After coming close two years ago, the American Legion team from Lincoln East heads back to the World Series in hopes of making history.
Carpet Land (East) will begin play in the eight-team event Thursday in Shelby, North Carolina. The 52-9-1 Rugs are seeking to become just the second Nebraska team to win the national title, the first being the 1939 Omaha McDevitts (Creighton Prep) squad.
Coach Mychal Lanik's team came very close in 2023, losing to Texas champion League City 1-0 in the final. League City tied a Legion national record this season, becoming the second squad to reach the World Series in four consecutive years.
The teams will meet again Friday in round-robin play. That game comes after Carpet Land's tournament opener Thursday at 9 a.m. against Rockport, Indiana.
"We're only going to be focused on that first one," Lanik said. "That Indiana team is tough because I know they have six or seven Division 1 commitments."
People are also reading…
Tough is a good word to also describe the Rugs, who have won 10 straight postseason games since losing in the first round of the Nebraska state tournament. Carpet Land rattled off five victories in a row to keep its season alive before rolling through the Central Plains Regional with a 5-0 mark.
The team's ability to go unbeaten through the regional allowed the Rugs to set up its pitching for the World Series. Carpet Land avoided an "if needed" game Sunday, capturing the tournament with a victory over North Dakota champion West Fargo.
Lanik's squad dominated the regional, outscoring its opponents 40-9 while winning three games by shutout.
"Our pitching has been sensational," he said. "It's a testament to all of those guys because they give us a chance every game."
A breakdown of those winning regional pitchers:
» Kalai Larsen yielded no hits in five innings and struck out nine in a 6-0 win over Harrisburg, South Dakota.
» Jack Ohler threw three shutout innings and fanned four in a 10-0 victory over West Fargo.
» Greyson Bjorkman went five innings and struck out six in a 16-6 win over Minnesota champion Shakopee.
» Bradyn Erickson threw five innings and fanned eight in a 2-0 victory over Harrisburg.
» Santino Arranaga struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings as Carpet Land captured the regional with a 6-3 win over West Fargo.
The Rugs also got offensive production throughout its lineup. Leadoff batter Larsen batted .400 while the top run producers were Lewis Cockle (seven RBIs), Brodie McIntire (six) and Carter Harmes and Dele Odulate (five each).
After Carpet Land plays the teams from Indiana and Texas, it will complete World Series pool play Saturday against Portland, Oregon. Teams usually need to win at least two games in pool play to advance.
The semifinals will be Monday and the final Tuesday, with those games televised on ESPNU.
Lanik said the World Series experience will be a new one for his players as none competed on the 2023 team.
"We know we don't do everything perfect, but we work really hard," he said. "It's great to see the kids get rewarded with another trip to the Series so hopefully we can keep this postseason run going."
The Carpet Land schedule
Thursday: Rockport, Indiana vs. Carpet Land, 9 a.m.
Friday: League City, Texas vs. Carpet Land, 3 p.m.
Saturday: Portland, Oregon vs. Carpet Land, 6 p.m.
Monday: Semifinals at 3 and 6 p.m. (ESPNU).
Tuesday: Championship, 6 p.m. (ESPNU).
The roster: Abe Christensen, Dele Odulate, Brady Hanus, Bradyn Erickson, Brennan Griesch, Brodie McIntire, Bryson Rhodes, Carter Harmes, Carter McPeak, Cruz Wavra, Greyson Bjorkman, Hudson Morrow, Huxton Katt, Jack Ohler, Kalai Larsen, Keith Knaak, Landon Moser, Lewis Cockle, Luke Larson, Santino Arranaga, Trevor Roach, Troy Peltz.
Regional champions: Northeast: Greece, New York. Mid-Atlantic: Chesapeake, Virginia. Southeast: Asheville, North Carolina. Mid-South: Bossier City, Louisiana. Great Lakes: Rockport, Indiana. Central Plains: Lincoln, Nebraska. Northwest: Portland, Oregon. Western: League City, Texas.
