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Former Pius X star Helman is one step away from the big leagues, but his pro journey threw a curve

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A Lee Enterprises, Incorporated newspaper. Majority shareholder: David Hoffmann, Hoffmann Media Group.

Editor's Pick

PRO BASEBALL

Former Pius X star Helman is one step away from the big leagues, but his pro journey threw a curve

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Lincoln Pius X graduate Michael Helman was promoted to the Minnesota Twins' triple-A organization, St. Paul Saints, at the end of May. He was drafted in 2018.

ROB THOMPSON, St. Paul Saints

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High School Football

Can a reunion with former Lincoln High teammate jumpstart Cedric Case's college football career?

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Michael Pelman graduated from Lincoln Pius X High School in 2015. In this file photo, he dives to touch home plate during a 2015 state baseball tournament game at Sherman Field.

Pius X baserunner Michael Helman (right) dives back to touch home plate before Omaha Gross catcher Tony Sacco awaits the ball that got behind him in the fourth inning on Wednesday, May 20, 2015, during the Class B state tournament game at Sherman Field.

Journal Star file photo

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High School Baseball

‘We set the standard': Lincoln’s brightest stars made a name for themselves on the baseball diamond in 2022

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All-state baseball: Meet the 2022 Super-Staters — a group that can bring the heat

𝐈𝐍𝐅, 𝐂𝐀𝐌 𝐊𝐎𝐙𝐄𝐀𝐋, 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇, 𝐉𝐑.

🌟 Super-State honorary captain

College: Vanderbilt.

🔥 Kozeal played his way onto the Super-State team with a jaw-dropping sophomore season in 2021, which he followed with an equally impressive year as a junior. Kozeal hit .438 with five home runs and 34 RBIs, with his state title game grand slam showcasing his power. His defensive range at shortstop, strong arm and consistency in barreling up pitches stand out as the best in the state.

🗣 "Cam is one of the best leaders we have ever had at Millard South. His combination of skill, baseball IQ and work ethic have made him into one of the elite players in the state. His grand slam in the state championship game was one of the most clutch at-bats I've seen in my 25 years of coaching." — Millard South coach Greg Geary.

Photo: JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star

𝐏, 𝐉𝐀𝐗𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐇𝐎𝐘, 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Southeast CC.

🔥 Cahoy is a two-time Super-State selection after leading the Wildcats to a state title with another dominant year on the mound. Cahoy had a 1.38 ERA in 45 2/3 innings pitched, with his 73 strikeouts being good for a top-five finish in the entire state. You’d be hard-pressed to find a pitcher with a better off-speed pitch this season.

🗣 "Jaxson has been one of the top pitchers in Nebraska the last two years. Any time he was on the mound, we expected to win or knew the other team was going to have a tough time scoring. He always threw against the top teams in Nebraska." — Millard West coach Steve Frey.

Photo: CHRIS MACHIAN, Omaha World-Herald

𝐏, 𝐉𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐘, 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓, 𝐒𝐑.

College: San Jose State.

🔥 Not only did opposing batters struggle to score runs off Worthley, they found it difficult to even record a base hit. Worthey allowed just 18 hits in 41 2/3 innings of work while putting together a 0.84 ERA that was the best mark in Class A. Worthley also recorded 67 strikeouts for another top-five finish among the Class A ranks.

🗣 "Jalen leaves East as the most decorated pitcher in school history. Jalen was a tone-setter for us and an incredible leader. Watching him pitch up close was one of the greatest joys I’ve had in my coaching career." — Lincoln East coach Mychal Lanik.

Photo: JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star

𝐏, 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐊𝐎𝐂𝐇, 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Creighton.

🔥 In just 26 innings pitched this season, Koch was the ultra-efficient closer rarely seen at this level. He recorded 11 saves and struck out at least one batter every single time he pitched this season, but even more impressive is Koch’s 1.07 ERA. Apart from three runs that he allowed to Millard South in April, Koch surrendered just one run the rest of the way.

🗣 "Mason was so clutch all season. With 11 saves on the year, Mason was that guy we knew if we could get the ball to him at the end of the game, we felt the game was over." — Millard West coach Steve Frey.

Photo: Omaha World-Herald

𝐏, 𝐑𝐘𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐀𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋, 𝐄𝐋𝐊𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇, 𝐉𝐑.

College: Nebraska.

