HASTINGS, Neb. — There have been many remarkable numbers through first three-plus decades of sanctioned high school softball in Nebraska.
For the most part, it’s not the individual numbers that should be top of mind, either.
Certainly there are a handful of individual stats that belong in a time capsule. Think Molly Hill’s 0.00 ERA for Wayne in 2004 or the career ERA of 0.13 Peaches James at Papillion-La Vista.
Even those numbers can be tempered — they came when the pitching rubber was 40 feet from home plate. Given that, Jordy Bahl’s single season ERA of 0.15 in 2019 for the Monarchs can be even further appreciated.
Most individual batting stats as well as pitching stats need to be digested with a full shaker of salt, though. There’s a big difference between remarkable and gaudy.
That’s because every season has so many variables that can skew numbers, the quality of the opposition being the biggest factor.
There’s also the number of games played when you’re counting hits. Same goes for strikeouts and walks, especially with fewer chances to build numbers in three- and four-inning games.
Numbers that aren’t appreciated enough are those over longer periods by top programs. The most mind boggling is Papio’s success in the first round of the state tournament.
The Monarchs not only are the only program to participate in all 33 tournaments, but they’ve pieced together a streak of 31 consecutive first-round state victories.
Papio has many other state records and firsts, including 10 consecutive Class A championships, being the first program to win more than 1,000 games and a state-record 73 consecutive victories from 2019 through 2021.
The only time the Monarchs lost their opening game was in the inaugural tourney in 1993 — a 3-2 setback to Lincoln High. For reference, that was during the fourth season of Seinfeld.
Todd Petersen is in his 19th season as coach after serving two years as an assistant for Papio. He said the program’s history is a topic of conversation during the season, but only at specific times.
“We definitely talk about our history a lot with our team,” Petersen said. “But we don’t do it in a way to put extra pressure on them. We always talk about how pressure is a privilege and our goals.
“The No. 1 goal is making it to state every year. That’s the one we always talk about. You can’t win it if you don’t make it. They may know about the first-round streak, but we never talk about that until we accomplish it.”
As the sport has blossomed and more schools are building solid programs, all wins are appreciated by Papio coaches and players.
“It gets harder every year,” Peterson said. “The depth some of the teams has now is crazy. We definitely embrace our history because it’s not right to not embrace your history. You can use to your advantage mentally. It’s good to have those conversations.”
The Monarchs have defeated 16 teams in the 31-year run: Lincoln High, Omaha Marian, Lincoln Southeast, Millard South, Omaha Northwest, Grand Island, North Platte, Lincoln East, Omaha Burke, Omaha Westside, Papio South, Millard West, Lincoln Southwest, Lincoln North Star, Elkhorn South and Norfolk. If the streak grows to 32 Wednesday — when the Classes A, B and C tournaments begin at Hastings’ Smith Complex — a 17th school would join the that list. Papio is the No. 4 seed and plays No. 5 seed Gretna.
The Monarchs and Dragons are the past two Class A champions — Papio in 2023 and Gretna with a 38-0 record last season.
If Papio’s players are feeling any pressure heading into the tournament, Petersen said he hasn’t noticed it.
“This team is definitely loose,” Petersen said. “They are a team that will play to their potential.”
Hastings hosts the first three days of the event with the winner-take-all final Monday at Nebraska’s Bowlin Stadium for the first time.
NIT for softball?
Fun fact: If there were a tournament for the next eight teams in the NSAA’s wild-card points standings, the Class B pairings would offer more intriguing matchups than Class A. Think of them as an NIT or College Basketball Crown, a way to extend the season for a couple of extra games.
These would be the Class B first-round pairings: Crete vs. Elkhorn North, Douglas County West vs. Wayne, Elkhorn vs. Ashland-Greenwood, Gretna East vs. Wahoo. Every team is at least five games over .500 and the wild-card difference between the highest and lowest seeds is 1.36 points.
The Class A field: Omaha Westview vs. Norfolk, Papillion-La Vista South vs. Millard South, Lincoln East vs. Omaha Marian, Kearney vs. Norfolk. This field would have two teams with losing records and a third at .500.
Hastings, umpire shoutout
It’s time to send another verbal bouquet to the hard-working folks in Hastings who have worked to elevate the sport by providing a top-notch venue with all the amenities.
From convenient parking to the smoke bellowing from the concession grills to the crisply manicured fields and the soothing voice of Chuck Larsen telling teams that their 10-minute warmup period has expired, the tournament hums right along.
It’s worth noting the terrific job umpires have been doing this season. They keep the games moving along and diplomatically tune out the occasionally bellows from the stands.
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