Friends together, friends forever…

That has been the mantra of two talented softball players who have played high school softball and travel ball together and will continue their on-field successes—and off-field close friendship— at Creighton University in the very near future.

Macey Jarose is a 2026 grad who is a two-time 1^st Team All-State outfielder and Abby Beard is a 2027 grad and also a two-time 1^st Team All-State honoree as a utility player, both at Millard North High in Omaha, Nebraska.

That All-State recognition, however, is not the only thing these longtime teammates and besties have in common… not by a long shot.

Even though Macey and Abby are separated by one year in school and play on two different Nebraska Gold teams during the spring and summer (Macey on Nebraska Gold 18U National – Singleton and Abby on Nebraska Gold 16U National – Swift) the duo has played over 150 games together as teammates… and there will be many more ahead.

That’s because the two Nebraska-based standouts have been high school teammates the last three years and, post-high school graduation for both, both will stay at home in Omaha to play for the Creighton Bluejays when Abby follows Macey by a year to the Big East school.

“Me and Abby grew up in the Nebraska Gold Organization pretty much our whole lives, and that’s how we met,” Macey recalls.

“I believe it was my freshman year and her eighth-grade year when we started to talk more to each other and realized that we are very similar people and share the same goals—whether that’s softball related or life related.”

Macey also looks back at that time as to when their friendship was strengthened and tightly solidified.

“My sophomore year and Abby’s freshman year is when we started to click, I would say, because after the loss of our first state championship, we knew something had to change so the two of us and our Milliard North softball team built a culture and embodied it those next few years.”

“That off season, we as a team and individuals worked harder than we ever have, and it paid off because we had crazy high school seasons the following two years.

Abby agrees that it was at that time their friendship bond became stronger.

“My freshman year at Millard North was when we started to talk a lot more and realized we shared similar goals. We also had similar expectations for what this program should be like for the next couple years,” the younger of the two players remembers.

“We then became really close the next year and that was when we became the lead-off and 2-hole hitters and just vibed with a crazy strong connection in our at-bats.”

Macey looks back fondly at those early prep years as to when their games were elevated to another level.

“My junior and senior seasons I batted in the 1-hole and Abby was moved into the 2-hole,” the current senior recalls.

“We were the key to our offense and people looked at us as leaders and the ones to get things going. Our team jokes a ton about us because we had a bunch of superstitions but to us, they mean the world and are things we must do to lock in before a game.”

What are those superstitions?

“We have a lot of superstitions,” Abby laughs. “Like Macey always goes first on tee work and I always go first on front toss and cage work and certain things like that. It was the same thing with outfield handshakes and songs, too!”

Both players have had tremendous high school and club careers and are known for going about the game the right way, playing hard for themselves, each other, their teammates and their coaches including Larry Swift, who has literally seen the two grow up before his eyes, developing from young, raw players to soon-to-be D1 athletes.

“I’ve known Macey and Abby since they were very young starting off with Nebraska Gold,” says Swift who is the Organizational Director for the Nebraska Gold club program as well as being an Assistant Coach for their high school softball team.

“I actively coach Abby on my Gold team and was fortunate to coach both in high school at Millard North.”

The longtime coach says it’s been a great opportunity to work with the two.

“What stands out to me being around both over the years is their work ethic. Macey and Abby really push each other to be the very best and they are also each other’s biggest cheerleaders. They show great leadership qualities, not by being overly vocal, but by the work they put in to be the very best. They are very coachable kids and a pleasure to be around.”

Interestingly, Macey wasn’t originally set to go to Millard North High; she was assigned to another school in Millard but was able to follow her hitting coach to North High and, fortuitously, Coach Swift joined the staff afterwards and everything fell into place.

Both players started in the Nebraska Gold program at the 10U level and say they are excited to compete at Creighton University which just built a brand-new stadium on campus and has broken ground on a $300 million dollar Sports Performance Center for athletes of all sports.

As both Macey and Abby would attest, however, they still have room for improvement. Each of the last three years, Millard North softball has made it to the Nebraska Class A State Championship game but each year fell short.

Still, the friends together have made quite the mark at Millard North High where their teams went 94-18 with three District titles and the trio of state runner-up finishes.

Justin Jarose, Macey’s father and club coach up until this year when she joined Beth Singleton’s accomplished 18U team, admits the ending to the 2025 season was particularly tough—a 4-2 loss to Lincoln Southwest.

“They each had worked so hard during the off-season chasing that dream of holding up the state championship trophy after falling short the previous two years,” he explains.

“Not only did they work hard at becoming better players; they worked extremely hard at becoming better leaders and worked hard at continuing the culture that’s been built within the Millard North High School softball program from those who came before them.”

