The Class B baseball state tournament begins Saturday at Werner Park in Papillion. Here’s the lowdown on each of the opening-round matchups:
No. 3 Hastings (20-5) vs. No. 4 Beatrice (14-6)
10 a.m.: The top-seeded Tigers enter the state tournament as winners of 11 straight games, but their opening-round opponent is one of the only teams that has beaten them this year. Beatrice could have been a higher seed in the tournament until it lost five of its last six games to end the season. Both teams have excellent pitching staffs that include Qwin Zabokrtsky and Tucker Timmerman for Beatrice, while Trayton Newman and Brayden Mackey lead the charge for Hastings.
1 p.m.: Elkhorn is battle-tested for state thanks to the Class A-heavy schedule it played. The Antlers breezed through districts and have a talented team that starts with NU baseball recruit Drew Christo. The MLB Draft prospect allowed only two earned runs in 41-plus innings of work. Ralston has the offensive firepower to test him, though, as seniors Nolan Sailors and Josh Kilzer both hit above .400.
No. 6 Omaha Skutt (17-6) vs. Central City/Fullerton/Centura (19-5)
4 p.m.: It’s a tale of opposites in this opening-round matchup, as Omaha Skutt is making its 12th state appearance in the past 13 seasons, while Central City/Fullerton/Centura is making its first as a co-op. The SkyHawks have a pair of pitching aces in Cade Barton and Cade Sudbeck, but they’ll be challenged by two of the best hitters in the state. Kale Jensen led all players in batting average (.577) and home runs (eight), while Tres Gonsior also hit .452 for the Kernels.
No. 1 Norris (22-7) vs. No. 5 Bennington (16-9)
7 p.m.: Bennington has almost an entirely new team from the 2019 squad that won the Class B state title, but the Badgers still have plenty of talent. Owen Douglas and Ryan Malone contribute both on the mound and at the plate, while Norris has a lineup full of players hitting .300 or better. CJ Hood, Kale Consbruck, Kaizer Papenhagen and Landon Meyer are among the names to watch for the Titans.
— Luke Mullin
Photos: A roundup of our favorite staff images from the high school spring sports season
State track and field, 5.22
State track and field, 5.22
Millard North vs. Gretna, 5.18
Millard North vs. Gretna, 5.18
Norris vs. Omaha Skutt, 5.19
Beatrice vs. Norris, 5.20
Lincoln Southwest vs. Omaha South, 5.18
Top Journal Star photos for April
Top Journal Star photos for April
Top Journal Star photos for April
Lincoln High vs. Lincoln East, 4.14
Waverly vs. Norris, 4.13
Waverly vs. Norris, 4.13
Lincoln Southeast vs. Lincoln Northeast, 4.8
Lincoln Southeast vs. Lincoln Northeast, 4.8
Lincoln Southwest vs. Lincoln East, 4.7
Lincoln Southwest vs. Lincoln East, 4.7
Lincoln Southwest vs. Lincoln East, 4.7
Lincoln Southwest vs. Lincoln North Star, 4.6
Lincoln Southwest vs. Lincoln North Star, 4.6
Lincoln Southwest vs. Lincoln North Star, 4.6
Lincoln Southwest vs. Papillion-La Vista, 4.2
Lincoln Southwest vs. Papillion-La Vista, 4.2
Beatrice vs. Elkhorn North, 4.1
Beatrice vs. Elkhorn North, 4.1
Beatrice vs. Elkhorn North, 4.1
Lincoln Pius X vs. Lincoln North Star, 3.31
Lincoln Pius X vs. Lincoln North Star, 3.31
Lincoln Pius X vs. Lincoln North Star, 3.31
Lincoln Southeast vs. Lincoln Southwest, 3.30
Lincoln Southeast vs. Lincoln Southwest, 3.30
Lincoln Southeast vs. Lincoln Southwest, 3.30
Lincoln East vs. Lincoln Northeast, 3.19
Lincoln East vs. Lincoln Southwest, 3.22
Lincoln East vs. Lincoln Southwest, 3.22
Lincoln Pius X vs. Lincoln Southwest, 3.19
Lincoln Pius X vs. Lincoln Southwest, 3.19
Reach Clark Grell at 402-473-2639 or cgrell@journalstar.com. On Twitter at @LJSSportsGrell.