SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) – Northern California is known for producing some of the best baseball players in the country and Franklin High School from Elk Grove is adding to it with a roster full of promising talent.
“My first year of the head coach we went to the Section championships that was in 2012,” said Head Coach Bryan Kilby.
Kilby, a teacher at Franklin, helped lead the Wildcats to a Sac-Joaquin Section championship for the first time in program history.
The Wildcats defeated Whitney, 6-2 to capture the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship.
Franklin finished the regular season, 17-1 and 29-4 overall.
“At the beginning of high school I thought, ‘It’s high school, who cares?’ You just go out there and it’s whatever. But it’s seriously like a brotherhood,” said junior right-handed pitcher Nic Abraham.
When looking at Franklin’s stats there’s an abundance of players that stand out, two of those are powerhouse pitchers senior Nolan Stevens and junior Nic Abraham.
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Stevens, a 6’2 left-handed pitcher with a 0.50 ERA, is headed to Mississippi State.
“He’s a special player,” said Kilby. “I mean one of the best we’ve had come through our program.”
Abraham, a 6’4 right-handed pitcher with a 0.55 ERA, is still undecided where he’s playing at the collegiate level.
“Nic’s really shown his stuff,” said Stevens. “He’s shown it all season. Last year he pitched great when he was only a sophomore. This year he really took control and is a dominant pitcher. If not the best pitcher in Northern California.”
Kilby added: “He’s a leader on and off the field. He wants the ball in his hands all the time.”
With two stars on the mound Kilby had a calm approach this season and trusts with the team’s bond and skill level, the sky is the limit for the Wildcats.
“We want to win the 90-foot battle… We also don’t want to overthink it. Keep things small and ya know it’s baseball, it’s a kid’s game. So just go out there and have fun.”