Photos: All-Nebraska baseball teams through the years
2025
The Omaha World-Herald 2025 All-Nebraska baseball team, top row from left, Lincoln East's Joey Senstock, Millard West's Brady Ferguson, Papillion-La Vista's Brett Hoelscher, Bellevue West's Drew Grego, Omaha South's Lou Hodoly, Omaha Skutt's Jace Ziola, Papillion-La Vista South's Danny Wallace, bottom row from left, Malcolm's Mason Wisnieski, Millard South's Jaxson Appuhn, Millard North's Noah Gartner, Lincoln East's Troy Peltz, Lincoln East's Jeter Worthley and Kearney's Griffin Novacek photographed at Tal Anderson Field in Omaha on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
2024
2024 All-Nebraska baseball team members, back row left to right:Lincoln East's AJ Evasco, Norris' Kale Fountain, Lincoln East's Carter Mick, Omaha Skutt's Jace Ziola, Lincoln East's Garrett Springer, Millard West's Tyson Lewis Front row left to right Malcolm's Maddox Meyer, Elkhorn North's Colin Nowaczyk, Lincoln East's Paul Shortridge, Lincoln East's Jeter Worthley, Papillion-La Vista South's Danny Wallace, Bellevue West's Drew Grego, Millard West's Nick Venteicher and Bellevue West's Ty Smolinski posesfor an All-Nebraska baseball portrait at Werner Park in Papillion on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
2023
2023 All-Nebraska baseball team members Back row left to right: Lincoln East's Carter Mick, Beatrice'sTucker Timmerman, Millard West's Drew Deremer Norris's Kale Fountain Second row left to right Lincoln Southeast's Max Buettenback, Elkhorn North's Colin Nowaczyk, Millard West's Tyson Lewis Lincoln East's AJ Evasco Front row left to right Omaha Gross's Connor Capece, Lincoln East's Jeter Worthley, Millard West's Nick Venteicher, Elkhorn South's Eli Small, Millard South's Cam Kozeal pose for a portrait on Thursday.
2022
2022: Front row (from left): Jaxson Cahoy, Millard West; Kale Fountain, Norris; Parker Mooney, Omaha Creighton Prep; captain Cam Kozeal, Millard South; Elliott Peterson, Omaha Creighton Prep; Mason Koch, Millard West. Back row: Ryan Harrahill, Elkhorn North; Jalen Worthley, Lincoln East; Tucker Timmerman, Beatrice; Avery Moore, Millard West; Dalton Bargo, Omaha Westside; Korben Rich, Kearney. Not pictured: Braden Sweet, Millard South; Eli Small, Elkhorn South.
2021
From left: Bellevue West's Jaxon Jelkin, Bellevue West's Cam Madsen, Norris's Kale Fountain, Millard South's Nate Moquin, Central City's Kale Jensen, Millard South's Brayden Smith, Elkhorn's Drew Christo, Millard South's Cam Kozeal, Fremont Bergan's Carter Sintek, Lincoln East's Keegan Brink, Ralston's Nolan Sailors, Millard West's Jaxson Cahoy, Elkhorn South's Eli Small and Papillion-La Vista South's Jackson Trout.
2019
From left: Max Anderson of Millard West, Austin Callahan of Fremont Bergan, Cole Evans of Grand Island, Caleb Riedel of Millard West, Alex Wize of Omaha Burke, Cooper Prososki of Bennington, Sam Wibbels of Hastings, Tyson Gerdes of Millard South, Drew Wessel of Millard South, Sayer Diederich of Elkhorn South, Noah Greise of Millard South, Cam Frederick of Lincoln Southwest, Connor Barnett of Papillion-La Vista, and Noah Olson of Omaha Burke.
2018
From left: Lincoln Southeast's Logan Van Treeck, Roncalli's Alex Rodgers, Omaha Burke's Hunter Waugh, Creighton Prep's Dylan Phillips, Millard West's Colby Gomes, Creighton Prep's Owen Richter, Millard South's Kyle Perry, Creighton Prep's Evan Laney, Elkhorn South's Will Reetz, Norris' Zach Argo, Grand Island's Shay Schanaman, Norris' Austin Schultz, Grand Island Cole Evans and Millard South's Drew Gilin.
