pitchers during the 7 inning game. After Terry threw the first 3 innings, Dylan Badura, Bobby Sullivan, Nowak, and Danny Kulus each picked up an inning on the mound.
Sullivan's inning was vital. He entered the game with 2 men on and nobody out in the bottom of the 5th inning. The senior lefty worked out of the jam allowing only 1 run to score. Nowak and Kulus worked the final 2 innings retiring 5 Beatrice batters on strikes.
This game was the final regular season contest on the schedule. The Pride is in action again this Saturday against Crete in the district 2 baseball tournament. That game is scheduled to begin at 1pm and is also to be played in Beatrice.
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April 26, 2008, Gross High School, Omaha, NE
Roncalli's varsity baseball team improved to 14-2 this afternoon with a 5-3 victory over the Gross Cougers. This one was truly a team victory. Seniors Joe Bircher and Mike Nowak pitched well and controlled the game on the mound. Numerous other Crimson Pride players contributed offensively and defensively.
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Senior OF - Brad Metzler
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Junior 3B - Nate Rump
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One of the game's biggest plays was turned in by Brad Metzler in the 4th inning. Gross's Joe Waller was on second base with 2 outs when the Cougers' Dan Cordwin came to the plate. Cordwin hit a sharp ground ball into left field. Waller rounded third base, and headed for home. Metzler fielded the ball cleanly, took a crow hop, and fired a strike to catcher Luke Coenen. Waller was out, and the inning ended. The game was scoreless until Roncalli broke through in the 5th inning. Nate Rump got things going with a lead off single. His hit was followed by a Nowak double. With runners on 2nd and 3rd base and nobody out, Metzler made sure the team did not waste another scoring opportunity. His ground ball to the right side plated the game's first run. Danny Kulus followed up with a double of his own to collect another run. Gross answered with 3 runs on 2 hits in the bottom of the 5th. They took a 1 run lead, but it didn't last long. Michael Herman started the 6th inning with a single up the middle. He advanced to 3rd base via a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. Luke Coenen walked putting runners on the corners with 1 out. Rump came up big again with a sacrifice fly which tied things up. The score was knotted at 3 going into the 7th inning. A pair of Gross errors and an infield hit by Bircher loaded the bases one more time for Roncalli with nobody out. Alex Terry came to the plate and quickly fell behind in the count. With 2 strikes, Terry became a tough out. He refused to chase anything outside the zone and fouled off a pair of potential strike out pitches. His great batting attempt ended as a bases-loaded RBI walk. That run proved to be the difference in the game. Roncalli added an insurance run, and took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the 7th. Nowak calmly retired Gross in order during the 7th inning and earned the pitching win in the process. Roncalli is down to 1 more varsity baseball game before the district tournament. That game is scheduled for 5pm next Monday in Beatrice.
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PRIDE VARSITY IMPROVES TO 13-2
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April 23rd, 2008, Roncalli Field, Omaha, NE
The Crimson Pride improved its 2008 record to 13 wins against 2 losses with a 9-5 victory over the Thunderbolts from Lincoln Pius.
Weather created a 3 week delay between pitching starts for Alex Terry, but you would never know it by watching him. The sophomore lefty was sharp on the mound pitching 5 2/3 innings without issuing a walk. With the win, Terry's pitching record improved to 5-0. Being undefeated at this point in his sophomore season is impressive.
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Sophomore Alex Terry improved his pitching record to 5-0
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Terry pitched well, but Pius presented a challenge. Aaron Molinaro of Pius had a great day at the plate. The senior was 3 for 3 including 2 homeruns and 4 runs batted in. Other than Molinaro, the Pius batters seemed off balance against Terry.
Roncalli missed some great scoring opportunities early, but still held a 7-2 lead after 5 innings. The game appeared under control, but Pius wasn't going to give up without a fight.
They made it interesting in the 6th inning. The first Thunderbolt batter of the inning flew out to left field, but the next 2 batters reached base on solidly hit baseballs. Molinaro came to the plate with a pair of teammates on base. He took full advantage of the opportunity with an opposite field homerun. The shot plated 3 and cut Roncalli's lead to 7-5.
Terry struck out the next batter, but a two-out Roncalli error followed. With the tying run at the plate, Roncalli coach Tom Kupfer had seen enough. Senior Mike Nowak got the call to replace Terry on the mound. Nowak quickly induced a ground ball ending the threat.
The Pride answered with 2 runs in the bottom half of the 6th and built a comfortable 4 run advantage. The score was 9-5 at that point which is how it ended. The save was Nowak's 3rd this season.
Offensively, Roncalli's bats were humming all day. The Pride pounded Pius with 14 hits. Six Roncalli players had multiple hit games. Brad Metzler and Danny Kulus had 3 hits each to lead the attack.
Roncalli is scheduled to play again at noon this Saturday at Gross.
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April 5th, 2008, Roncalli Field, Omaha, NE
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Joe Bircher - LHP
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Mike Nowak - RHP
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The Crimson Pride improved its record to 10 wins against 1 defeat this afternoon with a shut out victory over Bellevue West. Joe Bircher picked up his 4th win of the season striking out 10 T-Bird batters during 5 innings of work. Bellevue West's only hit of the day came with 2 outs in the 5th inning. Mike Nowak replaced Bircher on the mound to start the 6th. Nowak was perfect in 2 innings of relief adding 3 strike outs to the tally.
Pitching statistics on the day for Roncalli included 0 runs allowed, 13 strike outs, 1 walk, and 1 Bellevue West hit.
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A Mark Schlueter Sighting
Schlueter was on hand to root for his old ball team. Mark is now a stand out football player at Dana College. When asked about Spring Football, Schlueter responded "Spring football is hard!"
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The game was tight for a while. Derek Foster from Bellevue West demonstrated a strong right arm. The senior pitched well early holding Roncalli to 1 hit through the first 3 innings. The game was knotted at zero at that point. The 4th inning was big for the Pride. Danny Kulus started things off with a double to the gap. Kulus scored two batters later on a ground ball RBI by Colin Higgins. A pair of walks loaded the bases, and Luke Coenen cashed in on the opportunity. The junior catcher/third baseman roped a single to left field driving in a pair of runs. Bradley Metzler added 2 more runs to the board with his 2-out single. Roncalli sent 11 men to the plate during the 4th inning and scored 6 runs.
Two insurance runs were added in the bottom of the 5th inning. At 8-0, the game was effectively out of reach.
Roncalli's varsity baseball team has a break in its schedule at this point. Unless things change, the Pride won't play again until next Friday. Enjoy the time off because things get intense after that. Weather permitting, the schedule involves 14 games during a 17 day stretch before the district tournament.
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Junior Catcher, Luke Coenen, had 2 hits and 3 RBI on the day. He also threw a T-Bird baserunner out on a steal attempt.
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SULLIVAN SHUTS DOWN DC WEST
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April 16th, 2008, Roncalli Baseball Field, Omaha, NE
Roncalli bounced back from its loss at Ralston in good form with a dominating 10-0 win over DC West. Senior pitcher Bobby Sullivan pitched a complete game without offering a walk. With the win, Roncalli's record moves to 11-2 on the season, and Sullivan improved his pitching record to 2 wins against no losses. The big lefty has walked 1 batter so far this season in over 17 innings pitched.
The Crimson Pride's offensive attack was equally impressive. The team unleashed 12 hits during a game shortened by the high school mercy rule. Danny Kulus enjoyed the most productive game at the plate. The senior went 3 for 3 including a double, and he collected an RBI with each of his 3 batting attempts.
Roncalli is scheduled to play again Thursday afternoon against Fremont. Game time is scheduled for 4:30pm at Moeller Field in Fremont. The weather forecast is uncertain. As always, cancellation announcements will be posted on this website as soon as we are aware of them.
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Senior lefty Bob Sullivan scattered 5 hits and walked none in the complete game win
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April 21, 2008, Roncalli Baseball Field, Omaha NE
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Junior RHP Brandon Herring
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Junior LHP Dylan Badura
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Roncalli's varsity baseball team downed Benson 11-1 this afternoon in a 5 inning contest. Joe Bircher picked up his 5th win of the year throwing the first 3 innings. Brandon Herring and Dylan Badura each threw an inning in relief, and both flashed something special.
Herring found himself in trouble in the top of the 4th inning, but he worked out of it. With men on second and third and nobody out, Benson's clean up batter hit a chopper to Herring's right. The junior pitcher fielded the ball and faked a throw to first base. Benson's baserunner bought the fake and headed for home. Herring then fired the ball to the catcher collecting the out at home plate. Badura looked strong as well. The junior lefty made quick work of 3 hitters allowing no baserunners during his inning of work.
Offensively, several got involved for the Pride. Eight different Roncalli players shared 10 hits during the 5 inning game. Michael Herman led the way for Roncalli with a pair of hits producing 4 runs. Danny Kulus and Joe Bircher had back to back homeruns on the first 2 pitches of the second inning.
Benson did some nice things as well. The Bunnies fell behind right away, but they did not quit. One of the most noteworthy achievements during the game involved Benson's middle infield. They turned 3 inning ending double plays. One in each of the second, third, and fourth innings.
Roncalli's varsity is in action again Wednesday afternoon against Lincoln Pius X. That game is at Roncalli and is scheduled to start at 4:30pm.