🔥 As the state leader in strikeouts, Harrahill truly dominated at the Class B level last season. The NU baseball recruit led Elkhorn North to a state title while striking out 92 batters in 56 innings pitched, with added value to his team for the many six or seven-inning efforts. Harrahill’s ERA was only 1.12, the state’s best mark of any starter with more than 40 innings.

🗣 "Ryan has earned every bit of success he has had with an unmatched work ethic and desire to be great. His leadership in all areas of our program allowed us to take a huge step forward and ultimately when he was on the bump our team fed off his confidence and believed we could beat whoever we were facing." — Elkhorn North coach Anthony Dunn.

Photo: KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

𝐂, 𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐓𝐓 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍, 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Southeast CC.

🔥 In addition to solid defense, Peterson provided a power bat at catcher that stood out as one of the top hit threats in a deep Creighton Prep lineup. His .467 batting average was a team-high, while his three home runs and 43 RBIs are among the top marks in Class A.

🗣 "Elliott was a rock behind the plate this spring and he also set the all-time season state doubles record. He did a great job handling all of our pitchers." — Creighton Prep coach Pat Mooney.

Photo: Twitter

𝐈𝐍𝐅, 𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍, 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐒, 𝐒𝐎.

College: Florida State.

🔥 The lone sophomore on the Super-State team, Fountain already reached top-level production for an elite power hitter. He set a Class B record with 11 home runs while driving in 41 runs and hitting .421. Fountain also earned five saves as the Titans’ closer, where he also has the potential to be among the best in the state.

🗣 "Kale is a naturally talented kid but his desire to work sets him apart from others. He's a guy that can literally do it all on the field. Not only is he a great player, but he cares about his teammates and our program. He is mature beyond his years." — Norris coach Sean Bartholomew.

Photo: KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

𝐈𝐍𝐅, 𝐊𝐄𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐊, 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐍 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Omaha.

🔥 Brink returns to the Super-State team for the second year in a row after another year where his elite hitting and defensive abilities at second base stood out as the best in Class A. Brink’s tremendous plate vision allowed him to draw walks and find the right pitches to hit .435 with four home runs and 29 RBIs.

🗣 "Keegan is one of a handful of Lincoln preps athletes to be a two-time first-team Super-Stater. Excellent defense and a lethal bat made Keegan an extremely rare elite two-way player. Keegan graduates as the all-time triples and home run leader at East High School." — Lincoln East coach Mychal Lanik.

Photo: KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

𝐈𝐍𝐅, 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐉𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐊𝐄, 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐍 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓, 𝐉𝐑.

College: Undecided.

🔥 Jesske was an all-city selection as a sophomore before growing into one of the state’s power bats in 2022. He hit .495 with a slugging percentage of .743, in addition to three home runs and 40-plus RBIs. Perhaps most impressive of all, Jesske only struck out five times in over 100 plate appearances this season.

🗣 "Will just loves baseball and is an extremely hard worker who just continues to get better. Will not only is one of the best hitters I have coached, but one of the best teammates. He gets just as much joy out of his teammates' success as his own." — Lincoln Southeast coach Montana Jones.

Photo: JAIDEN TRIPI, Journal Star

𝐎𝐅, 𝐌𝐀𝐗 𝐁𝐔𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊, 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐍 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓, 𝐉𝐑.

College: Nebraska.

🔥 Buettenback makes his second consecutive appearance on the Super-State team, with his .442 batting average and .556 on-base percentage showing his value as a leadoff hitter. Buettenback has a powerful arm when he sets up in left field, and he also showed it off as Southeast’s pitching ace this season. He went 5-0 with a 2.36 ERA during the regular season.

🗣 "Max is one of the best hitters in the state. He just has a pure swing that reminds me a lot of Alex Gordon's when he was in high school. Max works harder than any kid I have coached and is one of the best competitors I have ever coached." — Lincoln Southeast coach Montana Jones.

Photo: GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

𝐎𝐅, 𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐄, 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Southeast CC.

🔥 Other players may have topped the batting average charts, but when Moore connected with pitches extra bases were always in play. Moore led the state champions in RBIs (39), home runs (six), triples (seven) and doubles (12) while scoring 37 runs as well.

🗣 "Avery is one of the top outfielders at any level in the state of Nebraska. It's rare to see a player in high school that can do everything - hit for average, hit for power, steal bases, run down any ball hit to him and be able to throw out baserunners trying to advance." — Millard West coach Steve Frey.

Photo: GWYNETH ROBERTS, Journal Star

𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐋, 𝐓𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍, 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐄, 𝐉𝐑.