“Macey and Abby worked hard on holding people accountable when needed and worked hard on the mental side of the game so when that final out happened and the realization of not reaching the team’s end goal of winning a title hit them, it was hard.” 

The long-time friends have had their highs and lows on the field going back to their pre-high school days.

Over the years, Macey and Abby have subbed on each other’s club teams many times allowing them to play together as Nebraska Gold teammates.

The organization holds many joint practices, bringing together older and young teams and with the players’ teams being separated by only a year, the twosome has spent a lot of time practicing together, learning about each other, pushing each other and developed a strong and special friendship before and during their high school years.

However, it was during the players’ time at Millard North High that their friendship grew into something special and, at times—as their parents will agree—Macey and Abby were inseparable during the high school softball seasons. 

The friends often spent time together during the off-season getting together to hit and work on their craft.  Even during the high school softball season–and as busy and hectic as their weekly schedules were–you would often find them up at the field hitting after practice or on an “off day.”

Thus, it was particularly hard this year after the friends had played their last game together as Millard North teammates. The duo knew the one constant would always be that, once school started in the fall, they would be pretty much together every day during the 12-week sprint to the Nebraska State Tournament.

As close as they are now, the one thing that each did individually and on their own was go through the recruiting process and ultimately making the college choice that was best for herself.

While there are some parallels with each of their journey’s and how they ended up both committing to Creighton, the two high schoolers went through the recruiting process at different times and faced their own unique set of questions, thoughts, and uncertainties on where they’d eventually call home after high school.  

Even though Macey committed to Creighton a year before Abby, she tried very hard—as hard as it was—to let Abby experience her own journey in recruiting even though she—along with everyone else close to the girls—hoped that ultimately Abby would choose Creighton as to where she would play her collegiate softball.

Mission accomplished.

“Macey had committed to Creighton, and I went to a camp with her there,” Abby states. “We had so much fun together with all the girls and coaches and it was something I saw happening in the future. We both know each other’s actions when something isn’t going right, and we know how to help the other like no one else does.”

The older athlete agrees.

“Abby has grown into an amazing softball player, but an even better human being,” Macey continues. “I am so lucky I had the chance to play high school softball with her and now college ball in the future.”

“She is truly one of my best friends, biggest supporters, and is someone I can go to for anything. There is absolutely no jealousy in our relationship, and we know that if one of us has an off night, the other will pick them up.”

“It means so much to have a teammate and friend who cheers for your success and is there when you have failures. I am so excited for this next chapter at Creighton, but I’ll be even more excited when Abby gets there,” Macey adds.

“We have already talked about rooming together! I think it is so cool that two girls from Nebraska, who are in the Nebraska Gold organization and played high school together at Millard North together, are going to the same college.”

“I feel blessed to have this opportunity and continue to represent Nebraska Gold and Millard North softball at the next level! Signing my NLI was a dream come true, and I can’t wait to become a part of such a special program and culture and Creighton.”

“It will feel weird not having Abby with me for one year, but I will continue to be there for her and watch her ball out her last season at Milliard North. Then the following year we get to live out our dream of playing together!” 

Abby also admits she’s eager for the time when she’ll be with her close friend in Creighton colors.

“I am so excited to get to play three or four more years with MJ,” she says. “She is my biggest supporter on and off the field and there is never any envy in our friendship.”

“We both want each other to be the best Abby Beard and Macey Jarose that can be and we don’t compare ourselves to each other. Macey’s such an amazing person to be with and be around and she leads more by example and I lead more by my voice and vocal leadership, so we compliment leadership rolls very well.”

Echoing Macey’s comments of representing their high school and club teams at the next level, Abby says she’s proud that the two of them will forever be proud of where they came from.

“It will be so crazy to see two Millard North girls and Nebraska Gold girls going to play in Omaha representing both programs and who are so close.”

Not surprisingly, the families of the two friends are equally proud and excited for what’s to come now and in the future.

“Abby and Macey have many common values, with family being a huge priority to both of them,” says Nick and Amy Beard. “The gift of watching them play together at the next level, while staying so close to home, is something our families cannot put a price on!”  

Justin Jarose says he too is excited to see what the next few years bring.

“Macey and Abby are incredible young women who continue to provide such joy in our lives,” the long-time coach says.

“Watching them grow both on and off the field these past three-to-four years has truly been a blessing and knowing that their special bond and friendship will continue on at the next level will be special for both of them as well as our families.”

“I cannot wait to see them take the field together again as Creighton Bluejays!”

— Brentt Eads/Line Drive Softball