Three generations of Nickells enjoyed a family tradition Friday.

Jerry Nickell watched his son Kelly Nickell coach the second-seed Peyton Panthers to a 8-2 win over 10th-seed St. Mary’s in the 2A state baseball quarterfinals at Runyon Sports complex in Pueblo.

Kelly’s son, senior Logan Nickell, was pivotal in the victory, throwing 96 pitches over six innings, allowing just five hits and striking out 11.

"It's a kind of a perpetuation of what we call the Nickell ballgame gene," Jerry said. "I was a baseball coach for 13 years. Kelly's now been at it for 20. And Logan thinks he wants to grow up to be a baseball coach, so it's just something in the family that we've lived with for about the last 35 years." 

"It's awesome," Logan said. "I feel like there's not too many families like that anymore and ... none of us were ever forced to play. We play the game because we love it and that's awesome."

But good baseball isn’t just a Nickell thing, it’s a Peyton thing. The Panthers graduated seven starters a season ago in a year in which the team went 25-2, falling to St. Mary’s 13-12 in the state semifinals.

Despite that, this year’s Panthers are in the same position as 2022, sitting at 25–1 and two wins shy of the school’s second state championship after knocking out the team that bounced them last year.

"I think (the loss) fueled all of us during the whole offseason and we beat these guys twice in the regular season," Logan said. "But that doesn't compare to beating them in the playoffs where they beat us last year. So that surely did feel good."

The success this team has had may come as a surprise, given all the talent Peyton lost last season. But Kelly said that he had a feeling the Panthers might be in this position this season. 

With only junior pitcher and outfielder Toby Redmond and Logan having playoff experience, Kelly attributes his team's success to those who have delivered when called upon. He named freshmen Bryce Love and Zayden Ebbert, juniors A.J. Kranz and John Turner, and seniors Owen and Linkin Compton. 

All of the players Kelly mentioned made an impact in Friday's game. After the Pirates took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the first, Kranz blasted a pitch over the left-field wall for a 2-run homer. Love went 3 for 4 from the plate, scored two runs and recorded an RBI. Ebbert and Owen each had an RBI and Linkin and Turner each scored a run.  

Redmond pitched the seventh inning in relief of Logan where he recorded a strikeout. But the Panthers junior had one of the best plays of the game in the top of the sixth inning. 

Down 5-1 to begin the penultimate inning, the Pirates had a bit of a rally, scoring on an RBI single from junior Josh Padrnos. Afterward, St. Mary's had two runners on base with two outs and junior Jackson Lewis at the plate. Lewis sent a ball to center field where Redmond made a diving catch to stunt the Pirate's momentum.  

"You have to want the ball in pressure situations and just staying calm and confident no matter what's going out on that field," Logan said of the play. 

The Panthers will play third-seed Denver Christian Saturday at 10 a.m. in the state semis for an opportunity to play in the state championship game June 3 at CSU Pueblo. 

Kelly said it's been a bittersweet week as Logan graduated from Peyton on May 19. But he relishes the opportunity to play in another state final and add another piece to the team and family legacies. 

"My uncle and my dad won a state championship in basketball and baseball in Branson in '67," Kelly said. "I made the playoffs (and never won). My younger brother got a second and a third place in the state basketball tournament. Logan's got to play in a state championship game. He's played in the state basketball tournament," Kelly said. "Yeah it's pretty cool. When we get family get togethers to look at pictures, my grandpa used to have the state championship basketball trophy sitting on his TV. We lived at the state tournament. We expect to be there so it's just been really cool that I've gotten to experience it, especially with my son."