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TERRY'S ARM LEADS PRIDE TO ANOTHER WIN
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April 2nd, 2008, Roncalli Field, Omaha, NE
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Alex Terry picks up a sign from his coaches
The sophomore LHP/OF is 4-0 on the mound
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This game looked like a breeze during the early innings Wednesday afternoon at Roncalli High School. Alex Terry was pitching well, and life was good. Through the first 5 innings, South Sioux had seen a total of 4 base runners. Even when they got on base, they didn't stay there for long. Two of the 4 were erased via double plays. Another was eliminated by Terry's pick off move to first base. After 5 innings, the scoreboard read Roncalli 5, South Sioux 0.
Things got interesting in the 6th inning. With a comfortable lead, Terry was shifted to right field. Three walks, and 2 hits later, the Pride's lead was down to a single run. Mike Nowak was brought in to close when the situation called for it. Nowak's first pitch was laced for a double to the right center field gap. South Sioux was unable to produce anything else against the senior, and the Pride held on for a 5-4 victory. The save was Nowak's second of the year, and the win improved Terry's pitching record to a dazzling 4-0.
Nowak had a nice day at the ball field. His batting stats included 3 plate appearances and 0 official batting attempts. Nowak walked all 3 times he came to the plate, and he scored all 3 times he reached base. Just as impressive was his defense. He figured in 2 double plays in addition to collecting the save on the mound.
South Sioux City's pitcher showed a strong arm. Number 23, Bararra, limited Roncalli to a total of 2 hits in his complete game loss. He struck out 5 Roncalli batters along the way but was hurt badly by 3 defensive errors and 7 walks issued.
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PRIDE TAKES TWO FROM NORFOLK
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March 29th, 2008, Norfolk, NE
Roncalli’s early season success continued this afternoon on a cold, windy day in Norfolk, Nebraska. The Crimson Pride pitched well and hit even better to take both sides of a double header over the Class A Norfolk High School Panthers. With the wins, Roncalli raised its record to 8 wins against 1 loss.
The Pride won the first game 10-6 behind a fine pitching performance and a relentless offensive attack. Senior lefty Bob Sullivan tossed a complete game walking only one Norfolk batter. The win was Sullivan's first this season.
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Michael Herman - 2B, RHP
The talented sophomore saw his first pitching action at Roncalli throwing the final inning of the second game against the Panthers.
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The top half of the double header was the best offensive display by Roncalli so far this season. The Pride scored 10 runs on 14 hits – both represented season bests. Mike Nowak, Danny Kulus, and Alex Terry led the attack in the game collecting 3 hits each.
Game two of the double header did not feature a Roncalli hit parade, but the Pride did manage 7 hits. What was lacked in quantity of hits was made up for by quality. Five of the Pride’s 7 hits in the ballgame went for extra bases. Nowak had a 2-run homerun in the 3rd inning. Kulus accomplished the same feat in the 5th inning.
Three Roncalli pitchers participated in game 2. Dylan Badura got the start, and was perfect during the first 2 innings. He was replaced with 1 out in the 4th inning by Kulus who looked strong on the hill. Upon entering the game, the right hander inherited 2 base runners with 1 out on the board. He worked out of the jam without allowing any damage. Kulus proceeded to pitch the 5th and 6th innings without allowing a run. His work on the hill earned Kulus the pitching win and improved his season pitching record to 2-0. Sophomore Michael Herman closed the game pitching for the Pride. In his first action as a pitcher at Roncalli, Herman struck out a batter and allowed no runs.
Offensively, Roncalli scored a total of 19 runs on 21 hits during the double header. Pride pitchers were solid on the day issuing a total of 4 walks during the 2 game set. Roncalli’s next action is at home Monday against South Sioux City. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30pm.
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Mike Nowak hit a homerun in the 3rd inning of game 2 vs Norfolk
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Dan Kulus hit a homerun in the 5th inning of game 2 vs Norfolk
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Bob Sullivan pitched all 7 innings walking only 1 batter in the first half of the DH vs Norfolk
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March 28th, 2008, Roncalli Field, Omaha, NE
Roncalli improved to 6-1 this evening by following a familiar script. The team fell behind in the top of the 5th inning and responded with just enough horsepower to pull out another single run victory. The victim this time was cross town rival, Skutt Catholic high school.
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Joe Bircher - Senior
LHP - 1B
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Joe Bircher threw a complete game this evening collecting his second win of the young season.
Mike Nowak and Alex Terry had leading performances at the plate. Both had multiple hit games, and each scored runs that were critical to the team’s victory tonight.
It was an odd game. Bircher pitched well, as is indicated by his 11 strike outs on the night, but still found himself in numerous situations with Skutt base runners in scoring position. The senior kept his poise and made key pitches when it counted. Only a pair of unearned runs in the 5th inning spoiled a shut out.
Down by just one run, the Skyhawks came to the plate in the top of the 7th eager to take back the lead. But this Roncalli team is tough in crunch time. Up by a count of 0-2 against Skutt’s lead off batter, Shane McBride, Bircher threw an off speed pitch buckling his knees. The umpire called it a ball, drawing a chorus of moans from Roncalli fans. The next pitch struck McBride giving him a free pass to first base. A sacrifice bunt followed by a passed ball advanced McBride to third with only one out on the board. With the tying run on third base, Bircher dialed it up a notch for the next two batters striking both out, and ending the game.
The Skyhawks’ record fell to 1-5 against Nebraska competition, but don’t be fooled. Their opponents so far this season are a combined 38-9. Skutt is a much better team than their record indicates.
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IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE WATER?
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April 4th, 2008, Omaha, NE
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Senior Joe Bircher has struck out 25 batters in 17 innings pitched so far this season
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Senior Bobby Sullivan has only issued 1 walk in 12 1/3 innings on the mound this season
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At 9-1, Roncalli is off to a good start this spring baseball season. Part of the reason for the early success has been solid pitching in just about every contest. This year’s staff is deep and talented. They also leave opponents pondering the following: Where did all those left-handed pitchers come from?
That's a good question. According to the Nebraska State Activities Association, the combination of Roncalli Catholic High School with Brownell Talbot yields a student enrollment of 336 total students. That number ranks as the second smallest pool of students among all high school athletics programs offering spring baseball in Nebraska. In spite of the low enrollment, the 2008 version of the Crimson Pride varsity baseball team includes a total of 5 varsity level left-handed pitchers.
Returning varsity pitchers with significant experience include Joe Bircher, Colin Higgins, and Bobby Sullivan. Sophomore Alex Terry and Junior Dylan Badura made a few pitching appearances last summer for the senior legion team, but they did not participate with the high school varsity team in 2007.
Even so, the Crimson Pride essentially returned 5 lefties with varsity-level pitching experience. It isn’t simply a matter of rolling lefties out to the mound and asking them to throw. These guys know how to pitch and they are producing.
Through the first 10 games, Roncalli pitchers have thrown a total of 70 innings. Fifty-three and two-thirds of those innings have been pitched by lefties. As a group, the lefties have collected 41 strike outs while walking a total of 15 batters. Most impressively, the lefties carry a 7-0 record with a combined ERA of 1.57.
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Dylan Badura, a junior, retired the first six batters he faced against Norfolk High School last Saturday. |
Two of the lefties are seniors, so the number of southpaw pitchers involved in the program will be more reasonable next season at 3, right? Perhaps not...TJ Feldhaus, Jack Folsom, and Stephan Woods are talented freshman left-handers which have already started their high school pitching development. The situation could become even more interesting if more left-handed pitchers come on board as part of next year's freshman class.
Is there something in the water at Roncalli producing all these solid left handed pitchers? Probably not – it is more likely a result of a statistical anomaly complimented by hard work and excellent coaching.
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Junior Colon Higgins should return to the field later this spring.
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Sophomore Alex Terry has earned 4 wins already this season.
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Freshman LHP - TJ Feldhaus
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Freshman LHP - Stephan Woods
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Freshman LHP: Jack Folsom
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Roncalli is considered by many to employ the state's finest collection of pitching coaches. Matt Garland and Chris Shanahan have incredible experience both as players and coaches. Both men are sought after for clinics and pitching lessons by many of Omaha's best youth prospects.
Garland was a standout pitcher in high school before making a name for himself at the division 1 college level. He pitched at Creighton University, and developed a reputation as a bulldog on the mound. Garland's intensity clearly rubs off on his pitchers.
Shanahan is also a local product. He produced on the mound at UNO before embarking upon a 6 year professional pitching career that included time with the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. Shanahan specialized as a pitcher in pin point control and a cool head. Family and work commitments have made it harder recently for Shannahan to remain actively involved with Roncalli's pitchers. He does what he can to remain engaged. As a lefty himself, "Shanny" does a fine job helping the group get the most out of being left-handed.
A scary thought for future opponents is one of Roncalli's best left-handers hasn’t yet been cleared to pitch. Colin Higgins is very talented, but he is recovering from off season shouder surgery. Thus far, Higgins has been limited to light throwing as part of his rehab routine. One has to wonder what it might be like this summer if all 5 of these talented pitchers get involved.
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2008 LHP Staff for Omaha Roncalli (Alex Terry, Colin Higgins, Dylan Badura, Bobby Sullivan, Joe Bircher)
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PRIDE JV LOSES CLOSE GAME TO SKUTT
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April 28, 2008, Ralston, NE
Junior Mike Mazur tossed a complete game, allowing only one earned run and striking out five Skutt hitters in yet another close game that the Pride Junior Varsity ended up on the wrong side of.
Mazur set the tone for the Pride, as they played fairly solid defense, in the 4-3 losing effort.
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Mike Mazur pitched a complete game only allowing 1 earned run
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Leaving runners on base was the big problem for the Pride all day, as they left the bases loaded three different times in seven innings. The Pride did a lot of things right, including pushing across two runs in the first inning without a hit.
