Building From
a Dirt Pile
The Story of Millard West Baseball
by
Frank P. Ryan
Orig., August 1998
Revised, September, 2014
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pre-Game
1st Inning
The History of Millard West High School
2nd Inning
A Model Organization: Millard West Baseball Inc.
3rd Inning
Construction of Facilities
4th Inning
Baseball in Omaha
5th Inning
The Summer Sponsors
6th Inning
Coach Frank Ryan
7th Inning
The Coaching Staff
8th Inning
The Millard West Coaching Style and Philosophy
9th Inning
Results: From the Basement to the Rooftop
Extra Innings
The Records
PRE-GAME
This is a look back at Millard West Baseball from the beginning that I hope will bring
some perspective to the history of the program which many of our players and parents of
today were not around for. I felt that the unique experience that I have been a part of, in
putting together a baseball program at a brand new high school in the Midwest, would present
some interesting views. Literally building a complex from a pile of dirt has been frustrating at
times, but today stands as a great source of pride for all who have been involved in the
process. The cooperative efforts of our staff, players, parents and administration have
produced a special venue that I’m not sure can be duplicated in such a short time.
Throughout my baseball life, I have been very fortunate to be associated with and to
work with a number of quality people who have helped me develop ideas and philosophies
which are the foundations of our program. Coaching has evolved over the years in how to
prepare and motivate kids, but baseball traditions and the fundamentals are still alive and well
in Millard. I consider myself very lucky during the past 35 years to have had the chance to
coach at three different places where baseball is a passion for the players and their parents.
They have had a strong desire to be successful on and off the field, are a class act and want
first-class facilities.
A coach would be foolish to take his opportunities for granted. Dream big and help set
the tone for everyone with a strong work ethic. You’ll be amazed at what can be accomplished
and how dreams come true if you communicate to those around you that share similar hopes.
In a very short amount of time, Millard West established itself as a baseball program
that is always among the best in the state. And after 20 years, the accomplishments of our
athletes and the success of Millard West Baseball Inc. are something that we can all be proud
of.
1ST INNING
The History of Millard West High School
The Millard Public School system was established more than 100 years ago. Millard, Nebraska, was originally a
small town on the outskirts of Omaha and has since been annexed as part of the city in the 1970s. Through years of
steady growth, the community has approved a series of bond issues to finance construction of 25 elementary schools, six
middle schools and three high schools. With an enrollment of nearly 24,000 students, Millard is now the third largest
public school system in the state, trailing the Omaha and Lincoln Public Schools.
In 1970, a new high school facility was constructed for the then Millard High School and is now known as Millard
South. A decade later, with enrollment climbing, voters approved a bond issue which would split the community into two
high schools, Millard South and Millard North, beginning with the 1981-82 school year. At that time, the district
administration drew a boundary line and declared that all students must attend the school in their area. From an athletic
standpoint, the boundary split allowed both schools to have their share of quality athletes and to stay competitive in a
tough Metro Conference in the Omaha area. Throughout the 1980s and into the ‘90s, Millard South and Millard North
were among the strongest schools in Nebraska for athletic and academic achievements.
In the Fall of 1991, a committee was formed to make recommendations to the Board of Education about high
school space and programs as the district continued to grow. The unanimous decision of the committee was to support
the concept of a new third high school. A $30.5 million bond issue vote was successfully passed by the Millard
community in the Spring of 1992. Over the next several months, a building site was chosen and architectural plans were
put in place. A building principal, Dr. Rick Kolowski, was selected and placed on the job two years in advance to plan and
work closely with construction people and community members in designing the best possible facility and programs.
Finally, in August of 1993, the first grading of the site began and the reality of Millard West High School began to show.
Millard West was designed to be a 21st-century high school that would meet the needs of Millard students and
community both now and into the future. A strong emphasis on technology, information power and performance-based
education were brought together with the new concept of block scheduling, which allowed students more flexibility and
options in their class selections. Millard West was one of the pioneers in the Midwest for the block schedule.
The hiring process began in the Spring of 1994, nearly a year and a half early, as a core team of 10 teachers from
Millard South and Millard North were selected to go West. These staff members pulled double-duty as they helped to
originate plans for West while continuing to teach in their regular positions at South and North for the 1994-95 school
year. The bulk of the staff hirings would take place in the Fall and Winter of 1994-95 as enrollment figures for the new
building would dictate staff needs.
During the Fall of 1994, the hiring of head coaches in the three major sports – baseball, basketball and football –
was a priority to help fit all the pieces of the staff puzzle together. Finally, on three consecutive days in December, these
new coaches were announced to the public. Frank Ryan (baseball) had been a longtime assistant in baseball and
basketball at Millard South and had been head Legion coach in the summer. Rick Hook (basketball) had also paid his
dues as an assistant in basketball and football at Millard South. Dan McLaughlin (football) left Millard South in 1984 to
gain experience as a head coach in a couple of smaller schools in outstate Nebraska and had hoped to someday return to
the Omaha area for his dream job. Ironically, all three coaches were 39 years old and brought a wealth of experience and
enthusiasm to starting a brand-new athletic program. Initially, all three coaches also assisted each other in their programs.
After these hirings, positions for other head coaches and various assistant positions began to fall into place.
The Millard School Board drew boundary lines for all three high schools in anticipation of the Millard West
opening. However, the guidelines would be much different from 1981 when the North-South split occurred. Students at
Millard South and Millard North who lived in the Millard West attendance area were given an option of staying put or
moving to the new venue. This put West at a bit of a disadvantage at the 11th- and 12th-grade levels, as many of these
students elected to remain at their old schools. Therefore, the initial enrollment at West was predominantly heavy at the
ninth- and 10th-grade levels. Many student-athletes had feelings of uncertainty during that 1994-95 school year as they
waited to see where various coaches would end up before making their decisions on a school.
During 1994-95, I think many relationships among staff members were strained as various teaching and coaching
positions were filled at the new school. It was a strange feeling indeed knowing that many of the kids and coaches we
were working with would become opponents in the near future. The year finally came to a close and those of us who were
to be the West “pioneers” could finally enjoy the excitement of beginning new programs from the ground floor.
Millard West High School officially opened its doors on August 17, 1995 with an enrollment of 1,100 students,
about 65 percent of whom were ninth and tenth graders. This compared with the approximately 1,900 students at each of
the other two high schools. Some parts of the building were still unfinished but the school year rolled on. Enrollment has
grown steadily ever since to the current enrollment of 2,400+.
That first year was very difficult for nearly every athletic team with the small numbers in the junior and senior
classes. Few of our athletes had any previous Varsity experience and faced a demanding full schedule in a tough Metro
Conference. Football went winless in several lopsided games, and the basketball team recorded one win in 19 games.
Baseball went 11-15 in the Spring and followed up with a 23-22 mark in Summer Legion ball to set the stage for future
successes.
Year Two saw the football team post a 5-5 season, while the basketball squad picked up two wins and competed
more consistently. Baseball took a major leap at 22-5, earning a state tournament berth and a No. 4 final ranking.
By Year Three, Millard West became a force in several sports as our original freshman had grown into a very
athletic group by their junior year and the initial competitive disadvantage disappeared. Many of these kids were multisport athletes who thrived on competition and peer camaraderie that resulted in a winning atmosphere.
With the growth in enrollment and an excellent group of coaches, the Wildcats have consistently ranked among
the best in the state. Many athletes have earned individual honors and gone on to excellent success at the college-level.
Millard West has won the prestigious All-Sports Award in 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13 and 2013-14 for
being Class A’s top athletic program. This was a huge source of pride as Millard West is the only closed-enrollment school
in Nebraska and does not benefit from recruiting as many other schools do.
Today, only four of the original 17 MW head coaches remain: Max Kurz (Track / X-Country), Frank Ryan
(Baseball), Ron Beernink (Boys Soccer) and Tracy Stauffer (Swimming). Several previous assistant coaches have
stepped in to vacant head positions and continued the success. In addition, the Athletic Director job has rotated from
Steve Joekel to Rick Hook to Chris Loofe, and Principal Rick Kolowski has passed the leadership baton to Greg Tiemann.
2ND INNING
A Model Organization: Millard West Baseball Inc.
The opening of a new high school and starting up athletic programs poses a tremendous challenge for the
administration, staff, students and parents. The Millard School District does not provide any annual budget money for
athletics to their various schools, except for the payment of coaches’ salaries. Therefore, each high school must survive
on their gate receipts for home athletic contests and fundraising. All of this money is then used to supply uniforms and
equipment for all sports each year. Rarely is there enough money left to truly develop facilities and provide extras.
However, Millard West was given money from the bond issue, which was then proportioned out to each sport for
start-up purchases of uniforms and equipment. After being hired in December of 1994, I immediately began to discuss
budgets and plans for facilities with our athletic director, Steve Joekel. I felt strongly that the baseball and softball
programs should work closely together in developing facilities for maximum use and sharing some equipment items,
which would help to stretch a tight budget. At many other local schools, there is very little cooperation among softball and
baseball in sharing of equipment and facilities. At that time, a softball coach had not yet been hired. Mr. Joekel agreed
with my proposal and indicated that the initial bond money for baseball and softball was $38,000.
I sought ideas and advice from other area baseball and softball coaches on budget and facility questions and
visited with local sporting goods vendors for pricing. Despite stretching a budget, I felt that it was imperative that uniforms
and equipment be durable and of good quality. By the first of January, I had submitted a proposed itemized budget for
both sports. I also put together a wish list of equipment and field extras which would provide us with a first-class program.
With all of the budget constraints in mind, fundraising would have to become a major factor for the baseball
program to truly develop. Because Millard West had not yet opened, nor had any teams or players been selected, starting
a fundraising group would be difficult. In my past years at Millard South, there was always a group of returning players
and their parents to carry on the tasks of raising money for the upcoming season.
I obtained a list of kids who had played JV and Freshman baseball at Millard South and Millard North and had
pre-enrolled to attend Millard West in the Fall. I then phoned their parents and invited them to a meeting in my basement
in June of 1995 to discuss my ideas and dreams for baseball. I also invited an original dad from the 1988 Millard South
group to help explain the successful organization of a baseball fundraising group. Many in attendance that night shared
my excitement and enthusiasm for building a new program. They understood the need for good facilities and the
importance of providing a quality Summer program following school ball. Many of them brought forth ideas and possible
contacts of donors willing to participate.
In the Fall of 1995, Millard West Baseball Inc. was officially organized as a non-profit corporation. With direction
from the baseball coaches and school administration, this organization is run by the baseball parents with a dual purpose;
1) To fund the Millard West Summer program of three teams, which is an extension of our high school programs, and 2)
To provide the funding, resources and manpower for the development of the baseball and softball complexes.
Each year, the coaches submit a budget and then work closely with the parent group in planning the various
fundraising projects. Timetables are also set up for construction and annual field work to maintain the facilities. As a
parent of a Millard West baseball player, you are automatically drafted as a member. A board of directors is elected to
help run the operation, pay the bills and vote on the issues. In that first year, however, we had a tremendous amount of
people donate their time and efforts in support of baseball, and their sons did not participate on the teams. We also
extended our membership to the softball parents, which gave us added manpower to develop the total facilities.
At the beginning of that initial year, it became evident that a campus facility would not be a reality due to
construction delays. MWBB Inc. quickly went to work and pulled off a miracle that brought us a Field of Dreams to play on
that first Spring. With volunteer labor, machinery, expertise and sweat, two fully-sodded ball diamonds were put together
during the month of October. During the 1995-96 year, MWBB Inc. raised nearly $120,000, all of which was used on the
following projects: concrete dugouts on both fields, softball storage garage, softball portable fencing, 12 semi-truckloads
of sod, baseball warning track, Diamond Pro red dirt on both infields, portable bleachers, a double-tunnel batting cage,
installation of upgraded scoreboards and the sponsorship of Summer baseball.
After 19 years, the fundraising total is now about $2.0 million. Additional projects completed include: a baseball
pressbox and storage building, a field tractor and mower, a quality stereo system for the school’s weight room, a baseball
field sound system, additional portable bleachers, grading and concrete work around the perimeter bleacher area,
permanent bleachers behind the backstop and the biggest project of all, the Musco lighting system on the baseball field.
