Bellevue West Spring Varsity Sports Preview for Baseball, Boys’ and Girls’ Track & Field, Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer, Girls’ Tennis, and Boys’ Golf as provided by the coaches.
Baseball
- Head Coach: Jason Shockey
- 11th Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Curt Shockey, Mike Reggio, Dylan Casey, Reese Baumgartner, and Aaron Mason
- Last Year’s Record: 27-8 (Spring), 41-13 (Summer)
Season Outlook: We’ve got a solid nucleus returning from our summer legion team that made it to the State Championship game. With that being said, we had 9 seniors graduate and will look to our senior leaders to navigate our young players through a challenging schedule. We’ve got a very good group of kids that come to practice every day with the intent of getting better and making each other better. We are looking forward to getting the season started.
The season started last week on Thursday, March 20 at home vs Westview.
Team Leaders:
- Drew Grego – SS/RHP – (Senior/signed with Nebraska) – Drew has been a starter for 4 years and he is one of the best players in the state. He is a 2-time All-State player. Drew is an excellent leader both on and off the field.
- Cole Madden – RHP/C – (Senior/signed with Hutch CC) – Cole has been on varsity since his freshman year. Over the course of the last 2 years, he has been one of our top arms and also a mainstay behind the plate for us.
- Zack Pinneo – SS/2B – (Senior/signed with Southeast CC) – Zack had an excellent summer for us. He was one of the top statistical leaders all summer long at the plate. He is a very solid middle infielder and leads by example.
- Brayden Woodard – RHP – (Senior/signed with Southeast CC) – Brayden has been a starter on the mound for us over the course of the last two years and will be in that same role this year. He does a very job of commanding the zone and relies on a solid 3-4 pitch mix.
- Griffin Baltzell – OF/1B – (Senior/signed with Northeast CC) – Griffin had a very good start to last summer’s season before an injury cut it short. Griff has a solid left-handed swing and will be a vital piece in our lineup. His athleticism and arm strength allow him to play all 3 spots in the outfield.
- Aiden Ensor – OF (Junior) – Aiden had an unbelievable sophomore summer last season. He led-off the majority of the season and was a key piece in our outfield. Aiden is very much an “on-field” leader and is a very versatile outfielder for us.
Boys Track and Field
- Head Coach: Derrell Bradford
- 1st Season as Boys Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Emilia Bradford (Asst. Sprints), Danielle Anderson (Long/Triple Jump), Bryan Bell (Throws), Christian Bell (Throws), Jorell Richardson (Asst. Sprints), and Nick Allman (JV Sprints)
- Last Season, our boys placed 4th at the state meet. Asher Jenkins was responsible for three gold medals at state, but is now a freshman competing at Air Force Academy. We now must replace those points scored by Asher with the young, talented group we have now.
Season Outlook: This season what I am looking forward to seeing the most is how competitive our team can be in the team scores at each meet. I think we will be very competitive in the throws, jumps, sprints, hurdles, and relays which should put us in the hunt for meet champions each week. We won 3 meets last year and we want to keep that momentum going. Our team is very young with some solid senior leaders who are ready to compete.
Our team will be strong in multiple areas. We have the potential to win multiple meets, and these kids are hungry to be the best. Our sprints led our team last year, but this year i think our field events and the sprint events will split those responsibilities. We have mid-distance runners who are ready to step up and contribute to our team’s success. These kids genuinely enjoy track and field, and it is a joy to be a part of.
The season kicked off last Saturday, March 22, at the College of Saint Mary.
Team Leaders:
- Braylon Chism – a Senior who medaled in the 300 Hurdles and the 4×400 Relay last year at the state meet. He teaches others when they are in need and stays calm even when things go wrong. Braylon leads the team in warm ups and is someone who gives his all no matter how intense the workout maybe. He is someone I can trust to give a demonstration on any drill we do.
- Justin Miller – a senior mid distance runner who competes in the 800 and 1600 meters. Justin pushes himself to the maximum every time he steps on the track no matter how he’s feeling. He’s lowered his times consistently from his freshman season and is on track to keep it going. Justin leads the runners in our distance group and is supportive of others in their events. You can count on Justin to put the work in when no one is watching and that mentality rubs off on his teammates.