Junior Drew Mathews led the hitters, going 3 for 3, with a double and an RBI. Freshman Connor O’Neill, came into the game in the third inning and went 2 for 3 in his first game in over a month. O’Neill, who was recovering from a concussion, placed two balls perfectly over the first baseman’s head for his two singles.
“These young men have been playing hard all year. Today, we could have used a break but it just didn’t happen. It stinks, but it’s baseball,” said Coach Bidroski.
“You could see the frustration on the players faces that we didn’t push across a run. You can bet they will be anxious to hit tomorrow and I feel bad for whichever team draws Roncalli tomorrow,” added Coach Shepherd.
The final game of the season will be today, April 29 at 3:30 at Ralston. Junior Nate Rump will get the start and will lead the charge of a whole slew of pitchers slated to work in the final game of the spring.
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ALEX TERRY DOMINATES ELKHORN
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March 26, 2008, Roncalli Field, Omaha, NE
Roncalli improved its record to 5 wins against 1 loss this evening by beating Elkhorn 6-1. In the process, Alex Terry improved his 2008 pitching record to 3-0. Terry frustrated Elkhorn batters throughout the ballgame and needed only 72 pitches to earn a complete game, 3-hit win. Few observers had any idea that this was Terry's first varsity start on the mound. The sophomore looked like a veteran.
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Alex Terry - Sophomore
LHP - OF
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Elkhorn had two hits in the first inning. A bloop single by Jake Ritzdorf was followed by a perfectly executed hit and run with Jeff Hansen at the plate. The play resulted in Elkhorn's only run of the game. Terry grew stronger as the game went along. Elkhorn managed an infield hit in the second inning, but that was it for the defending Class A state champions. Terry retired 17 of the final 19 Elkhorn batters. He walked a couple, but they never reached second base.
A standout performance was also turned in by the Crimson Pride's super shortstop, Mike Nowak. The senior collected 3 hits, knocked-in 4 runs, and crossed the plate twice himself. Nowak's biggest moment was a 3-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning. That shot put Roncalli ahead 5-1.
Not lost to observers was the difference a day can make in the game of baseball. One day earlier the Crimson Pride defense committed 8 errors and allowed 10 unearned runs. This game was different. Roncalli fielders committed no errors and turned in a handful of beautiful plays. Nate Rump and Nowak played superb defense on the left side.
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GROSS DOWNS PRIDE JV IN GREAT GAME
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April 23rd, 2008, Gross High School, Omaha, NE
We don’t call him Mark “The Vacuum” Vogel for no reason. The freshman shortshop showed why he has become the “Hoover” of the Junior Varsity/Reserve teams.
Vogel led his Junior Varsity squad Wednesday for a game under the lights at Gross Catholic High School, making several key plays in the field and also contributing with some great at-bats.
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SS Mark Vogel
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Pitcher Alex Shada
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Once again, JV fans got quite a treat with one heck of a ballgame.
Gross jumped out to a 5-0 lead off of Roncalli starter Alex Shada. Shada battled back though, keeping Gross scoreless in the third and only allowing one more run in the fourth inning before being relieved by Ben Harrison. Shada, getting his first start of the season, not only contributed on the mound, he also kept the team in the game and motivated.
“Alex did exactly what we wanted him to do tonight,” said Coach Matt Shepherd. “He came out and challenged the Gross hitters. He kept us right in the ballgame from the first pitch he threw until the last!”
Matt Giannone led the offensive attack yet again, hitting his 405th double of the season (just kidding). Giannone did double off the left field wall to spark a two-run third inning to pull the Pride to within three runs.
In the fourth inning, the Pride worked the counts, ran the bases hard, and pushed across five runs in the fourth inning. Every hitter in the line-up hit in the inning and contributed in the go ahead effort.
The Pride took a 7-6 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning, which proved to be the last inning due to the time limit. The first Gross batter walked and after a defensive miscue, scored on error. The Gross hitter that bunted reached third base on the error and eventually scored on a double to center field to end the game.
“Though this was a losing effort, the Roncalli Junior Varsity has taken huge strides this year,” said Coach Scott Bidroski.
“You can’t be anything but happy with the effort these young men put in day in and day out. You can see the maturity and determination each and every day,” Bidroski added.
The Junior Varsity (3-6) will be back in action on Friday, April 24 at 4:30 at Roncalli against Bellevue West. The Reserve squad plays today (April 23) against Ralston at Roncalli at 4:30 and Saturday, April 25 against Bellevue West at Roncalli with a 12:00 start.
A.T. for absolutely terrific!
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March 24, 2008 – Vets Field, Blair, NE
Roncalli found itself in familiar territory Monday evening. The score was 5-3. Blair was leading, and Roncalli was down to its final 2 outs. For the third consecutive game, the Pride stole a victory in the last inning. This team’s early season signature is obvious. They won’t quit.
Bob Sullivan - Senior LHP
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Danny Kulus - Senior UT
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Every game has different heroes. Joe Bircher dominated at Columbus. Mike Nowak hit a walk off homerun against Nebraska City. Alex Terry and Colin Higgins pitched and hit the team to victory at Gretna. Who was going to star against Blair? As it turned out, the spotlight would be shared by Bobby Sullivan and Danny Kulus.
The game started out as a pitcher’s dual. Sullivan cruised through the first 4 innings collecting 3 strike outs, zero walks, and allowing only one earned run. The big lefty was composed throughout, applying steady pressure to Blair batters. Blair’s pitcher, David Koziol was tough on Roncalli until late in the game. Koziol struck out 6 Roncalli batters, walked 2, and allowed only 3 hits through 5 and 1/3 innings.
The nature of the game changed in the 6th inning. Trailing 2-0 after 5 innings, Roncalli catcher Luke Coenen collected 2 RBI on a hit that tied things up in the top of the 6th. The Pride managed another run during that at bat and held a brief 1 run lead. Blair responded in the bottom half of the 6th with 3 runs of their own. Down to their last at bat, Roncalli trailed 5-3. Michael Herman got things started when he was hit by an errant pitch. Mike Nowak followed Herman with a double to right center field. Brad Metzler followed Nowak’s double with a walk which loaded the bases. Danny Kulus responded to the situation with the shot of the night. His bases-clearing double put 3 huge runs on the scoreboard and Roncalli took the lead for good.
Blair had one more chance to respond in the bottom half of the 7th inning. Joe Bircher pitched the final half inning and Blair’s batters never reached base.
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April 22-23, Omaha, NE
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Junior RHP and IF, Mike Mazur
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Roncalli's JV played .500 ball on Monday and Tuesday of this week losing 9-3 at Ralston and bouncing back with a 13-9 win at home over Bryan.
On Monday, the pride struggled against Ralston's pitcher striking out 10 times and managing just 3 runs. Catcher Matt Giannone stood out among Roncalli players in the game. The junior had a pair of doubles and produced all 3 Roncalli runs.
Things went differently on Tuesday. Crimson pride batters got off to a fast start scoring 9 runs in the opening inning and coasted to a 13-9 victory. Mike Mazur earned the pitching victory for Roncalli. Drew Mathews came on in relief to collect the save.
The junior varsity plays again this evening at Gross. First pitch is scheduled for 7pm.
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March 18, 2008, Roncalli Field, Omaha, NE
The scoreboard read 1-0 after six and one-half innings. Nebraska City had the lead. And based on the first six innings, that single run looked nearly insurmountable. Everything changed in the bottom of the seventh inning.
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Mike Nowak - Senior
RHP, Shortstop
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Alex Terry got things started in the bottom half of the seventh with his second single of the afternoon. Terry worked his way to third base taking advantage of a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch. After a Roncalli strike out, it seemed the tying run could be left stranded at third base. Mike Nowak had other ideas. The senior blasted a walk-off homerun that bounced in the parking lot well beyond the right center field fence. The game changed in an instant, and Roncalli’s 2008 home opener ended in style.
The game ended with fireworks, but its real story was pitching. Nebraska City’s Logan Ehlers dominated Roncalli’s line up for most of the game. The sophomore struck out 11 Crimson Pride batsmen and allowed only three hits over six innings. Roncalli’s pitching was equally dominant. Nowak started for the Pride and threw five shut out innings allowing only one hit before giving way to the bullpen. Nebraska City took advantage of a Roncalli error in the sixth inning, and plated their only run of the ballgame. Alex Terry took the mound for the final inning and retired Nebraska City in order.
With the win, Alex Terry earned his first varsity baseball victory on the mound, and Roncalli improved to 2-0 on the young season.
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MATHEWS SPARKS PRIDE JV TO WIN
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April 14th, 2008, Omaha, NE
If you are looking for a good time for a good price, come on out and watch the Roncalli Junior Varsity play.
Here’s what you will see, seven innings (or six depending on the time limit) of hard-nosed, never-give-up baseball. You’ll see bunting, stealing, hitting with two outs, spectacular defense, and filthy curveballs. Oh, and don’t forget, late-inning rallies.
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Drew Mathews picked his first save along with 4 runs batted in
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Finding themselves down 9-7 in the top of the sixth inning, the Pride pushed across three runs to take the lead going into the bottom half. This proved to be the last inning of the game due to the time limit and with Drew Mathews on the bump, it was game over.
Mathews struck out one hitter in his lone inning of work, picking up his first save of the season. Ben Harrison picked up his first win on JV, second on the year if you include his performances with the Reserve team. Harrison pitched two innings of relief, striking out one and scattering four hits. Nate Rump pitched the first three innings for the Pride, striking out four.
Mathews clearly felt like being a hero yesterday, plating four of Roncalli’s ten runs with his stick, including a two-run double in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game.