The parent organization has established several annual fundraisers, many of which are held at Millard West with
the cooperation of our building administration. These include: a Fall craft fair, a Spring craft fair and an adult baseball
dance/ bash. Additional revenues are generated through gate and concessions for each Summer ballgame, hosting five to
six Summer tournaments, fence advertising and corporate sponsors for our Summer program. The participation of our
players and their families in these projects is phenomenal and indicates the strong desire for a quality baseball program.
Thus far, the coaches have communicated that a parent’s work efforts are very much appreciated but are not tied to the
amount of playing time for their son. That is strictly a baseball issue!
The playing surface of our field is one of the finest around. But, the constant struggle to keep up with maintenance
and lack of help from the district is placing a large burden on all of our folks in the program. There are still a trio of
“dreams” left. With the improved examples of artificial turf, the complex could become a showpiece for baseball and other
multiple activities at Millard West. This would be a huge time-saver and certainly enhance the opportunities for both
practice and games. Overall cost-savings on water, fertilizer and maintenance as well as the chance to generate more
revenue with tournaments and rentals would be a coup for us. A permanent structure for chair seating would provide
comfort and increased chances to host State and Regional competition. Another project would be to build an extension on
to our current pressbox building that would provide a baseball clubhouse (lockerroom) and some indoor batting cages,
which would provide a venue for winter workouts.
All in all, Millard West Baseball Inc. has become a model organization and a source of pride in a Millard
community effort, which has provided a meaningful high school experience for us all.
3RD INNING
Construction of Facilities : A Miracle
When I took this job in December of 1994, I had many dreams and plans for how a new facility should be laid out
to fully benefit the players, coaches and fans. The dream was to put together a multi-use facility for practice and games
that would enhance the opportunities for our athletes, opponents and community groups that might use the complex. We
needed a spacious game field, but also enough space to accommodate our three teams with efficient practice repetitions.
The design of our campus limited our options a bit, but numerous discussions with architects, construction people and
school officials allowed for some alterations. In cooperation with our softball program and Coach Jan Lehms, we were
able to design two fields and the surrounding area to the satisfaction of both programs for maximum practice use.
Because girls softball is played in the Fall, each program was able to take advantage of using each other’s fields for
workouts.
The original plans for the entire athletic complex were drawn up by the construction architects. Facilities included
a soccer field, practice football field, six tennis courts, a non-varsity football field with limited seating, rubberized track and
jump areas, softball field, baseball field and a central building with concessions, restrooms and storage. These areas are
consistently full of athletes, especially in the Spring, and regrettably, we could use more space. In looking back, if the
school building had been constructed about 100 feet farther south, the athletic complex could have been expanded by
another two entire practice fields. Each of the above-listed areas were laid out in tiered levels, supposedly to help
drainage. Unfortunately, drainage has been a major headache because water tends to run downhill and not always where
intended. Baseball sits at the bottom of the tiers, and we fight the drainage run-off from the fields above us.
Even before I was officially hired, I had made copies of the scaled blueprints for the two proposed ballfields. I
began to tinker with the dimensions and to get an idea of what had been planned for the backstops, perimeter fencing and
the dugouts. It was also alarming to note that no sprinkler systems were planned for either field. How could we possibly
expect a solid base of grass to grow from seeding? And how long would that take?
The baseball dimensions would be 325-360-400-360-325 from leftfield to rightfield, which is a decent size for high
school ball and not considered a launching pad for hitters. The power alleys would also be big enough for possible triples,
but would favor the pitchers, who are key to any championship-level team. The outfield fence is eight feet high, which
provides more security for the field and tends to be less dangerous for fielders jumping over to catch balls. Foul territory
from the baselines to the dugouts and backstop is a spacious 60 feet, which is another safety factor. All of these
dimensions were very similar to the field where our annual state tournament was held.
The initial plan for the backstop was to be only 16 feet in height, which I felt wouldn’t prevent many foul balls from
leaving the field and might also pose a threat for spectators on those hit straight back. The dugouts planned would be
large (10x40), with a cement floor, enclosed with an eight-foot fence and no roof. I then began to bargain with the architect
for changes. I indicated that we could build enclosed dugouts around the cement slabs, so take out the fencing. We then
worked out a trade since we would be saving nearly 200 feet of fencing and materials. The entire backstop, which runs
from dugout to dugout, would be raised up to a 26-foot height and become much more functional.
The proposed softball field, located above and immediately south of the baseball diamond, was very important to
me in terms of having a multi-functional facility. Because there was no other space on campus for any additional fields, I
lobbied hard with our administration to consider expanding the size of the softball field for modified use by baseball. We
then stretched the ground available to dimensions of 250-290-340-290-250, which is still short for baseball; but we were
able to play some of our freshman games there, and it allowed for more home games for our entire program. MW
Baseball Inc. purchased several hundred feet of heavy-duty chain-link portable fencing, which was put in place for softball
season at their desired 200-foot outfield distance. This fencing is used as the perimeter fence for admission into the
baseball field during baseball season. Plans for softball dugouts were also changed, as per the request of the softball
program. They wished to have dugouts similar to those at the baseball complex.
In the months leading up to our opening, we were told that the athletic facilities would be last on the construction
agenda in the rush to complete the school building. Throughout the summer, I visited my future “field of dreams” many
times, but stood on top of a surge pile of dirt and hoped that field grading would someday be a reality. In July, a football
practice field was completely sodded, but didn’t fare too well without a sprinkler system. When Fall sports practices began
in mid-August, all of the Millard West athletic teams, except football, had to travel off-campus to alternative sites for
practices and games.
Finally, in late August, “final” grading took place on the baseball and softball fields, which were the last of the
group to be done. However, no timetable was in place for seeding, and we were told there was virtually no chance to have
our own ballfield for the upcoming first season. With over 150 prospective players trying out for baseball and the prospect
of playing all road games during the Spring and Summer, the frustration was growing amongst the baseball folks.
Then a series of miracles began to happen. Jim Venuto, a local businessman who had agreed to be our sponsor
for our Summer Legion team, heard of our plight and asked for a meeting with the school administration and myself. He
offered to donate $10,000 to pay for the entire baseball field to be sodded. However, he smartly indicated that two
stipulations would have to be met. The field must be properly graded for drainage and a sprinkler system put in place to
protect that sod investment.
A month passed after the construction company’s final grading of the fields. Several rainstorms had come and
gone, and I had the chance to observe the water run-off. After each rain, a growing pool of water collected in the area of
second base and affectionately became known as “Lake Millard.” Baseball fields are supposed to drain toward the corners
of the outfield where the storm drains were built. I had my share of arguments with the construction people over this
obvious mistake, but no help was in sight.
I then sought the advice of Dave Lanoha, a local owner of a large nursery and a development company which
oversees many of the housing subdivisions near Millard West. He was also in charge of the landscaping projects being
developed on the school campus. He joined me for a tour of the dirt ballfields and agreed that the grading was not correct.
In his words, “You only get one real chance to properly grade an athletic field and that’s before the grass is put down.” We
came up with a game plan for “fixing” the problems, and Dave agreed to oversee the project, including the sod. Because
we were already into October, he indicated that our window of opportunity to complete the job would soon be closing. That
weekend, he provided six tractors, which the coaches and several dads rode for many hours to re-grade both fields
entirely for proper slope and drainage. He also convinced the subcontractor to come back and help us with a large
earthmover. The subcontractor agreed that the original specifications were not correct for a baseball field, but they had
just graded according to the architectural surveying plans.
Next, the school administration came through with an agreement to pay for the installation of complete sprinkler
systems on both of the ballfields. Millard West Baseball Inc. quickly worked out terms for a loan that would complete the
softball field. Over the next few days, a group of coaches and dads measured and spray-painted the outlines for fences,
bases, grass lines, baselines, mounds, bullpens and a warning track. This was not easy since we were basing all of our
measurements off of the original construction surveying sticks placed in the ground on both fields. All of this measuring
was necessary for the sprinkler company to properly place the various pipelines and sprinkler heads. Within 10 days, the
sprinkler systems were trenched, installed, tested and operational. We then had to smooth grade some of the rough areas
that had been trenched. Our only regret is that some of the trenched ground settled over time and had to be repaired later.
Because of our rushed timeline, there was not enough time to pack and re-grade the entire area where the sprinklers had
been trenched in.
What followed was one of the largest group efforts that I have ever witnessed. Twelve semi-truckloads of fresh
sod, at a total cost of $19,000, were brought in, and a 10-day “sod party” took place. Because of being in late Fall, Dave
Lanoha worked very hard to secure the large amounts of quality sod needed from various sod farms outside of Omaha.
Volunteer help from students, staff, parents and little brothers and sisters (from both Baseball & Softball) carried, laid and
cut sod to form two complete ballfields. Some of this work took place at odd hours under the bright glow of car headlights
and a portable spotlight. Several of the dads took turns using a skidloader and a forklift to move pallets of sod around the
fields. Another person used a grading tractor to eliminate tire tracks and ruts on each area where grass was about to be
placed. This helped to align the sod rolls uniformly and flat and would allow for quicker rooting to take place. Others,
armed with sod knives, cut out the holes for the sprinkler heads and shaped the sod as needed to provide proper grass
edges for baselines, circles and bullpen areas. We took pictures as some of the stages of work progressed. It was an
amazing sight to watch sod begin in a small corner of leftfield and grow into an entire baseball diamond in a matter of
days.
The month of November was very kind to us in terms of mild temperatures. Mr. Lanoha provided fertilizer for both
fields and continued to monitor the watering schedule as we were able to pump plenty of water onto the new sod with the
sprinkler system. It didn’t take long for the roots to take hold. He brought in truckloads of sand and clay dirt to be spread
on the infield surfaces to provide a good base of ground. He then demonstrated his talent on a skidloader by quickly
shaping a regulation pitcher’s mound and bullpen areas in the left and rightfield corners. My design for the bullpen areas
was to have three mounds on the home team side and two for the visitors. Having this many mounds is very efficient for
practice time when several pitchers need to get their work in. A coach can also watch several at one time, which is a time
saver.
Next, we installed Diamond Pro red clay dirt to top off the infield surface, baselines, mound and plate areas.
Diamond Pro has become popular in this area because it is cost-efficient and is easily tilled in to mix with your base
surface. The players say that it plays just like dirt, firm and not sandy. It is also easier to maintain with a nail drag, drag
mat and water.
The fencing contractors showed up and installed an eight-foot high perimeter fence around the entire athletic
complex. This fence was also what became our outfield fence and extended from centerfield to rightfield on the softball
field. Then another problem surfaced as it was discovered that the original plans did not include any sideline fencing on
either field. There was also no outfield fence from centerfield to leftfield on the softball field. Once again, the search was
on for extra money to complete the missing components. The final piece of fencing was completed in March, just prior to
the start of Spring games. Large gates, big enough for vehicles in the future, were installed just beyond the bases on each
sideline fence.
Cement work around the complex was next on the agenda. The cement slabs were poured for each of the four
dugouts in preparation for enclosing in the Spring. Another piece of important cement was laid between the fields to
accommodate a 32-by-75foot double batting cage. The slab was later enclosed with a 12-foot high fence, inside of which
we placed two tunnel nets. We were able to obtain some used AstroTurf from a local football field for covering the floor of
our cages. Next to the cages, we have erected some extra fence poles and a cable system, which allows us to put up
extra netting to create several stations for tee and soft-toss hitting drills. This double cage area is very functional for
practice and pre-game work and accommodates many players at once with the stations used by both the Baseball and
Softball programs.
By Thanksgiving, our frustrations in September had been replaced with the excitement of knowing Millard West
would likely have a home field for our upcoming first baseball season. Throughout the winter, MWBB Inc. aggressively
raised money and continued to plan the projects to be completed in the Spring. Various maintenance equipment had to be
ordered, and 8 sets of (5-row) portable bleachers were purchased for our use.
