With the last two state championship trophies in the case at Malcolm High School, you might think adding a conference title plaque might not be that big of a deal for the Clippers’ baseball team. You would be wrong.
“Winning that tournament is a big deal,” Malcolm skipper Zach Wehner said. “The Trailblazer is a tough conference, and we are by far the smallest. Winning it shows we’re capable of handling anyone on our schedule.”
Not only did the No. 1 ranked Clippers claim the crown—they dominated three teams along the way.
Tournament play began April 14 with Platte Valley (a co-op of Ashland-Greenwood, Yutan and Mead) visiting Malcolm. The only team to score on Malcolm in the tournament –– the Patriots jumped out to a 1-0 lead—but the Clippers quickly took control and rolled to a 15-4 win.
The Wisnieski brothers had a big day, going a combined 5-for-6 at the plate with six RBIs. Justin, a junior, hit his first home run of the season, while big brother Mason, a Hutchinson CC commit, added a double and drove in four runs.
Logan McGreer added three hits and two RBIs from his leadoff spot, and Garrett England contributed a pair of hits and three RBIs.
In the April 15 semifinal, Malcolm avenged its only loss of the season with a 6-0 win over Platteview. Chase Smith went the distance, scattering five hits over seven innings while fanning nine.
“Pitching is so big in tournaments,” Wehner said. “We stressed efficiency and pounding the strike zone. All of our pitchers did that, and we were able to get through the bracket without going deep into our bullpen.”
The April 17 championship game featured the Clippers and sixth-seeded Wahoo/Bishop Neumann. The upset-minded Warriors had knocked off the No. 3 and No. 2 seeds while scoring 31 runs combined.
But Malcolm ended the drama quickly, claiming its first conference title with a five-inning, 10-0 mercy-rule win. Mason Wisnieski struck out 11 and didn’t allow a walk in the shutout.
“All of his pitches have been working,” Wehner said. “He’s been mixing things up to keep batters off balance.”
After a quiet week at the plate, Smith’s bat came alive as the junior went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Preston Kucera stepped into the lineup for the injured Nolan Duzik and delivered a 2-for-2 night.
“Chase needed a night like that,” Wehner said. “I’m confident that was the start of him getting out of his slump.
“Preston has been working hard to get into the batting lineup. It was good to see him relax and show what he can do.”
Malcolm (15-1) has a full week ahead with road trips to Plattsmouth (9-5), Beatrice (8-7), and Arlington (5-7), before hosting a Saturday, April 26, triangular against Centennial (0-7) and No. 2 Central City/Centura (12-0).
“We’ll treat this week like another tournament,” Wehner said. “Having the No. 2 team here on Saturday will be a fun challenge.”
UPDATE: The Clippers defeated Plattsmouth 8-3 and Beatrice 4-3 in eight innings. Malcolm led off the eighth against Beatrice with Cole Tiedeman drawing a walk and Mason Wisnieski being hit by a pitch. Carson Frank sacrificed to advance the runners, and, with Garrett England at the plate, Tiedeman scored on a wild pitch. Mason Wisnieski struck out the side in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the win.
