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Posted By Mr. Eddie Dwyer
Ryan, who will be starting his third season as a mainstay for Wildcats Head Varsity Baseball Coach Brad Ganor when winter practice begins, will be furthering his education and baseball career at Miami of Ohio University in 2017-18.
Kent State, Eastern Michigan and The Ohio State University were also among Ryan's considerations, before he committed to Miami of Ohio today (Tuesday).
Ryan, whose bat produces power and consistency, has been a starting outfielder for the past two seasons, springs that have produced consecutive State Final Four appearances in Division I. Ryan will sign a national letter of intent with Miami of Ohio in February of 2017.
The corner congratulates Ryan, his family, Coach Ganor and the entire Saint Ignatius Baseball Program.
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer
Cleveland, Ohio - Brad, the Director of Saint Ignatius' Robert M. Walton '41 Center for Learning and the Wildcats' highly successful Head Baseball Coach, succeeds Mr. Sean O'Toole '87, who recently accepted the Director of Athletics position at Gilmour Academy. Sean also served as the Wildcats' Head Basketball Coach from the 2008-09 season through the 2014-15 season. Coach O'Toole was the Wildcats' Associate Athletic Director from 2008 through this past school year.
Coach Ganor, who took over the Head Baseball Coaching position at Saint Ignatius in 2005 after serving as an Assistant/Pitching Coach in the program, has developed the Cats' Men of the Spring into a perennial Division I state contender.
Under Coach Ganor, the Baseball Cats have made six trips to the OHSAA final four, including a school-record three consecutive appearances in 2007, '08 and '09. Coach Ganor's 2008 and 2013 Wildcats finished as state runners-up. Brad has also developed numerous Saint Ignatius players who have gone on to play at the college level and some who have reached Major League status, including current Miami Marlins mainstay Derek Dietrich '07.
Congratulations and all of the best from this corner to Brad and his family in his new position, and all of the best to Sean O'Toole and his family in his new endeavor at Gilmour Academy.
It was great to see former Saint Ignatius baseball standout and current Miami Marlins starting second baseman Derek Dietrich competing in ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball presentation of the Fort Bragg (N.C.) Game on the newly constructed Fort Bragg Field. Fort Bragg is the home of thousands and thousands of our country's current members of the Military.
Sunday's game was the first regular-season game in a professional sport ever to be played on an active Military Base.
The special Fort Bragg Game, which came on the eve of America's 240th Birthday, matched Don Mattingly's Marlins, who have Wild Card aspirations this season, against the Atlanta Braves.
Derek, who entered the game hitting .302, walked and had an RBI sacrifice fly in four trips to the plate. He also drove a ball the opposite way to left field for a deep fly out. The Marlins turned back the Braves, 5-2.
Mattingly, known as "Donnie Baseball" during his memorable career as a first baseman for the New York Yankees and the former manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, is very pleased with Derek's play, especially his versatility.
Along with his solid play at second base, Derek can also handle third base, first base and left field. That versatility might come into play when Marlins second baseman and 2015 National League Batting Champion Dee Gordon comes off his suspension later this month.
Derek recently tied a Marlins' single-season mark by getting hit by a pitch for the 17th time this spring and summer. He joined Carlos Delgado, who was plunked 17 times in 2005.
God Bless and All of the Best to Derek, his family and his Marlin teammates as Derek continues a career that this corner had the privilege to cover for three of his four seasons at Saint Ignatius.
NOTE: Derek and the Marlins will take on the Indians at Progressive Field September 2nd through the 4th.
Mike, from the Class of 2011, is a left-handed pitcher who played four years for the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University.
Congrats to Mike, his family, Saint Ignatius Head Baseball Coach Brad Ganor and the entire Wildcats Baseball Program.
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit June 2016
Columbus, Ohio - Displaying the same class and character he brought to his team in victory, Saint Ignatius' senior captain/third baseman Dennis Grosel pointed to the lasting impact the past four years have left on him and his teammates.
"A great group of seniors, we've battled together since freshman year," said Grosel, as he was packing up his equipment in the first base dugout at Huntington Park following the Wildcats' 5-3, eight-inning loss to Pickerington North in Thursday night's Division I State Baseball Semifinal.
Grosel, who closed out an outstanding athletic career at Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School, said he will especially cherish the spring of 2016, when the Wildcats overcame the adversity of a 1-6 start and convinced their coaches and their fans that they would turn it around and make it a season to recall.
"What I will take most from this year was our attitude to fight back and the trust and faith that the seniors and the rest of the team, the juniors and sophomores, had in each other," Grosel said. "Honestly, if we didn't have that, we wouldn't have made it through the Districts."
Head Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats, seeded third at the Strongsville Sectional/District, not only brought home that District title by defeating second-seeded Strongsville and top-seeded St. Edward, but went on to capture another Regional Championship at Bowling Green State University and advance to the big-school State final four for the sixth time in Coach Ganor's 12 seasons as the head man of Saint Ignatius' Baseball Program and the 13th time overall.
Saint Ignatius brought home the Division I State Baseball Championship in 2002 under former Wildcats baseball and basketball mainstay Brian Morgan and was a state runner-up in 2000, 2008 and 2013. Coach Ganor, who was an assistant coach/pitching coach for the 2002 state championship team, set a school record by guiding his Cats to three consecutive state final fours in 2007, '08 and '09.
In what was its second consecutive trip to the state semifinals, Saint Ignatius faced one of the OHSAA tournament's surprises on Thursday night, Coach Tim Thomas' Panthers from Pickerington North.
Pickerington North, which returned to baseball's final four after finishing as a state runner-up to perennial power Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller in 2009, was seeded eighth in its sectional/district.
While Saint Ignatius was founded in 1886, Pickerington North opened its doors on August 24th, 2003.
Playing with a confidence level in the postseason that Coach Thomas described as being off the chart, the Panthers trailed the Wildcats, 1-0, after two innings.
Saint Ignatius, which closed its resilient season at 22-11, took that early lead in the bottom of the first on a two-out, bases-empty line drive single to right-center field by Grosel, a walk to senior designated hitter George Asadorian and an RBI single to left field off the bat of senior shortstop Kevin Mingus.
Pickerington North, which was eliminated in a regional semifinal each of the past two years, grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of third inning after there were two outs and the bases empty. The big blows were a base hit off an 0-1 pitch by Panthers third baseman Connor Ayers and an RBI triple to deep center field by center fielder Dillan Smith.
Saint Ignatius knotted the score at 2 in the bottom of the fourth off an authoritative leadoff double down the left-field line by Asadorian, a sacrifice bunt by Mingus and an RBI single to left by junior left fielder Ryan Jacobs.
The Panthers had their faithful roaring again in the top of the fifth after first baseman Justin Grubb delivered an RBI single with two outs that made it a 3-2 game in favor of North.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh, when Wildcats senior pinch hitter John Robinson, battling back from an 0-2 count, drove a 2-2 pitch into right-center field for a lead-off single. A sacrifice bunt by senior right fielder Nick Freund moved junior pinch runner Joe Gutbrod to second, and Grosel, a first-team All-Ohio quarterback this past fall, tied the score with a first-pitch swinging, two-out single to center field.
In the decisive eighth inning, Pickerington North, with two outs and runners on second and third, took a 5-3 lead off a sharply hit fly ball off the bat of Ayers that was slicing a bit and was misplayed by Saint Ignatius for a two-run error.
With two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the eighth, the Wildcats came up with base hits from sophomore first baseman Tommy Grosel, Dennis' brother, and sophomore catcher Drew Asadorian, George's brother.
Keeping its composure, Pickerington North ended the game with a 4-3 groundout and will take a record of 22-9 into Saturday's 1 PM Division I State Championship Game versus Cincinnati La Salle (25-7) in Huntington Park. The Lancers from La Salle advanced to the title game by defeating the Solon Comets, 5-4, in Thursday afternoon's semifinal.
Solon closed its season at 25-5.
"This game wasn't lost on one play," said Coach Ganor. "They're (the Panthers) a very good team and their pitcher (starter Koebe Rush) did a very nice job settling in. To be a part of it, to be able to coach at Saint Ignatius, is a dream come true and a chance of a lifetime. It's a chance of a lifetime, because I'm able to be around guys like this."
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit May/June 2016
Cleveland, Ohio - As Saint Ignatius' talented right-hander Braydon Nelson was about to take the mound in last Friday's OHSAA Division I Regional Championship Game versus Whtehouse Anthony Wayne at Bowling Green State University's Stellar Field, Wildcats junior catcher Jeff Chonko, sidelined for the season with an injury, but still an integral part of the team, offered Braydon some encouragement
"When I was coming out of the bullpen, the last thing Chonko told me was that I had the best defense in the state behind me," said Nelson, who came on in relief with one out in the bottom of the fifth inning and the Wildcats clinging to a 2-1 lead "That helped me for the rest of the game," said the 6-4, 200-pound junior. "I knew I could count on them to make the plays and all I had to do was throw the strikes. And they made all of the plays."
Turing almost exclusively to his fastball on a night when his curve was not cooperating, Nelson (3-0 with 3 saves) threw strikes over 2 2/3 scoreless innings and the Cats made all of the crucial plays in the field, including a highlight-reel, two-hop throw to third base from senior center fielder Mike Rogers to senior third baseman Dennis Grosel that wiped out the runner trying to advance from first to third with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
That combination of pitching and defense, bolstered by a lead-off triple by Rogers and the ensuing RBI single by sophomore first baseman Tommy Grosel, Dennis' brother, in the top of the seventh, paved the way to a 3-1 Regional-Championship victory over the Generals from Anthony Wayne.
In so many ways, that bullpen exchange between Nelson and Chonko sums up what the 2016 Baseball Cats are all about.
Instead of becoming discouraged by his injury, "Coach Chonko," as Jeff is referred to by his teammates, became a vital part of the team in terms of support and encouragement. Jeff is a great nephew to former Parma Senior Redmen and The Ohio State University standout athlete Dr. Arnie Chonko.
Even after that Wednesday afternoon in mid-April, when Saint Ignatius fell to 1-6 with a 2-0 loss at Massillon Washington, Coach Ganor's Cats stayed focused on a trust in the old adage that if there's a will, there's a way.
And that unbending trust and will now have the Cats standing 22-10 and preparing for the program's 13th appearance at the OHSAA's annual State Baseball Tournament and the sixth trip to the final four under Coach Ganor, who became Saint Ignatius' head baseball coach in 2005.
Coach Ganor's Cats set a school record with three consecutive trips to baseball's final four in 2007, '08 and '09 and returned to the final four in 2013 and 2015. The 2008 and 2013 teams were state runners-up. Saint Ignatius was also a state runner-up in 2000 and in 2002 the Cats brought home the Division I State Championship under former Saint Ignatius standout pitcher and basketball mainstay, Coach Brian Morgan. Coach Ganor was an Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach on the 2002 State Championship Team.
Behind Coach Ganor's three laws of trust - trusting yourself, trusting your teammates and trusting your coaches - the Cats will send gifted junior left-hander and Louisville recruit Connor Adams (6-3) to the mound on Thursday night in a Division I State Semifinal matchup with the 21-9 Panthers from Pickerington North. The first pitch from Huntington Park in Columbus will be 7 PM in what is the 89th annual OHSAA State Baseball Tournament.
Coach Tim Thomas' Panthers from Pickerington North have returned to the final four after finishing as a state runner-up to perennial power Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller in 2009, 5-2. Those 2009 Panthers finished an impressive 30-4.
Pickerington North has also won four OCC Championships ('08, '09, '11 and '13) and four District Titles ('09, '14, '15 and '16).
While Saint Ignatius was founded in 1886, Pickerington North opened its doors on August 24th, 2003. Among some of North's notable graduates is current University of Michigan standout tight end Jake Butt, a future NFL prospect.
By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit May 2016
From Bowling Green State University's Steller Field.
Following his outstanding play in center field in the bottom of the sixth inning and big-time leadoff triple in the top of the seventh, Saint Ignatius senior tri-captain and Ashland University recruit Mike Rogers said the "big word" that has accompanied the Wildcats after losing six of their first seven games this spring is "trust."
"We just knew what it took to get better, we kept battling and had trust in each other, trust in every play and everything we set out to do," said Rogers after he helped Coach Brad Ganor's Cats to a 3-1 victory over a very solid team from Whitehouse Anthony Wayne in Friday night's OHSAA Division I Regional Championship Baseball Game on the campus of Bowling Green State University. "It is awesome to be going back again."
Where Coach Ganor's resilient and gifted Wildcats are heading is to their second consecutive state final four appearance, the program's sixth since 2007 and the 13th in the 130-year history of Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School.
Those six trips since 2007 to Ohio High School Baseball's big show have all come under Coach Ganor, who became Saint Ignatius' Head Coach in 2005. The Cats were OHSAA Division I State Champs in 2002 under Coach Brian Morgan and finished as State Runners-Up in 2000, 2008 and 2013. Coach Ganor was an Assistant/Pitching Coach for the Cats' 2002 State Championship Team.
Saint Ignatius, which now stands 22-10 after its 1-6 start, will face Pickerington North (21-9) in Thursday night's OHSAA Division I State Semifinal at Huntington Park in Columbus. The first pitch will be 7 PM and Wildcats standout junior left-hander and Louisville recruit Connor Adams (6- 3) is expected to get the starting call from Coach Ganor.
Pickerington North, one of the tournament's surprises after being seeded eighth for the sectional-district tournament, will be making its second appearance in baseball's State Final Four. The first time came in 2009. North advanced to face Saint Ignatius by defeating highly regarded Gahanna Lincoln, 3-2, in Friday afternoon's Regional final action.
The other half of the Division I State Semifinal Bracket matches the 25-4 Solon Comets against the 24-7 Lancers from Cincinnati La Salle on Thursday at 4 PM in Huntington Park. Solon advanced by defeating Stow, 10-0, in five innings and La Salle eliminated Milford, 7-1. Milford is the program Saint Ignatius defeated, 11-10, in the 2002 Division I State Championship Game.
La Salle has reached the State Baseball Semifinals for the first time since 1995. The Lancers are celebrating 50 years of baseball at the school that resides on North Bend Road in the Queen City.
Thursday's winners will meet in the 89th annual OHSAA State Baseball Tournament Division I Championship Game next Saturday at 1 PM in Huntington Park.
Starting Early, Again: In the second half of the regular season and throughout the postseason tournament, Coach Ganor and his baseball savvy staff of Mark Terlep, John Whelan, Frank DeSico and Matt Blazer have told the Baseball Cats time and again how important it is to come out and land the first shot.
The Cats enter next weekend's State Final Four taking great pride in how well they have executed what their coaches have preached. And Friday was no different.
Designated as the visitor once again, Saint Ignatius came out attacking in the top of the first inning and combined a leadoff single by senior right fielder Nick Freund, a two-base throwing error, an RBI single to right field by senior third baseman/tri-captain Dennis Grosel, and a run-scoring double down the left-field line by senior designated hitter George Asadorian into a 2-0 lead.
Anthony Wayne, which stayed right on the Cats' heels thanks to five consecutive shutout innings by senior pitcher Mike Conklin, who also displayed a successful pick-off move to first base, cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the third.
Left fielder Sean Mowery, the ninth batter in the Generals' order, singled to left-center field and right fielder and lead off hitter Nick Schneider followed with a sacrifice bunt. After a groundout by catcher C.J. Deacon, Wayne's impressive center fielder Evan Brown followed with an RBI single to center field.