A mild winter allowed the fence contractors to return in February and begin the task of erecting the large backstop
poles and fencing, which spans nearly 150 feet from dugout to dugout. As tryouts began in March, the pace also picked
up on completing all projects necessary to host our first home game around the first of April. MWBB Inc. purchased the
materials and a local masonry crew donated their labor in erecting a pair of concrete-block dugouts (10-by-40) in a matter
of days on the baseball field. This same group returned in the Summer to build two more dugouts (10-by-32) and a
storage garage on the softball field as well. More help appeared from a Millard West parent who brought his houseframing crew to place the roofs on each dugout in a matter of hours. The importance of getting professionals to donate
their efforts on our behalf saved us considerable time and money. Several of our “handydads” then pooled their expertise
and built wooden benches and shelving into each dugout.
Dave Lanoha continued to monitor the sod by sending his crews out to mow and preparing a fertilizing schedule.
During the last week in March, we rented a large riding-roller to roll both fields entirely for a smooth surface. The seams
between the sod rolls had grown together nicely over the winter. At this time, we also installed a Diamond Pro warning
track surface and rolled it smooth with the roller. Unfortunately, the outfield warning track was a headache all season
because of the drainage run-off-, which is supposed to be toward the outfield fence. The track was constantly wet, and the
Diamond Pro showed some signs of erosion. The following year, we replaced the outfield track with white rock chips,
which has stabilized the area and allows water to filter through and remain firm. On the warning track from dugout to
dugout, we installed red brick chips, which are crunchy and firm for drainage.
The final “dressing up” of the diamond showed up on the outfield fence. First, a bright yellow plastic tubing was
attached to the top rail of the fence from corner to corner. Next, black windscreen and the advertising banners were hung
on the fence. These items added a sharp look and depth perception to the park. Since then, black vinyl privacy slots were
installed on the fence and are expected to last for 15-20 years.
We played a full schedule of games that first year in our yard. Fellow coaches and fans were truly amazed what
had been accomplished in such a short time and also how well the field played with a new surface. As the season ended,
plans were already in motion for additional field projects.
Scoreboards were being installed near the end of the Summer season, but were not operational. MWBB Inc.
completed the wiring process and upgraded the baseball scoreboard to a full-size model, which included inning-by-inning
scores. Portable panels of fencing were purchased and put in place on the softball field. The girls’ softball team was then
able to enjoy their first set of home games on campus in the Fall of 1996.
A central storage building with restrooms and concessions had been built near the middle of the entire athletic
complex to house athletic equipment. However, it was very obvious that the storage space was far too small to
accommodate all teams with large amounts of track safety pits, hurdles and football dummies. With this in mind, MWBB
Inc. developed plans for a baseball pressbox and storage facility. A $7,500 grant from the College World Series made
these plans a reality. Once again, considerable amounts of time and labor by several dads and community folks gave us a
usable facility by that following Spring. This facility was built behind our third base dugout, which affords very easy access
to the field with our maintenance equipment. The lower floor has shelving and space to accommodate team equipment,
field tools, bags of Quick Dry and chalk and a tractor/mower. The upper level contains a pressbox and lounge area,
uniform storage and shelving and a coaches’ dressing room. The view of the field is excellent; the only negative is some
difficulty in seeing the umpires’ ball-strike call because of being on the third base side. In addition to the scoreboard
operation, a high-quality P.A. and sound system was purchased by our parent group, which features a series of six
speakers mounted across the backstop.
In the Spring of 1997 (our second year), Millard West proudly hosted the Spring district baseball tournament,
which we have made an annual event. In addition, we host several tourneys throughout the Summer in the regular and
post-season.
The crowning touch to the ballfield was put in place in June of 2000 as a complete Musco Lighting system was
installed. MWBB Inc. had signed an agreement to finance the entire project over five years with a total cost of around
$140,000. An initial fundraising golf tournament by the players and families had raised nearly $50,000 to jumpstart the
process. At the time, the Softball program was invited to do a joint venture for their lights which would have saved
considerable money. However, they declined, citing the fact that they played only about 6-7 home dates per year and that
didn’t warrant the large expense.
In 2002, prior to hosting the Legion State Tournament, MWBB Inc. sold seat-sponsorships and raised $25,000 to
install a permanent set of bleachers behind the backstop.
The baseball field is the showpiece for the athletic complex at Millard West. Its location on the corner of the
campus, near the main intersection, is very visible and affords a beautiful view to passersby.
With the unpredictable Nebraska Spring weather, it is imperative to have good indoor facilities to practice in. In
1998, for example, the first four weeks of tryouts and preseason work were held indoors. Millard West has four areas
which we utilize extensively in the Spring: two gymnasiums at 120-by-120 each, a wrestling room (50-by-120) and our
fitness center-style weight room. Despite our large tryout numbers, we are able to efficiently provide plenty of repetitions
for the athletes and keep everyone busy.
The gymnasiums provide ample room for pitching, catching, infield and modified outfield drills. The wrestling
room, with a 15-foot high ceiling, is the key indoor spot for our program. It holds two full-sized batting cages on a cable
system, and extra netting is put up for tee and soft-toss stations. Because this room is totally enclosed, it accommodates
about
18-20 players at one time, and no one interrupts us. However, the negative side is that this room and the gyms
are not available for use during the offseason. The fitness center is used by all of our athletes and provides a variety of
equipment for strength and conditioning.
4TH INNING
Baseball in Omaha
Over the years, the metropolitan Omaha area has become a hotbed for high school baseball talent. There has
been a dramatic increase in the numbers of kids drafted in pro ball and those who have gone on to college baseball, many
at the Division I level. Scouts and college coaches have admitted that Omaha kids are underrated, a fact not lost on many
of our high school coaches who felt strongly that our athletes were comparable around the United States. While we don’t
have the advantage of year-round good weather, a solid Midwestern work ethic becomes a great equalizer. Many of the
athletes are also multi-sport performers and have developed a competitive edge that carries over on the ballfield. The
successes at Nebraska, Creighton, UNO and several other local colleges have been fueled by a strong base of local kids
from area high schools.
The competitiveness and work ethic instilled in the ballplayers is the result of a strong fraternity of coaches in
Omaha. There are numerous quality baseball programs led by coaches with years of experience. This forces you to work
at it if your program wishes to be successful. Despite the competition on the field, the bond among the area coaches is
strong, and there is considerable sharing of ideas and methods. I count many of these peers among my closest friends.
Many local high schools have upgraded their baseball facilities recently due to the efforts of coaches, players and
parents. This enhances the quality of play and provides some excellent venues to host tournaments that draw teams from
all over the Midwest. In most cases, coaches also become the caretakers, but for some reason aren’t usually
compensated for that part of the job. Just the pride in having a nice ballfield is the reward.
Spring high school baseball in Nebraska currently has all the participating schools in two classes. The majority of
teams are concentrated in the Omaha and Lincoln areas, but many outstate schools have added baseball recently as
baseball enthusiasts argue that baseball is preferred over track and soccer in many communities.
The Metro Conference is comprised of the 16 Class A (large school) high schools in and around Omaha. It
includes public and private schools from the inner-city and suburban areas. Scheduling is done as a round-robin within the
conference, and outside competition and regular-season tournaments fill out the schedule. Millard West annually plays
one of the toughest schedules in Class A. In addition to varsity competition, most schools also field baseball teams for
junior varsity and freshman players.
Nebraska high school rules permit less than three weeks of practice prior to the first ballgame. Spring weather
frequently forces practice indoors in the gymnasium. In some years, the first day outside was the season-opening game.
But many coaches feel that indoor practices are also helpful because we are forced to break down skills and become
innovative in practice organization. Teaching at practice becomes imperative and probably helps our squad in the long
run. In May, the eight-team double-elimination State Tournament is held. This format puts a premium on pitching depth.
Unfortunately, District Tourney play is still single-elimination, which is very scary unless you’ve earned a wildcard spot for
good play throughout the season. A strong schedule and quality wins during the regular-season can solidify a chance at
the two wildcard spots available.
Summer baseball in Omaha is basically a continuation of playing with the same group of kids from the Spring.
The Omaha area has adopted a one-school concept where the high school teams remain intact but play under the rules of
the American Legion. Nearly all of the area coaches also coach their athletes in the Summer, and this has provided great
continuity and improvement in all of the programs. Frequently, the Omaha teams have performed very well while
competing with “all-star select” clubs from other Midwestern cities.
In addition to their coaching duties, the coaches also must fundraise and administer their teams, which are no
longer under the jurisdiction of the athletic directors during the Summer. Many businesses and parent organizations
provide the funding for Summer ball and experiences for the players. Most local schools are very cooperative on using the
school facilities, which are typically maintained by the coaches, players and parents anyway.
Nebraska has had one of the largest American Legion programs in the country in terms of the number of teams
within the state. About 350 teams are divided into three classes: A, B, C. Class A divides into two State Tournaments and
each champion moves on to the Central Plains Regional. In the past decade, Millard West, Creighton Prep and Westside
have produced teams that have qualified for the American Legion World Series, a truly special accomplishment for oneschool teams.
5TH INNING
The Summer Sponsors
A major coup for our baseball program in the beginning was to secure a Legion sponsor for the Summer varsity
squad. A great sponsor pays a lot of the bills, including : a salary for the head coach and assistants, two sets of uniforms,
dozens of baseballs, equipment, umpires fees and travel expenses for out of town trips. For our first ten years, this
sponsorship was $20,000 per season and all levels of our teams used the sponsor’s name.
Jim Venuto was an Omaha native who had played high school and Legion baseball at Omaha Benson High
School. He taught briefly in the public school system before starting his own business – the Blackstone Group company,
which dealt with computer software and setting up computer programs around the country for other businesses. His
venture quickly turned into a multi-million dollar operation with the booming age of computers.
Jim spoke of his love for baseball and that this was how he wanted to share his wealth – by supporting various
baseball teams in the area. At one point, he sponsored all three of the Millard high schools and has helped out a couple of
other schools and a local college as well. In addition, he started his own youth select baseball program for 9- to 14-yearolds called the Omaha Diamondbacks and built a beautiful two-field complex called Sandlot Ridge.
He also invested his time and money into other ventures in the Omaha community. The Blackstone Group was
the presenting sponsor for the first Nike Omaha Golf Classic (now Cox Classic), a pro tour event that has blossomed into
one of the best on the Nationwide golf tour. He has also helped to improve several of the ballfields around the city,
including the original field construction at Millard West. In addition, his company has donated money for programs within
the public schools’ curriculums.
Without question, Jim was an excellent sponsor that had a major impact on the early success of Millard West
Baseball. He provided some first-class opportunities for our players with his generosity from 1996 – 2001. A Legion State
championship/Regional runner-up in 1999 and a Babe Ruth Regional runner-up in 1998 were highlights.
Tom Smith of West Bay Properties stepped up after Blackstone’s sponsorship ended and provided the same
quality sponsorship for the next four years (2002 – 2005). Tom’s leadership was much more a behind-the-scenes type as
he sought only to provide many quality experiences for the kids without any fanfare. His annual generosity was very much
appreciated and continued to keep MW near the top of all Legion programs. During this time, MW hosted a very
successful Legion State Tournament in 2002 and made a Legion Regional appearance in 2004.
In 2006, we welcomed NP Dodge Real Estate (President Mike Riedmann) as our new sponsor for the Summer
Legion squad at an annual cost of $7,500 as the state of the economy curtailed sponsors across the board in Legion
baseball. NP Dodge’s 4-year run included an unprecedented Legion World Series appearance in 2008 and another
Regional showing in 2009.
Key To Omaha, a new Internet-based company owned by Brian Lichter, came aboard in 2010 to provide the
Varsity summer funds.
For the past four years, Roof Tech has stepped forward for us. Ray Cooper, one of my former players and brother
of Tom Cooper (JV coach), has a lifelong love of sports and the baseball sponsorship is a way to give back to the Millard
community.
In 2012, Millard West Baseball Inc. secured smaller sponsorships for each of our younger teams for the first time.
SportClips (JV), Dairy Queen (JV) and Beardmore Chevrolet (Reserves) brought welcome funds to our organization.
6TH INNING
Coach Frank Ryan
Frank Ryan is a native of Omaha, born into a family of athletic tradition and a strong love for the game of
baseball. My grandfather, Frank Sr., starred in baseball and basketball at both the high school and collegiate levels before
turning down an offer from the St. Louis Cardinals due to impending marriage plans. He remained active in local baseball
circles and was an original committee member for the planning of Rosenblatt Stadium, the former home of the NCAA
College World Series. My father, Frank Jr., was captain of his high school baseball team at Creighton Prep, but his
dreams of a baseball career were shortened due to a stint in the Navy during the Korean War. He continued to play ball in
local amateur leagues and coached me in the first few years of a Little League career.
