Baseball Notes: 'Horns boost Beatrice

The Beatrice Bruins, already 19 games into their season, may soon have their full roster for the first time this summer.

Beatrice coach Bob Steinkamp said he expected infielders Jordan Etier and Kevin Lusson of national runner-up Texas to join the team this week. The Longhorns finished their season last week with a loss to LSU in the national championship series.

“They had a pretty good excuse not to be there,” Steinkamp said.

The Texas players are two of 11 from the Big 12 on the Beatrice roster this summer, joining four each from Nebraska and Texas A&M and one from Texas Tech.

Steinkamp said Husker pitcher Tyler Farst, who is recovering from knee surgery, and Adam Bailey should also be with the Bruins this week. It will help bolster a team that the longtime coach said “started really slow.” Beatrice lost nine of its first 14 games before winning five straight entering a game Friday at the Clarinda A's.

Steinkamp said his team is full of “high quality players that play with good programs.”

“The whole team is capable,” he said. “There's not big superstars or anything. Just some good, quality players.”

Diamond Spirit shines in Minnesota

Omaha Diamond Spirit baseball coach Arden Rakosky said he liked what he saw out of his team at a tournament in Minnesota last weekend.

Rakosky's group of college-age players finished fifth out of 16 teams in the SPAMtown Challenge, a tournament Friday through Sunday in Austin, Minn. The Diamond Spirit went 2-1, losing only to a team that reached the finals.

“The guys played well,” Rakosky said. “I was very pleased.”

Rakosky said the five-hour drive on Friday afternoon may have played a part in their lone loss. An error led to four runs in the 6-3 setback.

UNO pitching recruit Brady Banse helped the Diamond Spirit bounce back, firing 6.2 innings of one-hit ball in a 4-1 win over a team from New York. Banse was back in his hometown, even playing at Riverland Community College, his school before joining the Mavericks.

Rakosky also singled out Anthony Bazant of Bellevue University and ex-Nebraska shortstop Ben Kline for their weekend performances. Bazant had three triples and four stolen bases while Kline went 7 of 9 on the weekend, batting from the No. 2 spot in the order.

• Some players from local colleges in summer leagues (player, team, league):

Creighton: Kirk Clark, Anchorage Glacier Pilots, Alaska League; Bob Lackovic, Waterloo, Northwoods League; Brandon Koenigstein, Wausa, Northwoods League; Carson Vitale, Wausa, Northwoods League; Rob Knight, Eau Claire, Northwoods League; Elliot Soto, Hyannis, Cape Cod League; Eric Bruns, DuBois, Prospect League; Jack Van Leur, Valley League; Ian Dike, Valley League; Matt Patterson, Duluth, Northwoods League.

Nebraska: Boomer Collins, La Crosse, Northwoods; Kash Kalkoski, Lacrosse, Northwoods; Sean Yost, Duluth, Northwoods; Matt Freeman, Athletes in Action, Alaskan; Cory Burleson, Lacrosse, Northwoods; Kale Kiser, Wausau, Northwoods; Casey Hauptman, Anchorage Bucs, Alaskan; Cody Asche, Duluth, Northwoods; Tyler Farst, Beatrice, M.I.N.K; Michael Mariot, Beatrice, M.I.N.K; Jordan Roualdes, Beatrice, M.I.N.K; Adam Bailey, Beatrice, M.I.N.K; Mike Nesseth, Cotuit, Cape Cod; Eric Rose, Hays, Jayhawk.

UNO: Derek Nelson, Nebraska Sporting Goods, Upper Deck; Trevor Gappa, Nebraska Sporting Goods, Upper Deck; Colby McCord, Nebraska Sporting Goods, Upper Deck; Dan Harder, Nebraska Sporting Goods, Upper Deck; Vince Gruber, Lawlor's Sportswear, Upper Deck; Steve Wilson, Lawlor's Sportswear, Upper Deck; Ryan Daly, SZ Max Potential, Upper Deck; Dan Casey, Diamond Spirit, Upper Deck; Brady Banse, Diamond Spirit, Upper Deck; Jeremy Klein, Derby Twins, Jayhawk; Travis Jacobi, Derby Twins, Jayhawk; Joe Holtmeyer, Beatrice, M.I.N.K.; Brady Hohl, Swift Current, Canadian.

— Nick Rubek (850-0781, nickrubek@hotmail.com)

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