Essay helps Thunderbolts stay on even keel
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By RYLY JANE HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
When the situation didn’t appear very promising early in the season, Pat Essay helped his teammates keep the faith.
Essay, one of the captains for the Lincoln Pius X baseball team, had enough experience at the varsity level to understand that things would get better.
“We talked every day about how our schedule at the beginning of the season was so tough,” Essay said. “Aaron (Molinaro, the other captain) and I made sure the guys didn’t get down and make losing a habit.”
Class A
A-1 at Omaha Westside
May 3 - Omaha Westside vs. Archbishop Bergan, noon; Millard South vs. Bellevue West, 2:30 p.m. May 5 - final, 6 p.m.
A-2 at Millard West
May 3 - Lincoln High vs. Omaha South, 11 a.m.; Omaha Bryan vs. Lincoln East, 1:30 p.m., Millard West vs. Lincoln High-South winner, 4 p.m. May 5 - final, 5 p.m.
A-3 at Fricke Field
May 3 - Papillion-La Vista South vs. Norfolk, 11 a.m.; Bellevue East vs. Columbus, 2 p.m. May 5 - final, 5 p.m.
A-4 at Sherman Field
May 3 - Lincoln Southeast vs. Lincoln Northeast, 1 p.m.; Lincoln North Star vs. Omaha Northwest, 3:30 p.m. May 5 - final, 6 p.m.
A-5 at Grand Island
May 3 - Millard North vs. Omaha Central, 11 a.m.; Grand Island vs. Papillion-La Vista, 1:30 p.m. May 5 - final, 6 p.m.
A-6 at Omaha Burke
May 3 - Omaha Benson vs. Omaha North, 11 a.m.; Lincoln Southwest vs. Omaha Burke, 2 p.m.; Omaha Creighton Prep vs. Benson-North winner, 5 p.m. May 5 - final, 6 p.m.
Class B
B-1 at Elkhorn
May 3 - Elkhorn vs. Norris, 1 p.m.; Blair vs. South Sioux City, 3:30 p.m. May 5 - final, 6:30 p.m.
B-2 at Beatrice
May 3 - Omaha Roncalli vs. Crete, 1 p.m.; Gretna vs. Beatrice, 3:30 p.m. May 5 - final, 6:30 p.m.
B-3 at Omaha Skutt
May 3 - Ralston vs. Wahoo, 1 p.m.; Omaha Skutt vs. Seward, 3:30 p.m. May 5 - final, 6 p.m.
B-4 at Omaha Gross
May 3 - Omaha Gross vs. Douglas County West, 1 p.m.; Lincoln Pius X vs. Nebraska City, 4 p.m. May 5 - final, 7 p.m.
Since that difficult start, Pius X has gone 7-2 and will be the No. 2 seed in the B-4 District at Omaha Gross. District assignments and pairings were announced Wednesday by the Nebraska School Activities Association.
In Class A, top-ranked Creighton Prep, Millard West, Millard North, Papillion-La Vista South, Omaha Westside and Lincoln Southeast earned the top seeds in the six districts, which begin May 3. The district winners and two wild-card teams will advance to the state tournament, set for May 10-15 in Lincoln.
Top-ranked Omaha Roncalli earned a top seed in Class B, along with Ralston, Omaha Gross and Elkhorn. In addition to the four district winners, four wild-card teams based on wild-card points will advance to the state tournament.
“Collectively, these guys stayed positive,” said Pius X coach Troy Charf. “These kids were smart enough to realize that we had played OK. We just started slow against some top-ranked teams.
“We gave up lots of hits and runs and didn’t always know where to go defensively. But the kids understood and we got the ship righted.”
The Thunderbolts opened with losses to Class A No. 2 Millard West and sixth-ranked Millard South. After a win against Omaha Central, the Bolts were swept by No. 8 Lincoln Southeast and lost to top-ranked Creighton Prep.
“Give our opponents credit, because they were good teams,” Charf said. “But we knew to keep our focus on the process. We know what it’s like to be a small fish in a big pond. You have to play good teams in the regular season to be prepared for district play.
“The only thing is that you take the risk of not being able to bounce back from a string of losses. But Pat and Aaron were able to guide some of the younger guys through it.”
Charf said Essay, who will play college baseball at Colorado School of Mines, has been solid for the Bolts.
“He bats leadoff and plays center field and he’s been a starting pitcher for two full years,” Charf said. “We were talking the other day, and we can’t remember him ever throwing an ‘easy’ game. He always gets the toughest draw, and we’re always in the game when he pitches.”
Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.
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