Without a doubt, my dad was the biggest influence on me regarding the game of baseball. He always stressed the
fundamentals and was a stickler in teaching me the proper mechanics of pitching and caring for the arm. Throughout my
playing career, I never sustained an arm injury, and I credit those good mechanics that I learned at a young age. To this
day, I have always been very conscious of handling pitchers correctly and not abusing the potential that they may have.
Unfortunately, my dad died of a heart attack at age 37 while attending one of my ballgames. Being only 12 years old at
the time, I was left with a large void in my life. I often wonder how much more I could have accomplished in baseball if my
“original coach” had been there.
My high school years at Bishop Ryan High School were a rollercoaster of emotions, limited playing time and both
success and disappointment for our team and individually. It was during this time that I began to think seriously of going
into coaching in the future. I saw the good and bad sides of dealing with athletes, and my coaching style reflects some of
my high school experiences. During my first two years, I had to face the reality of being cut twice in basketball and once
from baseball. Now, as a coach, I realize that this is the worst part of a coach’s job. My last two years, I made the Varsity
baseball squad but saw very little playing time due to a limited playing schedule – 12 Spring and 22 Summer games. Our
team was talented, winning two league titles, but each year we fell short of a state tournament berth by being upset in
Districts. I tried hard to contribute by being a student of the game, coaching first base and keeping the pitching chart, but I
still wasn’t willing to give up my dream of playing ball.
In the Fall of 1973, I enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and tried out for baseball in September. Once
again, the axe fell and my opportunities in baseball appeared dim. During that first year in college, I underwent some
significant physical changes by sprouting nearly five inches and adding 35 pounds. Being only 18, I was eligible to return
to my old high school squad for the American Legion season in the summer. The differences in my physical abilities were
obvious, and I was finally able to demonstrate this on the field, finishing with a 7-1 mound record and losing only in my last
District game. Afterwards, my grandfather said, “This may have been our last chance to see you play.” Those words have
stuck with me for many years, and I used them as motivation to never stop trying to reach my dream of playing baseball at
the highest level.
During that summer, I had decided to transfer to Kearney State College (now UNK), an NAIA school in central
Nebraska. This time, the opportunity to play and contribute in the baseball program was there. Firing a no-hitter in my first
game and being the winning pitcher in the district title game were individual highlights. Throughout my college career, we
dominated our state competition by winning four consecutive district titles and competing in the Central Plains Regional
each year. Annual spring trips to Oklahoma, Texas and Hawaii to play quality competition – including many Division I
schools – were indicators that players from Nebraska could compete with anyone around the nation. After my senior year,
I had the chance to play in a tough summer league in Colorado and ended up in the NBC World Series in Wichita,
Kansas. It was during this summer that I felt I truly learned how to pitch. The quality opposition, small ballparks and
competition within our club for mound time pushed each of us to achieve. A couple of conversations with professional
scouts fueled my desire to continue playing. I was invited to several tryout camps the following year, but each time the
final result was no contract. During that year, I worked as a substitute teacher in the Omaha area, having earned a
teaching degree at Kearney. I continued to stay in shape by playing locally in a sandlot league and occasionally throwing
batting practice for Omaha’s Triple-A Royals.
A surprise phone call in June suddenly changed my life forever. John Scheurholz, Kansas City’s minor-league
director, asked if I would be interested in signing a contract with the Royals’ rookie team in Sarasota, Florida. I couldn’t
say yes fast enough!!! Needless to say, my family – especially my grandfather – was elated, and a teaching career would
have to wait. I immediately reported to Sarasota, and the game of baseball had now become my job.
The next two years were a tremendous personal experience for me, although not always a positive one. I had a
chance to play with and against many future major-league players and coaches. Personalities from all parts of the United
States and Latin America meshed together as teams and provided many lifelong memories and plenty of stories to tell.
Professional baseball at the minor-league level is all about player development. Fundamentals and discipline are
constantly stressed, and then a player’s physical talents can take over. There are no gimmicks involved, just the
repetitions of running, throwing, fielding, hitting, bunting and pitching. Consistency of play and handling the physical and
emotional grind of playing every day are keys to moving up the ladder. I saw several players who abused drugs and
alcohol and seriously hurt their chances of ever getting to the major leagues. Life in the minor leagues is not about big
money and glamour. Long bus rides and living from one paycheck to another are pretty common.
The politics of pro baseball were also evident. Players who were taken at high draft positions and had received
big signing bonuses were typically given more chances to fail, and the parent clubs would dictate where and how much
they played. Many times a player who signed for much less would have to perform exceptionally or display a special work
ethic to earn his place in the lineup.
Looking back, the opportunity to learn the game of baseball from several veteran coaches has had a definite
impact on my own coaching philosophy. My first manager at Sarasota was Jose Martinez, who went on to become the
first-base coach for the Chicago Cubs. Jose’s job in Sarasota was to teach the rookies about discipline, pride in being a
pro and to develop a work ethic. After three weeks in Sarasota, I was promoted to the Royals’ Class A club in Fort Myers,
Florida, under Gene Lamont. He later managed the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates and currently serves as the
third-base coach of the Detroit Tigers for his best friend, Jim Leyland. Without a doubt, Gene is the best baseball man I
have played for. He treated everyone as a professional and expected us to perform and act professionally on and off the
field. As a former big-league catcher, his knowledge of pitching and situations were very helpful and gave us confidence.
He preached fundamentals, spent a lot of extra time developing skills and constantly talked baseball in the dugout.
Ironically, in my postseason evaluation with Gene, he indicated that he thought I had a possible career ahead of me in
coaching or scouting if my playing days ended in the future.
The following year, I was assigned to the Royals’ club in Charleston, South Carolina. It turned out to be a
rollercoaster season of highs and lows on and off the field. Opening Day brought the excitement of a new season, and I
was also introduced to my future wife. During the first half of the season, I posted the best pitching numbers of my life,
going 8-1 with a 1.80 ERA and helping our squad to the first-half division title. There was a lot of speculation around the
clubhouse and in the media that there was a very good chance I would be promoted to our Double-A team in Jacksonville
and be reunited with Gene Lamont. This was heightened when I threw a two-hit shutout in front of our minor-league
director when he came to town.
Unfortunately, I learned a tough lesson about the money politics in baseball just a few days later. Two of Kansas
City’s top draft picks were assigned to Charleston, and two of our rotation starters – myself included – were sent to the
bullpen. We were told this was an organizational decision, and their investment in these two pitchers dictated their spots
in the rotation. It was a cruel way to learn that sometimes on-field results don’t always dictate whether you are considered
a prospect by your employer. Needless to say, my love for baseball took a hit, and I realized that maybe the road to the
big leagues was closing. We struggled through the rest of the season with a .500 record, but managed to make the
playoffs because of our first-half title. In the playoff finals, we were beaten by the Greensboro Yankees, who featured
future big-leaguers Don Mattingly, Otis Nixon and Greg Gagne.
Following that season, I began to think seriously of pursuing a teaching and coaching career, and marriage plans
were on the horizon. After a month-long search for a job in Charleston, I decided to return to Omaha and began to
substitute teach and coach junior-high basketball. At Christmas time, I became engaged to Barbara Brown of Charleston
with tentative wedding plans based upon our ability to secure teaching jobs for both of us in one of our hometowns. She
was already teaching in Charleston, so our long-distance romance would continue for a while. I had decided that my
baseball playing career had reached the end. I’ve often wondered if I should have pursued other organizations, but a big
opportunity to coach at the high school level soon changed those thoughts.
In January of 1981, while substituting at Omaha Westside High School, veteran coach Bob Moscrey asked if I
would be interested in assisting him in the Spring. He also indicated that he wanted me to take over the Summer Legion
team at Westside. I jumped at the chance for my first baseball coaching job. Westside was a school of rich athletic
tradition and strong community support for baseball. The Legion sponsor for our team was a local trucking firm, Holmes
Freight Lines. In meeting with the boss, he indicated his desire for a full schedule and to develop a work ethic that would
provide the Westside kids an opportunity to reach their baseball potential. Those expectations were reasonable, and I
began to seek out advice from fellow area coaches in the Omaha area about putting together a top-notch program. My
first team featured four talented sophomores, all of whom went on to be Division I athletes and helped build a foundation
for success by finishing 40-9 and winning the district championship. In addition, wedding plans became a reality as my
wife-to-be secured a teaching position in a local school district. We managed to find a few spare hours in the baseball
season to get married.
I spent the next five years working in the Westside program as we won four district titles and competed
successfully around the Midwest. A big key was the number of multi-sport athletes who contributed to the baseball team
and the support of all the coaches in the overall athletic program. On the downside, I was still employed only as a parttime teacher because of declining enrollment. Coach Moscrey indicated that he would like to retire, but was hoping that a
full-time opportunity for me would surface and I then could be in control of the Spring and Summer programs. My dreams
of heading up the entire program would have to wait.
Finally, in 1983, I was hired in the Millard Public School District to a full-time elementary physical education
position which would become my home for the next 12 years. I was also asked to become an assistant basketball coach
at Millard South, where five state titles were won over the next eight years. It was at Millard South that I learned the
importance of practice organization and traditional discipline among the athletes from head coach Larry Ribble. Our teams
were unselfish, played solid defense and always played well at tournament time. These qualities are just as important on
the baseball field.
Baseball coaching was still my priority, and I was hired to be the head Legion coach at Millard South in 1986.
Baseball was a big deal in the Millard community, and the summer program at Millard South was a “gold mine” waiting to
happen. Communication with kids and parents was a priority, and soon their efforts were directed at putting the program
near the top.
After that first year, the Millard Legion Post indicated that it could no longer fully sponsor both of the Summer
teams at Millard South and Millard North. Immediately, our coaches and parents brought their ideas to form Millard South
Baseball Inc., an organization to support the Summer program and to make improvements in our facilities. The success of
this venture became a model for many other programs and is a great source of pride for those of us involved.
Construction projects included a batting cage, perimeter fencing, new dugouts and a restroom/pressbox/storage facility
which provided one of the best high school baseball complexes in the Midwest. Many skeptics were amazed that coaches
and parents could work that closely together, but they were from the old school. We knew where to draw the line, and the
parents understood that their efforts were in support of the program and had nothing to do with playing time for their sons.
Parents appreciated the hard work by the coaches and the amount of time spent with their kids in improving their skills. It
also didn’t hurt that the initial group of players and parents bonded together well and were rewarded with a Nebraska
State Legion title that year.
Over my first six years at Millard South, there was still a void in my coaching, as I was not a part of the Spring
program and felt that I had something to offer. Finally, in 1992, an opening for a Spring junior varsity coach opened, and
the AD sought me out. The next four Spring seasons yielded trips to the state tournament, and the transition from Spring
to Summer was much easier. I also had a chance to work with most of our young players in the early months and
establish routines for the future. Over 10 Summer Legion seasons, Millard South won eight district championships, one
state title and was consistently among the elite squads in the area.
Two years prior to the projected opening of the new Millard West High School, Dr. Rick Kolowski was appointed
as Millard West’s principal and occupied temporary office space at Ackerman Elementary, where I was teaching. I had
known Dr. K for several years in Millard and had taught both of his sons. He had several conversations with me regarding
the new school and hoped that I would be interested in the baseball position. His display of architectural drawings for the
new facilities were certainly impressive and had piqued my interest. I had waited a long time for the chance to be a head
coach of an entire program, but there were many factors yet to be decided. In the Summer of 1994, a bunch of
overachieving Millard South kids took their game all the way to the Class A Legion finals before losing to a powerful
Omaha Northwest squad. This was one of my most enjoyable seasons as a coach.
