TITLE:  Head Coach, Pitchers

TWITTER:  SteveFrey23

After presiding over the Elkhorn High School baseball program for six seasons, Steve Frey took over the head coaching reigns for Millard West in May of 2015, following the retirement of one of the most accomplished coaches in Nebraska High School baseball history in Frank Ryan.  MW's 2nd head coach in school history has the led the Wildcats to a state tournament berth in his first 5 years at the helm at Millard West including a state championship in 2019, the programs first championship in school history.  

At 127-43 over his career at Millard West, Steve Frey's teams have accumulated 21+ win seasons in each of his 1st five seasons including three 28-win seasons (2016, 2019, 2021).  During the 5 state tournaments under Frey,  Millard West has earned a state champion (2019), a 2x state runner-up (2016, 2021) and a 4th & 5th place finish (2018, 2017).

Millard West has also been a 4x runner-up in the Omaha Metro Conference Tournament (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021) and a 4x district champion (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021). 

Originally from the North Dakota town of Bismarck, Frey oversees the pitching development of the MW baseball program.  

Since the start of the 2016 campaign, MW has broken many season school records in Frey's 1st five years including stolen bases (163), hit-by-pitches (66), strikeouts (356) and saves (11).

Individual player honors and accomplishments have poured in under Frey, highlighted by shortstops Cole Stobbe and Max Anderson becoming MW's fourth and fifth Nebraska Gatorade Players of the Year winners in 2016 and 2020.  In 2016, Millard West’s shortstop Cole Stobbe was taken as the 1st pick of the 3rd round (78th pick overall) by the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB draft. 

Millard West's newest head man joined the Wildcats in April 2015 after he caught the eye of the MW Athletic Director Chris Loofe who was the AD at that time. Frey was the head baseball coach at Elkhorn High School from 2009 – 2015. At 228-120 over his high school coaching career that includes a six-year stop at Elkhorn High School, his teams compiled a 101-77 record including a Nebraska Class B State Runner-Up finish in 2010. 

Among his notable pupils have included many Omaha World Herald All-State and Lincoln Journal Star Super-State baseball players.  Some of those include Drew Smith (Creighton/Northeast CC/Grand Canyon/Milwaukee Brewers), Cole Stobbe (Philadelphia Phillies), Spencer Lear, Kyle Stevens, Caleb Riedel (Iowa Western CC/Nebraska-Omaha) Colby Gomes (Nebraska), Garrett Kocis (Wichita St.), Brody Belt (Nebraska football), Max Anderson (Nebraska) and Jaxson Cahoy. 

In his second summer as head coach, Millard West's legion team won the Nebraska Legion Area District Championship, the Nebraska Legion American League Championship and finished as the Nebraska State Legion Runner-Up. The Wildcats qualified for the Midwest Regional in Bismarck, North Dakota and finished tied for 4th place with a 2-2 record.  In 2018, the Millard West legion team also made a historic run by winning the prestigious Gopher Classic in Minnesota, one of the top legion tournaments in the country with a walk-off home run by Max Anderson to defeat Rapid City Post #22 8-7.  MW also made a run to a Midwest regional going 43-11 on the year, winning the Nebraska Legion Area District Championship, the Nebraska Legion National League Championship and finished as the Nebraska State Legion Runner-Up.  At the Midwest Regional in Dickinson, North Dakota, Millard West went 1-2 having it's season ended by a revenge 5-4 loss to powerhouse Rapid City Post #22. During his time as the summer coach at Millard West, Frey's summer teams have a record of 161-83.

Millard West's state championship drought finally ended in 2019 when the Wildcats made a magical run through the state tournament. In the 1st four games of the state tournament, the Wildcat pitching staff and defense gave up 0 runs and 16 hits over 28 innings.  In the state championship game, a team finally scored their first run against MW in the 9th inning in a 2-1 eleven-inning baseball game.  Unbelievably, the Wildcats did not gave up a single run the 1st thirty-six innings of the state tournament.  Over the entire tournament, MW gave up 20 hits over 39 innings and outscored their opponents 21-1.

Prior to Elkhorn, Frey was a pitcher at North Dakota State University from 1996 – 1999. He graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and a Master of Science in Sport and Recreation Management in 2002. Upon completion of his playing career, he was the pitching coach at North Dakota State from 2000 – 2004. His last year as pitching coach included a North Central Conference tournament championship. 

A 2000 graduate of North Dakota State with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and a Master of Science Degree in Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science, Frey and his wife Buffy (Briana) and have three daughters, Maris, Tiffany and Sofie.

PROMINENT PUPILS

• Jaxson Cahoy (Millard West); 2021 Omaha World Herald All-State, Lincoln Journal Star Super-State
• Caleb Riedel (Millard West); 2019 2021 Omaha World Herald All-State
• Max Anderson (Millard West); 2019 2021 Omaha World Herald All-State, Lincoln Journal Star Super-State, 2020 Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year
• Colby Gomes (Millard West); 2017, 2018 Omaha World Herald All-State, Lincoln Journal Star Super-State
• Garrett Kocis (Millard West); 2017 Omaha World Herald All-State, Lincoln Journal Star Super-State
• Spencer Lear (Millard West); 2016 Omaha World Herald All-State, Lincoln Journal Star Super-State
• Kyle Stevens (Millard West); 2016 Lincoln Journal Star Super-State
• Cole Stobbe (Millard West); 2016 Omaha World Herald All-State, Omaha World Herald All-State Honorary Captain, Lincoln Journal Star Super-State, Omaha World Herald All-State Honorary Captain, 2016 Nebraska Gatorade Player of the Year
• Drew Smith (Elkhorn); 2015 Omaha World Herald All-State

Zak Leighton is in his eighth year (2016-2022 & 2024) as an Assistant Coach for Millard West. Zak coaches the Varsity team for the spring and summer seasons. Zak serves primarily as the Varsity Infield Coach and he also coaches Varsity hitting. He has helped bring two State Championships ('19 & '22) to the program as well as two Central Plains Regional Tournament appearances ('16 & 18). 

Zak is a graduate from Wayne State College majoring in Sports Management and Minor in Business. He was a two-year starter at shortstop for the Wildcats ('14-15). Prior to Wayne State, Zak spent two seasons ('12- 13) at lowa Central Community College where he was a two-year starter.  He earned the NJCAA Region XI Academic 1st Team All-Region award that year.

Zak is from Omaha, NE and is a graduate of Creighton Prep (2011). During his senior campaign, he helped the Jr. Jays capture the American Legion State Championship and qualify for the Central Regional in Dickinson, North Dakota.

TITLE:  Varsity Catchers

TWITTER:  ac_peacock

TITLE:  Varsity Outfielders

TWITTER:  

Shawn Juricek is in his fourth year as the head coach of the junior varsity team. Juricek has been coaching high school athletes for 12 years. Juricek coached 6 years in the Millard Sox Organization and 2 years at Concordia High School. This is his third year at Millard West. He is in his 8th year as an educator in Millard and his third year as a high school counselor at Millard West.

Varsity Pitchers

Varsity Assistant & JV Head Coach

JV Assistant Coach

JV Assistant Coach

JV Assistant Coach

Reserve Head Coach

Reserve Assistant Coach

Reserve Assistant Coach

Reserve Assistant Coach