Saint Ignatius' gritty and skilled senior right-hander/tri-captain Murphy O'Brien (5-2) turned away every other challenge the Generals generated, including runners on second and third with just one out in the bottom of the fourth. O'Brien is a St. Bonaventure University recruit.
Cats junior right-hander Braydon Nelson, who relieved O'Brien with one out in the bottom of the fifth, used his fastball almost exclusively in also keeping Anthony Wayne frustrated. The Generals stranded 11 base runners.
Nelson, who now has three saves on the season to go along with his 3-0 record as a starter, benefitted big time from an exceptional play by Rogers in center field with one out and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth.
The next batter hit a tough one-hop single into left-center field that Rogers charged and fired a two-hop dart to Dennis Grosel at third base, who applied the tag on the lead runner as he was trying to go from first to third.
Riding the emotion of his on-the-money throw, Rogers led off the top of the seventh with a triple to the gap in left-center field and scored the game's final run off an RBI single to center field by sophomore first baseman Tommy Grosel, Dennis' brother.
"I was ready to make a big play," said Rogers. "I wanted the ball hit to me. There's nothing better than making a play like that on this stage."
Among the Cats' other big plays in the field were the 6-5 turned in by senior shortstop Kevin Mingus and Dennis Grosel that saw Grosel run down the fleet-footed Brown after he broke for third off a ground ball to Mingus, and Tommy Grosel's 3-1 toss to Nelson off a wicked hop to the right side for the first out in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Nelson also did his part defensively by kick stopping a hard shot up the middle that saw Braydon take the ball out of the air as it came right back to him and make the easy flip to Tommy Grosel at first base.
Along with his web gem in the bottom of the sixth, Rogers also made a diving catch in the fifth inning.
The line score on the game was 3 runs, 8 hits and no errors for Saint Ignatius, and 1 run, 9 hits and 3 errors for Anthony Wayne.
The bottom three hitters in the Generals' lineup were a combined 6-for-8, with Andrew Murphy going 2-for-2 and Brock Nartker and Mowery each turning in 2-for-3 evenings.
"There are three trusts," said Coach Ganor. "You trust your teammates, you trust your coaches and most importantly, you trust yourself. Being a high school teacher that I am, there's a lot of times when I think they're not listening. They're looking, but they're not listening. They just proved me wrong, they are listening. They just have their own way of doing it."
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit May 2016
From Cuyahoga Community College - After his Saint Ignatius Baseball Wildcats moved a game closer to advancing to what would be the program's 13th State Final Four appearance, Head Coach Brad Ganor expressed his pleasure with his team's aggressive, right-out of the gate mentality on Thursday afternoon.
"That's what we've been preaching, about attacking early," said Coach Ganor after he watched his Cats move to a 5-0 lead after two innings and go on to wear down the Highland Hornets, 8-2, in a Regional Semifinal on a sun-drenched Ron Mottl Field. "We scouted them as an emotional team and we wanted to grab the emotion right from the get-go.
"To go triple and double to start the game, that pretty much takes the emotion away from them," a smiling Coach Ganor continued after Saint Ignatius improved to 21-10 and advanced to Friday's 5 PM Regional Championship Game at Bowling Green State University.
The Wildcats, the defending Bowling Green Regional Champs, will face the 24-6 Generals from Whitehouse Anthony Wayne, who defeated Amherst Steele, 4-2, in Thursday evening's Regional Semifinal at Bowling Green State University.
Along with its early offensive punch, Saint Ignatius got another strong performance on the mound from junior southpaw Connor Adams, a Louisville recruit. Connor, who improved to 6-3 on the season, entered Thursday's game with an earned run average of 0.739.
Connor threw 103 pitches in going seven complete innings, 69 of which were strikes. He yielded three hits, two runs, struck out six, walked three and hit a batter.
"They had some good hitters according to our reports, and Connor was able to neutralize them," Coach Ganor said. "He pitched like an ace again and, considering that in his first three starts this season we scored a combined zero runs, we're finally giving him some run support. My only hope is that he has one more start this year and plenty of run support in that one."
If the Wildcats are successful in Friday's Elite 8 game, Adams' next start would come in next week's OHSAA Division I State Semifinals. Coach Ganor has guided the Cats to five State Final Fours, including last year's State Semifinals. Saint Ignatius finished as the big school State Runner-Up under Coach Ganor in 2008 and 2013. Coach Ganor was an Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach on Coach Brian Morgan's 2002 Division I State Championship Team at Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School.
The Cats' only focus on Thursday was a Highland team that entered Regional play at 18-9.
Designated as the Visitor on Ron Mottl Field, Saint Ignatius greeted the Hornets' starting pitcher, previously 4-0 Thomas Ruth, with a leadoff triple to deep left-center field by versatile senior right fielder Nick Freund. Gritty senior second baseman Joe Evans, first-pitch swinging, then drove the ball to the base of the fence in left for an RBI double and Saint Ignatius was as hot as the beautiful weather that graced the skies of Parma/Parma Heights.
With two outs in the top of the first, senior shortstop Kevin Mingus delivered a single, putting runners on first and third. Coach Ganor then called for a fake bunt and Mingus purposely got caught in a run down between first and second as the runner scored from third, making it 2-0.
The Cats, who have now won 21 of their past 26 games after starting the season at 0-5, pushed their lead to 5-0 in the top of the second. The key blows were an RBI single by senior center fielder Mike Rogers, a test-book sacrifice bunt by sophomore first baseman Tommy Grosel, an RBI sacrifice fly by Freund and a run-scoring single through the left side off a 1-2 pitch by standout senior third baseman Dennis Grosel, Tommy's big brother.
After Highland combined consecutive walks by designated hitter Zach Filips and right fielder Jonah Marsh, a sacrifice bunt by shortstop Adam Nagy and a ground out by second baseman Victor Zamlen into a run in the bottom of the fifth, Coach Ganor's team regained total control with a three-run top of the sixth.
With one out and the bases empty in the top of the sixth, Rogers, who reached base three times, walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. In what was a solid at-bat, senior catcher/pinch hitter John Robinson drew a walk and rich-in-promise sophomore catcher Drew Asadorian followed with an RBI single.
Freund then laid down a bunt that the pitcher fielded and fired wildly over the head of his catcher, making the score 7-1, and Evans provided Saint Ignatius' eighth and final run of the afternoon with an RBI single up the middle.
Highland would score a run in bottom of the seventh to close out the scoring.
The line score from Cats' super stats man Joe Ertle was 8 runs, six hits and no errors for Saint Ignatius, and 2 runs, 3 hits and 2 errors for the Hornets.
"Getting those early runs really set the tone for the game," said Evans, who drove in the Cats' first and final runs on the afternoon. "The pitching has been phenomenal this season and everyone has been able to find their role on the team. It's all coming together right now and I can't wait to get back to State."
"We knew from the beginning (the winter workouts in Fr. Sullivan Gymnasium), that we would eventually have a very good offense," said Rogers, a tri-Captain who, along with his solid play in center field, also serves as Coach Ganor's closer. "We started slow on the year, going down to Florida, but had to trust that everybody in the lineup, 1 through 9, could do their job at any point in the game. It was about having confidence in ourselves and getting hot at the right time."
Taking the mound for Coach Ganor on Friday will be standout senior right-hander Murphy O'Brien (4-2), who joins Rogers and Dennis Grosel as the Wildcats' Captains.
Thursday afternoon's Regional triumph over Highland was the 270th career victory for Coach Ganor, with all of them coming in his 12 seasons as the Wildcats' skipper.
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, May 2016
Cleveland, Ohio - The Baseball Cats, champions of the Strongsville Division I District, are scheduled to face Barberton District Champion Medina Highland on Thursday at 3 PM in an OHSAA Regional Semifinal on Ron Mottl Field at Cuyahoga Community College.
Junior left-hander Connor Adams, a Louisville recruit, is expected to take the mound for Saint Ignatius. Connor is 5-3 with a 0.739 earned run average. He has 62 strikeouts and 19 walks in 47.1 innings.
If successful versus the 18-9 Hornets from Highland, the 20-10 Cats will advance to Friday's 5 PM Regional Championship Game at Bowling Green State University, where they would face the winner of Thursday's Regional Semifinal between the Amherst Steele Comets and the Generals from Whitehouse Anthony Wayne.
Amherst Steele and Anthony Wayne are slated to play their Regional Semifinal at Bowling Green State University with a first pitch of 5 PM.
The defending Bowling Green State University Regional Champions, the Baseball Wildcats are seeking their third State appearance since 2013, their sixth under 12-year Head Coach Brad Ganor and their 13th overall. Saint Ignatius brought home the Division I State Championship in 2002 and was a state runner-up in 2000, 2008 and 2013.
Here is a look at Medina Highland, Amherst Steele and Whitehouse Anthony Wayne.
HIGHLAND: The tough-minded and opportunistic Hornets, the fourth-seeded team at the Barberton District, earned their first Regional Baseball appearance since 2008 by defeating fifth-seeded Archbishop Hoban, 11-1, in six innings. The Knights from Archbishop Hoban bowed out of the tournament at 16-13.
Saint Ignatius, behind a no-hitter by multi-skilled senior right hander/right fielder Nick Freund, defeated Archbishop Hoban, 2-0, in an April 27th regular season game on Fisher Field at Baldwin Wallace University.
Highland displayed its balance against Hoban, as six Hornets came up with at least one hit.
After driving in three of the Hornets' five runs in the 5-2 District Semifinal victory over second-seeded Wadsworth, Jonah Marsh and Adam Nagy, who bat eighth and ninth in Coach Jay Grissom's lineup, carried the big bats again versus Hoban.
Marsh went 3-for-4 with five runs batted in and Nagy had 2 hits in three at-bats with 3 RBI.
Coach Grissom, who feels he has at least 10 players who can make things happen offensively, started sophomore right-hander Billy Keller (4-1) against Hoban. Keller went the entire six innings, striking out 2. The run the Knights scored was earned
AMHERST STEELE: The now 22-8 Comets, somehow seeded fifth at the Lorain District in The Pipe Yard, trailed No. 1 seed Avon by four runs with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the fifth inning during last week's District Championship Game.
Six runs later, Amherst Steele grabbed a two-run lead and went on to an 8-4 victory and a date with Anthony Wayne in Thursday's Regional Semifinal at Bowling Green State University. Avon came calling to the District Title Game with a record of 21-7.
Those 22 victories by the Comets are a school record for Coach Matt Rositano's resilient team.
Amherst Steele's one-for-the-scrapbooks rally started with a walk to the ninth batter, Michale Burgess. The other key moments on the road to Division I baseball's Sweet 16 were an RBI triple by sophomore Evan Shawyer, a run-scoring double by junior Mark Harris, an RBI single by senior Casey McConihe, a game-tying double by junior starting pitcher Xavier Moore, and a throwing error that lead to the go-ahead run.
The final telling blow was a double by Joe Master off the Avon bullpen.
Coach Rositano turned to his bullpen and senior southpaw Hunter Kuzak worked the final 3⅔ innings to earn his fifth win on the season to go along with four saves.
Should Saint Ignatius and Amherst Steele meet in Friday's scheduled Regional Title Game at BG, it certainly wouldn't be a matchup of strangers. Under Coach Ganor, the Cats have made a number of early season trips to the home of the Comets, games that were very competitive.
ANTHONY WAYNE: The Generals took control early in eliminating Perrysburg, 7-1, in their District Championship Game matchup.
Anthony Wayne, now 23-6, combined three hits and an error into a four-run second inning and went on to avenge two regular-season setbacks to Perrysburg. That second inning was more than enough support for senior starter Michael Conklin, as he went the distance. Conklin yielded five hits and struck out seven.
The Generals, who were also District Champs in 2015, benefitted from three key errors by the Yellow Jackets, who lost for the 12th time in 31 games.
Only two of Anthony Wayne's seven runs were earned despite the fact that the Generals finished the afternoon with 10 hits.
Perrysburg entered the District Finals with four consecutive Northern Lakes League championships.
Rounding the corner and heading home with a reminder that Brendan DeVenney, Matt Harsar and Matt MacKenzie, the SIBN's colorful and crafty threesome, will bring you Wildcats Regional Baseball live over the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network.
See you at Ron Mottl Field.
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit May 2016Strongsville, Ohio - As the Saint Ignatius Varsity Baseball Wildcats huddled near the third-base dugout prior to Thursday's District Championship Game versus St. Edward, Saint Ignatius Head Coach Brad Ganor turned to his veteran starting senior second baseman and said: "Joe Evans, we're playing for you today." The gritty, but quite and humble Evans, the essence of a team player, received the news on Thursday morning that his beloved Grandfather and next door neighbor, John Bertagni, passed away at the age of 88 at 3 AM on Thursday. As one of the most mature beyond their years teams to carry the Saint Ignatius banner, the 2016 Baseball Cats, led by senior tri-captains pitcher Murphy O'Brien, third baseman Dennis Grosel and center fielder/relief pitcher Mike Rogers, rallied around their teammate and dedicated their efforts to him and his late Grandfather. Although carrying a heavy heart, Joe Evans was right where his Grandfather would have wanted him to be, leaving it all on the field Thursday evening while contributing to the third-seeded Wildcats' 3-1 victory over longtime West Side rival and top-seeded St. Edward in the OHSAA Strongsville District Championship Game. The 20-10 Wildcats, who started their season at 0-5 and have now won 20 of their last 25 games, are bound for next Thursday's Regional Semifinal Game versus Medina Highland on Cuyahoga Community College's Ron Mottl Field in Parma Heights. The time for Thursday's first pitch is to be announced. We will keep you posted. Highland advanced to baseball's sweet 16 by run-ruling Archbishop Hoban, 11-1, in Thursday's Barberton District Championship Game. Following two scoreless innings on a sun-drenched diamond at Strongsville High School, Saint Ignatius took a 1-0 lead over 19-9 St. Edward in the top of the third inning. With one out and the bases empty, versatile and talented senior right fielder Nick Freund drew a walk off an exceptional at-bat and advanced to third off a base hit by Evans. After Evans stole second base, Dennis Grosel hit a sharp grounder to the left side that saw St. Edward's gifted third baseman Jake Budyka make a diving stop and throw out Grosel as Freund was crossing home plate with the game's first run. With O'Brien dominating on the mound and Eagles junior left-hander Quinn Lavelle keeping his team in the game, it stayed 1-0 until the top of the fifth. O'Brien is bound for St. Bonaventure University and Lavelle has committed to Northwestern. In what were two of the major flows of emotion and momentum, O'Brien struck out three consecutive Eagles with runners on second and third and no outs to end the fourth inning, and Freund ignited the Cats' second run with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the fifth. Freund went the opposite way for a base hit down the third-base line, stole second and, already on the move, easily advanced to third base on a pitch in the dirt. The Eagles then tried to pull off the old hidden ball track with Budyka and Lavelle, but a balk was called and Freund trotted home to make it 2-0. Saint Ignatius' final run came when Dennis Grosel, an exceptional player at the hot corner and in the batter's box, along with being a first-team All-Ohio Quarterback this past fall, drove a curve ball to deep right field, a majestic shot that landed on the roof of the school building behind the high fence in right field. Dennis' kiss the sky, soaring shot increased the Cats' lead to 3-0 in the top of the sixth. St. Edward would combine a base hit, a walk and two fielder's choice force outs into a run in the bottom of the seventh, but the game ended when Dennis Grosel ate up a sharp grounder to third and fired the ball to his sophomore brother Tommy at first base. That's 5-3, Grosel to Grosel, if you're scoring. The line score on the game was 3 runs, 6 hits and 1 error for the Wildcats, and 1 run, 2 hits and no errors for the Eagles. In improving his record to 4-2, O'Brien worked 4.2 innings. He threw 86 pitches, 51 of which were strikes, yielded one hit, no runs, struck out nine, walked three and hit a batter. Rich in promise junior right-hander Braydon Nelson saved his second game this spring to go along with his 3-0 record as a starter. Braydon pitched 2.1 innings in which he had 21 strikes among his 37 pitches, yielded one hit, one run, walked one and struck out two. Lavelle's line showed him going seven complete innings, throwing 99 pitches, 64 of which were strikes, yielding six hits, 3 runs and 1 walk. He had three strikeouts and one hit batsman. FROM COACH GANOR: "They're all special, they're all special," said Coach Ganor of his seventh District Championship in what is his 12th season as the head of Saint Ignatius' Baseball Program. "They're not easy to come by. This is the toughest game to get by in the tournament, in my opinion. Everybody is playing with house money after districts. "When you get to the regionals, everything is icing on the cake beyond that," Coach Ganor said. "Seven or one, it doesn't matter, they're all special. "What a great group of guys and Murphy (O'Brien) was fantastic today," Coach Ganor continued. "We just played really good baseball. We challenge these guys, we expect a lot out of them and expect them to play at a high level all of the time. To win against your rival in a District Championship Game is pretty special." FROM DENNIS GROSEL: "There was nothing different with the swing, it just came off the bat better," said Grosel of his majestic round tripper that brought all of the momentum back to the third-base dugout. "It's awesome, especially with a win against them (the Eagles)," Dennis continued in reference to another trip to the regionals, his second in three seasons on the Varsity. "It was a little more hyped up than it usually is because we (the Cats and the Eagles) hadn't played yet this year. It's always hard getting out of the districts, it's very emotional. But we still have a lot more work to do before we're done." Note: The Saint Ignatius-St. Edward regular season game last month, scheduled for historic and newly renovated League Park, was rained/snowed out. FROM MURPHY O'BRIEN: "Obviously that's not an ideal situation," said Murphy of the bottom of the fourth inning when, with the score 1-0 and Eagles on second and third and no outs, he reached back for something extra and struck out the next three batters. "All I was thinking about is I'm not losing this game. These guys mean the world to me and losing this game was not an option. "I did my best to give us the best chance to win," Murphy continued. "I struck them all out and the weight of the world just fell from my shoulders." In "pounding the zone," Murphy said his curveball was working to the point of "getting them to swing and miss." "It feels great getting back to the regionals, but it makes things even better when it's a victory against St. Eds," said the young man who became a starter this spring after recording a single-season school record of 10 saves out of Coach Ganor's bullpen last year. That 10th save came against none other than St. Edward in last year's 2-0 Regional Semifinal victory over the Eagles.Have a great and safe weekend, and we will see you at Ron Mottl Field on Thursday.