The Fall of 1994 was now one year from the opening of Millard West, and I continued to wrestle with the option of
staying put or moving on. The fine facilities that we had built, the potential of our young players and the speculation that
the Millard South head coach might soon retire were all valid reasons to stay. However, a conversation with Rick Hook, a
colleague who was in line for the new basketball job, swung my thoughts to the West. He relayed a message from the
Millard West administration that I was considered their top choice for baseball. He also sold me on the opportunity to build
something from scratch and hoped that I would be with him to mold a new basketball program as well. Another
conversation with Don Kraft, retired Millard South AD, further convinced me to pursue the new venue. He had
recommended me for the new school and felt that I had the enthusiasm and know-how to develop new facilities and
quickly make a new program successful. He indicated that the job was mine for the taking.
In December of 1994, I was officially introduced as the new baseball coach at Millard West. The next several
months were a mixture of emotions as I finished my duties at Millard South and made preparations for the new school.
Because of the initial open enrollment policy, many kids wrestled with the decision of whether to move to Millard West.
This was especially difficult for the baseball players, and I found myself distancing from people with whom I had worked
very closely. This was the only negative about leaving, and I’m not sure there is any easy way to deal with it. It was very
strange indeed as I finished out that last season at Millard South and moved on.
In addition to baseball, I have been a part of the basketball staff at West for our first six years and, then again, the
last six seasons. I really enjoy watching our athletes compete in other sports and the basketball coaching allows me to
see kids in a different competitive environment. Over the years, our best baseball teams had numerous multi-sport
athletes that excelled under pressure. The multi-sport concept also brings groups of peers together to create better team
camaraderie. This tends to bring the parents together more often, as well, yielding close-knit supporters of the program. I
have also been the Varsity football statistician since MW opened which affords me another chance to stay connected to
other coaches and athletes in that program.
Starting a program from scratch was truly exciting, and watching it evolve over the years with success makes me
very humble and proud. The opportunity to work with hundreds of athletes and their families to create Millard West
Baseball has exceeded some dreams.
7TH INNING
The Coaching Staff
To have a strong baseball program at just about any level, a quality coaching staff must be put together. The
overall competitiveness in Omaha is due to the work ethic, knowledge and motivation that many of the area coaches
provide. A coach who “sets the tone” for his athletes as a positive example helps to establish a work ethic, which breeds
success in the skill and confidence levels of the players.
I have been very fortunate to find some great baseball people to work with throughout my coaching career. Many
of my former players have gone into coaching at the high school and youth levels, and several have returned to be a part
of my staff. Having people around you who have similar philosophies enhances the development of your players as they
mature over their four years in school. Having former athletes puts them in familiar positions in terms of routines and
expectations, as our approach has always been very traditional. All of our coaches have played the game at a higher
level, so the kids benefit from the experience that the staff brings to the field.
When I was hired at Millard West, my coaching staff remained virtually intact from the previous several Legion
seasons at Millard South. All of them shared in the excitement of building something new and wanted to be a part of it.
This would be a task that none of us had ever experienced. Our past successes reinforced philosophies, but now we
would be starting with a different group of athletes, most of whom were very inexperienced. The task of meshing together
a group of kids that came from different schools to be Millard West “pioneers” was also a new experience. Those who had
transferred from Millard South had the advantage of knowing us and our expectations, and we relied on many of them to
help lead the way and welcome those from Millard North to our style of baseball.
The Millard School District has always lagged behind in comparative coaches’ salaries with other Class A schools
in this area. Yet, athletics are a very big deal in the community, and the pressure to be successful is ongoing. Hopefully,
the quality of coaches and their big-time commitments will be rewarded financially in the very near future, as the Millard
athletic programs are consistently among the best. A sore spot for me is that the district pays for only four coaches total in
baseball. With all of our teams to take care of, there is no room for paid assistants to work with the kids. It is virtually
impossible for one coach to give 15 to 18 players on a team their full attention, develop all of the skills necessary to be a
great player and properly supervise liability dangers that can occur.
During my 10 Summer seasons at Millard South, I had no trouble convincing our parent group of the importance
that each of our teams should have at least two coaches. My reasoning included: 1) the obvious liability issues which can
occur if all players aren’t supervised, 2) the players would get more instruction and repetitions, 3) baseball is a game of
many different skills which need to be taught, 4) each coach has a personality which might benefit some players better
than another and 5) two coaches can collaborate on strategy, lineups, stats and evaluations of kids. When I moved West,
MWBB Inc. was very supportive of this idea and agreed that this would ultimately benefit their kids on the ballfield. Our
school administration has also allowed these extra coaches to “volunteer” with us in the Spring, despite no money from
the district. MWBB Inc. has graciously provided compensation for these coaches by adding to their Summer salaries
because of their hard work and commitment. The original MW staff included :
Nick Danze, who coached our JV Summer squad at Millard South, agreed to come West to teach and coach.
Besides his assistant football duties, he worked with our JV kids in the Spring and Summer for seven years. He did a
great job of teaching the basics and allowing each kid plenty of playing time to determine if they are potential varsity
players.
John Graves, one of my former players at Westside, assisted me for nine years at Millard South and brought a
level of intensity that rubbed off on our players. His expertise in working with the hitters and infielders played a big role in
our early successes.
Ron Jones, a former Millard All-Stater, assisted Nick Danze for 13 years at the JV level at MS and here. His role
in the Spring was somewhat limited since he works for a local lumber company, but he brought enthusiasm and
knowledge to the park all Summer.
Dave Cork, another Millard South alumnus, handled the freshman club for three Summers at Millard South. He is
a very strong baseball traditionalist and instills the old-time respect for the game into his kids. His first Millard West
freshman team played for the Babe Ruth state championship in 1996. Dave then assisted with the varsity for a couple of
years before being named the Head coach at Millard North in 2002.
In 1998, I added another outstanding Varsity assistant in Trevor Longe. He also had student-taught in our building
and inquired about helping with baseball. It was very obvious that he was a good candidate, and he fit right in. Trevor had
been the Head Legion coach in Norfolk, Neb., for a couple of years, so he understood the work ethic that a coach must
have to really do it right. The two of us were also very similar in our approach to the game and in strategy situations. He
was a major factor for our club in winning the Legion State title in 1999. He, too, was hired away by Millard South to be
their Head Baseball coach in 2000.
In 2000, Darrell Parks joined our staff after coaching for several years at Millard North and in the Gladiators
organization. DP is another Millard alumnus and brings an unmatched love of the game and works all year with our kids
on any area of baseball or fitness. He is a master of fundamentals and prepares guys for the next level. In addition, Darrell
works full-time and more for the City of Omaha.
Jason Rohde joined the Varsity staff in 2004 after spending time on Don Story’s staff at Bellevue West. A native
Californian, he works with the catchers and excels at calling pitches for our pitching staff. Jason currently teaches at
Reagan Elementary in Millard.
Over the years, other Varsity assistants included : Kirk Bragg, Chris Loofe (our current Athletic Director), Don
Story, John Manganaro and most recently, Eric Fischer, a former MW player who had been the Head Coach at Omaha
Bryan for the past four years.
Our current staff for our younger levels brings a good mix of youth and experience from several years in the
program with Tom Cooper, Ian Delaet, Will Sadowski, Matt Heller, Jon Dunn, Bryce Johnston and Bill Simpson.
One of my greatest sources of pride is to have had several of my ex-players help us at Millard West, many of
whom were gaining coaching experience while they were student teaching or pursuing their degrees. They have
included : Bob Lamberty, Brandon Verzal, Steve Clark, Tim McDermott, Greg Geary, Kirk Bragg, Mike DeMilia, Tom
Ogee, Matt List, Dan Houghton, Josh Kaiser, Dave Kros, Nate Osborn, Chad McDaniel, Justin Stover, Danny Baker, Rich
Broderick, Rob Morrissey, Eric Fischer, Shane Kucera, Aaron Holt, Adam Steyer, Andrew James, Tom Cooper, Bryce
Johnston and Andrew Dergan. Many of them had been very good high school players and had gone on to college ball.
Each of them brought different areas of expertise and made a positive impact on our players with their love of baseball
and their belief in the Millard West Way.
Many of these former players and assistants have gone on to be Head Coaches at other schools --- Cork (Millard
North), Longe (Millard South), Bragg (Liberty, MO.), DeMilia (Bryan), Geary (Millard South), Loofe (Red Oak, IA.), Frey
(Elkhorn), Fischer (Bryan) and Bill Jelkin (Bellevue East).
One of the great things about coaching is the common camaraderie that develops among all of us. Baseball is
always a favorite topic of conversation. We seem to spend lots of time talking about our players and evaluating their future
potential. This really helps to place kids in positions to be successful and where they might help out at the varsity level.
We also get to know the players much better through these coaches’ discussions.
MILLARD WEST BASEBALL COACHES (1996 – 2014)
Varsity
JV & Reserve
Frank Ryan
Dave Cork
Nate Osborn
Shane Kucera
Chris Emanuel
Steve Kerkman
Darrell Parks
Steve Clark
Danny Baker
Brian Rea
Bob Lamberty
Chad McDaniel
Jason Rohde
Greg Geary
Kevin Asher
Rob Morrissey
Brad Guenther
Jon Dunn
Don Story
Trevor Longe
Drue Weber
Eric Fischer
Tim McDermott
Bill Simpson
John Manganaro
Tom Cooper
Nick Danze
Justin Stover
Andrew James
Will Sadowski
Chris Loofe
Tom Ogee
Ron Jones
Aaron Holt
Bryce Johnston
Andrew Dergan
John Graves
Matt List
Mike Mecseji
Steve Frey
Bret Siepker
Dave Cork
Mike Demilia
Chris Loofe
Ty Andersen
Josh Johnson
Trevor Longe
Adam Steyer
Josh Kaiser
Ian Delaet
Brandon Verzal
Kirk Bragg
Kent Jensen
Dave Kros
Joel Molina
Dan Houghton
Jon Dunn
Matt Heller
Lance Smith
Jacob Eckley
Rich Broderick
Eric Fischer
Tom Giles
Chris Eckley
Todd Villotta
Greg Wunderlich
8TH INNING
The Millard West Coaching Style and Philosophy
Without question, past personal experiences have had a great deal of influence on my coaching philosophy, style
and approach to the game of baseball. From my playing days in little league through pro ball, I have had the chance to
play for many different coaches and been able to sort out the good and bad characteristics that they modeled. My dad
taught me early of the importance of good mechanics, fundamentals and arm care to help pitchers reach their potential
and reduce the chances of injury. Gene Lamont demonstrated a work ethic and knowledge of the game, while motivating
players in a calm, professional manner. In professional baseball, the emphasis is on fundamentals and performing these
consistently, which usually equates success and winning. Rarely do they employ gimmicks in trying to win. If gimmicks
were really the answer, then the pros would use them since they are in the business to win.
Following my own high school years, I vowed for things to be different if I ever had the chance to coach my own
team. After having been cut a couple of times in basketball, I now find that cutting kids from your program is one of the
decisions that I dread. We played a very limited schedule which didn’t allow much playing time for some and I think
ultimately hurt us in postseason, despite our talent. Our field and practice areas were very poor and limited in growth by a
poor location.
My many years spent in coaching basketball at various levels have also helped me become better as a baseball
coach. I originally coached junior high hoops in the Westside district and immediately contacted Tom Hall, the varsity
coach, to learn their system. He was very helpful, and I learned the importance of developing a good feeder program,
which benefited the athletes who moved on to the high school level. Hall’s JV coach at the time, Rick Collura, went on to
be head coach at Lincoln Northeast High School and won four consecutive state titles. Collura invited me to help out with
his JV squad when my season concluded. He was a good fundamentalist, instilled a winning attitude and prepared his
players for future varsity competition. Rick had also coached baseball at Westside and gave me some sound advice in
dealing with parents and kids when I took the Legion baseball job there. In my years at Millard South with Larry Ribble,
the values of a daily, organized practice plan and being disciplined at the little things yielded five state titles. These things
were the difference for teams that weren’t always blessed with great athletic talent. I have tried to take some cues from
these guys and incorporate their assets into my own style.
As coaches, you can never stop trying to learn and improve. We borrow ideas from other coaches all the time by
reading, going to clinics, watching games and talking ball. Each Fall and Winter, we spend time attending practices at
Nebraska, Creighton, UNO and Iowa Western looking for ideas and talking baseball with the coaches. It’s reassuring to
know that they practice and drill in similar fashion as our kids do. These trips also give us a chance to watch several of our
alumni players who dot the rosters at these schools.