2017
Front row, from left: Austin Schultz, Norris; Shay Schanaman, Grand Island; Dylan Phillips, Creighton Prep; Drew Gilin, Millard South; Josh Culliver, Creighton Prep; and Isaiah Peterson, Lincoln Southwest. Back row, from left: Perry, Millard South; Max McGuire, Lincoln Southwest; Joe Roecker, Elkhorn; Cam Taylor, Bellevue West; Colby Gomes, Millard West; Noah Sacco, Millard North; Nick Henrichs, Omaha Westside; Garrett Kocis, Millard West.
2016
Back row (left to right): Brett Vosik, Creighton Prep; Cole Stobbe, Millard West; Brandon Bena, Creighton Prep; Spencer Lear, Millard West; Zach Argo, Norris; Joey Machado, Creighton Prep; Nick Nelsen, Blair. Front row: Calvin Rudolph, Millard South; Wyatt Divis, Lincoln Northeast; Jacob Uhing, Elkhorn; Logan Foster, Lincoln Southwest; Jonah Ulane, Millard South; Mojo Hagge, Omaha Skutt; Drew Smith, Elkhorn.
2015
From left, Seward’s Ben Klenke, Papillion-La Vista’s Jack Kalina, Papillion-La Vista South’s Grant Suponchick, Papillion-La Vista’s Grant Van Scoy, Lincoln Pius X’s Michael Helman, Omaha Westside’s Matt Waldron, Southwest’s Logan Foster, Omaha Westside’s Mike Waldron, Millard West’s Cole Stobbe, Omaha Westside’s Alex Nielsen, Millard North’s Bryce Rogokos, Elkhorn’s Drew Smith and Millard South’s Nate Mallott.
2014
Clockwise from left: Omaha Skutt's Jake Barton, Papillion-La Vista South's Grant Suponchick, Norris' Byron Hood, Omaha Creighton Prep's Dillon O'Doherty, Omaha Westside's Mike Waldron, Omaha Roncalli's Alec Bohm, Lincoln Pius X's Michael Helman, Omaha Westside's Devin Stueck, Bellevue West's Cole Patterson, Lincoln North Star's Brook Bolles, Norris' Jakson Reetz, Millard West's Logan Jacik, Omaha Westside's Jake Meyers and Omaha Westside's Drew Fitzmorris.
2013
Front row, from left: Papillion-La Vista South's Josh Kiger; Millard West's Ryan Merrill; Millard South's Jake Huscroft; Lincoln North Star's Tyler Coufal; Wahoo's Quinn McGill; Omaha North's Brendan Jensen; Omaha Creighton Prep's Jeff Albrecht. Back row, from left: Omaha Westside's Mike Waldron; Norris' Jakson Reetz; Lincoln East's Jake Hohensee; Waverly's Sam Tewes; Lincoln Southwest's Brayden Young; Norris' Byron Hood; Omaha Westside's Jake Meyers.
2012
Back row, left to right: Jordan Schroer, Lincoln Northeast; Taylor Elman, Omaha Creighton Prep; Nate Griep, Millard West; Casey Sayles, Omaha North. Second row: Matt Warren, Omaha Skutt; Brayden Young, Lincoln Southwest; Marcus Ethen, Millard West. Third row: Danny Regan, Millard South; Kevin Connolly, Omaha Creighton Prep; Jack Wilson, Millard North; Jake Placzek, Papillion-La Vista. Front row: Austin Groth, South Sioux City; Danny Suiter, Lincoln Southwest; Colby McPike, Lincoln Northeast.
2011
From left top row: Justin Paul, Papillion-La Vista South, Albert Johnson, Papillion-La Vista South, Kyle Kubat, Om. Creighton Prep, Nate Griep, Millard West, Tanner Lubach, Lincoln Southwest, A.J. Ladwig, Millard West, Tyler Lane, Papillion-La Vista South, Casey Gillaspie, Millard North, Adam Morey, Millard West. Bottom row from left: Blake Headley, Millard South, Taylor Doggett, Lincoln Southeast and Quentin Urban, Millard South.