Strongsville, Ohio - In defeating the Strongsville's District's second-seeded Mustangs, 3-0, Coach Brad Ganor's third-seeded Wildcats improved to 19-10 and advanced to Thursday's District Championship Game at Strongsville High School versus top-seed St. Edward, also a 3-0 winner over fourth-seeded Lakewood in Wednesday evening's other District Semifinal at Strongsville.
Thursday's first pitch will be 4:30 PM and Cats standout senior right-hander/Captain Murphy O'Brien will get the starting call. It will be the first meeting this baseball season between the storied West Side rivals, as their scheduled regular season game last month at historic and renovated League Park was rained/snowed out.
The Cats defeated St. Edward, 2-0, in last year's OHSAA Regional Semifinal on Ron Mottl Field at Cuyahoga Community College-West.
Saint Ignatius, the defending Strongsville District Champion, will attempt to bring home the seventh OHSAA Division I District Baseball Championship under the guidance of Coach Ganor, who is in his 12th season as the Head Baseball Coach at Cleveland's Jesuit Preparatory School. Brad was also an Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach for the Wildcats for six seasons, before being named the Varsity Skipper in 2005.
As for Wednesday afternoon's encounter with host Strongsville, Saint Ignatius Assistant Coach Frank DeSico '09, a former baseball standout under Coach Ganor who went on to an outstanding baseball career at the University of Notre Dame, where he served as a Captain, urged the Wildcats to land the first blow and put the Mustangs on their heels.
Message heard and message executed.
After Cats multi-skilled senior right fielder Nick Freund led off the top of the first inning by beating out a slow roller to the left side, tough and talented senior third baseman/Captain Dennis Grosel delivered a one-out single up the middle. Senior clean-up hitter George Asadorian then hit a sharp grounder that the shortstop had to field deep in the hole and was unable to make a throw as George loaded the bases.
A sacrifice fly to deep center field by gritty senior shortstop Kevin Mingus put Saint Ignatius in front, 1-0.
After Saint Ignatius' gifted junior southpaw Connor Adams, a Louisville recruit, got the third out in the bottom of the first with runners on second and third, threw a 1-2-3 eight-pitch inning in the bottom of the second, and recorded his fourth and fifth strikeouts in the bottom of third in what was a 10-strikeout performance by the big-game lefty, the Wildcats scored the game's final two runs in the top of the fourth.
Mingus led off the top of the fourth by drawing a walk and junior left fielder Ryan Jacobs followed with a perfect sacrifice bunt. Strongsville then elected to intentionally walk Cats senior centerfielder/Captain Mike Rogers, putting runners on first and second with one out.
Tommy Grosel then hit a grounder up the middle that the infield couldn't handle and the bases were loaded with one out.
An error by the Mustangs' third baseman made it a 2-0 game and, as Freund beat out the relay throw on what could have been an inning-ending double play, the third and final run crossed the plate.
Adams, who is now a deceiving 5-3 on the season and hasn't allowed a run in his two appearances at the Strongsville District, went seven complete innings. Last season, Connor fired a no-hitter at Berea-Midpark in the Strongsville District Championship Game, also a 3-0 victory.
The line Wednesday by Cats super stats man Joe Ertle showed Connor throwing 113 pitches, 77 of which were strikes, walking three and, as we mentioned earlier in this story, striking out 10.
Wednesday's line score from a sunny, windy and blue sky day at the home of the Mustangs was 3 runs, 6 hits and 1 error for Saint Ignatius, and 0 runs, 5 hits and 2 errors for Strongsville.
Strongsville starter, Ian Hennessey, threw a big-hearted six complete innings before being relieved by Caleb Homan, who pitched a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.
"We talked about scoring first and putting the pressure on them (the Mustangs) right from the beginning," said Coach Ganor, who will be facing his alma mater in Thursday's District Championship Game and will be matching strategy with one of his former players, Eagles Head Coach Matt Rosinski. Coach Ganor excelled in football and baseball at St. Edward and Coach Rosinski was a former standout pitcher for Saint Ignatius and Miami of Ohio.
"We get the bases loaded and get a run out of it and Connor (Adams) coming right back with a zero in the bottom of the first was huge," Coach Ganor said. "It felt like we were in control the whole game, even though it was 3-0. Connor was commanding the zone, commanding his pitches and he did a phenomenal job. He pitched like an ace today and I was very happy with our defense.
"Our guys came ready to play, ready to go and ready to pressure them," continued the veteran Skipper.
"I guess I had command of all my pitches today ," said the young man who emerged as a Varsity mainstay on a cold Sunday afternoon at Dublin Jerome during the opening week of the 2015 season. "I was hitting my spots with all three of my pitches, the fastball, the circle change and the curve.
"Our scouting report was pretty accurate," Connor said. "Their hitters did pretty much what we expected them to do."
In what was another impressive moment in Connor's victory on Wednesday came in the bottom of the fourth inning.
After Strongsville's Parker Shannon and Nico Romicone started the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back base hits, the Cats' good-natured southpaw returned to his commanding zone to the tune of three consecutive strikeouts.
SIBN!: The Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network's thrill-some threesome of Brendan DeVenney, Matt MacKenzie and Matt Harsar will be back in the Strongsville Press Box on Thursday doing their best Tom Hamilton, Vince Scully and Jimmy Dudley impersonations, while bringing you live coverage of another chapter in the storied rivalry that is Saint Ignatius versus St. Edward.
As for this old-timer, whose seasoned pen and pad has seen every curveball and circle changeup known to mankind, I will squeeze in the corner of the third-base dugout. After all, I had a hand in many of those above-mentioned Wildcats-Eagles chapters.
Berea, Ohio - The Bees, who were playing for pride after being eliminated from the OHSAA Postseason Tournament last week, trailed, 8-1, entering the top of the fourth inning.
Coach John Mutch's team scored a run in the top of the fourth, knotted the score at 8 with a six-run top of the sixth and took a 13-8 lead with five more runs in the top of the seventh.
Saint Ignatius, which went scoreless from the third inning through the sixth, rallied with a run in the bottom of the seventh and had runners on first and second with two outs before Bees junior right-hander Jared Schrader coaxed a fly out to center field to end the game.
Saint Ignatius, which now stands 18-10, will continue to focus on Wednesday's Division I District Semifinal Game versus the Strongsville Mustangs. The first pitch from Strongsville High School will be 2 PM and junior southpaw Connor Adams, a Louisville recruit, will get the starting call from Wildcats Head Coach Brad Ganor.
Strongsville and Saint Ignatius are seeded second and third, respectively, at the Strongsville District.
The second game of Wednesday's District Semifinal Doubleheader at Strongsville will match Coach Matt Rosinski's top-seeded St. Edward Eagles against their neighborhood rival, the fourth-seeded Lakewood Rangers, at 4:30 PM. Wednesday's winners will return to Strongsville High School on Thursday for a 4:30 PM District Championship Game.
Coach Rosinski is a former standout pitcher for Saint Ignatius and Miami of Ohio, and Lakewood is under the direction of former Rangers great Mike Ribar, one of the finest all-around athletes to ever come out of Northeast Ohio.
Coach Ganor's Wildcats are the defending Strongsville District Champions.
Moments before Monday evening's regular-season finale versus Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Coach Ganor emphasized to his Wildcats to use the game as a way to continue the momentum heading into Wednesday's 2 PM District Semifinal Game versus the host Mustangs from Strongsville.
Entering this week, the Cats were riding a four-game winning streak and had won 18 of their past 22 games.
Coach Ganor's message certainly struck home in the early going against the Bees.
After Brecksville-Broadview Heights combined an infield hit by senior left fielder Ryan Maitland, a sacrifice bunt by senior right fielder Jackson Gilbride and an RBI base hit by standout senior first baseman Danny Harwood into a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, Saint Ignatius responded with a five-run bottom of the first.
Supplying the first-inning thunder for the Cats were senior right fielder/pitcher Nick Freund with a lead-off single and a stolen base, senior third baseman Dennis Grosel with a run-scoring single, and two big two-out hits courtesy of junior left fielder Ryan Jacobs' two-run double and senior center fielder Mike Rogers' RBI single. Rogers, who advanced to second on the throw to home plate, came around to score all the way from second base on a wild pitch. Hustle City, my friends.
Saint Ignatius then made it an 8-1 game with a three-run bottom of the second that featured a lead-off double by sophomore pitcher/first baseman Tommy Grosel, Dennis' brother, a line drive RBI single to right field by Freund, another stolen base by Freund, a walk and a stolen base by senior second baseman Joe Evans, an RBI groundout to the right side off the bat of Dennis Grosel, and wild pitch that sent Evans flying home with the Cats' eighth run.
Following a scoreless third inning, Coach John Mutch's Bees made it an 8-2 game in the top of the fourth off a one-out line drive single to center field from Harwood, a stolen base by Harwood and an RBI double to deep center field off the bat of senior third baseman John MacDonald. The Bees were just getting started.
Still trailing by six runs entering the top of the sixth, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, which also defeated Saint Ignatius, 5-4, at last month's annual Cleveland Indians Charities High School Hardball Classic in Progressive Field, put six runs on the board in the top of the sixth and it was a new ballgame.
With one out and the bases empty in the top of the sixth, the 9-11 Bees sandwiched two walks around another base hit by Harwood and closed to 8-4 when a ground ball up the middle off the bat of sophomore outfielder Sam Wiglusz found its way into center field. Coach Mutch's club then scored the tying runs off a two-run single to right-center field by junior catcher Frank Sweeney that was preceded by a walk to Jordan Shaheen, an RBI double to right-center field from junior infielder Griffin Stevens, and a sacrifice fly to center field off the steady swing of Maitland.
After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, Brecksville-Broadview Heights' dugout was cheering to the tune of a five-run top of the seventh inning and a 13-8 lead. The big blows were a two-run double to deep left field off the bat of winning pitcher Jaret Schrader, who we referred to in the lead to this story, and a two-run triple to deep left field that flew off the bat of Stevens. Getting the seventh-inning flurry started was none other than Harwood, who went 4-for-4 on the evening.
The final run of the game and the Cats' ninth run came off a line-drive RBI single by Jacobs.
FROM COACH GANOR: "We've been playing good baseball and I am pretty certain these guys will be ready to go on Wednesday," said Coach Ganor.
"They're (the Bees) a very good team and I give John (Coach Mutch) a lot of credit for getting his seniors to come here today and play the way they did when they're out of the tournament," Coach Ganor continued. "They came to play hard and to be down as big as they were (8-1 after three innings), that says a lot about the respect they have for their Coach. That's always nice to see, because in high school baseball a lot of kids would have just packed it in.
"That's a testament to the job John is doing with those kids."
And, as someone who is privileged to be around a great group of 2016 Wildcats, it is obvious to this reporter of more than four decades that Coach Ganor and his staff continue to do a marvelous job.
A FRIENDLY BATTLE: Two of the best players on Fisher Field Monday evening were two young men who started playing baseball together when they were 8 years old - the Wildcats Nick Freund and the Bees Danny Harwood.
FLASHING THE LEATHER: Although to most area high school sports fans he is better known as a first-team All-Ohio quarterback, Dennis Grosel is also an exceptional baseball player who can swing the bat with authority and field with the best of them.
In the first inning of Monday's game, Dennis took away a base hit from the Bees by making a full-extension diving stop of a sharply hit ground ball and, in one motion, getting to his feet and throwing the runner out with a seed to first base. It was a play that would have drawn a smile of approval from Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson.
We'll see you at Strongsville High School on Wednesday.
Coaches 2016 Week 5 Poll ResultsPoll Open: Thu May 12 12:00:00 2016Poll Close: Sun May 15 00:00:00 2016Division IPlace ID School 1st place votes Pts Record 1 764 Massillon Jackson 28 280 24-0 2 1470 Springboro 239 24-3 3 1034 Milford 198 22-2 4 1203 Olentangy Liberty 164 24-3 5 1211 Olentangy Orange 123 24-3 6 292 Butler 111 21-3 7 876 Gahanna Lincoln 90 22-3 8 1428 Solon 54 20-3 9 1056 Archbishop Moeller 43 19-8 10 904 Loveland 42 18-4 11 972 Mason 36 19-6 12 350 Twinsburg 34 18-4 13 178 Beavercreek 29 22-6 14 740 Hudson 26 19-6 14 1614 Walsh Jesuit 26 18-4 16 1606 Wadsworth 11 18-5 17 1354 Saint Ignatius 10 18-9 18 717 Hilliard Darby 9 17-1 18 150 Avon 9 20-7 20 1350 St Francis de Sales 7 15-6 Other teams receiving votes (points):Olentangy (Lewis Center) (5), Harrison (4), St Edward (4), Westerville Central (4),Mayfield (3), Kenston (2), Massillon Washington (2), La Salle (2), Fairfield (2) and Chardon (1).