Besides my love of baseball, I enjoy watching my athletes compete in other sports. Coaching basketball allowed
me to develop other perspectives on their work ethic and competitiveness. It is important for coaches to be involved with
other areas of athletics by supporting fellow coaches in developing a strong overall program. Athletes who participate in
multiple sports lend credibility to the programs and begin to build a strong bond among their teammates and peers that
they go to battle with. In this age of specialization, athletes must realize that there is no substitute for the discipline and
daily competition that sports have to offer. If you can contribute positively, it will almost certainly help you be better in your
favorite activity. Multi-sport athletes also tend to be your best competitors because of the many chances they have to
battle and overcome adversity.
Our ballfield is a great source of pride because of the process we went through to build it. Now we must take extra
care to keep it nice and make demands on our players to help maintain it. All of the coaches and kids take turns at various
duties which occur almost daily during the season. The players have gained appreciation for what they have when we go
on the road to other fields. I have always felt that a well-maintained facility provides no excuses for poor play and usually
won’t yield bad hops that could determine the outcome of a ballgame.
Building a tradition and taking pride in Millard West is very important. We usually ask our seniors to lead the
younger guys and show them how to carry on in the MW routine. The Class of 1999 was our first group to go thru 4 years
at the school and laid a great foundation in Football, Basketball and Baseball with their talent and successes. The ’99
Baseball seniors set a goal to be State champions before they were finished and achieved that in their final Legion
season. This group was extremely close and remains so to this day. Seven of them came back to coach with us and many
still show up at the park and have a serious interest in how our current clubs go about their business on the field. The
expectations at our school are always to be good in the minds of our coaches and players. With the available talent,
facilities and proper work ethic, we expect to challenge for state honors and be among the elite each year.
Always portraying the image of a champion was one of our first challenges at West, even if our level of play
wasn’t there. People in society tend to judge you first by your appearance and mannerisms. We are not into hot-dogging,
jewelry, earrings or special haircuts. If a player is into these, then his priority is not baseball. We ask our players to do
things right – socially, academically and athletically; this is called maturity. Demonstrating class goes a long way toward
handling success and adversity in a consistent way and affords a large dose of respect from opponents. We try to
emphasize that playing our way and letting the scoreboard talk are the ultimate comebacks to those who choose to be
disrespectful.
Dealing with umpires is another emphasis on class. Our Varsity staff has earned a very good reputation with the
local umpire association over the years. It is rare that any of our coaches argue, except for a rulebook discrepancy. Some
umpires know us well enough that if we’re out there, they probably made the wrong call. We emphasize respect to all
umpires for our kids because the officials can truly influence their success or failure in the game. Umpires appreciate
hustle, so play hard, compete, and you’ll increase your chances of success. We would hope that respect for the officials
will carry over to our fans. Welcome the umpires with a hospitality that only Millard West can demonstrate. As fans, enjoy
the game and root like crazy for our guys.
Our off-season conditioning program has played a big role in helping to establish a work ethic among our players.
Many kids are fine examples of what added strength and athleticism can do to improve their play on the field. During the
winter months, those players not participating in a winter sport will lift and run 3-4 times a week before or after school. The
coaches feel that the morning time is best because it allows our group to have nearly exclusive use of the weight room,
which is overcrowded after school. Several of the kids also hold jobs after school, and this frees them up. It is a sacrifice
on their part to get up early and workout, but we do seem to build a team unity together, and these sessions are always
supervised by the coaches. The desire to be good and the competition for spots on the squad have made this a baseball
tradition.
Our athletic directors have been a great help in working with the coaches to build a competitive schedule for all of
our teams and also to play the maximum that we can fit in. This allows more kids to get the opportunity for playing time
and goes a long way toward developing depth now and for the future. Besides the 15-game Metro Conference schedule,
our varsity has added several non-conference games and competed in four of the best tournaments in the Spring. This
type of schedule can make a huge difference in the wildcard point standings for determining seeding for postseason play.
The top goals for our JV and freshman coaches is to teach the fundamentals and to develop future varsity
players, which is the end goal for the young athletes. On these lower levels, everyone gets playing time and has the
chance to prove that they could eventually be a varsity player. Versatility is expected and gives these younger guys a
chance to succeed or fail in a variety of situations.
As I have stated previously, our approach to the game of baseball is very traditional with a focus on the basics.
The real secret to this game is simply to work at it often. Practices are structured and the players get plenty of repetitions.
Our feeling is that throwing, catching, hitting and running are the skills of baseball, and if we routinely do these things
correctly, we have the ability to beat anyone. We try to put kids in positions to be successful, but also where they can help
our team the most. Baseball is a game of individual skills which ultimately have an impact on the team’s success. If an
athlete plays his role to the best of his ability, we have a chance to be very good. As our program matures, we will also
rely on past tradition and role models to spark the competitive nature in our kids.
Getting players to “Buy in” to the concept of team baseball is a bigger challenge for coaches these days. The
advent of personal coaches and individualism has hurt some teams and players from truly reaching success and puts
added pressure on kids to perform and whom to listen to. Many times a personal coach sees their pupil only in a bullpen
or batting cage and isn’t there when the real games are going on and the player needs help.
Baseball is an everyday game with many ups and downs. It seems the best, most consistent athletes are the
ones who can control their emotions and not ride that emotional rollercoaster. Strive to focus and concentrate on the task
at hand and bounce back from setbacks in a mature fashion. Players should always “respect the game” of baseball, for it
holds many years of tradition and requires great skill. We like to say that playing the game correctly will keep the baseball
gods from humbling you with a slump. Becoming a champion and being labeled as a special team do not just happen.
You have to act special, practice special, hustle special and PLAY special.
Pitching and solid defense are areas that we always place emphasis on. Your team is in every game to the end if
these are good. Pitchers must throw strikes with 3 pitches, field the position and always stay in command of their
emotions. Defensively, we stress making the routine play, hitting the cutoffs, turning double plays and being in the correct
spot for all situations.
Offensively, we work very hard at developing a good, fundamental swing for all of our hitters. With runners in
scoring position, we preach at our guys to get three hacks by being aggressive and driving in runs. The bunting game is
also a weapon, and we have a reputation of having several kids who can drag bunt. This skill usually forces the defense
to adjust and opens up more holes to hit thru. Baserunning is also a key for our team. Being smart and aggressive can
allow even slow guys to take advantage of the opponents’ mistakes. Much of our offensive strategy is based on common
sense and is dictated by the inning, score and even a coach’s “feel” for a particular situation. Then again, it all comes
down to player execution !!
The 2008 World Series squad probably epitomized the total offensive and defensive package during their entire
postseason run to glory. The 16 postseason games yielded these numbers : .378 avg., 166 runs, 61 extra-basehits, 15
bunt hits and hitting .450 with runners in scoring position. Pitchers had a 1.67 ERA and held opponents to a .222 avg.
Each ball season brings new excitement, but also the difficult task of conducting tryouts for over 100 prospective
players. Normally, we will conduct two or three split sessions each day to accommodate the large numbers. This results in
some very long days for the coaches, but does allow us to properly evaluate and keeps each group of athletes busy with
plenty of repetitions of skills. Weather also plays a big factor in the scheduling of outdoor or indoor venues. Gradually the
numbers are pared down until we have our teams for the varsity, JV and freshmen. This tryout process will take about two
weeks, but the coaches feel it is important to get a good look at the kids. The younger players can improve significantly
after a few days of instruction, so we take our time in selecting. The older players are much easier to evaluate since they
have already played in the program and we have a very good idea of their work habits.
We are looking for players with all-around skills – hitting, running, fielding and throwing. Players are graded on the
following categories: 60-yard dash, 80-foot steal sprint, hitting swing mechanics and power, arm strength, infield
mechanics, outfield mechanics and coachability, which includes being on time, hustle and following instruction. Obviously,
the specialty positions of pitcher and catcher are looked at strongly.
Eight to ten coaches will evaluate the above skills and grade the players separately. We then meet together after
the workouts to discuss the grades and put them on a master sheet. Athleticism and versatility are qualities that good
baseball players have. Pitching talent is probably the most important asset, and we always try to get our best athletes on
the mound with their arm strength and competitiveness.
Our lengthy process usually allows us to spend some workout time outside, including live scrimmages. Once
outside, defensive skills and arm strength are truly exposed to the coaches. The scrimmages help to give more insight on
hitters and pitchers in pressure situations. All in all, the prospective players get a pretty fair look from the coaches and
plenty of reps to demonstrate their skills.
Without a doubt, the most difficult part of coaching is the “cutting” process to determine the squads. Baseball is
very popular in the Millard community and important to the parents and kids who participate. Talent helps to dictate the
size of our squads, but we must also limit this to allow everyone to have playing time and enjoy the game. As a freshman
or sophomore, kids have a chance to compete on any of our levels. However, the opportunities to play become smaller as
you get older. A player must be a varsity-skilled athlete as a junior or senior for us to keep him. Cutting kids who have
previously played in the program is especially tough because they have helped to build the tradition and spent a lot of
times working on baseball. I’m not sure there is ever an easy way to handle this. After posting team lists, the coaches
always set aside time for kids to talk one-on-one about their evaluation, what they must improve upon and possible
alternative baseball programs they can play for. This face-to-face meeting can be emotional at times but is definitely the
way to address the evaluations.
I think it is also very important to meet individually with your squad members and discuss their roles on the team.
We try to be very honest with kids on their potential and what they can improve on. For Varsity players, playing time is
usually based upon performance in games and at practice. At the end of the year, we like to have a written evaluation for
each one, which helps them to focus on their weaknesses and strengths for the following season. This is also a source of
information for their parents. Many of our athletes have hopes of going on to play in college. Once again, communicating
honestly with the player and parents will hopefully find the right level of school for them.
We are also very honest in our evaluations when talking with college coaches and pro scouts. We try not to
oversell a player unless we’re sure he belongs playing at a high level. An athlete’s skills, attitude, maturity and academics
will determine his future. These coaches and scouts rely on a coach’s credibility for evaluation, and our past experiences
have taught us a few lessons of what a player must possess.
In the past decade, drug and alcohol issues have increased among the athletes in our school. This has caused
some of our baseball players to prematurely end their high school careers because of multiple violations. This has forced
the coaches and our administration to make some difficult discipline decisions and then try to move on. In nearly all cases,
the violators who returned have seen a drop in their performance. As a coach, I have seen these issues cause a “divide”
within our team and parents between those who do / or don’t want a player to return. Some of the violators and their
families have tried to place blame on the coaches for the problems. Players must decide if they want to be a true athlete
and follow the rules or engage in illegal activities.
Throughout my coaching career, I have always felt that parents can play an important role in the success of a
program. They face the tasks of being a fundraiser, fan, parent, role model and hopefully, a supporter of the coaches.
Communication with the parents about the expectations and goals of the program helps to motivate them to become
active in our efforts. They, too, want a first-class experience for their son as he works his way through his high school
years. Parents appreciate the coaches’ hard work as well, so by setting the tone at all times, the support will be there.
At Millard West, the parents’ involvement is outstanding and has allowed us to grow quickly as a program. With
proper communication, the parents and coaches can effectively draw the line between their roles once game time arrives.
Most parents understand their job is to be a classy fan and support the players’ effort while allowing the coaches to coach
the kids.
We do encourage parents to communicate with us if there is a problem. However, discretion should be used to
talk away from the field and preferably not in the heat of the moment. If the problem is playing time, the player should
always be included in any discussion, which will allow all parties to work on a solution. Occasionally, being upfront and
honest with a parent about his or her son will cause some hurt feelings because all parents are partial to their children.
I frequently remind our players to take the time to say thank you to their parents and siblings for all of their support
and efforts on our behalf. Their lives are certainly altered to accommodate all the games, fundraising, field work and
cleanup detail that goes into making Millard West baseball a success. The best thank you that a player can give is to work
at the game with an all-out effort and to maximize their potential talent at all times.
9TH INNING
RESULTS: FROM THE BASEMENT TO THE ROOFTOP
In 1996, the opening act of Millard West baseball was a rollercoaster ride of wins, losses, rain, sun and
many a learning experience for both coaches and players. Starting a program from scratch at a new school
provided plenty of challenges and frustrations, but left us with great optimism for the near future. Baseball was
truly on the rise with the potential talent, work ethic and resources available at Millard West.
