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Sometimes a little luck goes a long way toward producing state championships. Great coaches have been known to mold pretty good baseball teams into champions as well.
But nothing beats talent.
As the Nebraska state baseball tournament concluded a couple of weeks ago, MaxPreps began taking a look at which Nebraska prep pitchers made the year's strongest run toward the Triple Crown (leading the state in earned run average, wins and strikeouts).
After running through the numbers on MaxPreps' statistics database, we discovered that nine different baseball programs placed at least one pitcher at or near the top of the list. Millard West, however, stood out after placing two athletes on this week's Top 10. The Class A state-qualifying Wildcats landed Colby Gomes and Easton Young in this week's Nos. 2 and 3 spots, respectively.
Cade Povich of Bellevue West did not achieve the Triple Crown this spring, but he did come awful close. The senior hurler owns the Cornhusker State's best earned run average of 0.55, finished fourth with 74 strikeouts and posted six wins, fifth best in Nebraska.
Buck Leinen of Omaha Concordia/Brownell Talbot/Omaha Christian Academy and Millard South's Kyle Perry rounded out the Top 5 at Nos. 4 and 5 respectively. Omaha Burke's Hunter Waugh finished with Nebraska bests of nine wins and 89 strikeouts, to secure the other two-thirds of the Triple Crown. Waugh concluded his senior season with a 2.24 earned run average, Nebraska's 43rd best ERA.
In order to be considered for this week's Top 10, a baseball player had to make the Top 50 in at least one of the three categories according to MaxPreps' statistics database. Then, after we logged each of the 95 athlete's numbers in each category, a point system was used to calculate the Top 10.
Nebraska's Top 10 pitching Triple Crown contenders1. Cade Povich, Bellevue West (Bellevue), Sr. — LHP, OF0.55 ERA, 6 wins, 74 strikeouts
2. Colby Gomes, Millard West (Omaha), Sr. — RHP, SS, 3B1.06 ERA, 7 wins, 68 strikeouts
3. Easton Young, Millard West, Sr. — LHP0.80 ERA, 6 wins, 50 strikeouts
4. Buck Leinen, Concordia/Brownell/Omaha Christian Academy (Omaha), Sr. — LHP, 1B1.44 ERA, 6 wins, 78 strikeouts
5. Kyle Perry, Millard South (Omaha), Sr. — LHP1.56 ERA, 5 wins, 79 strikeouts
6. Creighton Silvain, Roncalli Catholic (Omaha), Sr. — RHP, 2B1.79 ERA, 7 wins, 53 strikeouts
7. Hunter Waugh, Burke (Omaha), Sr. — RHP, 1B2.24 ERA, 9 wins, 89 strikeouts
8. Jake MacDonald, Blair, Sr. — RHP, 3B1.18 ERA, 4 wins, 51 strikeouts
9. Alex Pavon, Bellevue East (Bellevue), Sr. — RHP, CF1.39 ERA, 5 wins, 45 strikeouts
10. Jackson Gordon, Skutt Catholic (Omaha), Sr. — RHP, SS, 2B1.22 ERA, 4 wins, 47 strikeouts