Cleveland, Ohio - Coach Brad Ganor's resilient and baseball savvy Baseball Cats, winners of 18 of their past 22 games, are embarking on that part of the schedule they have been playing for all spring.
From the season-opening trip to Florida, the annual Ohio Jesuit Tournament in Cincinnati, the Pipe Yard Classic in Lorain County, and the many memorable and brisk late afternoon regular-season games at Classic Park and Baldwin Wallace University's Fisher Field, it all comes down to mid May and the OHSAA Division I Postseason Tournament.
The 18-9 and third-seeded Wildcats, the defending Strongsville District Champions, will take the field at Strongsville High School on Wednesday for a Division I District Semifinal Game versus the second-seeded Strongsville Mustangs. The first pitch will be 2 PM.
Wednesday's second District Semifinal Game at Strongsville matches the top-seeded St. Edward Eagles and the fourth-seeded Lakewood Rangers at 4:30 PM. Wednesday's winners will return to Strongsville on Thursday for a 4:30 PM District Championship Game.
As for the Strongsville Mustangs, they entered the weekend with a record of 17-8. In their 18-0 Sectional-Final victory over the Rhodes Rams, the Mustangs got a combined no-hitter from senior right-hander Ian Hennessey and junior right-hander Bobby Intihar. Hennessey worked four innings and struck out seven, and Intihar closed out the game with one strikeout in the top of the fifth. The game was called after 4 1/2 innings because of the state's 10-run mercy rule.
Saint Ignatius advanced to District play with a 14-0, run-rule victory over Valley Forge in a Sectional Final this past week at Baldwin Wallace University.
Among Strongsville's impressive victories this season were a 5-4 win over St. Edward and a 2-1 triumph over baseball-rich Walsh Jesuit.
The Mustangs' victory over Ohio Jesuit Cup Champion Walsh Jesuit, which took place at Strongsville, saw Mustangs junior southpaw Jaret Beechy and senior right-hander Caleb Homan combine on a four-hitter. Beechy threw six complete innings. Walsh Jesuit defeated Saint Ignatius, 7-1, during the Jesuit Cup Tournament at St. Xavier.
Strongsville was shutout by Mentor, 6-0, earlier this month, a team Saint Ignatius defeated twice this spring.
Okay, so much for the scoreboard watching and comparing scores.
As far as some of the recent baseball history between the Wildcats and the Mustangs, Saint Ignatius rallied from a 4-0 deficit after four innings and defeated host Strongsville, 6-4, on April 3rd of last year. Standout senior center fielder Sam Fuller '15 (now playing at St. Bonaventure University) and clutch hitter James Zajaczkowski '15 helped fuel the rally. James doubled as an outstanding broadcaster for the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network.
That victory over Strongsville was part of seven consecutive road wins to start the season by the 2015 Cats.
On May 27th, 2013, the Cats traveled to Strongsville for another regular-season encounter and, after banging out 13 hits, walked away with a 9-3 victory.
Although they are no strangers to District and Regional play, the Mustangs, like Saint Ignatius, have one State Baseball Championship Banner. That came in 2006 when Strongsville was led by one of the premier players in Ohio, center fielder Anthony Gallas. The 2006 Mustangs were coached by former Saint Ignatius Wildcat Josh Sorge.
While the Mustangs made the most of their only State Baseball final-four appearance, the Wildcats have made 12 trips to Ohio's Baseball final four, winning it all in 2002 and finishing as the state runners-up in 2000, 2008 and 2013. Five of those 12 trips to the State Finals have come under Coach Ganor.
This year isn't the first time that Saint Ignatius entered the Strongsville District as the third seed.
In the spring of 2012, the top four seeds at Strongsville were 1. The Mustangs, 2. Brecksville-Broadview Heights, 3. The Wildcats and 4. North Royalton.
Behind a strong pitching performance by Matt Hoyer, the Cats defeated Brecksville-Broadview Heights, 3-1, in the District Semifinals.
In what was one of the most dramatic games in Saint Ignatius' baseball history, Wildcats outfielders Tim McCoy and Dan Oaklief threw out runners at the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning, and Saint Ignatius prevailed over North Royalton, 3-2, in the 2012 Strongsville District Championship Game. Catcher Ralph Lucarelli was a tower of strength in handling those throws from Tim and Dan.
Coach Ganor will send his gifted junior left-hander Connor Adams to the mound in Wednesday's District Semifinal. Connor, a Louisville recruit, made himself at home in last year's District Championship Game at Strongsville by throwing a no-hitter at Berea-Midpark in the Cats' 3-0 victory.
Saint Ignatius will tune up for District play on Monday, when the Cats close their regular season with a 5 PM game versus Brecksville-Broadview Heights on Fisher Field at Baldwin Wallace University. The Bees defeated Saint Ignatius, 5-4, at last month's annual Cleveland Indians Charities High School Hardball Classic at Progressive Field.
JUST A REMINDER THAT LIKE "Tinker to Evers to Chance," Saint Ignatius' thrill-some threesome of Brendan DeVenney, Matt MacKenzie and Matt Harsar will bring you the Baseball Wildcats' Postseason Run live over the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network beginning with Wednesday's 2 PM District Semifinal at one of this corner's old homes away from home, Strongsville High School. This old catcher will find a spot in Coach Ganor's dugout for my 46th consecutive District Baseball Tournament.
Berea, Ohio - After starting their season at 0-5, the Saint Ignatius Baseball Wildcats have now won 18 of their past 22 games, including Saturday's 9-4 triumph over a young, but oh so promising Tallmadge team at Fisher Field on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University.
When you look at the Wildcats' turnaround, one thing is quite obvious.
Veteran Head Coach Brad Ganor and his Assistant Coaches, Mark Terlep, John Whelan, Frank DeSico '09 and Matt Blazer '94, are blessed with a group of seniors who not only exude baseball knowledge, but are first class when it comes to leading or showing the way.
When there were doubts lingering during the first month of the season, a period when Saint Ignatius' offense was struggling, to say the least, it was the seniors who said enough of this nonsense.
With the focus now on Wednesday's 2 PM OHSAA Division I District Semifinal Game versus the Strongsville Mustangs at Strongsville High School, the Wildcats' Baseball Family took time out on Saturday to say Thank You to Coach Ganor's Senior Cats, before and during their regular-season matchup with Coach Kenny Linn's Blue Devils from Tallmadge.
The Saint Ignatius Baseball Class of 2016, along with its parents, were introduced individually before the first pitch on what was "Senior Day."
In a classy move, Coach Ganor, in the top of the seventh inning, replaced his seniors one by one to a roaring ovation from their teammates and the Wildcats' faithful.
It was only fitting that one of those seniors, tri-Captain/center fielder/relief ace Mike Rogers, remained on the field and closed the book on victory No. 18 by pitching the top of the seventh.
"It's fun to enjoy it and let the seniors have their moment," said Coach Ganor, whose Wildcats, seeded third at the Strongsville District, will tune up for the second-seeded Mustangs by closing out their regular season on Monday versus the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Bees at Baldwin Wallace University. Monday's first pitch is 5 PM.
"I think Senior Days can get lost a little bit with the Spring Sports, but I think we're doing a good job with what our parents do with the cookout," Coach Ganor said. "It's a little tradition that we started to try to make it as special as we can for these guys, to honor these guys. I hope they enjoyed it."
In what was an enjoyable game, one that warmed the spirits in both dugouts on a cold, damp, rainy and gray skies day in Berea, the Tallmadge Blue Devils took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. A two-out, bases empty walk to Blue Devils 6-foot-4, 230-pound sophomore first baseman Scott Seeker and an RBI double to deep right field by junior third baseman Josh Taylor accounted for the game's first run.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the third inning, when Saint Ignatius knotted the score on a leadoff walk to Rogers, a single up the gut by senior outfielder Dan Volpe, a stolen base by Volpe and a throwing error. After Volpe advanced to third on a 1-3 groundout off the bat of junior outfielder/designated hitter Ryan Jacobs, gifted senior right fielder/right-handed pitcher Nick Freund gave the Cats a 2-1 lead with an RBI single up the middle.
As the baseball savvy Coach Terlep pointed out, Freund did a great job with his hands in handling a curveball from Tallmadge starter Zach Boyd, a sophomore right-hander.
The Blue Devils, who like Saint Ignatius have a rich baseball tradition, responded with the tying run in the top of the fourth inning off one-out singles from Taylor and senior center fielder Kyle Paul, and an RBI sacrifice fly to right-center field by Boyd.
One-out base hits from senior catcher/outfielder Nolan Sands and senior second baseman Ben Pratt, followed by a two-run double to deep right-center field by Seeker put Tallmadge back on top, 4-3, in the top of the fifth.
The Blue Devils' lead was again short-lived, as a two-base error off a tough play in left field followed by an authoritative RBI triple to deep right-center field off the bat of Cats multi-skilled senior Captain/third baseman Dennis Grosel made it 4 all entering the sixth inning.
Freund then came on in relief in the top of the sixth and threw a scoreless and hitless inning. Nick was awarded the victory after Saint Ignatius put together a decisive five-run bottom of the sixth that featured a walk to senior second baseman Joe Evans that loaded the bases, consecutive run-producing walks by Dennis Grosel and senior first baseman George Asadorian, and an RBI single to right field by senior catcher John Robinson.
Senior shortstop Kevin Mingus got the five-run bottom of the sixth started with a line-drive single to center field.
The line scores on the game were 9 runs, 9 hits and no errors for the Wildcats, and 4 runs, 7 hits and four errors for Tallmadge.
Coach Linn will guided his now 14-12 Blue Devils in a District Semifinal next week versus the Panthers from Norton High School.
"Tallmadge is good, young and scrappy," Coach Ganor said of the Blue Devils, who brought home the Division II State Baseball Championship in 2002, the same year Saint Ignatius won the Division I State Title. The Blue Devils were also state runners-up in 2001, 2000, 1996 and 1966.
"They're always well coached and it was good to be pressured a little bit today, and respond to the pressure," Coach Ganor continued. "We're playing our best baseball, there is no doubt about it. And I'll take our chances any time we're playing our best."
Coach Ganor will send his ace left-hander, junior Louisville recruit Connor Adams, to the mound in Wednesday's District semifinal versus Strongsville. The corner will take a look at the Mustangs on Monday.
CLOSE CALLS FOR THE POPULAR CATS: John Robinson and Kevin Mingus were among those Wildcats who had less than an hour before having to be at pictures for their dates' Prom Nights on Saturday. An that was after a sixth inning that Wildcats stats guru Joe Ertle said took 40 minutes.
Saturday night marked the second or third consecutive Prom that John Robinson was attending. When this old-timer commented to Robinson that he must be a popular guy, John's response was: "They know I won't say no."
Berea, Ohio - The Wildcats, winners of 16 of their past 19 games, improved to 17-9 and advanced to Wednesday's (May 18th) OHSAA Division I District Semifinal matchup with the Strongsville Mustangs at Strongsville High School. The first pitch will be 2 PM.
Saint Ignatius is the third seed at the Strongsville District. St. Edward is seeded No. 1 and Strongsville is the second seed.
Playing in the postseason is all the incentive the Cats need, but those seeds are sure to add a little fuel to the fire next week.
As far as Thursday afternoon at Fisher Field on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University, Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats took care of the business at hand and eliminated Valley Forge from the OHSAA tournament with a 14-0 triumph that required just 4 1/2 innings of work.
The game was called after the top of the fifth inning because of the state's 10-run mercy rule.
Saint Ignatius took control by scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the second inning that stretched its lead to 7-0. Five more Cats crossed the plate in the bottom of the fourth as it was Kay Bar the Door for the Patriots.
Coach Ganor's team took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first and scored twice in the bottom of the third. The Cats produced their 14 runs on 10 hits.
Cats senior designated hitter/infielder George Asadorian, who has bounced back from a shoulder injury, is again displaying that fluid and authoritative swing.
In helping fuel Saint Ignatius' run-rule victory, George drove in a Varsity single-game career high of six runs.
George started his 6 RBI evening with a sacrifice fly to deep left-center field that made it a 2-0 game in the bottom of the first inning and completed his sweet six in the bottom of the fourth inning with a bases-loaded double that flirted with the base of the fence in left-center, a rip city shot that cleared the bases.
"It's just great to be back," said George, who teams with his brother Drew, a talented sophomore catcher, in Coach Ganor's lineup. "I think we got stronger over the time I was hurt and that was a great thing. I'm really happy to come back and see a stronger team. We had a slow start at the beginning of the season (0-5), but that doesn't matter, we have six key games left and it's just another great day to be a Wildcat.
"I was off for three weeks and itching to get back," George continued. "I found a way to get back (in the lineup) and just kept swinging the bat, swinging the bat and seeing pitches well. You now, keep that inside-out swing to right field.
"We played some great teams at the beginning of the season," George said in reference to Saint Ignatius' season-opening trip to Florida. "But we learned from that experience, battled back, found ourselves, became more aggressive at the plate and came together as a team. We are a tough team to beat right now."
Among the other Wildcats who produced key swings off Patriots pitching were senior shortstop Kevin Mingus, senior right fielder Nick Freund, who is one of the top table setters in Northeast Ohio, and junior left fielder Ryan Jacobs, who ripped a two-run triple to deep left-center in the Cats' four-run second inning.
Saint Ignatius continues to complement its hot bats with sound pitching and heads-up, havoc-causing base running.
Gifted junior left-hander and Louisville recruit Connor Adams, who just might be the best 4-3 record pitcher in the state, worked the first four innings for Coach Ganor on a Thursday evening that actually ended with sunshine and a sky that had hints of blue.
Connor yielded just one hit, a two-out single up the middle in the top of the second inning by Valley Forge's starting sophomore pitcher Brandon Skory, struck out four, walked one and had 38 strikes in the 56 pitches he threw.
Cats junior right-hander Braydon Nelson, who continues to show endless promise and sports a 3-0 record as a starter, pitched a hitless top of the fifth that featured 11 strikes in the 19 pitches he threw, two strikeouts, one walk and a 1-3 putout to end the game.
FROM COACH GANOR: "We knew we were probably a little more athletic than them," said Coach Ganor of the Patriots. "You still have to play the game and you can't look ahead. That's all we're preaching. And now it's Strongsville and that is all that matters, playing that game.
"It will be nice to enjoy Saturday," Coach Ganor said of the regular season matchup with the Tallmadge Blue Devils at Baldwin Wallace University's Fisher Field. The first pitch for Saturday's Senior Day Game will be high noon.
"They are playing exactly how we thought they were capable of playing," Coach Ganor continued in reference to his 2016 Wildcats, "I think our record is going to turn out to be deceiving."
NOTE: Coach Ganor has added a final regular season game to the schedule and that will be against the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Bees on Monday at 5 PM at Baldwin Wallace University. The Bees defeated the Cats, 5-4, in last month's Cleveland Indians Charities High School Hardball Classic at Progressive Field.
Saint Ignatius, the No. 3 seed at the Strongsville District, will host Valley Forge tomorrow (Thursday) at 4:30 PM in a Division I sectional final at Classic Park.
Valley Forge advanced to face the Cats by defeating Garfield Heights in a sectional semifinal on Wednesday.
It was just a week ago, May 4th to be exact, that Saint Ignatius traveled to Valley Forge and came away with a 16-5 victory in what was a regular-season matchup. Two home runs and five RBI by senior outfielder Dan Volpe highlighted the Cats' 18-hit attack at Valley Forge.