Most Improved:
- Breu Van Briesen – a Junior who competes in the 100/200 and 4×100 Relay. Breu dropped his 100 meter personal best from his freshman season by over 1 full second to sub 11 times in his sophomore season. He shows up to every practice ready to get better and is one of the hardest workers on our team. He is a student of his events and is always researching ways to improve. I’m excited to see him emerge as an elite sprinter in Class A this year.
- Caleb Thorn – a senior thrower who competes in the shot put. Caleb consistently scored in the shot put which were valuable points in team totals. Caleb started last season just above 41 feet in the shot put and finished the season with a personal best over 49 feet. I think this year he continues to improve and hops several feet over 50 feet.
Boys Soccer
- Head Coach: Alex Zimmer
- 3rd Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Brady Batchelor, Milton Navarro, Cesar Garcia (JV Coach)
- Last Year’s Record: 8-10
Season Outlook: We are most looking forward to seeing how far our group of 9 seniors can lead us through the year. This year’s group is one of the more talented and committed groups that we’ve had in a long time. They hold themselves to a high standard and exceed expectations.
Our season kicked off last week on Thursday, March 20 at home vs Omaha South.
Team Leaders: Andrew Carlson, 12th grade, is a four-year starter and returning captain. Displays a calm demeanor and poise in all situations. Caden Howard, 12th grade, is a four-year starter and returning captain. Leads by example and works hard. Alex Althof, 12th grade, is a four-year starter. Talented player that players naturally follow and very vocal.
Most Improved: Cesar Valencia, 12th grade. Stepped up in goal last year and has improved dramatically. Expect a big season for him between the sticks.
Girls Soccer
- Head Coach: Alan Carr
- 3rd Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Tobias Maertzke, Jayda Noble, Ella Pelletier
- Last Year’s Record: 12-6 (District Finalist)
Season Outlook: We have a lot of returning varsity starters along with a talented group of freshmen. We have three sets of sisters on varsity this year: Ashley Ramirez (Junior) and Jaylen Ramirez (Freshman); Moriah Sears (Junior) and Yirah Sears (Freshman); and Zoey Ryan (Junior) and Josie Ryan (Freshman). Our season started last week on Thursday, March 20th, away at Elkhorn South.
Team Leaders:
- Bethany Potts – Senior Defender – will lead the defensive line – sets a great example
- Maddy Morgia – Junior Midfielder – 4 goals, 8 assists – key piece in our midfield
- Zoey Ryan – Junior Midfielder – 9 goals, 10 assists – key piece in our midfield
- Vanna Reitsma – Junior attacker – 20 goals, 16 assists. One of the highest points scored in the state last year
Most Improved: Incoming Freshman Rylee O’Brien, Brynlee Christensen, Yirah Sears, and Josie Ryan will all be heavily involved with Varsity.
Boys Golf
- Head Coach: Rick Mintken
- 3rd Season as Head Coach
- Assistant Coaches: Dane Bacon
Season Outlook: We should have a solid group of returning players, so we should be able to be competitive in most meets. We have 23 boys out for golf of all abilities. Look to continue to build a strong boys golf program at Bellevue West.
The season starts this week on Wednesday, March 26 at Benson Golf Course.
Team Leaders: Will Dupuis (Sr), has really improved from last year and looking to have a strong senior year. Playing in some events outside of the school season against better competition. Ryan Hartmann, Mack Kennedy, Kyler Nighswonger, Gavin Turner, Isaiah Tenski, Jacob Pearson, Adam Williams, Andrew Thomas, and Chase Contreras should be some kids competing for varsity spots at meets. We also have a few freshmen who could challenge for spots.
Most Improved: Will Dupuis. He has put a lot of time/effort into improving (shot 68 or 69 this summer), so looking to see what he can do this year.
Girls Tennis
- Head Coach: Stattin Yates
- 1st Season as Head Coach
Season Outlook: I’m excited for my first season at Bellevue West. We have a great group of seniors led by Olivia Berger and Jillian Sasek. Other players who will make an impact are Angela Berger, Karsyn Hansen, Addison Liberty, and Mia Toelle. Also helping add depth to the Birds are Tory Adams, Gabi Suarez, and Prodigy Doumassi.
