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The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
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Crowned in Papillion

Millard West sweeps Monarch Invite
Sam Whittaker, Editor-in-Chief • April 30, 2025
Sam Whittaker
Taking a swing, senior infielder Landon Horst puts a charge into a ball against Elkhorn South. The senior credits a large part of his hot hitting and production to playing summer baseball in Atlanta while also keeping a clear head in the box. “When I go up to hit, I try not to think at all,” Horst said. “I feel I am more successful when I have a clear head rather than trying to do something and having that take focus away from the actual pitch coming at me. I’m looking for pitches that I can handle, especially early in counts like anything belt high and middle in.”

The Millard West baseball team battled through a packed Monarch Invite schedule from April 25-26 at Fricke Field, ultimately sweeping the competition to claim the tournament title while also picking up crucial wildcard points. 

Due to weather conditions, the Cats were forced into playing two games on Friday, April 25. Millard West opened with a 5-4 victory over the Papillion-La Vista Monarchs, fueled by senior pitcher Brady Ferguson’s five-inning, eight-strikeout start and a three-RBI performance from junior infielder Jake Daniel. A two-run rally in the top of the seventh inning proved to be the difference even though the Wildcats fell behind in the first few innings.

“It was definitely frustrating because I felt that I had made some avoidable mistakes that led to those runs,” Ferguson said. “I had a second to reset between batters and innings and go back out to keep attacking batters to give us a shot to win regardless of if I had my best stuff or not. It was very important to win that game because it not only dictated if we were going to make the winners or losers bracket, but it set the tone.”

A couple hours later, the Cats were set to face the Gretna Dragons who came off an 11 inning thriller to knock off the top seeded Millard South Patriots 2-1. Millard West would pull out another 5-4 win over the Dragons thanks to early pitching excellence with sophomore Colton Williams throwing three scoreless innings while the offense pumped out three runs after three complete. Both sides collected two runs in the fifth inning along with the Dragons putting up two more in the top of the sixth before senior Trent Helms and junior Rowen Scholting would finish off the game with Scholting striking out five batters.

“It’s been a challenge adjusting to higher level pitching,” freshman Kade Skoumal said. “I work hard to prepare during practices to give myself the highest opportunity for success. The coaching staff have been very supportive in providing feedback to help make me a better player especially through this tournament. 

In Saturday’s championship matchup, Millard West would once again faceoff against the Elkhorn South Storm for the third time this season. After trailing 1-0 since the bottom of the first, the Cats would explode in the top of the fifth with six runs that fueled them to a narrow 6-5 win. Senior Sam Kidd reached base twice with a double, a walk and two RBIs. Senior Ethan Cole picked up the win on the mound, while senior Payton Roberts secured the final outs despite a late push from the Storm. 

“This last stretch of games has been huge for us,” Kidd said. “Starting 4-6, we knew we had to turn things around. We’re 11-3 since, and really it’s been a complete team flip. We’ve grown together and go out and grind out wins. The boys love playing with each other and it’s starting to show because we’re getting hot at the right time.”

The Wildcat’s sweep of the Monarch Invite gives them momentum heading into the back half of their regular season with key wins that strengthen their push to host a district game on Saturday, May 10.

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About the Contributor
Sam Whittaker
Sam Whittaker, Staff Reporter
Also known as the voice of Millard West Hockey, Sam is a senior at Millard West in his second full year on the Catalyst Staff. He spent the summer cheering on the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team on their way to a national championship and visiting colleges. In his free time, Sam cheers on his favorite Tennessee based sports teams whenever he isn’t working or covering Millard West athletics.