In May of 2014, Saint Ignatius and Valley Forge met in a Division I sectional final at Classic Park and the Cats walked away with a 4-1 victory.
Junior left-hander Connor Adams, a Louisville recruit, will take the mound on Thursday for the 16-9 Wildcats, winners of 15 of their past 18 games. Adams is a deceiving 3-3 on the season.
Berea, Ohio - The Cats' bats, which produced 12 hits on Tuesday, supported a strong five-inning performance by sophomore left-hander Tommy Grosel, who now stands 3-0 on the season.
Junior right-hander Danny Adler and senior southpaw/center fielder Mike Rogers each pitched a perfect inning in closing out the victory, with Adler striking out one Bengal in the top of the sixth and Rogers fanning two in the top of the seventh.
Tommy Grosel's five-inning line on the evening was 0 runs, 2 hits, no walks and 3 strikeouts. Tommy threw 56 pitches, 40 of which were strikes.
Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats improved to 16-9 and were victorious for the 15th time in their past 18 games.
The focus now turns to Thursday's OHSAA Division I Sectional Final versus the winner of Wednesday's Sectional Semifinal between the Garfield Heights Bulldogs and the Valley Forge Patriots. Thursday's sectional final, which will be played at either Baldwin Wallace University or Classic Park, has an OHSAA first-pitch time of 4:30 PM.
As for Tuesday evening's victory over a now 9-15 Benedictine team, Saint Ignatius jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back.
Cats right fielder Nick Freund, who is enjoying an exceptional senior season, led off with a single to right-center field, stole second base with one out and came home on an RBI double by senior third baseman Dennis Grosel, Tommy's brother.
Coach Ganor's team then executed some savvy base running in pushing its lead to 2-0, and a run-scoring single off the hot bat of junior left fielder Ryan Jacobs made it a 3-0 game.
Rogers then followed with a base hit and a stolen base, and Tommy Grosel helped his cause with a two-run single through the right side.
The Cats made it 6-0 in the bottom of the second behind a hit batsman, a single off the strong bat of senior designated hitter George Asadorian and some heads-up base running by George Asadorian and Dennis Grosel.
Following a scoreless third inning, Benedictine, which is under the direction of Saint Ignatius graduate John Ellis '01, loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning on an error and back-to-back base hits by center fielder Max Monachino and shortstop Jordan Barrett.
With the bases full of Bengals and no outs, Tommy Grosel got some help from his big brother and his sophomore battery mate Drew Asadorian, George Asadorian's brother.
Dennis Grosel charged a sharp grounder to the left side and fired to Drew Asadorian for a force at home, a play that saw Drew make a nice pick of the ball while still keeping his foot on home plate.
After an infield fly rule pop up to senior second baseman Joe Evans for the second out, Tommy Grosel said not tonight as he recorded a strikeout and left the bases juiced.
Saint Ignatius, the third seed for the Strongsville District, closed out the scoring with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth that were the result of a leadoff single and a stolen base by Freund, a fielder's choice, a triple to deep right-center field by Dennis Grosel, and an RBI sacrifice fly to deep right field off the bat of George Asadorian.
The line scores from Tuesday night's game between two outstanding schools who were once storied rivals, were 0-2-0 for the Bengals and 8-12-1 for the Wildcats.
FROM COACH GANOR: "Tommy was very efficient and we played good defense," said Coach Ganor, who picked up his 265th career victory in what is his 12th season as the Wildcats' skipper. "These games are all about, and for them (Benedictine), too, getting ready and getting at-bats for the playoffs.
"I'm very happy with our approach, being aggressive early in counts," Coach Ganor continued. "We want to try to stay aggressive when we have hitters' counts. The guys did that. Today was good in that we had a couple of days off and it was nice to get back in the swing of things. We'll have a good practice tomorrow and be ready to go on Thursday for the playoff game."
Coach Ganor will hand the ball on Thursday to ace junior left-hander and Louisville recruit Connor Adams, who carries a very deceiving 3-3 record.
Lorain County - In the top of the fifth inning of Saturday's matchup with the Mentor Cardinals at The Pipe Yard Classic, Saint Ignatius' standout senior shortstop Kevin Mingus had to leave the game and join his family for what was a very special day.
Kevin, after changing out of his baseball uniform in his car at The Pipe Yard parking lot, headed downtown to The Cathedral, where his sister, Ellen, and her second-grade classmates made their First Communion.
A special day indeed, as Kevin revealed that his sister's First Communion ceremony was moved to The Cathedral because of the work being done on the roof of his Parish Church, St. Angela.
Never let it be said that the deep and talented Baseball Wildcats don't have their priorities in order.
After Kevin said goodbye and headed for his quick change of clothes, his replacement, gritty junior infielder Mark Geraci, promptly did his best Derek Jeter impersonation by leaping high in the air, snagging a line drive and taking away what looked like a sure base hit for the Cardinals from Mentor.
Yes, a special day. That's all I'll say on that subject.
However, if my late mother, Marie Fergus Dwyer, was still with us and witnessed Mingus hustling off to be with his little sister on her big day and a few seconds later saw Geraci climb the ladder in The Pipe Yard for an impressive out, would have surely said, without a second's hesitation and accompanied a wily Irish smile, "God's ways are strange, but sure."
Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats, playing their sixth game in six days and coming off a tough one-run loss to Avon in Friday's first-round of The Pipe Yard Classic (see the corner's story from Friday night), had to rebound from a shaky start on Saturday that saw Mentor take a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
Saint Ignatius, calling on the resiliency that saw it win 5 of those 6 games this week in route to improving to 15-9, rode the bulldog mentality on the mound of senior right-hander and starter Murphy O'Brien, three innings of strong relief work by endless-potential junior right-hander Braydon Nelson, the unselfish approach of Joe Evans, and the bats of George Asadorian, Nick Freund, Dennis Grosel, Ryan Jacobs, Mingus and Tommy Grosel to a 7-3 victory over Mentor and a split in its two games at The Pipe Yard Classic.
George Asadorian, a strong-hitting senior infielder/designated hitter, and Nick Freund, a multi-skilled senior right fielder, lead-off hitter and right-handed pitcher, each had three hits.
Dennis Grosel, a senior third baseman/Captain, and Ryan Jacobs, a talent-rich junior outfielder, each had a pair of RBI and George Asadorian, Mingus and sophomore first baseman/left-handed pitcher Tommy Grosel , Dennis' brother, drove in the Cats' other three runs.
Mentor, which also lost a highly competitive 5-4 game to Saint Ignatius on April 20th at Classic Park, came out fired up under a mix of clouds and a hazy blue sky that hovered over The Pipe Yard.
With one out and the bases empty in the top of the first inning, senior left fielder Ricky Valeri drew a walk and stole second base. Cardinals impressive senior shortstop Matt Eiswerth also drew a base on balls and, after O'Brien recorded a strikeout for the second out of the inning, junior catcher Tom Noll delivered an RBI single off a 1-2 pitch.
Junior first baseman Matt Detering followed with an authoritative two-run double to left field and Mentor had the early momentum with a 3-0 lead. The Cardinals saw 39 pitches in the top of the first inning.
Rallying around O'Brien, who is also one of Coach Ganor's Captains, Saint Ignatius answered with a four-run bottom of the first, added two more runs in the third inning and scored its seventh and the game's final run in the fourth inning.
Freund started the four-run bottom of the first with a lead-off single the opposite way to left field. After Freund stole second base, Mentor tried to maintain its early charge behind a diving catch by Valeri off the bat of Evans.
It wasn't to be for the Cardinals, however, as Freund stole third base and scored on a 6-3 groundout by Dennis Grosel.
The Cats then came up with some two-out heroics that included a two-run-single by Jabobs and a rip city RBI double to left-center field by Mingus.
Saint Ignatius senior catcher John Robinson, who was also being unkind to Mr. Rawlings on Saturday, got the two-run bottom of the third started with a double to deep left-center field. George Asadorian then laced a run-scoring single to right-center field and Tommy Grosel accounted for the Cats' sixth run off a 4-6 fielder's choice.
Freund was the igniter again in the bottom of the fourth as Nick laid down a running bunt to the left side for a base hit and alertly advanced to second off a pitch in the dirt. After Nick went to third base on a 4-3 ground out, Dennis Grosel brought him home with a sharp single to center field.
O'Brien, a St. Bonaventure University recruit, settled in after the first inning and threw three innings of shutout ball before being relieved by Nelson for the start of the fifth inning. "Murph" totaled 89 pitches in those four innings with four strikeouts and a walk. Sixty one of those 89 pitches were strikes.
Nelson, who picked up his first Varsity career victory in the April 20th triumph over Mentor as the starting pitcher (he has since added two more wins), closed out Saturday's show with three hitless and scoreless innings that totaled 32 pitches.
The line score on the game was 7 runs, 12 hits and 2 errors for Saint Ignatius, and 3 runs, 3 hits and 1 error for Mentor.
FROM COACH GANOR: "A great bounce back win against a good-hitting team," Coach Ganor said after he watched his Wildcats win for the 14th time in their past 17 games.
"Giving up three runs in the first inning, and with six games in six days, you think this might be one of those days where they're lethargic," said Coach Ganor . "But in the Ignatius way, they fought back, answered with four and extended the lead.
"Murph" did a great job of settling down after the first inning and getting us deeper in the game, and then Braydon came in and was very efficient," Coach Ganor continued. "George Asadorian and Nick Freund each with three hits and Joe Evans moving guys over by hitting the other way. That's great, great baseball and selfless baseball."
UP NEXT: The Cats are scheduled to face the Benedictine Bengals on Tuesday at 5 PM on Fisher Field at Baldwin Wallace University. On Thursday it is the OHSAA Division I Sectional Final matchup versus the winner of Wednesday's Sectional Semifinal between Garfield Heights and Valley Forge. Thursday's 4:30 PM Sectional Final is slated for Classic Park.
Next Saturday, May 14th, the Varsity Cats will face the Tallmadge Blue Devils at high noon on Baldwin Wallace University's Fisher Field.
To all of the mothers out there, especially my three beautiful daughters, Melissa Jurcak, Suzanne Patton and Laura Murphy, a HAPPY AND WONDERFUL MOTHERS' DAY.
Lorain County - Saint Ignatius' veteran Head Coach Baseball Brad Ganor looked at Friday night's one-run loss to the Avon Eagles at The Pipe Yard Classic in two different facets.
"The five-innings story of the game is not being able to push some runs across and put the pressure on them with the amount of guys we had on base," Coach Ganor said, referring to the fact his Cats left nine runners on base through the first five innings.
"In the sixth inning, we do everything right and score four and in that last inning it was exactly what I said to them (his team)," Coach Ganor continued. "Those are playoff-like pressure situations and we have to be more under control."
The Wildcats, who saw their five-game winning streak snapped, rallied from a 2-0 deficit by scoring four times in the top of the sixth inning. An RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore catcher Drew Asadorian, a two-run single by senior third baseman/Captain Dennis Grosel and a throwing error that allowed senior second baseman Joe Evans to score from third were among the key moments in Saint Ignatius' four-run sixth.
Avon, which improved to 12-5 and advanced to Saturday's 1:30 PM Championship Game of The Pipe Yard Classic versus Amherst Steele High School, came up with a walk-off victory that was the result of a three-run bottom of the seventh.
In what was a tough loss for the now 14-9 Cats, Avon's first batter in the bottom of the seventh inning, junior left fielder Stephen Ciarniello, reached first base off a swinging third strike that saw the ball bounce in the dirt and far enough away that a throw was not going to beat Ciarniello to first base.
Eagles junior first baseman Shane Docherty followed with a base hit to right-center field and back-to-back walks drawn by sophomore outfielder Ryan Socha and junior center fielder Ethan St. Clair made it a 4-3 game.
With one out and the bases loaded, Avon walked off to victory when two errors were committed by the Wildcats on a sharp ground ball.
"Hopefully, it's an example of what we can learn from," said Coach Ganor of the bottom of the seventh inning. "Hopefully, we can do a better job of controlling ourselves in a pressure situation and remaining in control of the game, which we were, right up until the end. As long as we learn from it, we'll be all right. But if we dwell on it, then we're going to have a hard time."
Saint Ignatius' gifted junior left-hander Connor Adams, a Louisville recruit, worked six strong innings on Friday night before being relieved by senior southpaw/center fielder/Captain Mike Rogers. Connor allowed five hits, two earned runs and one walk. He struck out nine and threw 96 pitches through the six innings, 65 of which were strikes.
The Wildcats will now face the Mentor Cardinals in Saturday's third-place game at The Pipe Yard Classic. The first pitch will be 11 AM.
In what was a very competitive matchup, the Cats defeated Mentor, 5-4, on April 20th at Classic Park.
Coach Ganor will send his standout senior right-hander Murphy O'Brien to the mound on Saturday morning. O'Brien is a St. Bonaventure University recruit.
Amherst Steele advanced to face Avon by defeating Mentor, 13-3, in what was a six-inning, 10-run mercy rule game in Friday's opening matchup of The Pipe Yard Classic.
AVON CALLING: The Eagles took their 2-0 lead over the Cats in the bottom of the second inning after there were two outs and the bases empty. Junior third baseman Taylor Reynolds and Ciarniello punched out back-to-back singles, and Docherty drove a 1-2 pitch to deep left field for a two-run double.
A FREUND GEM: With two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the fifth, Saint Ignatius' multi-skilled senior right fielder/right-handed pitcher Nick Freund make a remarkable full-extension diving catch of sinking liner in right field, a play that saw Nick race from right-center field and track down the ball as it was curving away from him. It was an effort that saved at least one, if not two runs from scoring.
Nick was honored as Saint Ignatius' Athlete of the Week on Wednesday for his no-hitter versus Archbishop Hoban last week.
The line score on the Wildcats-Eagles game was 4 runs, eight hits and two errors for Saint Ignatius, and 5 runs, six hits and 1 error for Avon.
In what was a highly competitive and well-played high school baseball game, Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats rode Kevin Mingus' game-winner in the bottom of the 10th to their 13th victory in the past 15 games. High School games are seven innings.
Thursday evening's matchup with the Eastlake North Rangers under the clouds and blue sky at atmosphere-rich Classic Park was played in two hours and 27 minutes. No one in attendance was complaining , however, after Saint Ignatius and North left it all on the majestic Classic Park diamond.
Simply put, my friends, North is a stronger team than its nine victories would indicate.
The Cats, who now stand 14-8, will ride a five-game winning streak into Friday's 6:30 PM matchup with Avon at The Pipe Yard Classic in Lorain County. Avon is the top seed for the Lorain County Division I District.
Coach Ganor will send his ace, junior southpaw and Louisville recruit Connor Adams, to the mound on Friday evening in The Pipe Yard.
Yes, you can say Thursday night's heart-pounder at Classic Park was "just a regular season game." But then that's the beauty of high school athletics, where pride, respect and a desire to succeed for your school take precedence.
Saint Ignatius, a Division I State Semifinalist last season, grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Senior right-hander Nick Freund, Thursday's starter for Saint Ignatius, led off the bottom of the first by drawing a walk. Nick then stole second base.
With one out, Nick advanced to third on a pitch in the dirt and, after senior third baseman Dennis Grosel was hit by a pitch, Nick scored the game's first run when the Rangers were unable to complete what would have been an inning-ending double play.
North, who despite its under .500 record is still considered a "team to watch" by The News Herald's outstanding high school staff, moved to a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning.
