The North Platte baseball team is searching to turn the tide from a difficult regular season to a triumphant postseason.

With a youthful squad, the Panthers went 10-16 in the regular season as of May 10. North Platte battled all season long despite the circumstances and they will need every ounce of that mentality to make it out of their district for the second straight season.

North Platte showed glimpses of what they can do, winning four of their final five games in April. During those victories, which included wins against district foes Plattsburg and Penney, they outscored their opponents 43-14.

Freshman catcher Nolan Dehn is a player who has quickly taken the program by storm. Head coach Daniel Atkinson has confidence in him as a threat from behind the plate in addition to his ability in the batter’s box.

North Platte is 2-3 against Class 2 opponents this year. They started 0-3 with losses to Maysville, St. Joseph Christian and Sacred Heart before victories last month against Penney and Plattsburg.

The Panthers begin their playoff voyage in Plattsburg with the single-elimination Class 2 District 15 tournament as the No. 4 seed, starting in the quarterfinal round on Friday, May 16, against No. 5-seeded Bishop LeBlond.

As the returning champion of the district, North Platte knows all about postseason success.

After outscoring opponents 33-8 in two district games last year, the Panthers hope to reignite that flame with some newly integrated players.