Nebraska - The best player in Nebraska this spring was the one who took the ball and made winning feel inevitable.

That was Colin Driffill.

The Millard North ace put together a dominant 2026 campaign, leading the Mustangs through the spring while establishing himself as one of the premier arms in the region. When Driffill took the mound against Nebraska competition, Millard North were nearly assured a victory.

Across 10 starts, the Kansas State commit logged 51.1 innings while posting an 8-1 record with a microscopic 0.818 ERA. He struck out 75 hitters, walked only 20, and held opposing hitters to a .156 average against. The numbers tell the story. Few pitchers in the state controlled games the way Driffill did.

The right-hander’s fastball climbed as high as 95 mph throughout the season, but the biggest development came with his breaking ball. What started as a complementary pitch evolved into his go-to weapon. Sitting 79-82 mph and touching 84-85 mph, the slider featured late, tight break and became a pitch Driffill could manipulate in and out of the zone whenever he needed an out.

The stuff was loud. The results were louder. And when the stage got bigger, Driffill kept showing up.

In the state championship game, Driffill battled through a few early hiccups against defending champion Lincoln East and kept Millard North within striking distance all night. He worked six innings and exited with the game tied 5-5. The Mustangs eventually pushed across the winning run in extra innings while their ace watched from the dugout after delivering one more championship-level outing.

But what separated Driffill from everyone else may have been what happened away from the field.

“Colin was a vital piece in our success this year, not just in his pitching performance,” said Millard North head coach Bob Hlavac. “His approach to becoming an elite player is unparalleled from nutrition to workouts and after game recovery. Colin led by example, he helped establish the standard at Millard North.”

Dominant performance. Consistent results. Program-changing impact.

That combination makes Colin Driffill the Prep Baseball Nebraska Player of the Year.

Previous Nebraska Players of the Year:

2018: DYLAN PHILLIPS, OF/LHP, CREIGHTON PREP
2019: MAX ANDERSON, SS, MILLARD WEST
2021: CADE BARTON, RHP, OMAHA SKUTT CATHOLIC
2022: JALEN WORTHLEY, LHP, LINCOLN EAST
2023: CAMDEN KOZEAL, SS, MILLARD SOUTH
2024: TYSON LEWIS, SS, MILLARD WEST
2025: BRODY JINDRA, SS/RHP, ELKHORN SOUTH

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