Mike Mazur had two hits along with Mathews, including a double. Matt Giannone singled twice in the win to help pace the offensive attack. The Pride have the week off until they travel to take on the Ralston Rams on Monday, April 21. Then the Pride will host their first home game of the season against Bryan on Tuesday, April 22.
Let me remind everyone that the Roncalli Reserves will be playing at home today, Tuesday, April 15 and Friday, April 18 with both games starting at 4:30.
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PRIDE JV KNOCKS OFF SKUTT FOR FIRST WIN
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April 8th, 2008, Skutt Catholic High School, Omaha, NE
A five-run third inning, solid pitching, and timely defense dialed the Crimson Pride JV in with their first win on the season.
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Matt Giannone, Roncalli Junior The Catcher had a key pick off throw in the 7th inning
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The Pride (1-5) pushed across five runs in the third inning against the Skutt Skyhawk pitching to help propel them to an 8-4 win Tuesday evening at Skutt.
Mike Mazur picked up his first win of the year, tossing 4 1/3 innings, allowing 3 runs and striking out two. Brandon Herring came on in relief, throwing the final 2 2/3 innings to preserve the win.
The play of the game was not made on the mound; it was made from behind the plate. Matt Giannone picked off the Skutt base runner with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to halt the attempted late-inning rally.
Brandon Herring led the hitting attack, going 2 for 2 with two singles, two runs scored, and a key sacrifice bunt. Nate Rump followed Herring closely with a 2 for 3 effort. Drew Mathews and Jake Harter also had RBI’s in the win.
The Pride is back in action at 5:00 on Friday against Beatrice. This will (hopefully) be the first home game of the season for the JV squad.
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PRIDE RESERVES DOWN RALSTON
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April 24th, 2008, Roncalli Field, Omaha, NE
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Stephen Woods homered in the win over Ralston
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Check for that ball in the parking lot!
Freshman Stephen Woods deposited a first pitch fastball 350 feet over the right center field fence to lead the Roncalli Reserve Team to a 10-8 victory, Thursday afternoon.
Woods highlighted the offense which put up 10 runs against Ralston pitching, including two in the bottom of the fifth inning to break an 8-8 tie. The fifth inning was the last, due to the time limit.
Jake Ashworth had two hits, including a triple to aid the offense.
Fellow freshman T.J. Feldhaus tossed four innings for the Pride but ended up with a no decision. Mark Vogel turned in a perfect fifth inning on the mound, picking up his first win of the season.
Defensively the Pride struggled early but came up big when it counted.
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Cody Smoot turned a double play in the 5th inning
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In the top of fifth inning, second baseman Cody Smoot snagged a line drive and fired to first to double-off the baserunner. Following a Ralston single, the next hitter plopped a ball into shallow right field. Jack Folsom came up firing to Blake Tomasso at third base to nail the runner to end the inning.
The 10-8 win pushed the Reserve’s record to 5-4 on the season. They will look to complete a very successful year this Saturday at 12:00 against Bellevue West.
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Side Notes:
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“Can you believe how far that ball went,” said the Ralston shortshop.
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“Yeah man, that kid really crushed it,” replied the Ralston third baseman.
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“Whoooo!!” said Coach Shepherd.
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“Stay, go, wait, stay. Slide!!!” said Coach Bidroski.
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RESERVES COME UP BIG AGAINST GROSS
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April 9th, 2008, Gross High School, Omaha, NE
Don't call it a comeback; call it a complete team effort. The Pride pushed across five critical runs in their final at-bat to deliver the Gross reserve team their first loss of the season Wednesday evening at Omaha Gross Field.
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Mark Vogel came up huge for the Pride with a timely 7th inning RBI
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The Pride (3-3) scored in their first and final at-bat, including the five runs in the seventh inning, to propel them to a 7-5 win. It was truly a team effort because all fourteen of the Crimson Pride that suited up, played a key role in the win. Jack Folsom, Blake Tomasso, and Ben Harrison all shined on the mound in the win for the Pride with Harrison pitching the final two innings, striking out three of the six hitters he faced for his first win (and also his first appearance).
At the plate, hits were not abundant but good at-bats were plentiful. In the final inning, Gross pitchers loaded the bases with three consecutive walks. Stephen Woods came to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered with a clutch walk and RBI. Mark Vogel followed Woods with the most important at-bat of the night. Falling behind 0-2 in the count early, Vogel battled and fired a line shot into right field, scoring T.J. Feldhaus with the sacrifice fly.
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Ben Harrison pitched the final 2 innings for the Pride picking up his first win this year
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Garrett Berg then stepped the plate, tattooing the first pitch he saw with a hard liner past the second baseman. With Coleman Lonergan at the plate, Stephen Woods slid head first into home to score the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. Nick Grage put the icing on the cake with another RBI single later in the inning.
Harrison came back out onto the bump and threw two filthy curveballs to trip up two Gross hitters, with the final strikeout ending the game.
The Pride are back in action tomorrow evening at Roncalli against Elkhorn at 4:30.
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RESERVES LOSE CLOSE ONE TO FREMONT
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April 8th, 2008, Roncalli High School, Omaha, NE
It was a great game that could have ended with either team getting a win. Ultimately, the Roncalli Reserves were on the short end of a 7-5 score against the class A team from Fremont.
Fremont was hot early and generated 4 runs on 3 hits during the top half of the 1st inning. Roncalli's starting pitcher, T.J. Feldhaus, found his groove after that. Feldhaus held Fremont scoreless during the 2nd and 3rd innings. The lefty struck out 4 batters during 3 solid innings on the mound.
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T.J. Feldhaus - LHP/OF
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Steven Woods - LHP/1B
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Feldhaus was replaced on the mound in the 4th inning by Steven Woods. Both pitchers are left-handed, but they look nothing alike. Woods is much taller and throws from a completely different angle.
Woods picked up where Feldhaus left off and added 5 additional strike outs to the tally. Together, the lefties collected 9 K's during the 6 inning game.
The Crimson Pride was 4 down right out of the gate, but they battled back. The 3rd inning was big. Feldhaus got things started with a lead off double. He scored 2 batters later when shortstop Mark Vogel collected a ground ball RBI. Jake Ashworth kept it going with the second of his 4 hits on the day. Ashworth's single was followed by a Jack Folsom walk. With 2 men on, Dane Hansen crushed a ball over the center fielder's head. Both base runners scored, and Hansen strolled into second with a double. Fremont's lead was down to a single run.
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Jake Ashworth went 4 for 4 at the plate including 2 doubles.
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The 4th inning was also big for Roncalli. Garrett Berg led off with a double. He advanced to third base via Blake Tomaso's sacrifice bunt. Feldhaus then reached base with a walk. Berg and Feldhaus both eventually scored. One of them due to a wild pitch, and the other thanks to Nick Grage's RBI single. Roncalli fought back from 4 runs down, and held a 1 run lead after 4 innings. It wouldn't last.
Fremont demonstrated excellent patience at the plate and worked several long counts during the 5th and 6th innings. The strategy worked, and the Fremont kids did a great job running bases. They took advantage of every opportunity, and scraped out 3 runs to earn a hard fought victory
Roncalli's coach, Ryan Birge, was pleased with his team's effort. Birge credited the entire team for fighting back after falling behind early. According to Birge, "the boys played hard and showed a lot of heart coming back...we had 10 hits this afternoon which is great...you have to credit Fremont...they did what they had to do to earn a victory".
With the loss, Roncalli moves to 2-3 on the season. The Pride is in action again Wednesday with a game against Gross Catholic High School. That game is scheduled for a 4:30pm start and will be played at Omaha Gross.
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RONCALLI SEASON ENDS IN LOSS TO PIUS
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May 13th, 2008, Den Hartog Field in Lincoln, NE
Roncalli's season ended in disappointment this afternoon with a 3-1 loss to Lincoln Pius X. The Pride played well defensively but were unproductive at the plate.
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Alex Terry had 7 strikeouts on the day. The sophomore's 2008 pitching record ended at an impressive 7-1.
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Offensive highlights were hard to find. Joe Bircher and Drew Mathews produced 2 hits each in the game. Those hits were all that Roncalli would come up with on the day. The second inning was Roncalli's best. Bircher led off with a single. Michael Herman advanced Bircher to second with a sacrifice bunt. Then Mathews collected a single to center field scoring Bircher from second base. The Pride had other chances as well, but they were unable to produce more runs.
Alex Terry was strong on the mound. The lefty went the distance striking out 7 Pius batters in the process. His outing was among his best of the season. Ironically, the game represents Terry's only pitching loss this year. The sophomore's final 2008 record was 7-1.
The Pride ended the season with an overall record of 17 wins against 4 defeats. It was a successful campaign that saw winning streaks of 6 and 7 games. It also included a district championship. Losing 2 in a row in the state tournament was disappointing, but the season will not be defined by those losses. It was a greatly successful year. Congratulations to all the players and coaches.
The Pride will next be in action this Saturday morning at Roncalli Field. No...it isn't another game. Saturday is a much overdue fieldwork day. See you there!
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GRETNA DOWNS RONCALLI AT STATE
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May 12th, 2008, Lincoln, NE
There aren't excuses in baseball, but the game is not normally played in halves. It was this time. The first 4 1/2 innings were played Saturday morning. Rain blew in, and the game was suspended. It resumed 2 days later and required another 4 1/2 innings to finish.
It was a great game.
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Sophomore Michael Herman had a pair a huge doubles in the "second half" of the state tournament game vs Gretna.
