High school loss motivates Carpet Land team’s return to Shelby.
Lincoln Carpet Land (Neb.) Post 500 is back in the American Legion World Series for the third time in four years.
This year's team has been motivated by a late May high school baseball defeat.
Coach Mychal Lanik's Post 500 team draws all of its players from Lincoln East High School, and the Spartans were foiled in their bid to repeat as Nebraska Class A state champions in a 6-5 extra innings loss to Millard North.
Lanik turned the disappointment into a future goal.
"I think we had a really good spring with a lot of really good players," said Lanik, whose high school finished 32-3. "We ended up losing in the state championship in extra innings.
"So, when we got together at the start of this (Legion) season, we knew we had a good group and we talked about having this thing end where it should end - and that's in Shelby."
Lincoln did so by going 51-6 overall including four wins in the next two days to claim the Central Plains Regional title in Mandan (N.D.).
"We had a tough regional," Lanik said. "We lost to (Excelsior) Minnesota on Day Two and had to win four games in 48 hours so that was a tall task. I'm proud of our guys for fighting through."
Post 500 beat Rapid City (S.D.) twice by 5-1 scores in each game to advance with Bradyn Erickson taking regional MVP honors.
Erickson is one of six key players back from last year's team that was knocked out in pool play; Erickson made the 2025 All-ALWS team. The other key returnees are Kalai Larsen, Greyson Bjorkman, Santino Arranaga, Brodie McIntire and Dele Odulate.
"To be back here is really exciting and we look forward to playing this week," said Lanik, who guided Lincoln Carpet Land Post 3 to a 2023 ALWS runner-up finish.
A year ago, Lanik felt his team may have been a little too anxious.
"I'm hopeful that when the lights come on and the first pitch is thrown on Thursday, we're a little bit more comfortable than we were last year," Lanik said. "I think last year we had some nerves and some issues throwing the ball over the plate at different times.
"But I know the guys are excited and I think they'll be more level-headed this time. We've got a good nucleus of guys that have played together and hopefully that gives us a chance."
ALWS Schedule
Aug. 13: Game 2, vs. Fairfield (Calif.) Expos, 1 p.m.
Aug. 15: Game 8, vs. Tupelo (Miss.) Post 49, 3 p.m.
Aug. 16: Game 10, vs. Whitehouse (N.J.) Post 284, 1 p.m.
Roster
No./Camo* Name Pos. Ht./Wt. B/T Graduates / School
21/21 Anderson, Cade 1B/P 6'2"/215 R/R 2028 I Lincoln East HS
15/15 Arranaga, Santino P 5'11"/190 L/L 2026 I Lincoln East HS
13/3 Bjorkman, Greyson P 6'3"/225 L/R 2026 I Lincoln East HS
7/7 Christensen, Abe P 6'1"/185 R/R 2026 I Lincoln East HS
2/2 Erickson, Bradyn C/2B 5'9"/185 R/R 2028 I Lincoln East HS
12/12 Griesch, Brennan P/2B 5'9"/195 R/R 2027 I Lincoln East HS
5/5 Irons, Fisher P 5'10"/175 R/R 2028 I Lincoln East HS
14/14 Katt, Huxton 1B/RF 5'11"/200 R/R 2027 I Lincoln East HS
1/1 Larsen, Kalai SS/P 5'11"/165 R/R 2027 I Lincoln East HS
3/3 Lunn, Easton RF/2B 5’5”/160 R/R 2028 I Omaha Westside
19/16 Makovicka, Jackson SS / P 6'4”/205 R/R 2027 I Lincoln East HS
6/6 Mcintire, Brodie 2B 5'10"/175 R/R 2026 I Lincoln East HS
9/9 Meves, Reid 1B / LF 5'10"/180 R/R 2027 I Lincoln East HS
42/8 Odulate, Dele CF/ LF 5'10”/200 R/R 2026 I Lincoln East HS
10/10 Roach, Trevor 3B/RF 6'4"/205 R/R 2026 I Lincoln East HS
30/4 Sutko, Sam RF/ LF 5'11"/170 L/R 2027 / Lincoln East HS
Manager: Mychal Lanik
Assistants: Rob Knaak, Noah Kulhenek
*Players will wear camo jerseys for Military Appreciation Day.
Regional results
Aug. 6: Lincoln (Neb.) Carpet Land Post 500 d. Fargo (N.D.) Post 2, 7-3.
Aug. 7: Excelsior (Minn.) Post 259 d. Lincoln (Neb.) Carpet Land Post 500, 5-3.
Aug. 8: Lincoln (Neb.) Carpet Land Post 500 d. Dubuque County (Iowa) Post 137, 6-0.
Aug. 8: Lincoln (Neb.) Carpet Land Post 500 d. Excelsior (Minn.) Post 259, 16-6 (6 innings).
Aug. 9: Lincoln (Neb.) Carpet Land Post 500 d. Rapid City (S.D.) Post 22, 5-1.
Aug. 9: Lincoln (Neb.) Carpet Land Post 500 d. Rapid City (S.D.) Post 22, 5-1.
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