2010
Kneeling, left to right: Reed Svoboda, Lincoln Northeast; Kyle Kruger, Millard West; Mike Siwa, Om. Burke; Albert Johnson, Papillion-La Vista South; Cody Kottich, Om. Bryan; Brett Bass, Millard West. Standing left to right: Logan Ehlers, Nebraska City; Mike Pritchard, Om. Creighton Prep; A.J. Ladwig, Millard West; Caleb Palensky, Papillion-La Vista South; John Sorensen, Papillion-La Vista; Brad McKewon, Millard South; Joey Jones, Papillion-La Vista; Paul Rosales, Om. Gross.
2009
Back row from left, are Millard West's Brandon Bass, Millard West's Tyler Niederklein, Omaha Westside's Chris Williams, Columbus' Kurt Farmer, Lincoln Southeast's Josh Scheffert, Lincoln Southwest's Adam Peters, and Omaha Bryan's Aaron Beil. Front row from left are Creighton Prep's Mike Pritchard, Omaha Creighton Prep's Ryan Briggs, Nebraska City's Logan Ehlers, Omaha Westside's Jory Goldstrom, Millard South's Ty Kildow, Omaha Northwest's Kyle Kinman, and Papillion-La Vista South's Brian Donohoe.
2008
First row, from left: Millard West's Steve Jensen, Omaha Gross' Brandon Winkelmann, Millard South's Ty Kildow, Grand Island's Kash Kalkowski, Millard North's Brett Koehn, Millard North's Blake Brisson and Lincoln North Star's Jake Benne. Second Row, from left: Ralston's Derek Landis, Omaha Creighton Prep's Derek Nelson, Omaha Creighton Prep's Joe Holtmeyer, Omaha Creighton Prep's Zane Hinkel, Papillion-La Vista South's Kendall Wehrle, Lincoln Southeast's Jake Kuebler and Lincoln Southeast's Josh Scheffert.
2007
Standing (left to right, clockwise), John Reiss, Papillion-La Vista; Mark Waldron, Omaha Creighton Prep; Casey Hauptman, Millard South; David Hulsebus, Millard West; Ben Kline, Omaha Central; Kent Urban, Lincoln Northeast; Ty Kildow, Millard South; Kash Kalkowski, Grand Island; Jonas Dufek, Millard West; and Matt Freeman, Elkhorn. Sitting (left to right, clockwise) are Zach Willand, Papillion-La Vista South; Travis Parker, Lincoln Northeast; Drew Daubman, Omaha Westside; and Taylor Weisbeck, Papillion-La Vista.
2006
Front row (from left), Bobby Lackovic, Omaha Skutt; Bryant Cotton, Omaha Central; Shaun Hoover, Millard West; Sam Murphy, Omaha Westside; Marcus Palimenio, Omaha Westside; Mark Waldron, Omaha Creighton Prep. Back row, Charlie Shaver, Elkhorn; Ian Dike, Lincoln Southwest; Kent Urban, Lincoln Northeast; Danny Hunter, Papillion-La Vista; Casey Hauptman, Millard South; Wyatt Kirwan, Omaha Westside; Pat Krebs, Omaha Creighton Prep. Not pictured, Brandon Kirsch, Papillion-La Vista South.
2005
Clockwise from upper left: Omaha Westside's Tyler Knust, Omaha Burke's Tony Martin, Omaha Burke's Erik Bird, Millard South's Derrick Kendrick, Millard North's Robbie Knight, Millard North's Conor Gillaspie, Omaha Central's David Cleveland, Millard North's Jason Jewell, Millard West's Jon Reed, Omaha Westside's Darin Ruf, Millard North's Sam Merrill, Omaha Westside's Sam Murphy, Bellevue East's Tyler Cloyd and Omaha Skutt's Zach Herr.
2004
Left to right, sitting: Tony Martin, Omaha Burke; Tyler Goodro, Omaha Creighton Prep; Scott Kaskie, Papillion-La Vista; Sam Merrill, Millard North; Connor O'Neill, Omaha Westside; Kevin Dooley, Papillion-La Vista; Matt Bowers, Omaha Roncalli; Dustin Koca, Omaha Westside. Kneeling: Jared Erspamer, Millard South; Tim Huber, Omaha Creighton Prep; Ryan Wehrle, Papillion-La Vista. Standing: Drew Schwab, Omaha Westside; Steve Winkelmann, Omaha Gross.