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Roncalli started strong scoring 2 runs in the first inning. Senior lefty Joe Bircher was pitching for Roncalli and retired Gretna's first 9 batters. Gretna struck back in the 4th inning plating 3 runs on 2 hits and a Roncalli error. Lightning was spotted in the area with Gretna batting in the 5th inning. The game was suspended at that point and resumed 48 hours later.
When the game resumed, Mike Nowak took over on the mound for Roncalli and took control of the game. Neither team scored again until the bottom of the 7th inning. Roncalli was behind 3-2 at that point. Sophomore Michael Herman led off with a double to the left field fence. When Gretna missed a cut-off man, Herman alertly advanced to third base.
Coach Tom Kupfer then substituted Brandon Solis to run in Herman's place. The strategy worked perfectly when Solis raced home to tie the score on a wild pitch. A missed opportunity followed. Colin Higgins was the next batter. He singled and reached second base on a passed-ball. The winning runner was standing on second base with nobody out. Roncalli cashed-in on these situations all season, but it didn't happen today. A strike out and 2 fly balls left the winning run on the bases.
The game went into extra innings, and Gretna pulled it out with 2 runs in the top of the 9th inning. The Pride fought back in the bottom half of the 9th. Herman once again led things off with a double, but Roncalli could only muster 1 run during the frame.
Give Gretna credit. Roncalli played them 3 times this season, and every game has been decided by a single run. In fact, each game ended in the same score (5-4). Today it was Gretna's turn to win. The Dragons starting pitcher, Mitch Reinig, threw all 9 innings. He had a great outing and kept Roncalli's offense in check. Reinig held the Pride to 7 hits. He retired 12 Roncalli batters on strikes, and he issued a pair of walks.
With the loss, Roncalli moves to 17-3 on the season. The Pride now must move through the loser's bracket of the state tournament where they will face Pius. That game is scheduled for 4pm Tuesday, May 13th. The location is Den Hartog Field in Lincoln.
Not that losing is good, but take note of what happened last time Roncalli lost a baseball game. The date was April 15th. After that loss, the Pride rattled off 7 consecutive victories. ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.
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August 30th World Herald Article about Tom and Herb Kupfer
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Published Thursday | August 30, 2007
American Legion Notes: Coach joins dad in boasting about title
BY MIKE PATTERSON
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
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When Paragas Law Pride (Omaha Roncalli) captured the Class B American Legion title, the team became a part of history.
The Pride was coached by Tom Kupfer, whose father Herb guided Anthony's (Omaha Ryan) to a Class A Legion crown in 1975. It's believed to be the first father-son championship coaching combination in state history.
"It's pretty cool," Tom said. "My dad talks about his '75 team all the time, so now I've got something to brag about, too."
The younger Kupfer, who also coaches the Roncalli varsity, said a lesson learned during the spring season helped his squad during the summer. The Crimson Pride fell short of the state tournament, losing to Norfolk in district play.
"We got close to state, and I think we got a little overconfident," he said. "During the summer, we made it a point to try and jump on other teams right away and score as many runs as possible."
Paragas Law defeated Beatrice 10-1 for the title, which also made Tom's dad a happy man.
"He stops down at the dugout during games to give me tips," Tom said. "He always cheers for us, and I know he feels like part of our team."
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Copyright ©2007 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
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Omaha World Herald Article about Day 5 of the 2007 Class B State Tournament
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Published Thursday | August 9, 2007
American Legion Baseball: Bircher leads Pride to Class B title
BY NICK RUBEK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
GRETNA, Neb. — A Paragus Law teammate gave Joe Bircher the title of MVP as he did his postgame interview. Anyone who watched Paragus play the last six days knew he deserved it.
Paragus (Omaha Roncalli) jumped on Beatrice Exmark starter Caleb Jackson for four runs in the first and rode another strong outing by Bircher to a 10-1 win in the title game of the Class B Senior Legion state championships on Wednesday.
"'Birch' comes out and gives you a chance for a shutout every night," Paragus coach Tom Kupfer said. "He's a special athlete and he stepped up. If you can get him some early runs, you feel good about what can happen."
Bircher, after shutting out Beatrice in a complete-game one-hitter Saturday night, handcuffed Exmark through seven stellar innings Wednesday night.
The big left-hander struck out 10 and scattered four hits. His lone walk came in the seventh with the game already out of hand. Wednesday's gem comes on the heels of Bircher's 11-strikeout performance in his last outing against Beatrice.
"It's hard to explain the feeling," Bircher said. "As soon as I threw that last pitch, I felt it. We've been thinking about this all season."
The trouble for Jackson started immediately, as Paragus leadoff hitter Mike Nowak walked to open the bottom of the first. Mark Schlueter then reached on a sacrifice bunt when Jackson tried to gun down Nowak at second but sailed the throw into center.
A wild pitch, two walks and a hit batter sandwiched around a rundown loaded the bases for Bircher, who singled into right to score a pair. Bircher finished 2 for 3 with three RBIs. A squeeze bunt by Drew Petersen plated another when Jackson slipped coming off the mound.
"Getting those runs in the first inning was huge," Kupfer said. "In a championship situation there's a little bit of nerves involved. Once you get a few runs in and you know you have a strong guy on the mound, it settles everyone down."
Paragus nearly ended it early. Third baseman Mark Schlueter drove a pitch deep to left in the sixth inning that emptied the bench before sailing foul. The shot would have been a two-run homer and given Paragus a walk-off 10-run victory.
Bircher said he's dreamed of throwing the last pitch for a state championship, but would have gladly given that spotlight to Schlueter.
"He's a senior, he deserves this more than anyone," Bircher said.
Bircher, Mark Shepherd, Ross Ossino and Luke Coenen all went 2 for 3, combining for five runs and five RBIs.
Beatrice.........................000 001 0— 1 4 5
Paragus Law Pride.........................420 301 x—10 11 0
• W: Joe Bircher. L: Caleb Jackson. 2B: P, Shepherd, Ossino.
Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom
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Omaha World Herald Article about Day 4 of the 2007 Class B State Tournament
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Published Wednesday | August 8, 2007
Chadron secures its spot in tournament's last day
BY NICK RUBEK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Casey Downs and his Chadron teammates are still fighting.
Downs and Chadron jumped out with four runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back, handing Paragas Law Pride its first loss of the Class B Senior Legion state tournament, a 9-4 setback Tuesday night at Gretna.
Downs turned in another stellar performance, his third extended outing of the tournament, to lift Chadron into the tournament's final day. They'll lock up with Beatrice today at 5:15 p.m. for the right to play Paragas (Omaha Roncalli) in the 8 p.m. title game. Downs, after throwing 115 pitches Friday and more than 80 on Sunday, gave up only a single hit in his 42/3 innings of work.
"He's been our workhorse all year long," Chadron coach Rob Stack said. "He's always been up to the challenge."
After blowing a 5-1 lead in the second round of the tournament, Chadron has picked up back-to-back victories with its tournament life at stake.
"We came in the underdogs and no one knew what we had," Downs said. "We just believed. We know we can play with anyone out here."
Chadron proved it Tuesday night, jumping on Paragas starter Nick Monaco for four runs on only one hit in the first inning. Monaco didn't record an out before being pulled. His two walks and three wild pitches set up Chadron for the early lead Stack was looking for.
A two-run single by Charlie Hawk bolstered the lead to 6-0 before Paragas rallied for three runs in the top of third. That's when Downs entered and clamped down. Though he walked six, Downs also struck out two and gave up only a seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
A huge two-run single by A.J. Grant in the bottom of the fourth was part of a three-run inning that answered Paragas' scoring in the third.
A couple of well-struck balls found the Chadron defense, something Paragas coach Tom Kupfer said was just one of those baseball things.
"It all evens out," Kupfer said. "We had an off night tonight, but that's why we put ourself in the position of being in the championship no matter what. We'll come back tomorrow ready. The baseball gods seem to have a way of evening things out."
Paragas, which moves into the title game automatically because it was the last remaining unbeaten, has starters Mike Nowak and Joe Bircher available for the championship.
John McLain was 3 for 4 with an RBI and three runs scored for Chadron. Grant finished 2 for 3 with three RBIs.
Paragas Law Pride.........................003 000 1—4 4 2
Chadron.........................420 300 x—9 9 2
• W: Casey Downs. L: Nick Monaco. 2B: P, Ossino; C, Hawk, McLain.
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Grand Island Independent Article about St Paul's Game with Paragas Law
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St. Paul suffers first tourney loss
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By Tony Boone
sports.desk@theindependent.com
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GRETNA ‹ Whether it was Newton's Third Law of "an equal and opposite reaction" or Murphy's Law of "whatever can go wrong, will go wrong" acting against it, St. Paul's fortune at the Class B American Legion Senior Tournament did a drastic 180 on Sunday.
After preying on its opponents' mistakes in its two earlier wins, Reed Farms fell apart in nearly every way possible in an 18-1, five-inning loss to Paragas Law (Omaha Roncalli) in the winners bracket final.
St. Paul gave up 18 runs and 12 hits in only three innings, used six different pitchers and struggled to find its offense until the game was way out of hand. The only saving grace for Coach Steve Schenck's team on was that it saved some arms for tonight's 5:15 elimination game with Beatrice.
"We knew coming in we were going to have to play pretty much error free and walk free, and we didn't do that off the start," Schenck said. "After that, we just went to the staff and the subs to come back tomorrow and be ready to go. We just have to give (Paragas) credit and give them this one."
Paragas Law went up early when Mark Schlueter tripled in the first inning and scored on an RBI single by Danny Kulus. An errant pick-off attempt by St. Paul's Justin Maddox, who was making his second start in three games, plated another run to make it 2-0.