College: Nebraska.

🔥 Timmerman absolutely dominated Class B as both a pitcher and hitter this year, with several state-best marks to his name. His .554 batting average was the best in Class B in addition to five home runs and 25 RBIs. As a pitcher, Timmerman’s 0.19 ERA is also the best in the state and he also struck out 53 batters in 29 2/3 innings pitched.

🗣 "Tucker’s greatest strength is his (desire) to be great. With basketball, he doesn’t get much time before the season starts, but he finds time to go hit and throw on his own early in the mornings before school. What he does on the mound would be big enough, but he also does it at the plate and in the field; those are rare players to have and they don’t come around very often." — Beatrice coach Chris Belding.

Photo: KENNETH FERRIERA. Journal Star

𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐋, 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓, 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Iowa Western CC.

🔥 While an injury kept Sweet from pitching all season, he managed to become one of the best hitters in all of Class A this season. Sweet hit .438 as Millard South’s leadoff hitter and scored a team-high 35 runs during the season.

🗣 "Braden's ability to get on base and his speed was a huge weapon for us this spring. Braden was always a threat to swipe a bag when he got on base, and he led our team with 34 stolen bases. He was a key guy in that leadoff spot to get things rolling for us." — Millard South coach Greg Geary.

Photo: Omaha World-Herald

𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐋, 𝐃𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐎𝐍 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐎, 𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐇𝐀 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Missouri.

🔥 While Bargo has a great defensive ability at catcher, he’s just as good as an infielder and at the plate. The versatile senior led his team with a .485 batting average along with 35 RBIs as he was always a threat to push runs across. His hitting ability will serve him well at the next level with Missouri.

🗣 "Dalton has grown a lot from his sophomore year to his senior year. He is a true cage rat, and is always working on his game. Dalton has also grown as a leader for our team and program. He has lifted other players up and made our program better." — Omaha Westside coach Otis Seals.

Photo: Omaha World-Herald

𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐋, 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐇, 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Iowa Western CC.

🔥 As one of the top outfielders in Class A, Smith made a big impact defensively and at the plate. He hit .384 with four home runs and 30 RBIs, improving on a stellar junior season a year ago to be one of the Patriots’ most consistent hitters. Smith is a two-time Super-State selection.

🗣 "Brayden was so versatile for us. He can play pretty much anywhere in the field and will be great at any of those spots. His offensive production was a key to the success we had this spring; he's a tremendous worker and loves to play the game." — Millard South coach Greg Geary.

Photo: KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star

𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐋, 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑, 𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐇𝐀 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄, 𝐒𝐑.

College: McCook CC.

🔥 Yeager was Class A’s top home run hitter this season with seven to his name, and the Westside senior also drove in 40 runs. He hit .404 and smacked 11 doubles in addition to striking out 27 batters in 31.2 innings pitched.

🗣 "Jackson is constantly working to improve his skills at the plate and in the infield. Everyone sees the results, but nobody sees the work he puts in on his defensive dailies and in the cage. He's also played an important role for us on the mound. Despite his success, Jackson shows up every day ready to get better and work extremely hard." — Omaha Westside coach Otis Seals.

Photo: Omaha World-Herald

𝐏, 𝐓𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐍 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋, 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐔𝐒, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Coastal Carolina.

🔥 Bell truly impressed as a two-way standout for Columbus this year, and his pitching kept the Discoverers in every game he started. He struck out 71 batters in 43 2/3 innings on the mound in addition to an ERA of 2.04. Bell also hit .460 with 12 RBIs, and is committed to a high-level Division I program in Coastal Carolina.

🗣 "Tadan's leadership and poise really stand out as great strengths. He keeps his composure and makes plays in the most important moments of games. He has done so much to elevate this program in his four years through his leadership." — Columbus coach Jimmy Johnson.

Photo: SAM FICARRO, Columbus Telegram

𝐎𝐅, 𝐊𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐍 𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇, 𝐊𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐘, 𝐒𝐑.

College: Northeast CC.

🔥 There was no way around Rich in the middle of Kearney’s order, where he was always an extra-base threat. He hit an even .500 in 80 plate appearances during the season, with five home runs and 21 RBIs that showcased his power.

🗣 "Korben had an outstanding year for us, he always put the time in during the offseason and it produced an incredible senior year. Ever since he was brought up to the varsity team his freshman year, his attitude and work ethic never changed. Korben has been an integral part of our program since the beginning." — Kearney coach Brad Archer.

Photo: Kearney Hub

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