|
Brandon Bass, a senior at Millard West High School, has
recently received the 2008 Louisville Slugger Award, presented annually
since 1945 by the Hillerich and Bradsby Company of Louisville, Kentucky
to the American Legion player compiling the highest batting average
during national competition. In five games against other state
champions in the Central Plains Regional Tournament in Minot, North
Dakota and two games against Regional Champions in the American Legion
World Series in Shelby, North Carolina, the shortstop for the 2008 Class
A State
Champion NP Dodge Wildcats had 19 hits in 33 official at bats for a .576
batting average. Bass was 16-for-24 (.667) in the Regional
Tournament and 3-for-9 (.333) in the ALWS. Brandon's batting
average was the highest in national competition since 1998 when Chad
Opel of Edwardsville, Illinois posted a .632 average, and ranks sixth
all-time for the sixty-three years that the award has been presented. For the
summer Legion season, Brandon compiled a .425 average with 91 hits, 20
doubles, 4 triples, 8 home runs, 56 RBI's and 79 runs scored.
As hot as he was at the plate in the
post-season, Bass was certainly not the only Wildcat to put up big
numbers. Overall, the Wildcats claimed three of the top four spots in
the batting average rankings and four of the top seven. Danny Marcuzzo
finished runner-up to Bass with a .520 batting average (13-for-25), Central Plains
Regional MVP Steve Jensen finished fourth (15-31, .484) and Jesse Vervelde
earned the #7 spot (12-26, .462). Marcuzzo, Jensen and Vervelde are all
2008 Millard West graduates. Top 10 finishers in the Batting
Average Competition in Regional Tournament and ALWS competition:
|
Top Ten Hitters in 2008 American Legion National
Tournaments (ranked by avg) |
|
Player |
avg |
gp-gs |
ab |
r |
h |
2b |
3b |
hr |
rbi |
bb |
hbp |
so |
sb-att |
|
Brandon Bass, NE |
.576 |
7-7 |
33 |
14 |
19 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1-1 |
|
Danny Marcuzzo, NE |
.520 |
7-7 |
25 |
8 |
13 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
0-0 |
|
Garrett Yatch, MI |
.514 |
8-8 |
35 |
13 |
18 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
5-6 |
|
Steve
Jensen, NE |
.484 |
7-7 |
31 |
10 |
15 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0-0 |
|
Brett
Jacobs, WA |
.481 |
7-6 |
27 |
9 |
13 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
2-2 |
|
Bradley Shaban, VA |
.462 |
9-9 |
39 |
6 |
18 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
1-3 |
|
Jesse
Vervelde, NE |
.462 |
7-7 |
26 |
9 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
0-1 |
|
Paul
Sewald, NV |
.459 |
10-10 |
37 |
10 |
17 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
11 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
0-0 |
|
Max
Garrett, WA |
.447 |
11-11 |
47 |
15 |
21 |
8 |
0 |
3 |
17 |
6 |
3 |
8 |
0-1 |
|
Scott
Dysinger, NV |
.444 |
10-10 |
36 |
10 |
16 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
10 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
1-2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
Louisville
Slugger Plaque |
Danny Marcuzzo |
|
 |
 |
|
Brandon Bass |
Steve Jensen |
Jesse Vervelde |
|
Two of the Top 10 hitters were from the Wildcats'
opening round opponent in the ALWS, the Southern Nevada Titans (Las
Vegas Bishop Gorman HS), which went undefeated in the tournament to
claim the 2008 ALWS Championship. The Wildcats played the
Titans close in a 7-5 loss.
Wildcats Coach Frank Ryan noted that Bass and several
other players on his team are getting considerable recruiting
interest following the teams' extraordinary post-season run,
including pitchers as well as position players.
Other Nebraska Legion players who have won the
coveted award: 1948 Don Hunter, Omaha (.397), 1955 Richard Hergenrader, Lincoln (.389), 1961
Kenneth McEwen, Omaha (.548), 1985 Gregg Olson, Omaha (.500) (tie), 1985
Steve Nelson, Omaha (.500) (tie).
Congratulations to Brandon, his teammates and their
coaches for these outstanding achievements.
|
American Legion National Tournament Statistical Leaders |
Louisville Slugger Award |
|
