Team culture and fundamental baseball have defined West Platte’s season, and on Thursday, April 17, it all came together in fitting fashion. The Blue Jays celebrated their senior class with a 6-0 shutout victory over North Platte at Benner Park in Weston — their seventh straight win and third shutout of the season.
Senior right-hander Jaxon Turner delivered a complete-game gem, scattering three hits and striking out five over seven innings. He needed exactly 100 pitches to keep the Panthers, who entered the game averaging nearly seven runs per contest, off the board.
“It’s really special for me,” Turner said. “I’ve just got to stay focused throughout the entire season. We’ve got a lot of big games coming up.”
Turner started the season with a shutout, tossing a three-hitter on March 21 against South Holt. He has now been on the mound for all three of West Platte’s shutouts this spring, completing two of them.
“That kid is probably one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever had the privilege to coach,” head coach Brian Faulkner said. “In terms of the way he prepares for the game, he knows exactly what to do, when to do it and how to get it done on the mound. He’s an even better teammate, a great leader, and fun to coach. I’m proud of that kid.”
While West Platte’s offense has not produced numbers that might be expected of a conference contender, its defense has made up for it. That was the case again on Thursday — particularly in a momentum-swinging first inning.
After junior third baseman Matthew Cook flashed the leather early with a slick stop, sophomore left fielder Cuin Vincent one-upped him with a fully extended diving catch to his right side down the left-field line, robbing North Platte of what could have been an inside-the-park home run.
“Our defense is what wins us ballgames,” Faulkner said. “We are not the best hitting baseball team in the conference or district by any means, but we have a lot of guys in the field that can make great plays at any given time and know how to consistently put the ball in play when we need to.”
Junior catcher Jhett Chandler was another standout. He gunned down three baserunners from behind the plate and contributed on offense with an RBI single to right in the sixth inning.
“It gives me a lot of confidence,” Turner said. “I feel like I don’t have to strike everyone out. I can trust the seven guys behind me to make a play.”
Turner also helped his own cause at the plate, driving in the game’s first run with a two-out sacrifice fly in the first. He put another run across the plate in the sixth when a hard-hit chopper bounced past the second baseman.
The win improved West Platte to 12-2 on the season. It also capped off a stretch of seven wins in nine days that included a championship in the Blue Division of the WOW High School Wood Bat Tournament, where the Blue Jays notched wins over Marceline, Christ Preparatory Academy and St. Joseph Christian.
Last Thursday’s win was about more than just another tally in the win column — it was a celebration of a senior class that has helped revitalize the program over the last two seasons. In addition to Turner, West Platte honored fellow seniors Kane Cogan, Jacob Shipman, Xane Masoner, Leonard Strobbe and Garrett Moritz.
“We talk about team culture all the time,” Faulkner said. “There’s nothing more important than being able to send these guys out on a high after so many years of playing baseball.”
“I’m so proud of these boys for playing team baseball consistently each and every night. It’s fun to watch these kids when they are rolling. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”