Ehlers piling up strikeouts

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By RYLY JANE HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star

Logan Ehlers may need to adjust his goals for the baseball season.

“I’m hoping to get to 80 strikeouts this year,” said the Nebraska City sophomore. Last year, he posted a 5-2 record with a 1.88 earned-run average and struck out 66.

So far, Ehlers has 30 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched. At this rate, he should easily surpass his target of 80 Ks.

Ehlers (pronounced EE-lers) opened the season by striking out 11 in a no-decision against Omaha Roncalli, which got a walk-off homer to win that game.

Last Thursday, he mowed down 19 batters in a 6-1 victory over Wahoo.

Actually, the game didn’t start auspiciously for Ehlers. The first batter grounded out, but then he allowed a hit and a wild pitch sent the runner to second. Wahoo scored on a throwing error before Ehlers found himself.

He retired the side on strikeouts and then struck out every batter except for one (a bunt attempt, thrown out by the catcher) the rest of the game.

“In warmups, I thought it was going to be a long day,” said Ehlers. “After that first inning, it came together. And then when we got some runs, it lifted a weight off my shoulder. Our guys were pumped and we got hits when we needed.”

Nebraska City coach Tom Bales said 13 Wahoo batters went down swinging while six were caught looking at a third strike.

“Logan has decent movement on his fastball, and his curve and cutter were working well. They were jumping around the bat,” said Bales. “He only threw 88 pitches. It was a pretty cold night so that was quite a feat.”

Ehlers went to baseball camps in Florida and Arizona, where his fastball was clocked at a high of 90 miles-per-hour.

“I was in the mid- to high 80s most of the time,” said Ehlers. “I’m hoping to go to a Division I college. Actually, I would love to jump straight to professional baseball, but my parents want me to get an education.”

High strikeout totals seem to be fairly common so far this spring.

Mitch Reinig of Gretna struck out 12 and nine in two games, Michael Servais of Omaha Skutt struck out 10 in one game, Cory Buckley of Bellevue East whiffed 12 in a complete game and teammate Danny Pierce struck out 10 and nine in a pair of games.

Josh Raburn of Creighton Prep struck out 11 in six innings of no-hit ball against Lincoln North Star, and teammate Joe Holtmeyer came on to strike out the side and complete the no-hitter.

Joe Bircher of Omaha Roncalli had 11 and eight Ks in a pair of games, and C.J. Brewer of Blair fanned 10. Ricky Ideus of Lincoln North Star and Tyler Brown of Millard South each have a nine-strikeout game.

Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.