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Draft  | State Preview | 5/17/2013

MLB Draft Preview: Nebraska

Photo: Nebraska
In the weeks leading up to the draft, Perfect Game will be providing a detailed overview of each state in the U.S., including the District of Columbia, as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. These overviews will list the state's strengths, weaknesses and the players with the best tools, as well as providing scouting reports on all Group 1 and 2 players as ranked in Perfect Game's state-by-state scouting lists.  Please visit this page for all of the links to Perfect Game's 2013 Draft Preview content.



Nebraska State-by-State List

The University of Nebraska or Creighton can usually be counted on to produce at least one top 10 round selection each year. But while Creighton has been successful on the field, with a 28-14 record, 11-7 in the Missouri Valley Conference, and Nebraska has improved significantly in Big Ten play (14-7) after a rough start, neither team appears to have that standout professional prospect for the 2013 draft. The Nebraska-Omaha program, in only its second year of Division I competition, has posted a surprising 22-21 record, including 15-5 in Summit League play, to round out the state’s major college teams, and could start producing professional level talent soon.

The good news for scouts in the upper Midwest is that 2014 is shaping up to be a well above average year in the state. Norris High School catcher Jakson Reetz is currently the second ranked catcher in the 2014 class per the Perfect Game class rankings despite playing at a small Class B school south of Lincoln. Creighton second baseman and right handed pitcher Jacob Peter has impressed scouts as a two-way prospect with some juice in his bat and a low-90s arm off the mound as a closer. Nebraska left handed pitcher Kyle Kubat (4-0, 1.99 in five starts) missed the early portion of the Cornhuskers schedule with arm soreness, but has been very strong since coming back and is a polished southpaw with three solid pitches. Each could easily find themselves in the top 10 rounds by June, 2014.


STRENGTH:
  2014 prospect class
WEAKNESS:  College prospects
OVERALL RATING (1-to-5 scale): 1

BEST COLLEGE TEAM:
 Creighton
BEST HIGH SCHOOL TEAM: Omaha Westside

BEST OUT-OF-STATE PROSPECT, Nebraska Connection:
Andrew Nelson, rhp, Cuesta JC (attended high school in Omaha)
Top 2014 Prospect: Jakson Reetz, c, Norris HS
Top 2015 Prospect: Matt Waldren, rhp, Westside HS, Omaha

HIGHEST DRAFT PICKS

Draft History:
Darin Erstad, of, University of Nebraska (1995, Angels/1st round, 1st pick)
2008 Draft: Aaron Pribanic, rhp, University of Nebraska (Mariners/3rd round)
2009 Draft: Mike Nesseth, rhp, University of Nebraska (Angels/15th round)
2010 Draft: Michael Mariot, rhp, University of Nebraska (Royals/8th round)
2011 Draft: Corey Asche, 3b, University of Nebraska (Phillies, 4th round)
2012 Draft: Ty Blach, lhp, Creighton (Giants/5th round)

2012 DRAFT OVERVIEW

College Players Drafted/Signed:
 7/6
Junior College Players Drafted/Signed: 0/0
High School Players Drafted/Signed: 0/0


PROSPECTS TO WATCH

CHAD CHRISTENSEN, of, University of Nebraska (Sr)
Christensen has been a four-year starter for the Cornhuskers, playing his first two years at shortstop before moving to the outfield for his junior and senior seasons. He hasn’t hit for the power he did as a junior (.311-10-48), but is a polished hitter with good strength and has put up strong numbers (.372-2-31, 21 walks) this spring. He could sneak into the top 10 rounds for clubs seeking to save money to sign other draft picks under the draft rules adopted last year.

SAM TEWES, rhp, Waverly HS
It is rare for scouts to have to account for a Nebraska high school product, but most had to make the trip to Waverly, a northeast suburb of Lincoln, to see the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Tewes throw. Tewes regularly topped out at 91-92 early in games, but pitched mostly in the 86-88 mph range with developing secondary pitches. He is signed with Wichita State.

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One constant across our scouting staff is the volume of in-person looks we get at prospects during their high school years. With assignments at national tournaments and showcases throughout the calendar, we’ve built a deep library of reports and video on many of today’s top college prospects dating back to their prep days. This week, we took a step back to revisit what those players looked like as high school prospects. Which tools stood out? What was missing from the profile at the time? And what, if anything, did we overlook that ultimately helped shape the player they’ve become? Below, we break down 10 players in a “Then and Now” reflection. Justin Lebron (23 FL) finishes off the tournament getting in on the hit parade with a single to the pullside. #PGShowdown #Bama commit pic.twitter.com/C4Irym2ZTR — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) March 4, 2023...
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David Rawnsley
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High School Notebook: Feb. 18

Cam McElwaney
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Midwest Region Top Teams

Tyler Russo
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Dave Durbala
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Nick Herfordt
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Blaine Peterson
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Just a couple of weeks into the 2026 season, several teams have already hit the ground running, namely Walters State, Florida Southwestern, Chipola, Johnson County, Florence-Darlington, and Pearl River. A little further down the rankings, we’ve seen some significant movement. The College of Southern Nevada surged up several spots after a strong 12-2 start, while Gaston has turned heads with an unblemished 14-0 record. We also welcome a few new additions in the 20s: Fresno City and Panola. Neither program debuted inside our top 50, but both have certainly earned their place in this week’s rankings. We’re looking forward to another exciting week of early spring baseball, as teams across the country continue to find their rhythm before conference play begins. Rk. School Record 1 Walters State (TN) 11-2 2 Florida Southwestern (FL) 11-3 3 McLennan (TX) 5-1 4 Chipola (FL)...
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Perfect Game Staff
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    667 Progress Way | Sanford, FL 32771 | 319-298-2923  www.perfectgame.org | facebook.com/perfectgameusa | @PerfectGameUSA      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    PERFECT GAME NATIONAL SHOWCASE TO MAKE HISTORIC  DEBUT AT LOANDEPOT PARK, HOME OF THE MIAMI MARLINS    Prestigious event brings nation’s top amateur talent to a Major League venue July 1–5    Miami, Florida (Wednesday, February 18, 2026) - Perfect Game, the world’s largest youth baseball and softball platform and scouting service, today announced that the annual Perfect Game National Showcase will be held for the first time at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins, from July 1-5.    This milestone event marks Perfect Game’s...
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Tyler Russo
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David Rawnsley
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OHIO VALLEY REGION (IL, IN, KY, MI, OH) The Ohio Valley Region has a healthy amount of top-level talent, as it features five Perfect Game All-Americans in shortstop Ethan Bass, third baseman TJ McQuillan, two-way stand out Matt Ponatoski and right-handed pitchers Shawn Sullivan and Grayson Willoughby.  The 2027 class looks very strong as well, especially in Illinois. A couple of things are missing from the Ohio Valley All-Region team, though.  The first is the two best outfielders in the region, as 2027 Illinois outfielder Sebastian Wilson is attending IMG Academy in Florida and fellow 2027 outfielder Noah Goettke from Ohio is attending P27 Academy in South Carolina.  Also missing are any players from Michigan, which enjoyed a dominant run of top prospects in recent years largely behind the Lake Orchard St. Mary’s HS program.  2027 catcher Broder Katke (Brother...
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