The key swings for the Rangers were provided by right fielder Steven Davies, third baseman/pitcher David Kalinowski, second baseman Danny Ward, left fielder Kenny Uzarevic and shortstop Jacob Arrison. Ward tied the game on a one-out single, Uzairavec came up with a clutch two-out single, and Arrison followed with the base hit that put his team ahead, 2-1.
What might have gone unnoticed to the novice fan were the exceptional relay throws from the outfield by Cats gifted junior right fielder/left fielder Ryan Jacobs and rock-steady senior center fielder Mike Rogers, efforts that possibly prevented two more runs for North in the top of the second.
Jacobs and senior left fielder Dan Volpe also made key running catches in the top of the fourth inning that kept it a 2-1 game. Dan was coming off a performance at Valley Forge on Wednesday that saw him belt two home runs and deliver five RBI.
Saint Ignatius, which is seeded an underrated third for the Strongsville Division I District, knotted the score at 2 in the bottom of the fifth.
Senior John Robinson, who also delivered a "touch 'em all time" blast at Valley Forge, led off the bottom of the fifth as a pinch hitter and took one for the team. Baseball savvy junior infielder Joe Gutbrod, running for Robinson, promptly stole second base and Volpe laid down a bunt that he beat out for a hit, putting runners on first and third with no outs.
After a 1-3 putout by the Rangers, senior second baseman Joe Evans stepped to the plate and executed a suicide -squeeze bunt that tied the score. Joe continues to have a solid, solid season.
North got out of the fifth without any further damage and both teams had the pitching and defensive answers through the next 4 1/2 scoreless innings.
After the 1-2-3 top of the 10th inning, which was highlighted by running catches from Jacobs and Rogers, the stage was set for the humble, but oh so talented Mingus.
Mingus greeted left-center field with an authoritative two-out shot that scored Evans with the winning run. Evans led off the bottom of the 10th with a walk, beat out a run-down throw to second base and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Dennis Grosel.
Dennis Grosel also turned in a web gem for Coach Ganor in the top of the eighth by making a diving catch off an attempted sacrifice bunt, getting up and flipping the ball to his brother Tommy to complete a double play. Tommy Grosel is a sophomore first baseman/left-handed pitcher.
Not only did the Cats play another errorless game, but they benefitted from gritty efforts on the mound by Freund and junior right-handed reliever/starter Griffin Hunt.
Freund, who earned Saint Ignatius' Athlete of the Week honor for his no-hitter versus Archbishop Hoban last week, worked five complete innings before moving to right field. Nick yielded 2 runs on 7 hits, struck out 2 and walked 3. He threw 79 pitches, 47 of which were strikes.
Hunt, who picked up the victory with five shutout innings, yielded just 1 hit, struck out 3 and walked 2. Griffin threw 62 pitches, 36 of which were strikes.
Griffin also made history on Thursday evening by throwing a 1-2-3 top of the ninth that required JUST 3 PITCHES.
It was the first 3-pitch inning in Coach Ganor's 18 years as a coach at Saint Ignatius, including his 12 years as Saint Ignatius' Head Coach. Hunt was greeted by an excited Coach Ganor and the rest of the Cats as he was making his way to the home dugout in Classic Park following the top of the ninth.
FROM COACH GANOR: "They're better than whatever their record said," said Coach Ganor of the North Rangers. "A walk-off win, what's better than that?
"We almost had one last week in Nick's no-hitter, he had four pitches in an inning I think," Coach Ganor continued in reference to Hunt's three-pitch effort. "Griffin did a great job and Nick did a great job battling and holding it down. We needed him to go deep in the game because of the number of games this week (six in six days).
"And Kevin Mingus hitting the ball like a senior," Coach Ganor said. "Two seniors, Joe Evans and Kevin Mingus, coming up with the big plays."
The official line scores on the game were 2 runs, 8 hits and 2 errors for North, and 3 runs, 8 hits and 0 errors for Saint Ignatius.
NOTE: Here is a corner's view of the Avon Eagles, Saint Ignatius' opponent in Friday evening's Pipe Yard Classic in Lorain County.
As we mentioned in the early paragraphs of tonight's Eastlake North game story, Avon is the top seed for the Lorain Division I District Tournament.
Under Head Coach Frank DeSmit, the Eagles have reached the District finals four times. However, none of those four District-final appearances produced a trip to the Regional semifinals.
Avon is ranked fifth in The Morning Journal's weekly Top of the Crop. The Morning Journal's top four teams are Vermilion, Elyria Catholic, Midview and Westlake.
Among the Eagles to keep an eye on are Ethan St. Clair, Logan Doenges, Shane Docherty and Jeff Laraway.
Doenges entered this week with 43 strikeouts on the mound and is also a capable hitter. Docherty has contributed as both a starting pitcher and a strong arm out of the bullpen, Laraway is a heady athlete and the versatile St. Clair took a .542 batting average into this week with 32 hits, 12 stolen bases and 21 runs scored.
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit May 2016
Parma Heights, Ohio - After finding out this afternoon that Wednesday's game was moved from Ron Mottl Field on the campus of Cuyahoga Community College-West to Valley Forge High School, the Baseball Cats were more than happy to take their act across the street from Tri-C to the home field of the Patriots.
While the baseball facility that sits behind Valley Forge High School isn't quite as nice as Ron Mottl Field, it has a tradition that has seen it host some of the finest high school baseball teams and players ever to lace up a pair of spikes in Greater Cleveland.
Coach Brad Ganor's 2016 Wildcats brought back some memories of those teams late Wednesday afternoon and early evening, as they rode a potent offense to a 16-5 victory over the Patriots.
Saint Ignatius, behind an 18-hit attack, improved to 13-8, stretched its winning streak to four and has now won 12 of its last 14 games.
With Coach Ganor utilizing a lineup that featured several non-starters, Saint Ignatius struck with four runs in the top of the first inning and added three more tallies in the top of the second in route to an early 7-0 lead.
The big blows in the first inning were run-scoring singles by senior catcher John Robinson, senior center fielder Mike Rogers, junior first baseman Christion Ramos and senior left fielder Dan Volpe.
Junior outfielder Ryan Jacobs got things started in the top of the second inning with his hot bat, as Ryan belted a ground-rule double that bounced over the fence in left field. It was Jacobs' fourth double in three days.
After a walk to senior designated hitter Dennis Grosel, Jacobs scored off an errant pick-off attempt at second base and Robinson followed with a two-run blast over the fence in left-center field that made it a 7-0 game.
Valley Forge, under the direction of former St. Peter Chanel All-Ohio baseball and basketball standout Izzy Santiago, got back in the game by scoring three times in the bottom of the third inning after there were two outs and the bases empty.
Sophomore shortstop Brendan Santiago, Izzy's son, got the Patriots' offense started with a base hit to right field. Junior center fielder Taylor Pupkiewicz then singled through the left side and a walk to freshman first baseman Drew Birch loaded the bases.
Valley Forge followed with a run-scoring single through the left side by freshman second baseman Dylan Magda, a bases-loaded walk to junior designated hitter Shane Sullivan and cut the deficit to 7-3 on a bases-loaded wild pitch.
Coach Santiago, who is also one of the top basketball officials in Northeast Ohio, watched his Patriots make it a 7-4 game in the bottom of the fourth behind a lead-off walk by senior catcher Jeremy Kubes, a stolen base by Kubes and a two-out RBI single by Brendan Santiago.
Just when the Valley Forge faithful were back in the game, it was Katy Bar the Door.
Coach Ganor's Wildcats would score nine runs over the next three innings in taking total command, including four runs in the top of the fifth.
First it was Volpe with the first of his two home runs on the evening, a solo shot over the center field fence, and after gritty junior infielder Joe Gutbrod drew a walk and stole second base, junior pitcher/outfielder Danny Adler laced a run-scoring double to the gap in left-center field.
The other key hits in the top of the fifth were an RBI single by standout senior infielder/designated hitter George Asadorian and a single by the Cats' junior left-handed pitching ace Connor Adams, a Louisville recruit. Connor saw some time in left field on Wednesday.
Saint Ignatius' two-run sixth was highlighted by a single from Volpe that came with two outs and the bases empty, another excellent at-bat by Gutbrod that resulted in a walk, a wild pitch, a slow chopper to the left side off the bat of Adler that scored the Cats' 12th run, and a run-scoring single by George Asadorian.
Coach Ganor and his staff watched their team close out an 18-hit evening with a three-run top of the seventh that included an infield single by Adams, a sharp single up the middle from junior infielder/outfielder Alec Guy, a walk to promising junior infielder/pitcher Erik Demchuk and the seal on Volpe's five-RBI night, a three-run home run by Dan that accounted for runs 14, 15 and 16.
Valley Forge scored its fifth and final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh off base hits from Pupkiewicz and Birch, a walk and a fielder's choice. The Patriots, who could meet the Wildcats again in a May 12th OHSAA Division I Sectional Final, are now 4-17.
The line scores on the game were 16 runs, 18 hits and 1 error for Saint Ignatius, and 5 runs, 7 hits and 3 errors for Valley Forge.
"Yes, a great offensive day and the nice thing is that it was from other guys who haven't seen a lot of opportunities," said Mark. "They got some at-bats and took advantage of it.
"A guy like Danny Volpe, I couldn't be happier for a guy like that," Mark continued. "And Alec Guy comes off the bench, sees one pitch and drives it up the middle.
"Get an opportunity and take advantage of it. It's a like I said, Danny Volpe's getting a headline today."
UP NEXT: The Cats will continue their six games in six days week on Thursday with a 5 PM first pitch versus the Rangers from Eastlake North at Classic Park.
Lake County - You can now make it three consecutive impressive performances for Saint Ignatius' gifted 6-foot-4, 200-pound junior right-hander Braydon Nelson.
Nelson, riding what he described as a live fastball, controlled Ohio's defending Division III state baseball champion Canton Central Catholic on a three-hit shutout, 5-0, Tuesday evening under a blue sky and a majestic setting sun in Classic Park, the home of the Lake County Captains.
Classic Park is also one of the Wildcats' two home fields, along with Fisher Field on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University.
Nelson, who is as soft spoken and humble as he is talented, made himself at home Tuesday on the same mound where he picked up his first Varsity career victory with five strong innings against the Mentor Cardinals on April 20th.
In throwing his second consecutive shutout and improving to 3-0 on the year, the big righty went the distance with just 67 pitches in seven innings, 42 of which were strikes. Nelson had two strikeouts and one base on balls, as he consistently had the Crusaders beating the ball into the ground.
Saint Ignatius' defense was superb for the second evening in a row. The Cats' infield of senior third baseman/Captain Dennis Grosel, senior shortstop Kevin Mingus, senior second baseman Joe Evans and sophomore first baseman Tommy Grosel, Dennis' brother, made play after play behind Nelson.
Dennis and Tommy Grosel combined on three highlight-reel 5-3 plays in the top of the second, fifth and seventh innings, efforts that helped the Wildcats hand Canton Central Catholic just its third loss in 20 games this spring.
Coach Brad Ganor's Cats, winners of three straight and 11 of their past 13 games, now stand 12-8 heading into Wednesday's game versus the Valley Forge Patriots at Ron Mottl Field on the campus of Cuyahoga Community College-West. Tommy Grosel, who doubles as a smooth first baseman/left-handed pitcher, will take the mound at Tri-C for the 4:30 PM first pitch. Note that the starting time is what Valley Forge, the home team, has posted. Better early than late.
As for Saint Ignatius' offense, which totaled nine hits in route to its five runs, the Cats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning after there were two outs and the bases empty.
Junior left fielder Ryan Jacobs, who continues to swing an authoritative bat, drove a 3-2 pitch into deep left field for a double to start the offense in the second inning. Ryan had two doubles in Monday evening's 2-0 victory over Brunswick at Baldwin Wallace University.
Senior center fielder/Captain Mike Rogers followed Jacobs' blast by drawing a walk and Tommy Grosel delivered an RBI single to center field.
Saint Ignatius gave Nelson a nice cushion to work with by scoring three times in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The left-handed hitting Dennis Grosel, a first-team Division I All-Ohio quarterback this past fall, went the opposite way for a base hit in leading off the bottom of the fourth.
Senior designated hitter John Robinson then drew a walk and senior shortstop Kevin Mingus ripped a single through the left side for an RBI and a 2-0 lead. Kevin's key hit scored senior outfielder Dan Volpe, who was a courtesy runner for Dennis Grosel.
The Cats' runners moved up to second and third when the throw home off Mingus' single bounced away from the catcher.
The versatile Jacobs then stepped to the plate and laid down a perfect bunt that scored junior infielder Joe Gutbrod from third base. Joe was the courtesy runner for John Robinson. An errant pick-off attempt followed and Saint Ignatius led, 4-0, entering the top of the fifth.
Preventing the Cats from doing even further damage in the bottom of the fourth was an outstanding running catch in right-center field by Crusaders senior center fielder JC Colangelo to end the inning.
Coach Ganor's club closed out the scoring in the bottom of the sixth on a lead-off triple by Rogers that flirted with The News-Herald sign in deep right field and a one-out RBI single by promising sophomore catcher Drew Asadorian.
After yielding a two-out, bases-empty single in the top of the seventh to Central Catholic junior second baseman Cameron Ruffin, Nelson ended the game with a strikeout. Ruffin broke up Nelson's no-hit bid with a two-out, bases-empty single in the top of the fifth. The Crusaders' other hit on the evening came off a one-out single by junior pitcher Quinton Heck in the top of the sixth.
"I guess after Nick's (senior right-hander/right fielder Nick Freund) no-hitter last week (versus Archbishop Hoban) I was feeling that Braydon was on his way today, but the baseball gods didn't allow it," said Coach Ganor. "All in all, a great all-around game. Timely hitting and great defense, with all four (of the infielders) making great plays. Picking each other up on a bad throw and making good throws. But the day goes to Braydon Nelson. Sixty seven pitches in seven innings, that's pretty good."
Coach Ganor was also quick to point out the outstanding job Drew Asadorian did behind the plate in calling the entire game for Nelson. "He called every single pitch, beginning to end," Coach Ganor said. "I like that from a sophomore. We have confidence in Drew to do that and Braydon believes in the sequence he was calling. That's great stuff."
Coach Ganor also praised Canton Central Catholic's legendary Head Coach Doug Miller, saying that Coach Miller represents all that is good about baseball.
"He is a man I have looked up to for a long time," Coach Ganor emphasized. "I mean that guy is a special, special person. I know his players will rally for him in the tournament. It's no wonder that he has 700 wins and has spent 37 years (teaching and coaching) at one school. I can only dream that I would have a fraction of that type of career at Saint Ignatius. He's definitely a role model for young coaches and will certainly be missed."
Coach Miller, who this corner emphasized in my preview look at the Canton Central Catholic-Saint Ignatius matchup, is a great coach and even a greater person. He is expected to retire at the end of this school year. Along with the amazing 700 victories, Coach Miller has guided his Crusaders to three state championships, two state runner-up finishes, six regional tiles and 12 district championships.
Unless Mother Nature throws us a curve, we'll see you at one of my old homes away from home on Wednesday, Ron Mottl Field. The Patriots of Valley Forge entered this week with a record of 4-15.
If Wednesday's game is played, it could be the first of two meetings between the Cats and the Pats in nine days.
Saint Ignatius is scheduled to face the winner of the Division I OHSAA Sectional Semifinal Game between Garfield Heights and Valley Forge on May 12 in a Sectional Final.