A tremendous effort during the Fall had produced a baseball complex that is considered a showpiece in
the Metro Conference. Baseball tryouts got underway in February with 158 boys hopeful of making our squads.
Nine seniors were a part of this group, but none of them had ever played high school baseball and were
subsequently cut from our tryouts. Only one junior had previously played at the varsity level, so Millard West
would be loaded with inexperience. When our three teams were finalized, 27 of the 45 players were freshmen, and
they were considered our most talented class.
That first Spring, our pitching and defense were very inconsistent and led to some “ugly” games.
Offensively, we were able to generate runs to keep us competitive, but the top five to six teams in the state took
advantage of our mistakes and posted some easy wins. It was difficult to lose more often, but patience would pay
off down the road. The final Spring record of 11-15 was not a total disaster, but hopefully will never again be
repeated.
In the Summer of 1996, a marked improvement took place on the defensive side. The pitching staff found
the strike zone more often, and we began to make the routine play in the field. Therefore, the win column
increased and we hung together against the elite squads to finish at 23-22. At times, a shortage of pitching depth
hurt us with our heavier schedule. We had chosen to keep most of our younger players at the JV level, where
they had a better chance to learn how to win, which would pay off in the future. The JV and freshmen teams
enjoyed considerable success at their levels for a first-year program.
The year 1997 saw the arrival of Millard West as a baseball power in just its second season. A
concentrated group effort in the weight room during the off-season and maturity helped to negate the physical
advantage that many of our opponents held over us in 1996. This helped to build a team work ethic and was a
boost of mental confidence as well. Once we went outside for practice, there was strong evidence of this added
strength with the bat speed and arm strength shown by our returnees. The kids also showed great retention in
drills and knowledge of the game from the previous year. Tryouts were very competitive, and as the season
opener neared, the coaches and players alike were a bit apprehensive as to how much improvement had been
made.
In the upcoming weeks, the questions were answered as the added confidence and improved skills
yielded a state-best 22-5 record. Late rallies were a trademark of the ’97 club, which never felt they were out of a
game. Eleven victories were achieved in come-from-behind fashion. An upset of defending state champion and
top-ranked Ralston in mid-April to win the Elkhorn Tournament jump-started a series of wins against the best
clubs that Spring. The Wildcats rose to as high as No. 2 in the rankings by winning three consecutive regularseason tournaments. Millard West then hosted and won its first district championship to advance to the singleelimination state tournament. The final state rankings showed Millard West at No. 4 and Tom Ogee, and John
Dillingham became our first two all-state players. But now major challenges would lie ahead, and the bullseye on
our chest just got bigger for our opponents.
In the Summer, Millard West entered play with a depleted roster due to losing a couple of seniors to the
age rule and several injuries to the pitching staff. A challenging schedule, which included five tournaments and
two trips, also saw only three games lost due to rain. The coaches decided not to make a wholesale raid of a
talented JV roster, and that squad went on to challenge for the state title at their level. The final mark of 34-26
was respectable, but the expectations were going up for the future.
The 1998 season brought us another large tryout group of over 100 players and an increasing level of
talent. However, El Nino was not kind to us as we spent the entire preseason indoors. We were now among the
hunted and saw near every opponent’s ace on the mound throughout the Spring. Millard West ranked in the top
six all season but failed to beat the top four clubs at all, including a runner-up finish to Millard North in districts.
However, enough victories were achieved to earn a wildcard spot in the state tournament. A final No. 5 ranking,
finishing 20-10 and the honoring of Brian Foy and Scooter Abel as our third and fourth all-state players were
efforts to be proud of. However, the hunger for a victory and more at state is increasing and the top of the heap is
getting closer.
In the Summer of 1998, the pieces of the game began to solidify. The younger players matured,
understood their roles and received plenty of playing time. The overall depth and athleticism was our best in
three years. Having eight or nine pitchers to call on assured us of carrying the load of a heavy Summer schedule.
Victories over several quality teams boosted the confidence level, and we played for the title in each of our
regular-season tournaments. Nearly all of our players improved their skills and statistically performed much
better than in the Spring. After a runner-up finish in the Area tourney, the Wildcats traveled to the Midwest Babe
Ruth Regional Tournament in Mineral Area, Mo., along with eight other states. Once again, an Omaha-area squad
proved the competitiveness here as we finished runner-up to Park Center, Minn. A pair of one-run losses, 3-2 and
7-6, left us just short of a trip to the World Series. The experience of our one-week stay in Missouri was special
for our kids, who stayed with host families for the duration and made new friends. The Wildcats finished the
Summer at 44-16 and laid the groundwork for greater things in 1999. Solid defense, pitching depth and offensive
execution were trademarks of a good squad. With gains in strength and conditioning, the sights are set on
getting to the rooftop.
1999 --- The Wildcats entered 1999 loaded with experience (13 lettermen) and our first four-year senior
class with its state title goal still intact. Millard West put together an outstanding spring season while finishing
28-4 and ranked third in the state. Three of the four losses were to state-champion Westside, including twice in
the state tournament. Highlights included two regular-season tournament championships, a district
championship and six players earning postseason honors. Josh Kaiser, Brian Foy, Kyle Bakker and newcomer
Daniel Bruce became the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth All-State players in the Wildcats’ short history. Bakker
was honored for his perfect 10-0 season on the mound by being named captain of the Nebraska All-State team,
as well as the Gatorade state and regional player of the year.
When Summer arrived, Millard West Blackstone dominated the Area tournament in Bellevue by winning
five straight games. Blackstone capped off its summer season by capturing the Nebraska Class A State Legion
championship in Grand Island by beating Westside. Ironically, the Wildcats turned the tables on the Warriors in
the summer by beating them three out of four times played. Blackstone then moved on to regional competition in
Dickinson, N.D., and dropped a heartbreaking 12-10 decision to Tri-City, Minn., in the regional finals. Tri-City then
went on to win the national championship at the Legion World Series the following week. A final record of 49-13
had finally allowed the Millard West boys the opportunity to reach the “rooftop.” *** The 1999 summer was an
unprecedented success for a single high school program, as the Millard West Varsity, JV and Freshman teams all
captured state championships !!!
2000 – Millard West faced a re-tooling job with the ball club in 2000, as only two starting position players
returned, but several promising newcomers were now at the varsity level. After a slow start, the Wildcats went on
to win a district championship over Millard South, by beating the Indians 12-2. Moving on to the state
tournament, Millard West quickly won its first three games to advance to the finals. On championship day, Burke
denied the ‘Cats title hopes with two late-inning defeats. Millard West finished at 25-12 and as state runner-up.
Kyle Bakker and Daniel Bruce were honored as the ninth and tenth All-State players at Millard West. Bakker
repeated as captain of the Nebraska All-State team and also as the Gatorade state player of the year.
In the summer, Millard West Blackstone finished at 41-14, despite losing a couple of players due to the
Legion age rule. Highlights included winning the Lincoln Coaches Tournament and also the prestigious Gopher
Classic in Minneapolis, where the finals were played in the Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Twins. “Lights”
became a reality in June as MWBB Inc. contracted with Musco Lighting to add the crowning touch to the ballfield
at a cost of $140,000.
2001 --- A very talented Millard West squad entered the 2001 season as one of the preseason favorites.
The regular-season highlights included winning two tournaments and also capturing our first Metro Conference
tournament championship. During the season, Millard West was ranked as high as No. 11 in the USA Today
national high school poll. A loaded district tournament featured the first- through third-ranked teams in Millard
West, Millard North and Lincoln Southeast. The Wildcats earned their way to State by shutting out Millard North
and then knocking off Lincoln Southeast, which was led by standout junior Alex Gordon. Millard West and
Creighton Prep emerged as the state finalists at Rosenblatt Stadium, where the Bluejays won a dramatic 6-5
decision with a homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning. That game featured one of the finest collections of
baseball talent in many years, as 13 future Division I players were on the field. The final record of 33-6 was a
state-record for wins in one season at the time. Daniel Bruce, Adam Steyer, John Brownell, Rob Morrissey and
Jake Dugger all were named All-State players, bringing the MW total to 15 honorees in just six seasons. Bruce
was named captain of the Nebraska All-State team and also the Gatorade state player of the year.
Throughout the summer, Millard West Blackstone was among the best teams in the Midwest, while
finishing at 49-9. The team claimed three tournament titles, including the Gopher Classic in Minneapolis for the
second year in a row. We played host to the area tournament and won the title over Millard South. Another
heartbreaking loss to Prep, 2-1 at the state tournament in Hastings, kept the Wildcats out of a regional. Prep then
went on to finish third in the Legion World Series.
2002 – Millard West returned a solid nucleus in 2002 and once again was ranked among the best in the
state. The Wildcats won two regular-season tournaments and followed that by winning a district championship
over Creighton Prep. Millard West advanced to the state tournament for the sixth straight year and won three
ballgames but suffered two late-inning losses to eventual state champion Prep and runner-up Millard North,
finishing the season at 32-10 with a No. 3 ranking. Nick Leaders, Rob Morrissey and Jake Dugger were honored
as the 16th, 17th and 18th All-State players from Millard West. Leaders capped off his career as the All-State
captain with an outstanding 11-1 season on the mound and finished among the state leaders in hitting. This was
the fourth consecutive year that a Wildcat had been named captain of the All-State squad.
The Wildcats entered the summer season with a new sponsor, West Bay Properties, and had been
awarded the chance to host the first state Legion tournament at Millard West. Having lost Leaders to college
football, the Wildcats fashioned a 34-19 record and won the area title over Millard South. West Bay then went on
to finish fifth in the state tournament. Ironically, Millard North earned a host berth by virtue of the Wildcats’ area
championship, and the Mustangs went on to win the state title. Hosting a state tourney was a financial windfall
for MWBB Inc. in putting together a classy, well-run event.
2003 – Millard West embarked on the 2003 campaign with a few question marks, but still expected to vie
for top honors. The Wildcats earned a wildcard berth to enter their seventh consecutive state tournament. After a
tough opening-round loss to Millard South, Millard West fought back to win four straight games to earn a finals
spot at Rosenblatt against Westside. A wild title game saw both teams battle back several times before the
Warriors prevailed 8-6 in an extra-inning affair. MW ended the spring with another runner-up state finish and a 3010 record. Andy Masten, Ryan Schneider, Brady Schnell and Jake Dugger all earned All-State honors, bringing
the program total to 22 state accolades in eight years. Dugger became Millard West’s fifth straight captain for the
All-State team, an unprecedented feat.
West Bay won the College World Series Tournament and finished as runner-up to a powerful PapillionLaVista squad in the area finals to end the summer season at 35-18. The JV squad captured their second state
title with a solid run in the tourney at Elkhorn.
2004 – Millard West endured a rollercoaster ride through the spring of 2004, but earned their eighth
straight trip to the state tournament with a wildcard berth. Once again, a loaded district tournament yielded a pair
of outstanding games. The Wildcats edged Millard North 2-1 in nine innings in a great semi-final match-up, then
lost 1-0 to Burke ace Erik Bird. Millard West then bounced back to defeat Bird in the opening round at State,
before losing a 3-2 heartbreaker on Day 2 to eventual state champion Creighton Prep. MW finished at 31-13 with a
No. 5 state ranking.
The West Bay summer boys then put together a memorable season by winning three regular-season
tournaments. The ‘Cats saved their best for postseason play by blasting a powerful Papillion squad by 10 runs in
the Area 3 championship game. West Bay continued its fine play in the state tournament in Bellevue, winning the
first three games, including a dramatic bottom-of-the-ninth win over Millard North on a walk-off homerun by Brett
Mieras. That win earned the Wildcats a spot in the finals against Westside, where the Warriors once again
prevailed in 11 innings for the title in a great championship match-up.
West Bay moved on to the Super-State playoff in Kearney and came from behind in the late innings to
defeat Skutt in the opener. The ‘Cats then blasted Class C champion Bennington to earn a berth in the Mid-South
Legion Regional in Crowley, LA. West Bay was then eliminated with two straight losses to Lafayette (La.) and
Fort Smith (Ark.) and finished the season at 44-17.
