SEWARD, Neb. – Slugging outfielder Joey Grabanski headlined the list of 2023 All-Midlands Baseball Team selections, as selected by the Omaha World-Herald and revealed on July 2. Grabanski was recognized as the All-Midlands Honorary Captain by the state of Nebraska’s largest newspaper. He was joined on the list of 2023 honorees by eight teammates, including first-teamers Jay Adams, Caden Johnson, Ty Nekoliczak and Jaidan Quinn. Honorable mention was awarded to Ben Berg, Alec Blakestad, Jesse Garcia and Teyt Johnson.
The World-Herald’s All-Midlands Baseball Team features the top players from Nebraska four-year colleges and universities outside of the NCAA Division I level. The 2023 team (listed at bottom) includes players from NAIA and NCAA Division II and III institutions. The nine Bulldog honorees helped Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s ’23 squad win 40 games overall and qualify for the national tournament (fifth time in program history).
Grabanski was also named an NAIA Second Team All-American and the GPAC Player of the Year in 2023. His recognition as the All-Midlands Team Captain breaks up the stranglehold Bellevue had on the award in recent years. As Dupic told the World-Herald, “I think his knowledge of how to attack pitchers, his understanding of the strike zone, his understanding of his approach has grown and improved every year. He’s done a really nice job of understanding himself offensively and how he needs to approach it.”
2023 Concordia All-Midlands Team Honorees
Jay Adams | Waverly, Neb.
2023 stats: 58 G, .326 BA, 66 R, 77 H, 19 2B, 11 HR, 53 RBIs, .374 OBP, .555 SLG, 14 SB, .964 FD%
Joey Grabanski | Grand Forks, N.D.
2023 stats: 58 G, .382 BA, 71 R, 79 H, 12 2B, 27 HR, 85 RBIs, .486 OBP, .831 SLG, 6 SB, .991 FD%
Caden Johnson | Papillion, Neb.
2023 stats: 13 starts, 9-3 W-L, 3.39 ERA, 58.1 IP, 59 H, 22 ER, 27 BB, 60 K, .258 Opp BA
Ty Nekoliczak | Greeley, Neb.
2023 stats: 58 G, .411 BA, 51 R, 79 H, 9 2B, 4 HR, 44 RBIs, .475 OBP, .521 SLG, 11 SB, .914 FD%
Jaidan Quinn | Bonner Springs, Kan.
2023 stats: 58 G, .351 BA, 74 R, 67 H, 14 2B, 27 HR, 72 RBIs, .508 OBP, .868 SLG, .868 FD%
Ben Berg | Carroll, Iowa (HM)
2023 stats: 57 G, .406 BA, 19 R, 76 H, 16 2B, 10 HR, 50 RBIs, .486 OBP, .652 SLG, .995 FD%
Alec Blakestad | Omaha, Neb. (HM)
2023 stats: 58 G, .361 BA, 68 R, 73 H, 15 2B, 13 HR, 52 RBIs, .433 OBP, .639 SLG, 20 SB, .991 FD%
Jesse Garcia | El Cajon, Calif (HM)
2023 stats: 58 G, .373 BA, 50 R, 78 H, 15 2B, 17 HR, 67 RBIs, .451 OBP, .699 SLG, .987 FD%
Teyt Johnson | Indianola, Iowa (HM)
2023 stats: 55 G, .295 BA, 43 R, 49 H, 8 2B, 4 HR, 35 RBIs, .388 OBP, .416 SLG, .967 FD%
2023 Omaha World-Herald All-Midlands Baseball Team
P: Kaden Crawford, Doane
P: Blake Crippen, Bellevue
P: Aaron Forrest, Doane
P: Caden Johnson, Concordia
P: Dustin Schorie, Bellevue
C: Logan Grant, Bellevue
1B: Lukas White, Doane
2B: Jay Adams, Concordia
SS: Ty Nekoliczak, Concordia
3B: Jaidan Quinn, Concordia
* OF: Joey Grabanski, Concordia
OF: Kanta Kobayashi, Bellevue
OF: Joe Osborn, Doane
DH: Jake Lacey, Bellevue
U: Colin Lynam, Wayne State
Honorable mention — Bellevue: Conner Barnett, Nick Grade, Anthony Lind, Mathieu Sirois, Drew Staley. Concordia: Ben Berg, Alec Blakestad, Jesse Garcia, Teyt Johnson. Doane: Jake Johnson, Nate Mensik, Julian Vargas. Hastings: Tyler Kissler, Mason Masur, Markus Miller, Jace Valdez. Midland: Hadyn Crawford, Jonathan Foreman, Yealex Lopez, Connor Petersen, Alec Villanueva. Nebraska Wesleyan: John Haimowitz, Tyson Romero, Noah Unger. Peru State: Wes Bradford, Yodelvy Garcia. Wayne State: Carter Thomas, Braden Cannon. York: Ian Heck, Secudino Morales.
* – denotes honorary captain