Berea, Ohio - "Efficient" was the word Saint Ignatius' outstanding Head Baseball Coach Brad Ganor used in describing the effort Wildcats gifted senior right-hander Murphy O'Brien put forth on Monday evening at baseball-rich Fisher Field on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University.
O'Brien, a St. Bonaventure University recruit, was both productive and tough-minded when he needed to be in pitching the Cats past a Brunswick team that now stands a deceiving 6-12 on the season The Blue Devils have some young faces this year, but faces with promising talent written all over them.
In helping his team improve to 11-8 and presenting Coach Ganor with his 260th career victory, O'Brien evened his record at 2-2 by throwing six complete shutout innings in Saint Ignatius' 2-0 victory. "Murph" fired 90 pitches to the plate, 51 of which were strikes, yielded three hits, struck out five and walked two.
The Wildcats, who supported O'Brien with an errorless performance in the field, scored all of the runs they needed in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Senior shortstop Kevin Mingus started the bottom of the fourth by ripping a single to left field. Endless-potential junior outfielder Ryan Jacobs then laced a double past the third-base bag and down the line, and Saint Ignatius was in business with runners on second and third and no outs. It was the first of two doubles on the evening by Jacobs.
After senior center fielder/relief ace Mike Rogers drew a walk that loaded the bases, sophomore first baseman Tommy Grosel drove the ball to deep center field for a sacrifice fly and the first of the game's two runs.
Remember the name Tommy Grosel, my friends. Tommy, who handles first base in a near flawless fashion and doubles as a left-handed pitcher, plays the game with a maturity beyond his years.
After Jacobs tagged up and went to third on Tommy Grosel's sacrifice fly, catcher Drew Asadorian, another sophomore who brings savvy, skill and leadership behind the plate, laid down a perfectly executed bunt to the right side that made it a 2-0 game.
Rogers came on in the top of the seventh inning and closed it out for his fourth save on the season. Mike threw a 1-2-3 seventh of two ground outs and a strikeout. He fired 10 pitches, seven of which were strikes.
Along with Jacobs' two doubles, the Cats got a pair of singles from both Mingus and senior third baseman Dennis Grosel, Tommy's brother, and a sharp single up the middle from senior designated hitter/catcher John Robinson in leading off the bottom of the second inning.
The line scores on the game were 2 runs, 7 hits and 0 errors for Saint Ignatius, and 0 runs, 3 hits and 2 errors for Brunswick.
As for the Cats' errorless day, the leather was flashed early when senior second baseman Joe Evans, who is having a solid spring, dove to his left off a hard liner that had base hit written all over it, came up with the ball on the edge of the right field grass and fired to first base to end the top of the first inning.
"I thought Murphy did a real nice job today, real efficient," said Coach Ganor of his senior right-hander, who became a starter this season after saving a school-record 10 games out of the bullpen on last year's Division I state final four team. "We talked after his last start about getting through the fifth inning. He had been getting to the fifth inning and we really challenged him in his work leading up to today to work on getting himself in position to get through the fifth inning.
"I thought today he looked as strong in the fifth inning as he did in the second inning," Coach Ganor said. "That's a great sign moving forward because we want to throw him through five innings.
"The defense played very solid today," continued Coach Ganor. "If that ball gets through, who knows? It could be a different ball game (Joe Evans' defensive tone-setter in the top of the first inning). Drew (Asadorian) did a real nice job behind the plate working with 'Murph.' (O'Brien) and he executed the safety squeeze. Tommy (Grosel) came up with a real nice RBI by not trying to do too much. Just hit a fly ball and score a run. That's high school baseball."
UP NEXT: The storied Crusaders from Canton Central Catholic on Tuesday at 5 PM in Classic Park. Junior right-hander Braydon Nelson (2-0) will take the mound for Coach Ganor.
The Crusaders from Canton Central Catholic are under the direction of 34-year Head Coach and Hall of Famer Doug Miller. Coach Miller is not only one of the finest coaches in the history of Ohio High School Baseball, but a man who epitomizes class.
Last week, Coach Miller's Crusaders presented him with his 700th career victory. Canton Central Catholic is the defending Division III State Champion. Along with three state titles, Coach Miller has guided the Crusaders to two state runner-up finishes, six Regional titles and 12 District Championships.
The Crusaders entered this week with a record of 17-2 and are ranked fifth in the latest Division III state poll by the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association. Saint Ignatius is in a three-way tie for 16th with Solon and Lebanon in the OHSBCA Division I state rankings. Those Division I rankings don't even have the Cats' record listed, so take it for what it's worth.
Canton Central Catholic, which finished 26-7-1 in its championship season of 2015 (the Crusaders play a schedule laden with Division I and II teams), are coming off a 3-0 loss to Massillon Jackson on Saturday at Doug Miller Field. The Jackson Polar Bears are currently 17-0 and ranked No. 1 in the OHSBCA Division I rankings. Jackson brought home the Division I State Baseball Championship in 2014.
Saint Ignatius traveled to Jackson's outstanding baseball facility on a cold, snow flurries Friday evening on April 8th and, in a game that had the atmosphere and intensity of a State Final Four matchup, was turned away by the Polar Bears, 3-2.
Canton Central Catholic is led by its 1-2 pitching punch of Clay Davies and Jake Vance. Vance is an Ohio State recruit. Davies, a senior right-hander, pitched seven strong innings in the loss to Jackson and experienced his first setback in six decisions this season.
Note: The outstanding high school sports staff at the Canton Repository has reported that this season will be Coach Miller's last at Canton Central Catholic. Coach Miller also serves as the Crusaders' Athletic Director.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Rafi Asadorian, who in 1986 pitched one of the 17 no-hitters in Cats Baseball history, is a cousin of current Saint Ignatius mainstays George and Drew Asadorian. George is a standout senior hitter/infielder and you can read about Drew's skills in the game story above.
Rafi, said George and Drew, is a CFO who is currently living in California.
A FAMILIAR NAME: On the Brunswick Coaching Staff is former Berea High School (now Berea-Midpark) Baseball mainstay Paul Moviel. Paul not only excelled on the mound for the then Berea Braves, he could also swing the bat with the best of them.
Paul is the older brother of former area pitching standouts Greg (Saint Ignatius) and Scott Moviel (St. Edward). The big lefty Greg Moviel, in this seasoned reporter's humble opinion, is not only the greatest pitcher in Saint Ignatius' baseball history, but the best big-game pitcher this corner ever had the privilege to cover and report on. Greg's 36-1 career record at Saint Ignatius will support that. Oh no, Mike Buddie will never speak to me again.
You can find out everything you want to know about Scott Moviel from Saint Ignatius' current Assistant Coach John Whelan, who was Scott's Head Coach at St. Edward.
Sunday's voting order for the seeding at Strongsville went 1. St. Edward, 2. Strongsville, 3. Saint Ignatius, 4. Lakewood.
The Wildcats (10-8) will open their OHSAA Division I tournament play with a 4:30 PM Sectional Final matchup on May 12th versus the winner of the Sectional Semifinal game between Valley Forge and Garfield Heights. That Sectional Final will be played at one of the Baseball Cats' home sites - either Classic Park or Baldwin Wallace University.
If successful on May 12th, the Cats will advance to the 2 PM May 18th District Semifinal at Strongsville High School, where they are expected to face the Strongsville Mustangs.
The Strongsville District Championship Game is slated for May 19th at 4:30 PM.
Saint Ignatius is the defending Strongsville District Champion after defeating Berea-Midpark, 3-0, in last year's District Final that saw current Wildcats standout junior left-hander and Louisville recruit Connor Adams throw a no-hitter at the Titans.
Fairview Park, Ohio - The corner is battling the flu and couldn't make the trip to the Keystone State today with the Baseball Cats, but after some treatment and a tune-up in the doctor's office this morning, will be back in the dugout on Tuesday for what should be a great matchup between the Wildcats and the Canton Central Catholic Crusaders at Classic Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 PM. This old-timer will give you a look at what is yet another solid Canton Central Catholic team on Monday.
After turning away the Ramblers from Erie Cathedral Prep and their potent offense, 9-6, on Saturday, Coach Brad Ganor's Varsity Wildcats now stand at 10-8.
Here is a look at the Cats' Varsity triumph over Cathedral Prep, with comments from Head Coach Brad Ganor and highlights from Saint Ignatius' outstanding Team Manager George Martin '16.
FROM COACH GANOR: "We came out with very good energy, especially on the heels of playing at Progressive Field," said Coach Ganor. "We were aggressive on the bases and swung the bat well. Cathedral Prep was a very good hitting team. One of the better contact teams we have played this year.
"Connor (Wildcats junior left-hander and Louisville recruit Connor Adams) battled, got out of some jams and was solid as is to be expected," Coach Ganor continued. "We have a big week coming up with a lot of games and our guys need to get some rest and be ready."
FROM GEORGE MARTIN: "The bats came out hot today in Erie as the Wildcats took a W against the Ramblers of Cathedral Prep. The Cats had a total of 10 hits with 9 singles and a double. Sophomore Tommy Grosel and junior Ryan Jacobs each had 2 singles on the day. Senior Dennis Grosel had the team's only double with a bomb to the gap in left field.
"Nick Freund and Dennis Grosel each had a pair of RBIs," George continued. "The Cats saw pitches well as the starting pitcher for the Ramblers only threw 3.2 innings. With 9 runs in total, Connor Adams had plenty of comfort at the mound. Connor allowed 5 hits, only 1 earned run and had 3 Ks as well. He left 7 men on base and proved once again he's cool under pressure with men on the base paths.
"The highlight on the defensive end came in the bottom of the 2nd, when Tommy Grosel snagged a line drive and stepped on first to turn a double play. Griffin Hunt came in to close the game and shut Cathedral Prep down with 1 hit and 1 K."
A tip of the corner's cap also goes out to the Junior Varsity Wldcats, who shutdown Cathedral Prep's Jayvees, 6-0. The JV game in Erie preceded the Varsity matchup.
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit April/May 2016
Cleveland, Ohio - Yes, it was a loss that now has Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats standing 9-8 heading into Saturday's 1:30 PM first pitch versus the Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep Ramblers at Erie's storied Ainsworth Field.
That said, Friday evening's 5-4 setback to the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Bees, which was the result of a two-out, bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning, was as much about the opportunity and experience of playing at the home of the Indians as it was the game.
Saint Ignatius and Brecksville-Broadview Heights, two clubs that have been at or just over the .500 mark for the past few weeks, played a spirited game that was part of the Cleveland Indians Charities annual High School Hardball Classic.
Coach Ganor, who like the Bees' coaching staff, utilized a different pitcher every inning and made sure that every healthy player saw the field, emphasized to his Wildcats just before they departed Progressive Field to always remember and cherish the experience of playing in a Major League Baseball Park.
Friday night was, as Coach Ganor said, about sharing that experience with their teammates, friends and families, whether the outcome was a win, a loss or a tie.
Yes, Friday night's game could have ended in tie, as just before the start of the seventh inning the umpires informed both teams that the seventh inning was going to be the final one even though the game was tied at that point. High School games are seven innings, but of course extra innings come into play just like college level and the Minor and Major Leagues.
Not Friday, however.
There was a two-hour time limit placed on the games at the annual Hardball Classic and the Bees and the Cats were just minutes from approaching that limit. St. Edward and Olmsted Falls were waiting patiently in the concourse, as the Eagles and the Bulldogs were scheduled to play the final game of the Hardball Classic.
After Saint Ignatius was retired in order in the top of the seventh, Brecksville-Broadview Heights loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning on an error, a one-out hit batsman and a two-out intentional walk to the Bees' more than capable hitter Dan Harwood.
Brecksville-Broadview Heights' Jesse Chodkiewicz then stepped to the plate and brought home the winning run by drawing another base on balls, and the Bees and their faithful added an extra memory to their experience at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.
The early innings provided plenty of action that saw Brecksville-Broadview Heights take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The big blows were an RBI single by Harwood and a bases-loaded, two-run single by Joe Raffin.
Saint Ignatius responded with two runs in the top of the second inning and took a 4-3 lead with two more tallies in the top of the third.
Cats senior catcher Jon Robinson ignited the two-run second inning with a sharp single through the right side, senior shortstop Kevin Mingus followed with an infield hit and senior captain/center fielder/relief ace Mike Rogers loaded the bases with a sharp single the opposite way to left field. Senior outfielder Dan Volpe was then hit by a pitch, making it a 3-1 game, and a ground out to the right side off the bat of senior outfielder/pitcher Nick Freund brought home Saint Ignatius' second run. Nick was coming off a marvelous no-hitter that he threw at the Archbishop Hoban Knights on Wednesday evening at Baldwin Wallace University.
Coach Ganor's Cats moved to a 4-3 lead in the top of the third courtesy of the first of two authoritative base hits off the bat of junior infielder Joe Gutbrod, a single to right field by senior third baseman/captain Dennis Grosel and one-out, run-scoring hits off the bats of Mingus and Rogers.
With two outs and the bases empty in bottom of the fifth, Brecksville-Broadview Heights would go on to tie the score at 4-4 behind a run-scoring triple to right-center field off the bat of Griffin Stevens.
The final line scores on the game from the scorer at Progressive Field were 5 runs, 5 hits, 1 error and eight runners stranded for the Bees, and 4 runs, 9 hits, 2 errors and 9 left on base by the Cats.
Not only did Coach Ganor use a pitcher per inning, one of those pitchers actually worked two innings, but from different sides of the mound. Rogers, who is a southpaw, pitched right-handed in the fifth inning and went back to his left arm in the bottom of the seventh. Mike previously went right-left in a single game while playing for his summer team.
This corner was impressed with the 1-2-3 inning gifted junior outfielder Ryan Jacobs threw in the bottom of the third. Heat City, my friends. I think Coach Ganor, who doubles as the Pitching Coach, was also impressed.
It was great to see injured players Jeff Chonko and Jack Seifert have the opportunity to coach third and first base, respectively, and help get the offense flowing. Among those Coach Ganor also allowed to coach the bases were standout senior infielder/designated hitter George Asadorian, gifted Team Manager George Martin, Team Chaplin Drew Vilinsky, better known as one of the premier Junior Varsity Ice Hockey Coaches in the state, and the Wildcats' super stats man, Joe Ertle.
The Varsity Baseball Cats will board the bus at 8 AM on Saturday so they can support the Junior Varsity Cats in their 11 AM game versus Erie Cathedral Prep's Jayvees.
As for the Varsity Ramblers, who take on the Cats at 1:30 PM in Ainsworth Field, they stood 9-2 this week. It is a program that has produced 17 District 10 titles, including the last two, 14 Metro Championships and five Regional crowns, three of which have come over the past three seasons.
From George Martin and Posted By Mr. Eddie Dwyer
By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit April 2016
Berea, Ohio - It is safe to say that it appears Saint Ignatius' outstanding Head Coach/Pitching Coach Brad Ganor has solidified his third starter in the Wildcats' rotation.
Junior right-hander Braydon Nelson, coming off his first Varsity victory with five strong innings against Mentor last week, took the mound on Baldwin Wallace University's newly turfed and baseball-rich field Tuesday evening and fired a complete-game, two-hit shutout at Holy Name.
Saint Ignatius, which improved to 8-7, complemented Nelson's gem by scoring all of its seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Cats sent 12 batters to the plate in the bottom of the fifth, with the big blows coming with two outs - a line-drive RBI single to left field by senior designated hitter John Robinson, an authoritative two-run, bases-loaded single from junior left fielder Ryan Jacobs and a two-run single by senior center fielder/tri-Captain Mike Rogers, who led off the inning by drawing a walk.
