p>The 2026 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement is present throughout Nebraska. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across the Cornhusker State.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons at Werner Park at the NSAA championship games, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to shine a spotlight on all teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Nebraska.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state.

Each week we will be releasing our Team Previews, Team Rankings, Scout Blog, Diamond Notes, and Player of The Week, covering all the bases across the state of Nebraska. Today we are looking at the top contenders from Class B.

---

GRETNA EAST GRIFFINS  

Defending State Champs start the year at number one in the 2026 Preseason Power Rankings.

12 ranked upperclassmen return for head coach Darrell Everhart. Six seniors are committed to play at the next level: UTIL Kasen Brown (Iowa Central CC), C/OF Kuba Brown (Illinois Institute of Technology), C Carson Hermann (Cloud County CC), RHP Gavin Hovermale (Concordia), RHP Seth Milne (Wayne State). That experience will be leaned on throughout the season on the mound and in the box.

Juniors Chase Neneman, Carter Woodson, Colton Kuhl, Drew Barretta all were major contributors last year and will give the Griffins as much depth as anyone in 2026.

---

OMAHA SKUTT SKY HAWKS  

The Sky Hawks enter 2026 after a semifinal exit in 2025.

Florida State commit and #1 ranked player in the Nebraska 2027 class Bubba Day will get a lot of the headlines and deservedly so. His fastball will sit mid 90s with some of the best tunneling in his offspeed pitches of anyone in the state and is right on Colin Driffill's heels as the best arm in the state.

Skutt is not a one man band with 12 total returning ranked upperclassmen, even 6 each in the ‘26 and ‘27 classes. They are as deep on the mound as any Class B program and have a balance to the lineup that will produce runs all year.

---

BENNINGTON BADGERS  

Fresh off a record breaking regular season in 2025, the Badgers start 2026 at #3.

A strong junior class with 6 returning ranked players, complemented by two ranked seniors. Three key arms in Senior RHP Dominic Mendocino and Juniors LHP Brody Litch and RHP Brandt Schmidt are back to lead Coach Heese’s pitching staff.

Senior Charlie Swoboda brings back his team leading 106 at bats in 2025 and will provide the muscle in an inexperienced lineup.

---

ELKHORN NORTH WOLVES

10 returning ranked upperclassmen for the 2026 Wolves.

Depth on the mound will be a strength this year for Head Coach Adam Dunn. Seniors RHP Garrett Ringenberg (Uncommitted), Nolan Rapp (Northwest Missouri State), Sam Hunsberger (Uncommitted), Jack Settles (Nebraska Wesleyan) and Juniors RHP Maxwell Yager and Ian Christo provide a stable of arms at Elkhorn North’s disposal, with all of them pitching significantly in 2025.

Seniors INF Jake Janssen and C Ethan Asmus return to lead the offense as they did in 2025, with Sophomore INF Connor Wurdeman a name to keep an eye on.

---

NORRIS TITANS  

Three senior college commits headline the 2026 Norris Titans.

RHP/3B Bryce Fountain (Cloud County CC) was a two way star in 2025, hitting over .420 with 7 XBH while pouring in 26 IP with 25 Ks to a 2.26 ERA. C Alec Small (Omaha), one of the top backstops in the state, hit .300 last year and is a former Prep Baseball Senior Futures Games Team Plains attendee. 1B/3B Kaden Fredenburg (Highland CC) provides experience and thump in the middle of the order.

Keep an eye on two sophomores that played a big role last season, outfielders Ashton Monroe and Trace Fountain are two must watch young names on this Norris Titans team.

---

WAVERLY VIKINGS

7 total ranked upperclassmen return for the Vikings in 2026.

Senior OF Zach McElhose (Marshalltown CC) and Junior INF Carson Malcolm return as the top hitters in the lineup, both bringing back 80 at bats each with 12 combined extra base hits.

Senior LHP Kael Lade (Southeast CC) and Junior Codey Nienhueser both add over 18 innings of experience from last season to lead the pitching staff, with Lade striking out 26 and walking just 8 in 2025.

---

ELKHORN ANTLERS  

4 seniors will steer the ship for the Antlers in 2026.

OF Slade Waggoner (Washburn), INF Caiden Severson (Uncommitted), and OF Camden Carle lead the offensive output. Keep your eyes on Sophomore 3B Bostin Oster, who led the Antlers in at bats in 2025 as a freshman with a .295 average, 8 extra base hits, and 16 RBIs.

Senior Camden Gatling is the lone returner on the mound with more than 8 appearances, pitching to the tune of a 2.2 ERA while striking out 24 over 28.2 IP in 2025.

---

PIUS X THUNDERBOLTS  

Strong and experienced senior class with 5 ranked returning, led by two college commits in SS Kai Vanis (Omaha) and RHP Kaleb Ledgerwood (Indian Hills CC). Ledgerwood led the team in wins with 3 in 2025 along with 33 strikeouts in 34.1 innings pitched. Vanis led the team in at bats and all power hitting categories, returning 19 RBIs and 11 XBH from 2025.

---

OMAHA GROSS COUGARS  

Two senior college commits in their fourth year of varsity baseball headline the Cougars pitching staff.

RHP Charlie Yeshnowski (McCook CC) led the team with 39 IP in 2025, striking out 26 with a 2.87 ERA. RHP Kayo Rempe (Peru State) went 6-0 in 2025, racking up 37 innings pitched with 26 strikeouts while holding teams to a 1.89 ERA.

Uncommitted Senior Logan Legner will spearhead the offensive attack after hitting .346 in 2025 and leading the team in power output with 7 XBH.

Keep an eye on uncommitted Junior Maddox Villamonte, who led Gross in at bats last season and was second on the team in doubles.

---

SEWARD BLUEJAYS  

Six seniors return with over 40 at bats from 2025.

Bostyn Happ (Uncommitted) led the team in average at .406, adding 9 RBIs. Kyle Riley (Uncommitted) hit .375 and was second in RBIs with 1. Brycen Burt led the team with extra base hits, 4 doubles, 1 triple, and 2 home runs. Burt will also headline the pitching staff, bringing back 42 innings pitched, walking only 12 while striking out 42 and giving up just 1 XBH.

---

+ CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2026 TEAM PREVIEWS

---

CLASS B STATE CHAMPIONS

2025: Gretna East
2024: Norris
2023: Elkhorn North
2022: Elkhorn North
2021: Beatrice
2019: Bennington
2018: Omaha Roncalli
2017: Omaha Skutt
2016: Elkhorn
2015: Lincoln Pius X
2014: Lincoln Pius X

[Full history]

---

MORE NEBRASKA HIGH SCHOOL CONTENT