Video: Top 10 Plays of the Year // 2017-18 See the absolute best from the recently ended school year.
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 came to a conclusion last week, MaxPreps began taking a look at which Nebraska prep baseball players made the year's strongest run toward the Triple Crown (leading the state in batting average, home runs and runs batted in).
After running through the numbers on MaxPreps' statistics database Tuesday morning, nine different baseball programs placed baseball players at or near the top of the list. One school, however, stood out after landing two players in this week's Top 10.
Grand Island, the No. 9 team in the latest MaxPreps Class A ratings, placed first baseman/pitcher Cole Evans at No. 2, while fellow infielder/pitcher Shay Schanaman slips in at No. 6.
Jay Adams of Waverly did not achieve the Triple Crown, but he did come real close and takes the top spot. Adams finished in the top 10 in all three hitting categories. The infielder/pitcher posted the state's top batting average of .476 and sits seventh with 3 home runs and fifth with 28 RBIs.
Evans, who hit .432, smashed three round trippers and knocked in 34 runs, also placed in the Top 10 in all three categories. Elkhorn infielder/outfielder Aiden Young finished third after he hit .453, knocked two balls out of the park and was credited with 24 RBIs. The freshman played his way into the Top 15 of all three categories. Columbus' Trevor Kaslon and Will Reetz of Elkhorn South round out this week's Top 5 at Nos. 4 and 5 respectively.
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 130 athlete's numbers in each category, a point system was used to calculate the Top 10.
Nebraska's Top 10 Triple Crown baseball players
Will Reetz, Elkhorn South
Photo by Samuel Mfinanga
.476 Batting Average, 3 Home Runs, 28 RBIs
2. Cole Evans, Grand Island, Jr. – 1B/P.432 Batting Average, 3 Home Runs, 34 RBIs
3. Aiden Young, Elkhorn, Fr. – INF/OF.453 Batting Average, 2 Home Runs, 24 RBIs
4. Trevor Kaslon, Columbus, Sr. – 1B/3B/P.464 Batting Average, 1 Home Run, 27 RBIs
5. Will Reetz, Elkhorn South (Omaha), Sr. – 1B/P.398 Batting Average, 6 Home Runs, 23 RBIs
6. Shay Schanaman, Grand Island, Sr. – SS/P.371 Batting Average, 4 Home Runs, 41 RBIs
7. Josh Aho, Plattsmouth, Sr. – C/3B/P.375 Batting Average, 4 Home Runs, 23 RBIs
8. Austin Oswald, Skutt Catholic (Omaha), Jr. – INF.397 Batting Average, 1 Home Run, 25 RBIs
9. Houston Fogelstrom, Omaha North, Jr. – 3B/2B.436 Batting Average, 1 Home Run, 18 RBIs
10. Zach Munson, Burke (Omaha), Sr. – 2B/P.373 Batting Average, 1 Home Run, 18 RBIs
