Lincoln Southwest’s Max Petersen will accomplish something at this week’s state baseball tournament that almost no other player can replicate — he’ll close his high school career on the same field where he’ll start his college journey in just a few months.
Nebraska baseball’s 2021 recruiting class includes Petersen, Norris' CJ Hood and Elkhorn’s Drew Christo and Kyler Randazzo as scholarship players, while Elkhorn South and Luke Jessen fell just short of making the state tournament. Two walk-on members from the Huskers’ 2021 class in Millard South’s Matthew Guthmiller and Millard West’s Corbin Hawkins also qualified for the state tournament.
Class A teams will play games at Haymarket Park starting on Monday, while the entirety of the Class B tournament is scheduled for Werner Park in Papillion. That means that while Petersen has known Hood, Christo and Randazzo for several years while playing for the Nebraska Prospects club team, he’ll be the only one to finish his season at Haymarket Park.
“I played with CJ on a team in Lincoln with the Rebels (club team), so we go back to 8-year-old baseball,†Petersen said. “More recently, a lot of the guys have played together in the summer, so it’s been fun to get to know them more.â€
Of course, all of the future Huskers have the same goal for the next week: to lead their schools to a state title. Considering that a district loss ended Southwest’s season in 2019, Petersen is ready for his first taste of state baseball. The Silver Hawks are making their ninth state appearance since 2009 but haven’t captured a title yet.
Their senior shortstop hopes that can change this time around.
“Getting to state is just living up to the Southwest expectation, but winning state would just put it over the edge,†Petersen said. “That’d be pretty fun to be the first guys to bring home a state title to Southwest and this part of Lincoln.â€
Meanwhile, the competition is fierce in Class B, where No. 1 Norris and No. 2 Elkhorn expect to continue a multi-sport rivalry.
Norris won its football season-opener against Elkhorn all the way back in August, but the Antlers emerged as Class B champions months later. Then, the two schools met three times in boys basketball as Elkhorn eliminated Norris in the state tournament. Norris has also defeated Elkhorn in all three baseball games this season.
“It’s kind of been us and Elkhorn in probably every sport, so it’s going to be fun coming to an end because I don’t like playing them that much,†Hood said.
There’s certainly an element of friendship among Hood and his competition from Elkhorn in Randazzo and Christo. But, like every game they’ve played this season, both sides are hoping they come out on top. Norris has been the top-ranked team in Class B all season, but trips to the state finals in both football and basketball have shown Randazzo just how talented the Elkhorn senior class is.
“I feel like we’re probably the most prepared team in Class B state, especially because of the schedule we play; we’re constantly used to playing big games against good teams,†Randazzo said. “It’d be amazing to have three state teams, especially because all three teams are majority senior-led. Our class is once in a lifetime really; you don’t get that very often.â€
Whether it’s Norris, Elkhorn, or any Class B team such as Hastings or Omaha Skutt that comes out on top, state tournament week is a chance for the best players in the state to shine. That certainly includes Petersen, Hood, Randazzo and Christo, who all hit .300 or better while leading their teams to the postseason.
There’s no way to know how the 25-plus games over both classes will turn out, but Class B may come down to Elkhorn and Norris, as has been the case all year. If that happens, there’ll be a few good friends eager to beat their future teammates for the last time.
“It’s definitely fun, especially in the state tournament because you can talk a little trash,†Randazzo said. “(Drew and I) are close with all those guys, so it just makes the game a little more fun, really.â€
“It’s going to be hard playing against them because I kind of also have to cheer for them at the same time,†Hood said. “It’s going to be a fun time.â€
Photos: A roundup of our favorite staff images from the high school spring sports season
Lincoln Southwest shortstop Max Petersen gloves a ground ball before throwing to first baseÌýin a game against Papillion-La Vista on April 2 at Den Hartog Field.