Millard West team gains Series

Courtesy of the Omaha World Herald

NP Dodge's Jon Schneider is the last to jump onto the pile following the team's 11-8 win over Blue Springs, Mo., in the Central Plains Regional American Legion baseball title game on Monday in Minot, N.D.MINOT, N.D. - NP Dodge pounded 17 hits Monday and captured the American Legion Mid-Plains Regional with an 11-8 victory over Blue Springs, Mo.

The win lifts the 41-16 Wildcats into the eight-team World Series, which begins Friday in Shelby, N.C. It will be the first trip to the series for the team from Millard West.

"Our guys did a great job throughout the whole tournament," coach Frank Ryan said. "It was a total team effort."

The team will fly directly to North Carolina from North Dakota. Ryan said his squad will leave Wednesday and play in the World Series opener Friday morning against the Western Regional champion.

NP Dodge had outscored its previous four regional opponents 55-6 before Monday's tight game. And, for the first time, the Wildcats had to rally midway through the game to secure the victory.

First since '06

The Wildcats, who will play the Western Regional champion on Friday, are the first team from Nebraska to qualify for the Legion World Series since 2006, when Lincoln Pinnacle Bank (Lincoln Southwest) qualified for the event held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The most recent Omaha team to reach the Series was PI Midwest (Omaha Creighton Prep), which finished third in 2001. Blue Springs jumped to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first against Wildcats starter Tyler Niederklein. But he managed to go the distance, surrendering five earned runs while striking out 14 to get his second regional win.

He outdueled Blue Springs ace Kyle Barbeck, who lasted five innings and struck out three. In his first regional start, he had fanned 17.

NP Dodge trailed 4-2 in the sixth before scoring four times to take the lead. Brandon Bass had a three-run homer in the inning and Steve Jensen, who was named the regional MVP, added a solo shot.

The Wildcats scored single runs in the seventh and eighth but Blue Springs responded with two runs in both innings to tie the game 8-8 after eight. NP Dodge rallied for three in the ninth to grab the lead for good.

After Jensen popped out to start the inning, Jon Schneider and Danny Marcuzzo followed with singles. Brett Bass grounded out but Kyle Fredrickson delivered a clutch two-out, two-run single to put the Wildcats ahead.

"That was a big hit by Kyle," Ryan said. "He bounced it up the middle and it got through."

NP Dodge added one more run in the inning before Niederklein finished off the win. The victory boosted the Wildcats' postseason record to 11-0.

Brandon Bass and Schneider had three hits each while Marcuzzo, Brett Bass and Jesse Ver Velde had two apiece.

The Wildcats will be the first Nebraska representative in the World Series since 2006, when Lincoln Pinnacle Bank (Lincoln Southwest) qualified for the event held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The most recent Omaha team to reach the Series was PI Midwest (Omaha Creighton Prep), which finished third in 2001.



NP Dodge (41-16).........................010 014 113-11 17 2
Blue Springs, Mo. (52-8)....300 010 220- 8 10 4

· W: Niederklein. L: Barbeck. 2B: NPD, Schneider; BS, Ellis, Schwartz. 3B: BS, Schwartz. HR: NPD, Brandon Bass, Jensen; BS, Barbeck.