2005 – Millard West finished at 29-10 with a No. 4 state ranking, including four close losses to undefeated
Millard North and three more losses to state runner-up Westside. The Wildcats garnered their ninth straight trip
to State with a district-championship win over Elkhorn. John Snyder and Jon Reed became the 23rd and 24th AllState players at MW.
In the summer, West Bay survived the loss of three senior pitchers while finishing at 31-17, aided by the
development of a young pitching staff. The Wildcats just missed a State spot in a runner-up area finish to Gross.
2006 – An early-season snowstorm shortened the spring by a few games. The highlight of the regular
season occurred in mid-April, as the Wildcats claimed the Metro Tournament championship with a 13-2 blasting
of Papillion-LaVista South. A shaky defense hampered MW throughout the spring despite a team-record staff
ERA of 1.96. The ‘Cats compiled a record of 21-10 and a No. 9 state ranking and missed the state tournament for
first time in 10 years by way of a tough late-inning loss to Papillion-LaVista in the district finals. Sophomore
Shaun Hoover was honored as the 25th All-State player from Millard West in 11 years of program history.
Millard West welcomed NP Dodge as its new Legion sponsor for the summer of 2006, and a very young
Wildcat squad opened the season with seven consecutive wins. The NP Dodge boys made steady progress and
played their best baseball in winning the Area 3 championship in three straight games at Millard West. The ‘Cats
opened state tournament play with a romp over Ralston and then lost a tough second-round match-up with
eventual state champion Lincoln Southwest. Millard South ended the season for NP Dodge in an elimination
game, and the Wildcats finished at 34-13. A returning group of 11 lettermen should provide the nucleus for even
better things in 2007.
2007 -- Once again, the tryout process was nearly all indoors. Millard West flew out of the gate and
opened the season with 14 straight wins over, arguably, the weaker half of the schedule. The Wildcats took home
the District championship over Millard South and returned to State after a one-year absence. A runner-up finish
th
th
to Elkhorn left the final season mark at 29-9. Jonas Dufek and David Hulsebus earned All-State as the 26 & 27
players honored at MW.
In the summer, NP Dodge struggled out of the gate at 5-11, made a couple of line-up changes and went
28-5 for the rest of the regular season. The Cats finished as Area runner-up to a strong Papillion squad and
advanced to the State Legion tourney at Elkhorn. NPD ended the summer at 37-20.
2008 -- With 11 returning lettermen, Millard West was expected to compete again for top honors. Getting
off to a 12-0 start provided confidence and the Wildcats reached the title game in each of it’s tournaments. A
District championship was secured by knocking off Lincoln East. After losing a tough 1-0 decision to Millard
North in the second-round of State, MW roared back to knock out heavily-favored Prep, Lincoln North Star and
Millard North to reach the final day with unbeaten Grand Island. After whipping GI in game one, the Cats became
hard-luck 7-6 runners-up by lining out seven times against the Islanders. A final record of 31-8 also brought AllState performances by Brandon Bass, Steve Jensen and Mike Peterson.
After a mediocre summer regular-season , NP Dodge answered a coach’s challenge and went on a postseason tear that was the best in program history. The host Wildcats outscored their Area opponents 36-9 and
rolled past Skutt twice to the title. In the State Division tourney at Millard North, NP Dodge got better each day
and swept thru five games by a combined 40-6 to take home the gold. In the Class A State play-off, the Cats
crushed Papio South 11-3 to advance to Regionals.
The Central Plains Regional in Minot, ND became a Wildcat “showcase”. A dominating offensive attack
and clutch pitching again carried NP Dodge to a five-game sweep by a 65-14 margin. A first-ever trip to the
Legion World Series brought the Cats to Shelby, NC. A tough opening 6-5 loss to national champion Las Vegas
Gorman and another setback to Jonesboro, AR ended a dream season for all at 41-18. Brandon Bass earned the
Louisville Slugger Award for the top batting average in the country for all Region and World Series participants.
2009 -- Millard West played on a bit of a roller-coaster throughout the spring while winning only the
Lincoln East Invitational. After a shocking loss to Bellevue West in District play, the Wildcats still earned a
wildcard spot at State. A 1-2 mark in Lincoln finished the season at 27-10 and a #6 ranking. Brandon Bass and
st
Tyler Niederklein were named the 31 and 32
nd
All-State honorees at Millard West.
After the disappointing spring, the NP Dodge boys made a huge improvement in summer ball and
finished at 42-6. Along the way, the Cats put together three 12-game streaks, won the Greater Omaha League,
went undefeated at home (18-0) and finished off 22 games by the early-run rule. NP Dodge hammered their
Ralston Area tourney foes 50-3 over three games. A second straight State Division title at Bellevue’s Roddy Field
was also a five-day sweep and knocking out Papio South twice to earn the gold. A heartbreaking 3-2 loss at
Westside in the Class A play-off pushed NP Dodge to the tough Mid-South Regional in Enid, OK. After an opening
win over New Orleans, LA, the Cats dropped a pair to the Texas and Mississippi champs to end a stellar summer.
2010 -- After spending the entire pre-season indoors, the first day outside for the Wildcats was a seasonopening win at Creighton Prep. Winning tournaments at Lincoln East and Millard South were regular-season
highlights. Millard West took home the District title with a win over Fremont to land a spot at State for the 13
th
time. A hard-fought 4-3 loss in 11 innings to champion Papio South was the key game and the Wildcats finished
at 32-5 and a #2 ranking. Brett Bass, A.J. Ladwig and Kyle Kruger were All-State selections. Bass was named the
All-State captain, the sixth MW player to do so. The pitching staff twirled 3 no-hitters during the season.
The summer ushered in Key-To-Omaha as our new sponsor. The Wildcats continued to play well, led by
an outstanding pitching staff, by winning three tourneys and finishing 2
Greater Omaha league for the 2
nd
nd
in two others. The squad won the
straight year and ended 20 games early by the run-rule. The Area Tournament
at historic Brown Park included a pair of wins over Papio South. In the State tourney at Papillion, the Wildcat bats
rd
cooled and the pitching staff lost some control as KTO finished 3 . The final record of 45-7 was excellent but fell
rd
short of a 3 straight Regional.
2011 -- The pitching staff was a huge strength for the Wildcats throughout the season in tossing ten
shutouts and having two hurlers on the All-State squad. Winning the title in a tough Monarch Invitational was a
highlight of the regular season. Millard West earned a spot in the State tourney by crushing Papillion-LaVista 121 in the District final. After winning the first three rounds at the State, the Cats were denied a title by nemesis
Papio South while failing to score in the last two games. The champion Titans won 5 of 6 meetings with MW in
the Spring. A final record of 28-9 also yielded three All-State selections : Adam Morey, A.J. Ladwig and Nate
Griep.
The Summer of 2011 began with a new Senior Legion sponsor in Roof Tech. The Wildcats played
outstanding team baseball during the first half of the season by putting together a 25-1 record which included a
record 20-game winning streak and three consecutive tourney titles. A first-ever trip to Springfield, MO was a
clinic for one of the best weekends in Millard West history in defeating several “select-travel” ballclubs. Injuries
to four key players (including two season-ending) slowed the attack during the second half. Roof Tech went
undefeated in league play for the third consecutive Summer Greater Omaha championship. The host Cats
smoked Ralston 15-0 to claim the Area 1 title. In State play at Prep, the Wildcats beat Fremont, then lost back-toback duels with champion Prep and runner-up Papio South. The record of 39-8 featured six walk-off wins.
2012 -- One of the warmest Springs in memory allowed most of the pre-season to be outdoors. The
Millard West attack was on fire during the first four weeks in getting off to a 15-0 start by averaging 10 runs per
game. In April, the Wildcats won their second consecutive Monarch Invite and finished second in the MW and
Metro tournaments. The offensive output slowed considerably during the second half of the season and the Cats
had to grab a wildcard slot to State. A 1-2 finish in the State tourney, leaving 29 runners on base, dropped West
th
th
st
to 29-8 and a #5 final rank. Nate Griep, Marcus Ethen and Ryan Merrill became the program’s 39 , 40 and 41
All-State selections. Griep was also named the All-State captain and the Nebraska Gatorade Player-of-the-Year.
In the Summer, the hitting and pitching never meshed together as Roof Tech finished at 36-19. The
inconsistent play left the Wildcats without a tournament title for the first time in 5 years. Roof Tech finished as
Area runner-up to World Series-qualifier Prep to earn a State berth in Kearney. The SportClips JV squad
displayed several talented arms in sweeping five games to win the State Junior Tournament championship.
2013 – Millard West fielded one of its youngest Varsity squads ever. The Spring weather was somewhat
awful and forced 13 games to be cancelled from the schedule. Several game days required multiple layers of
clothing to keep warm. MW did not have a full outdoor practice until District week. Despite the conditions, the
Cats’ pitching staff was sharp overall and pushed the team to an 18-7 record and a Top 5 ranking for most of the
season. During the only full week of the year, MW played some of its best ball in winning our own invitational
th
which featured some of the state’s best clubs. The other highlight was winning the 11 District title at home and
th
qualifying for State for the 16 time. SS Ryan Merrill was rewarded with an All-State honor for the second year in
a row.
Roof Tech finished at 36-16 in the Summer and endured several injuries that forced 15 of 16 players to
see action on the pitching mound. The Wildcats went undefeated in pool-play in both regular-season tourneys
hosted at West. The major focus was hosting a very successful State Tournament at the end of July. Cooperative
weather, plenty of fans, a beautiful facility and lots of parent-help spelled success for MWBB Inc. A young
ballclub got plenty of experience and hopefully set the table for greater things in the future.
2014 – With 12 returning lettermen, the Wildcats had experience at nearly every position. The early
weather allowed for the first Black/Green Intra-squad World Series in the pre-season. A season-opening win over
#1 Westside provided momentum for a quick 9-0 start in the first couple of weeks. In four regular-season
th
tourneys, Millard West finished runner-up in three of them. A 10-2 thrashing of Lincoln SW earned the 12 District
th
championship and qualified MW for State for the 17 time in 19 years. A State-opening win over Bellevue West
th
was the 500 win in school history. A pair of tough losses to Grand Island & champion Westside left the Wildcats
rd
th
th
at 25-9 and a #4 final ranking. Logan Jacik, Phil Ehly and Cole Stobbe were honored as the 43 , 44 & 45 AllStaters in program history.
In the Summer, Roof Tech opened with 11 straight wins and played well in tournaments by winning poolplay in four of them. Three trips, including a return to the Gopher Classic, yielded some of the team’s best play.
The success in Minnesota also allowed the squad to attend the Home-Run Derby at the MLB All-Star game. A
th
runner-up finish at the Area Tourney in Papillion qualified the Wildcats for State for the 13 time. The last three
days at Brown Park, Roof Tech “maxed-out” the effort by whipping Millard North, Papio South and Westside. A
second game with Westside saw the lead exchanged 7 times, but the Warriors denied the Cats a State title by a 96 margin. A state runner-up mark of 41-13 featured solid improvement offensively & defensively and included 15
games ended by the run-rule. The pitching staff set a team record of a 1.88 team ERA, with 16 shutouts and 3 nohitters.
EXTRA INNINGS : THE RECORDS
Millard West Baseball (1996 – 2014)
VARSITY SPRING
(Overall 501 – 170 = .747)
District Champions
1997
2011
1999
2013
2000
2014
2001
2002
2005
2007
2008
2010
State Appearances
1997
2007
1998
2008
1999
2009
2000
2010
2001
2011
2002
2012
2003
2013
2004
2014
2005
16 years Top 5 finishes
45 All-Staters
90 Kids to college baseball (22 current)
7 Alumni to pro baseball
VARSITY SUMMER (Overall 735 – 291 = .716)
Area Champions
1999
2001
2002
2004
2006
2008
2009
2010
2011
State Champions
1999
2008
2009
State Appearances
Regionals
World Series
1999
2011
1999
2008
2001
2012
2004
2002
2013
2008 (Champs)
2004
2014
2009
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
13 years Top 5 finishes
JV SUMMER
Area Champions
1997
1998
1999
2003
2004
2007
2008
2009
2010
2012
2014
FRESHMAN SUMMER
State Champions
1999
2001
2002
2004
2005
2006
State Champions
1999
2003
2012