Then, things really got bad. The Pride (28-17) sent 14 batters to the plate in a nine-run second inning that broke the game open. Paragas then added seven more in the third to go up 18-0.
Maddox lasted through only eight batters. Saturday's winner Louis Poss gave up two hits, two walks and hit a batter in the six men he faced. And Brett Peters walked a batter and hit two others in a third of an inning of work.
St. Paul wasn't much better at the plate. It managed just five singles, two of them infield hits, off the Pride's John Ocken and Nick Monaco.
Luke Coenen and Mark Schlueter led Paragas Law's offensive attack. Coenen drove in four runs while going 3-for-3. Schlueter had hits in all four of his at-bats and drove in three runs. Both players also scored three times.
"We had some real quality at-bats," Pride coach Tom Kupfer said. "We got some guys on base and got some key hits. And we just kept hitting the ball. The guys were really patient, and we drew some walks. We just had real quality at-bats all the way around."
Paragas Law, which faces Chadron at 8 tonight, had 10 consecutive batters reach base in the second inning and eight straight in the third. At 3-0, it is the only unbeaten team left in the tournament.
St. Paul's lone run Sunday came in the fourth when Tyler Hansen singled home pinch runner Michael Killinger.
Mike Knapp is expected to start on the mound for Reed Farms in tonight's elimination game. The St. Paul closer hyperextended a knee earlier in the tournament and was still hobbling during Sunday's game. Schenck said the knee is about 70 percent.
St. Paul (24-7) 000 10 - 1 5 3
Paragas Law (28-17) 297 0x - 18 12 0
W - Ocken. L - Maddox.
2B - PL, Petersen, Coenen, Nowak. 3B - PL, Schlueter.
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Omaha World Herald Article about Day Three of the Class B State Tournament
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Published Monday | August 6, 2007
Paragas lone Class B Legion unbeaten
BY NICK RUBEK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Tom Kupfer is liking what he's seeing out of his Paragas Law Pride bunch. His team gave him even more reasons to smile in a blowout win Sunday night.
Paragas pounded St. Paul 18-1 in the winners' bracket of the Class B Senior Legion state tournament at Gretna to become the lone remaining unbeaten team. The offense seemed to be clicking on all cylinders throughout, and at the perfect time, Kupfer said.
"We're playing as good as we've played all year long," Kupfer said. "We're having real quality at-bats, our pitchers are coming out throwing strikes, and our defense is playing stellar right now."
A nine-run second inning put the game out of reach before Paragas (Omaha Roncalli) added seven more in the third. Ten straight batters reached base in the second, and another eight found their way aboard in the third.
Mark Schlueter, a Dana football and baseball recruit, went 4 for 4 with a triple, an RBI and three runs scored for Paragas.
"We wanted this one real bad, because we want to stay undefeated throughout this tournament," Schlueter said. "Everything is clicking right now. Hitting, pitching and defense is all coming together right now, and when that happens, we're a pretty tough team to beat."
Paragas' John Ocken cruised through his four innings of work, giving up only four hits and a lone run in the fourth. Bob Sullivan worked the fifth, giving up only an infield single. St. Paul needed six pitchers to get through four innings.
"After the second inning, we started thinking that we're going to give it heck tomorrow," St. Paul coach Steve Schenck said. "This is a group that's bounced back all year. They never get their heads down. I think we're going to go home and get a good night's sleep tonight and try to forget about this one."
A win in tonight's game at 8 against Chadron would put Paragas in the title game.
St. Paul.........................000 10— 1 5 3
Paragas Law Pride.........................297 0x—18 12 0
• W: John Ocken. L: Justin Maddox. 2B: P, Petersen, Coenen, Nowak. 3B: P, Schlueter.
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Tri-City News Article about Lexington's Two Days in the State Tournament
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Lexington ousted from state contention
Five runs inning not enough against Gretna
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The Lexington Senior baseball team wrapped up the summer of 2007 season with a pair of losses at the State Tournament over the weekend in Gretna.
Friday, Omaha Roncalli, also known as Paragas Law Pride, turned in a four run sixth inning to pull away from Lexington for a 7-2 victory. The host squad Gretna ended Lexington's state run with a 7-6 victory.
Against Omaha Roncalli, Lexington stepped up the defensive effort early. Shortstop Eric DeLa Torre recorded a double play to start the game, catching a shot from Mark Schuleter and tossing to second base for the second out as Mike Nowak meandered a touch too far from the base.
The second inning was different in the field for Lexington though. Lead off batter Ross Ossino reached after a dropped third strike and stole second base. A single by Collin Higgins pushed Ossino around to score. The defensive troubles began as Jared Bennett couldn't put the glove on a fly at second base. A second error on the play was recorded as Joe Berke over threw the ball to third base to try to get Higgins, who scored on the mistake.
Trailing 2-0, Lexington bounced back in the fourth inning. Ryan Gruntorad slapped the team's first hit of the game, reaching with a single. He later moved to second with a passed ball. Joe Berke muscled a double to score Gruntorad and then advanced to third base with an error by the shortstop.
Nate Araujo followed up Berke's blast with a double of his own, tying the game at 2-2. A pair of strikeouts ended the Lexington threat, but not before knotting the score.
Gruntorad was tagged with a big hit in the bottom of the fourth inning. A 1-1 pitch to lead off hitter Joe Bircher was blasted for a home run to break the deadlock.
Roncalli put the game away with a four run sixth inning, forcing Gruntorad from the mound. Lead off batter Ossino was hit with a pitch to start the spree, followed by a walk to Bircher.
Ossino was erased with a fielder's choice play on a Drew Petersen hit for the first out. A second walk in the inning moved Collin Higgins to the bases, loading the pads for Luke Coenen. A single from Coenen pushed Bircher and Petersen around to score, as Coenen ended up at second bases. A single by Nick Manaco brought home two more runs from Roncalli.
The spree prompted Lexington coach Josh Kuecker to make a change, bringing in Jon Dillard to pitch the remainder of the game. Dillard was helped out of the inning with a pop up to centerfield for the second out and a short fly out to catcher Nate Araujo.
Lexington had opportunities to climb back into the game. In the fifth inning, the squad advanced Armando Hernandez to second base, only to see him get picked off for the final out of the inning.
In the sixth inning Blake Reynolds moved all the way to third base, but a deep fly ball to centerfield by Araujo ended the threat.
In the final at bat of the game, Lexington's Jon Dillard and Jared Bennett filled second and first bases with two outs before Jason Dillard tapped back to the pitcher for the last out of the game.
Lexington recorded five hits in the game, spread among five different players. Berke and Araujo's doubles in the fourth inning accounted for driving in both runs fro Lexington.
Gruntorad was tagged with the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits. He struck out two batters and walked two in the game.
The loss dropped Lexington into the elimination bracket against Gretna, a 7-1 victim of defending champion Beatrice.
The Dragons built a 4-0 lead through three and a half innings, scoring single runs in the second and third innings before adding two runs in the fourth off a solo home run and two other hits.
Blake Reynolds opened the Lexington half of the fourth inning with a single before stealing second and third bases. A single by Berke pushed home Reynolds for Lexington's first run of the game.
After giving up a single run in the fifth inning. Lexington grabbed its first lead of the tournament, posting a five run outburst. Eric DeLa Torre opened the rally with a double, with Bennett following after reaching the bases on an error by the shortstop.
DeLa Torre advance to third with a wild pitch and eventually scored with a single from Ryan Gruntorad, which also drove in Bennett from second base.
A Berke single moved Reynolds around for Lexington's third score of the inning. A single from Nate Araujo to load the bases prompted a pitching change, which did little to slow the explosion. Jason Dillard slapped a singled to bring both Gruntorad and Berke around to score. The rally ended with Jon Dillard flying out to the shortstop and DeLa Torre popping up to the third baseman.
The lead was short-lived though for Lexington as Gretna manufactured a run in the sixth inning to tie the score a 6-6. The deciding run came in the seventh inning as Jesse Manzitto advanced with a leadoff single. He advanced to second with a sacrifice from Nick Blasnitz before taking third on a wild pitch. Manzitto scored on a catcher's error.
Fly outs by the Dillard brother, Jason and Jon, accounted for the first two outs of the final inning before Eric DeLa Torre hit back to the pitcher for the third and final out of the game and the season for Lexington in the seventh inning.
Blake Reynolds, playing in his final high school contest, finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Joe Berke and DeLa Torre gave 2-for-4 showings. Berke drove in two runs, as did Gruntorad, who finished the game 1-for-3.
Armando Hernandez turned in a complete game on the mound, allowing 11 hits and one walk but striking out five in the game.
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Omaha World Herald Article about Day Two of the Class B State Tournament
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Published Sunday | August 5, 2007
Class B: Bircher leads Pride into bracket final
BY TONY BOONE
WORLD-HERALD CORRESPONDENT
GRETNA — If there was a two-day MVP award for the Class B American Legion Senior Tournament, Paragas Law's Joe Bircher would have it wrapped up.
One night after hitting the go-ahead home run in a win over Lexington, Bircher fanned 11 Beatrice Exmark batters in a 3-0, one-hit gem that put the Pride (Omaha Roncalli) into tonight's winners bracket final.
"Joe was outstanding," Paragas Law coach Tom Kupfer said. "He did what he did all year. He got ahead of hitters, he had all of his pitches working and he finished guys off."
Bircher allowed four baserunners a complete-game effort, and only one of those reached second. He allowed only a fourth-inning single to Andrew Haake and was backed by a pair of spectacular catches by outfielders Collin Higgins and Mark Shepherd on deep fly balls in the sixth.
The Pride struck first in the bottom of the first when Mark Schlueter was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Ross Ossino.
After stranding runners on third in the third and fourth innings, Paragas added two insurance runs in fifth. A single, an error and two sacrifice bunts preceded a two-run single by Danny Kulus that made it 3-0.
That was more than enough for Bircher, who walked two and hit a batter in his complete-game effort. He had at least one strikeout in every inning and retired 12 of the last 13 batters he faced.
Exmark starter Micah Busboom was solid as well. He allowed only one earned run on five hits in six innings of work while suffering the loss.
Paragas Law advanced to the 8 p.m. winners bracket game with St. Paul. Beatrice will meet David City in an elimination game this afternoon.
Beatrice Exmark.........................000 000 0—0 1 1
Paragas Law.......100 020 x—3 5 0
• W: Bircher. L: Busboom.
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Kearney Hub Article about Lexington vs the Pride (Day 1, 2007 - B State Tournament)
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Lex falls in state opener
08/04/2007
Updated 08/06/2007 01:06:02 PM CDT
GRETNA — Omaha Roncalli scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull away with a 7-2 win over Lexington in an opening-round game at the Class B Seniors State Tournament Friday in Gretna. With the loss, Lexington will play the Beatrice/Gretna loser at 2:30 p.m. today (Saturday) in an elimination game.
Omaha Roncalli used two walks and a hit batsman from Lexington starter Ryan Gruntorad to load the bases with one out. Roncalli’s second batter in the inning, Joe Bircher, drew a walk after a 12-pitch at-bat, which Lexington coach Josh Kuecker said keyed the big inning.
Roncalli’s Luke Coenen and Nick Monaco later followed with two 2-RBI singles to blow the game open. All four Roncalli runs were scored on two hits. “The lead-off kid had a great at-bat. …We thought we had him fooled on a 3-2 curveball and the umpire didn’t think so. He got the walk, then we had a passed ball and another walk and they came up with some key hits,” said Kuecker. “The score was 7-2, but I thought our kids played a lot better than that.”
Gruntorad allowed eight hits and seven runs — six of them earned — in 5 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out two.
Before Roncalli’s outburst, Lexington stayed close. Trailing 2-0, Lexington’s Joe Berke and Nate Araujo hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game.
“We hit some balls hard in the first couple innings and didn’t have anything to show for it. We finally got something going and that was kind of a relief for us,” said Kuecker on his team’s 2-run inning.
However, that was the only damage Omaha Roncalli starter Mike Nowak suffered. Nowak gave up four hits and struck out six in six innings of work for the win.
Joe Bircher gave Roncalli the lead for good when he led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run.
Besides Berke and Araujo’s doubles, Blake Reynolds and Jared Bennett were the only other Lexington players to get a hit. Both players notched one single.
No Roncalli player had more than one hit.
OMAHA RONCALLI 7, LEXINGTON 2
Score by Innings
LEXINGTON 000 200 0 — 2
OMAHA RONCALLI 020 104 X — 7
WP — Mike Nowak. LP — Ryan Gruntorad. HR — Joe Bircher
©Kearney Hub 2007
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Omaha World Herald Article about Day One of the Class B State Tournament
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Published Saturday | August 4, 2007
Class B Legion Tourney: Bircher provides levity, power in win
BY NICK RUBEK
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Mike Nowak credited first baseman Joe Bircher for helping settle him down Friday. The pitcher also might want to thank Bircher for his work with the bat.
Bircher connected for an opposite-field solo home run in the bottom of the fourth to break a 2-2 tie that helped send Paragus Law Pride to a 7-2 win over Lexington Friday in the first round of the Class B Senior Legion state tournament in Gretna.
"This is my first time coming to state, so there were a little bit of nerves there," Nowak said. "(Bircher) came over and made me laugh a little bit and that helped me settle down a lot."
Paragus (Omaha Roncalli) broke the game open in the sixth behind two-run singles from Luke Coenen and Nick Monaco.
"They came up with some key hits in some key spots," Lexington coach Josh Kuecker said. "They made us pay. They put some balls in the gap."
Lexington answered a pair of second-inning runs with two in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Joe Berke and Nate Aruajo. Bircher's shot to left field put Paragus back on top for good.
Nowak scattered four hits and struck out six in six innings before Mark Schlueter worked around a hit and a pair of walks in the seventh.
"It's huge," Paragus coach Tom Kupfer said of Nowak's work. "Momentum is so big in these games. It's nice to get a guy out there to set a good tone."
The big sixth inning was just what his group needed, Kupfer said.
"We were waiting for a breakout inning," he said. "We got a couple guys on and got a couple of key base hits."
Paragus advances to tonight's winner's-bracket game against the Gretna-Beatrice winner. Lexington will play the Gretna-Beatrice loser in a 2:30 p.m. elimination contest.
Lexington.........................000 200 0—2 5 3
Paragus Law Pride.........................020 104 x—7 8 1
• W: Mike Nowak. L: Ryan Guntorad. 2B: P: Schlueter, Kulus; L, Berke, Aruajo. HR: Bircher.
Contact the Omaha World-Herald newsroom
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PRIDE RALLIES TO BEAT ELKHORN ON SENIOR NIGHT
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 July 3rd, 2007
Senior night gave Paragas Law Crimson Pride baseball fans a chance to thank five special players as they took their home field for what could be the last time. John Ocken, Mark Schlueter, Ross Ossino, Drew Petersen, and Mark Shepherd were honored in a brief ceremony immediately preceding the first pitch. The stage was set for the Pride to continue a run of solid baseball during which they had won 4 out of 5 against the likes of Millard North, Omaha Central, Millard South, and Omaha Northwest. It wasn't going to be easy. The competition on this night was Elkhorn Post 211. Deep and talented, Elkhorn's roster consists primarily of players having won the 2007 Nebraska Class A state baseball championship in May.
It didn't look good early as the Pride found themselves behind 6-0 after three innings. Things were about to change. Drew Petersen relieved the Pride's starting pitcher in the third inning. Petersen entered the game with two men on base and nobody out. Elkhorn was uncomfortable with the change. Petersen allowed no hits in two innings of work which included an inning ending strike out of Elkhorn's all state catcher, Trevor Gappa. In the bottom of the fourth, Ross Ossino was robbed of a homerun via a spectacular over the fence catch by Elkhorn's left fielder. Ross's shot did not produce any runs, but it signaled a change in momentum. The Pride bats were coming to life.
Colin Higgins relieved Drew Petersen on the mound in the top of the fifth inning. The young lefty kept Elkhorn off balance striking out a pair of batters while allowing no runs or hits during two innings of work. The bottom half of the fifth was huge for the Pride. Brad Metzler pinch hit with two outs and nobody on base. He sparked the offense with a single up the middle. His hit was followed by three consecutive RBI hits. Mike Nowak hit a triple, Mark Schlueter hit a single, and Mark Shepherd hit a double. The inning ended with Ross Ossino grounding out on a sharply hit ball to short stop. The score was now 6-3, and the park was filling with energy.
The sixth inning was another big one for the Pride as the team produced another three runs. This time the offense started with a texas leaguer from Joe Bircher. Elkhorn's second baseman made a great attempt on the ball but couldn't keep it in his glove. With Bircher on base, Higgins and Petersen hit back to back singles. Then Mike Nowak layed down a beautiful sacrifice bunt.
The score was tied heading into the seventh inning. The Pride coaching staff routinely turns to its senior closer in such situations, and this game was no exception. Mark Schlueter trotted to the mound, and made quick work of three Elkhorn batters . The stage was set. The Crimson Pride needed one run to end the game. Mark Shepherd led off with a line drive single. Then power hitter Ross Ossino showed his versatility with a bunt moving Shepherd to second base. Elkhorn followed Ossino's sacrifice with an intentional walk to Danny Kulus. Joe Bircher followed the walk with a deep fly ball to right field. Shepherd tagged up on the out and advanced to third base. Colin Higgins stepped to the plate with two outs and the winning run standing 90 feet away. It presented the sophomore center fielder with a high pressure situation. Higgins responded with a game winning single. The rally was complete, and the Crimson Pride ended its Senior night with another win over a powerful class A baseball team.
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MARK SHEPHERD - RONCALLI'S #9
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 With the score tied and bases juiced, it is comforting to see Mark Shepherd at bat. The right fielder always seems to cash in on such opportunities. Head coach Tom Kupfer understands Shepherd’s contribution. According to Kupfer, “Mark is everything a coach wants…he plays hard and brings energy to the field…Mark’s attitude makes him a role model for younger players.”
Shepherd’s success is no secret. He was recognized as a 2007 All State and All Conference player. Opposing pitchers know about Mark Shepherd too. Consequently, he normally sees curve balls and sliders when batting. Why? Because he hits the cover off the ball when presented with an ordinary pitch. Northwest recently made the mistake of giving him too many hittable pitches. The result was a five for five performance.
Mark’s parents, Sue and Dick, have a great philosophy about their kids’ athletic endeavors. According to Dick, “as long as the kids have fun, that is all that counts.” The entire Shepherd family participates. It’s not unusual to find Dick or Sue at Roncalli making sure everything is in order for  the following day’s game. Mark’s sisters, Jill and Katie, attend games to cheer for their brother. And Mark’s older brother Matt, a former Roncalli baseball player, now coaches the program’s junior squad.
If you’ve attended a home game lately, you’ve likely met Mark’s Grandma, Marge Sneed. You’ll find Grandma seated along the right field line under a shade tree. She cheers loudly and does her best to keep the umpires honest. Grandma has a keen understanding of baseball, often stopping by the Shepherd house after games to discuss the action. The baseball complex is a richer experience when Marge is there – especially for Mark.
The family has particularly fond memories of the summer of 2005. It was a special time when the Shepherd brothers, Matt and Mark, started on the same Roncalli squad. The best of those memories involved a district tournament game during which both boys hit homeruns. Winning that game put the team in position to qualify for state.
As Mark Shepherd’s high school baseball career draws to an end, he looks forward to pursuing a career in public utilities. He is sure to succeed. Mark’s commitment to hard work and a positive attitude will see to that.
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MARK SCHLUETER - RONCALLI'S #3
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 Mark Schlueter is a rare athlete. He’s fast, strong, and well coordinated. He is a fine pitcher, and he carries homerun power in his bat. All this is unusual, but it isn’t what defines him as a baseball player. Mark Schlueter is a winner.
Evidence of it is everywhere. Individual honors like ALL CONFERENCE and ALL STATE prove the kid is talented, but they are not what best illustrate Mark’s gifts. To appreciate his talent, look no further than the success of his teams. Mark has played an integral part in helping his baseball teams qualify for the state tournament the past two summers. Plain and simple, Mark makes everyone around him better. His individual skills are unusual, but his team skills are remarkable.
It isn’t hard to find where Mark learned teamwork. His parents, Bill and Mary, know all about it. Bill spent many seasons coaching high school athletics. As a coach, the team always came first for Bill. Mary also has an athletic history. She played volleyball for Roncalli during high school. The experience taught her about uniting with teammates to achieve a common  goal. With parents like them, Mark was destined to pick up solid team skills. He learned them early. While playing in Keystone’s little league, Mark’s team won the State Little League championship and traveled to Indianapolis for the Little League Regional tournament.
Bryan Nielsen has been Mark’s infield coach the past two seasons. According to Coach Nielsen, “Mark has an exceptionally intelligent baseball mind…he is literally another coach on the field…he does the little things well and the big things even better…Mark has a special ability to rise to the occasion, and can spark his team at any time.” It is a treat to watch Mark play baseball – one that everyone associated with Roncalli baseball has  enjoyed for many years.
What’s next for Mark Schlueter? It appears that this competitive, confident young man will take his talent on the road to Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. Mark accepted an athletic scholarship and plans to play both football and baseball for Dana. Roncalli will miss his presence on the field, but we know Mark will continue to be the spark, in a number of ways, for years to come.
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JOHN OCKEN - RONCALLI'S #35
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 John Ocken was “born to pitch”. He has always loved to throw - newspapers, balls, rocks, anything would do. And he always hurled them with force. Many windows were broken by young Johnny O. It didn’t take long for his parents, Jerry and Lou, to see that baseball was the perfect outlet for John’s unique gift.
That was the start of something special. At age 10, John threw a no hitter against Fort Calhoun. And over the years, he has grown into the kind of versatile player coaches love. John runs well, hits hard, and fields cleanly. Following in his Uncle John Heinzman’s footsteps, John now showcases those talents as part of Roncalli’s baseball program.
John’s strong right arm has led Roncalli baseball to a series of victories over traditional baseball powers including Millard West, Millard North, and Omaha Skutt to name a few. John also threw great games during the 2006 American Legion area and state tournaments helping Roncalli advance when it was most important. With 2007’s area tournament around the corner, expect more of the same. He’s truly a big game pitcher.
 John is a warm-hearted person. Teammates and friends alike enjoy his modest tone and healthy sense of humor. But don’t be fooled. Behind that easy smile lies a tough competitor. When things look impossible, expect something special from Johnny O because that’s what he expects from himself. When faced with a challenge, you’ll not find John hanging his head. He works through it and expects to succeed. Just ask his sister (and lifelong fan) Amber. You’ll find her in the stands at most games, right next to Lou and Jerry.
Earlier this week, John Ocken made a big decision. He accepted a baseball scholarship to Dana College in Blair, Nebraska. Head baseball coach Ken Misfeldt watched John compete several times and convinced him to join Dana’s program. John expects to see a lot of action next year so we know what that means - success is just around the corner.
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ROSS OSSINO - RONCALLI'S #10
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After three years starting on Roncalli’s senior legion baseball team, Ross Ossino has transformed from a sophomore with pop in his bat to a savvy clean up hitter who anticipates fast balls and fights off curve balls.
One can tell right away that Ross is a powerful athlete. Broad shoulders and a brawny frame give him away. He shows that power with 420 lb bench presses and in 420 foot home runs. It is a treat when Ross hits a baseball into the night sky. Conversations stop for a moment. The ball nearly disappears before gravity pulls it to earth. Ross breaks into a trot, and his teammates meet him at home plate.
It seems only natural that Ross names baseball as his favorite sport. The Ossino family has a lot of ties to the game. Ross’s great uncle Angelo and grandpa Ross were standouts who played semi-professionally. Several others played baseball in high school and college too.
When asked for his best baseball memories it’s no surprise that Ross mentioned his friends first. He enjoys winning, but his favorite memories involve the five seniors he has played with during the last four years (Shep, Schluete, Pete, Herb, and Ocken).
Ross’s parents, Nancy and Mike, did a fine job teaching him to play baseball. And they did a great job teaching him to be a good person. Those who know  Ross Ossino speak highly of him. He is a classy young man with a big smile and a bigger heart. Ross looks you in the eye when he shakes your hand. He listens first and speaks later. Ross cares about others and it shows.
Wayne State is fortunate to have Ross Ossino heading its way. Ross plans to red shirt as a freshman in 2008. He will use that year to adjust to college life and to learn more about baseball from coach Manganaro’s staff. Ross will resume hitting balls into the night sky in the spring of 2009. Good luck, Ross!
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DREW PETERSEN - RONCALLI'S #12
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 Those following Roncalli baseball know Drew Petersen as a soft-handed second baseman with fine baseball instincts. It is obvious as you watch him. He patrols the middle infield with quick feet, a clear head, and a sturdy right arm. Drew is very smooth on the field and makes playing second base look simple.
He makes it look easy, but baseball is hard. It presents challenges, and a strong support system is helpful when a boy plays baseball. Drew Petersen has that support. His parents, Andy and Fran, rarely miss Pride baseball games. Drew's sister, Ashley, attends as well. They celebrate with him in victory, and they encourage him in defeat. His Grandparents, Barney and Carole, live too far away to attend many games, but they follow Drew’s baseball via newspaper, the internet, and telephone calls. They always know what to say, and Drew is inspired by their attention.
 Drew’s baseball journey got an early start. His Grandpa Petersen was a huge baseball fan and made sure little Pete was properly introduced to the game. Grandpa regularly took Drew to ballgames and tossed a ball around with him every chance he got. God called Grandpa Petersen home when Drew was only four, but they had already formed a special bond related to baseball. Many times Drew will look toward the heavens after coming up with a big hit or making a special play. Grandpa isn’t sitting in the bleachers, but he is watching.
Roncalli is lucky to have a player like Drew Petersen on the team, and one thing is certain. The Pride is losing a fine second baseman after this summer. Roncalli’s loss is Dana College’s gain. Drew’s special combination of skills created an opportunity for him to continue his baseball career in college. Drew recently signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Dana College in Blair, Nebraska.
Ken Misfeldt is Dana's head baseball coach. He found a good one with Drew Petersen.
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YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS WATCHING
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June 17, 2007 
Nebraska head baseball coach Mike Anderson caught most of Sunday's game involving the Paragas Law senior legion team and the team from Minot, North Dakota. The Pride battled hard but ended up on the wrong side of a 7-3 score in this baseball game. Mike Nowak threw very well striking out seven North Dakotans during six innings of work.
As can be seen in the photograph to the right, Kathy Sullivan was nice enough to help coach Anderson associate player names and faces with their uniform numbers. She also appears to be sharing her umbrella...nice work Kathy!
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 June 9, 2007
The Paragas Law Crimson Pride is expanding its summer roster by one player. An English teacher at Roncalli Catholic High School, Bill Schlueter is a regular at Roncalli sporting events. It now appears Mr. Schlueter will be doing more than advising umpires from his front row bleacher seat.
A remote subsection of the American Legion player eligibility rules allows each team to add one senior citizen to its roster. At age 60, Bill qualifies to participate. Coach Tom Kupfer stumbled on to the rule while reading the American Legion regulations about "Legion Babies". The very next section referenced "Legion Oldies". Kupfer immediately knew what had to be done. "We need more pop at the plate", said Kupfer, "at 6' 1", 225 lbs, Bill is just the guy to give it to us. The wood bat tournament is perfect because metal bats didn't exist in Schlueter's day."
Appropriately, Schlueter will wear uniform number 60. As a player, Bill does it all. He can play first base, outfield, and even pitches on occassion. But his real specialty lies as a third baseman. Apparently his son (Mark) will have to find another position for the rest of the season.
Welcome to the team, Bill. We're glad to have you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
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RONCALLI'S 2007 ALL CONFERENCE & ALL STATE PLAYERS
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The Omaha World Herald recognized 6 Roncalli High School players as part of its 2007 all state and all conference baseball issue. Having so many honored is a testament to Roncalli's baseball program. Congratulations to the honorees, the coaches, and the entire team. 
Mark Shepherd - First team outfielder for the River Cities Conference, and honorable mention all state.
Mark Schlueter - First team infielder for the River Cities Conference, and honorable mention all state.
Joe Bircher - First team pitcher for the River Cities Conference, and second team all state.
Mike Nowak - Honorable mention all state.
John Ocken - Honorable mention all state.
Ross Ossino - Honorable mention all state.
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