Saint Ignatius also took advantage of some perfectly executed bunting, two throwing errors and a passed ball in both setting the table and keeping the decisive fifth inning outburst rolling.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Nelson, an amiable, but quiet and humble young man, has now added his first Varsity shutout to what is a 2-0 record. And, you can mark down Tuesday's dominant performance as the first complete game this spring by the Wildcats' talented staff.
"He was very efficient," said Coach Ganor of Nelson, who recorded the first two outs in the top of the sixth inning on two pitches. "I'll take a seven run inning all the time, we haven't had many of those. It feels good to relax and enjoy a game."
In a compiling a line that would draw a smile from any Head Coach/Manager on any level, Nelson's 2-hit blanking of the Green Wave included four strikeouts, no walks and 55 strikes in the 80 pitches he threw.
As Coach Ganor said with a warm smile, "Today was about Braydon Nelson."
MAKING WAVES: Holy Name senior pitcher Spencer Harrington threw four shutout innings and coming up with the two hits for the 6-9 Green Wave were senior right fielder Joe Rivera and sophomore center fielder Matthew Springer.
UP NEXT for the Cats is Wednesday's 5 PM matchup with the Archbishop Hoban Knights at Baldwin Wallace University. Coach Ganor will call on versatile senior right-hander/leadoff hitter/right fielder Nick Freund to make the start against the Knights.
Archbishop Hoban is coming off a 13-2 loss to Ohio Jesuit Tournament Champion Walsh Jesuit earlier this week and last weekend the Knights were defeated by Youngtown Cardinal Mooney, 7-3, in the Catholic School Showcase at Cene Park in Youngstown.
Hoban split a doubleheader with Aurora on April 16th and was defeated by the Padua Franciscan Bruins, 10-4, on April 15th at Archbishop Hoban.
Last season, the Wildcats traveled to Archbishop Hoban and, after overcoming some early errors, defeated the Knights, 7-3. Current senior shortstop Kevin Mingus had two impressive doubles that day, including one with the bases loaded.
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit April 2016
Cincinnati, Ohio - Saint Ignatius' gifted senior Dennis Grosel, whose leadership on the baseball diamond is as vital as the potent bat he swings, said it was great to see the Wildcats sustain a potent offense on Sunday at St. Xavier High School.
The Cats, with Grosel contributing two hits and three runs batted in, took charge in the first inning and settled the issue in style with a seven-run top of the seventh in an 11-2 triumph over the Xavier Bombers at the annual Ohio Jesuit Tournament.
Saint Ignatius and St. Xavier were playing for third place in the tournament, as Walsh Jesuit and Toledo St. John's Jesuit earned the right to meet in the OJT Championship Game with their victories on Saturday.
Walsh Jesuit defeated the Wildcats on Saturday and St. John's Jesuit prevailed over St. Xavier. The Warriors from Walsh Jesuit took home the OJT 2016 tournament title with a 13-8 victory over the Titans from St. John's Jesuit on Sunday. That game was also played at St. Xavier.
"We've kind of struggled with the bats this year, we've been on a hill, up and down" said Grosel, who joins senior center fielder/closer Mike Rogers and senior right-handed pitcher Murphy O'Brien as Head Coach Brad Ganor's three Captains. "We have to concentrate on the uphill and keep the bats rolling."
Grosel, who was a first-team All-Ohio Division I quarterback/Captain for Coach Chuck Kyle's Football Wildcats this past fall, echoed Coach Ganor's sentiments by pointing out that Saint Ignatius not only swung the bats with authority on Sunday, but capitalized on almost every St. Xavier mistake.
"That's what separates a 5-4 game from an 11-2 game," Grosel said of the forced and unforced errors St. Xavier committed.
The Wildcats wasted little time in grabbing the momentum, as they took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
With one out and the bases empty, senior second baseman Joe Evans, who is having a solid spring, was hit by a pitch and advanced to second base on an errant pick-off attempt at first base.
Up stepped Grosel with his first RBI on the day, scoring Evans with a double to deep center field. The other key hit in the top of the first was a run-scoring double by junior outfielder Ryan Jacobs.
St. Xavier, which like Saint Ignatius stands 7-7 heading into this week, cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the first inning without the benefit of a hit.
The Wildcats responded with a run in the top of the second and it stayed a 4-1 game until the bottom of the fifth, when the Bombers closed to 4-2.
Trailing, 4-2, entering the top of the seventh inning, it was Katy Bar the Door for St. Xavier.
The Bombers were hit with a seven-run barrage from Saint Ignatius that started when St. Xavier's left fielder lost a high pop into a tough sun with one out and the bases empty. After senior outfielder/leadoff hitter Nick Freund, who has been a constant for most of the season, drew a bases-loaded walk, Evans laced a base hit to center field that scored two runs and Freund came around to score when the ball got by the center fielder.
Grosel and senior shortstop Kevin Mingus completed the seventh-inning onslaught with RBI doubles. The final line score on the game read 11 runs, 11 hits and 3 errors for the Wildcats and 2 runs, 4 hits and 4 errors for the Bombers.
"That's typical high school baseball, you have to capitalize on mistakes," said Coach Ganor. "They (Walsh Jesuit) capitalized on our mistakes yesterday and we capitalized on St. Xavier's today. There's the two different outcomes.
"I thought Connor (Wildcats gifted junior southpaw Connor Adams) did a great job," Coach Ganor continued. "He said he didn't have his best stuff today, but that's the mark of an ace pitcher, when you don't have your best stuff and are able to battle and give your team a chance to win. And that's exactly what he did."
In his six complete innings, Adams, a Louisville Cardinals recruit, yielded 4 hits, two unearned runs, walked two and struck out six. In the 95 pitches Connor threw, 59 of them were strikes.
Rogers, who reached base every time he stepped to the plate on Sunday and was 3-for-3 on the day with an RBI, came on to pitch in the bottom of the seventh.
Among the Cats' other big days were the two hits produced by Jacobs.
Up next for Saint Ignatius is Tuesday's matchup with old West Senate rival Holy Name. The first pitch from Baldwin Wallace University will be 5 PM.
Getting the starting call from Coach Ganor on Tuesday versus the Green Wave is promising 6-foot-4, 200-pound junior right-hander Braydon Nelson, who won his first Varsity game last week with five strong innings against the Mentor Cardinals at Classic Park.
Cincinnati, Ohio - On what was a perfect day for baseball, Saint Ignatius saw chances slip away late Saturday afternoon and Walsh Jesuit, a four-time state champion and two-time state runner-up, jumped on the opportunities that came its way.
In what was the second game of the opening round at the annual Ohio Jesuit Tournament on the sun-drenched campus of Cincinnati St. Xavier, the Wildcats and the Warriors battled to a 1-1 tie through 4 1/2 innings.
It was at that point, Walsh Jesuit welcomed Mr. Momentum back into its dugout with a three-run bottom of the fifth and then gave its standout senior right-hander Dominic Canzone, a The Ohio State University recruit, a pressure-less cushion heading into the seventh inning by scoring three more times in the bottom of the sixth.
The 7-1 victory over Saint Ignatius pushed the Warriors' record to 11-3 and advanced them to Sunday's OJT Championship Game versus Toledo St. John's Jesuit (8-2). The first pitch will be 11 AM on the main Varsity diamond at St. Xavier.
St. John's Titans made sure St. Xavier would remember them and their promising young pitcher, sophomore McCoy Butler, by defeating the Bombers, 3-0, in Saturday's first game.
Saint Ignatius and St. Xavier, who now stand 6-7 and 7-6, respectively, will meet in Sunday's 11 AM consolation, or third-place game, on the Bombers' other diamond.
"We had our chances," said Wildcats' veteran Head Coach Brad Ganor, who will send his gifted junior left-hander and Louisville recruit Connor Adams to the mound on Sunday. "When we got it to even there, the momentum went on our side.
"We talk all of the time to these guys about high school baseball being a game of momentum," Coach Ganor continued. "We have to understand that it (the momentum) shifted our way. If we were able to go out there in the bottom of the fifth inning and put up a zero, then it's a different game. A totally different game. We come up and we're more confident at the plate and we put more pressure on them.
"One-one, there's pressure (on Walsh Jesuit)," Coach Ganor said. "Four to one or 7-1, there's no pressure."
In a game that matched two of the finest pitchers in Northeast Ohio, Canzone and Saint Ignatius' gifted and gritty senior right-hander Murphy O'Brien, a St. Bonaventure recruit, O'Brien started the bottom of fourth with a strikeout that saw him battle back from a 3-1 count.
Canzone, who also swings a capable bat as the second hitter in Coach Chris Kaczmar's order, was then hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a fielder's choice and took third on a pitch in the dirt.
After Warriors senior designated hitter Mac Shinaberry drew a two-out walk, the first run of the game came home off a passed ball.
The Wildcats, who entered the weekend on a five-game winning streak and having won six of their previous seven games, answered with a run in the top of the fifth that was fueled by a leadoff single from sophomore first baseman/pitcher Tommy Grosel and a sacrifice bunt by senior center fielder Mike Rogers.
Sophomore outfielder Justin Sands was then inserted as a courtesy runner for Tommy Grosel and Justin advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Following a bouncer back to the mound for the second out of the inning, senior right fielder and leadoff hitter Nick Freund delivered a game-tying RBI single. Senior second baseman Joe Evans, who joins Freund as two of Coach Ganor's hottest hitters, followed with an authoritative single that put runners on first and third.
Walsh Jesuit kept it a 1-1 game, however, as Canzone was able to coax an inning-ending ground out.
Just when it seemed Saint Ignatius had taken the momentum away from the Warriors, the team from the North Coast League answered big time in the bottom frames of the fifth and sixth innings.
Coach Kaczmar's talented and opportunistic club loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, courtesy of an error, a sacrifice bunt by senior third baseman Nate Reich, a single to center field by senior second baseman Bryce Marshall and a walk to junior shortstop Brendan Regan, a Michigan State recruit.
Canzone then helped his cause with a two-run single through the right side and his battery mate, senior Dan Mendenhall, followed with an RBI single to right field.
Leading, 4-1, Walsh Jesuit scored three more times in the bottom of the sixth with the big blow being a two-out, two-run double to deep left-center field by Canzone.
Coach Ganor singled out the continued solid approach that Freund is taking to the plate, as Nick had two more hits on Saturday, Evans' hot bat, the three hits that junior outfielder Ryan Jacobs gave the offense on Saturday, and the effort from O'Brien.
O'Brien worked 4.1 innings, yielded three hits, four runs of which only one was earned, struck out two, walked three, hit a batter and threw 40 strikes in his 74 pitches.
In improving to 4-0 on the season, Canzone went the distance. He totaled 89 pitches of which 67 were strikes, yielded seven hits (two were infield hits) and one earned run, had a hit batsman and struck out five.
A PROMISING TITAN: Right-hander McCoy Butler, who pitched St. John's Jesuit past host St. Xavier on Saturday, was a wide-eyed freshman last season with a strong arm, but needing to learn how to pitch.
Well, the progress is coming along just fine, thank you.
In a three-hit complete game shutout over the Bombers on their home field, Butler, now 1-0 this season, struck out four, did not walk a batter and kept his poise every time St. Xavier attempted to get back in the game.
The Titans will turn to big-game tested southpaw Joey Sabol (4-0) in Sunday's OJT Championship Game versus Walsh Jesuit.
From Classic Park, the home of the Lake County Captains and, along with Baldwin Wallace University, one of Saint Ignatius' two homes away from home.
The Wildcats of Head Coach Brad Ganor, who got off to an 0-5 start this season that included three losses in Florida, evened their record at 6-6 and extended their winning streak to five games.
Mentor's Cardinals, under the direction of Jeff Haase, led 1-0 after the top of the first inning and trailed by one run heading into the top of the seventh before being turned away by senior Mike Rogers' third save of the season. The Cardinals now stand 5-5.
Saint Ignatius' 5-4 triumph, which Coach Ganor described as winning ugly, but also being resilient, was highlighted by a four-run bottom of the second.
Mentor made it a one run game by scoring two runs in the top of the third inning and the Cats scored their fifth and eventual winning run in the bottom of the fourth.
A Cardinals' run in the top of the sixth cut the deficit to 5-4 and that is how it ended after Rogers, who took the mound in the top of the seventh, recorded a strikeout and senior shortstop Kevin Mingus hauled in a high pop fly in left field. Mike's K and Kevin's game-ending catch came with Mentor runners on first and second. Those runners reached on back-to-back one-out walks.
Among the Cats' highlights were the five complete innings that oh so promising junior right-hander Braydon Nelson gave his team in earning what is Braydon's first victory on the Varsity level. He is now 1-0 after showing moments of promise in his other starting opportunities this young season.
Braydon's five innings included three runs, all of which were unearned, three strikeouts, two walks and 87 total pitches, 56 of which were strikes.
Saint Ignatius' four-run second inning began with a one-out walk by Rogers and a sharp ground ball off the bat of sophomore first baseman Tommy Grosel that the shortstop couldn't handle. Sophomore catcher Drew Asadorian followed with an authoritative game-tying RBI single and, with two outs, gritty junior third baseman Mark Geraci was hit by a pitch.
Up stepped senior right fielder and leadoff hitter Nick Freund and senior second baseman Joe Evans, who both went Rip City to right field for run-scoring hits, with Joe's being a two-RBI shot that came off a 1-2 pitch and staked the Cats to a 4-1 lead.
Mentor, which scored the game's first run on an RBI single by senior left fielder Ricky Valeri in the top of the first inning, cut the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the third by taking advantage of three errors by the Cats, including one that resulted in the Cardinals' second and third runs.
After Saint Ignatius moved to a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth, a run that was fueled by Tommy Grosel's sharp single past the third baseman, a ground ball to the right side by Asadorian that moved Tommy to second and an error, Mentor closed to 5-4 in the top of the sixth off back-to-back doubles by junior second baseman Tommy Klepcyk and junior center fielder and lead-off hitter Nathan Birtley. Those consecutive two-baggers came with two outs and the bases empty.
The line score on the game was 4 runs, 7 hits and 1 error for the Cardinals, and 5 runs, 8 hits and 4 errors for the Wildcats.
"It feels great to get the first win (on the Varsity level)," Braydon said. "The offense kept me going with the run support and allowed me to do my thing on the mound.
"Honestly, I would say everything (fastball, curveball and changeup ) was working pretty well for me today," Braydon continued. "I had to make some tough pitches, because the Mentor hitters were doing pretty well answering.
"It was fun pitching in this game," said Braydon, who was acknowledged in Coach Ganor's post-game talk for "Keeping us in the game."
"Win ugly, but win, just find a way,' Coach Ganor said. "To get it back to even (6-6) is great. I'm happy for them, they're resilient. We're finding that out. We wondered for the first week if we were resilient, but the last two weeks I'm seeing a lot of resiliency."
The resiliency Coach Ganor referred to has come in the form of six victories in the Cats' last seven games, including a current five-game winning streak.
"Mentor was a real good hitting team and today we had to battle on the mound," said Coach Ganor, who will lead his Cats against the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Bees on Friday at 5:30 PM in the Cleveland Indians Charities High School Classic at Progressive Field. "I thought Braydon did a great job on the mound. He picked up the defense when we needed him to. That's a good one-run game that will get your blood flowing a little bit. It might have flowed a little more than I wanted it to, but all in all, I'm very happy for them to get it back to 6-6."
NOTE: After Friday night's game at Progressive Field it's off to the Queen City of Cincinnati on Saturday for the annual Ohio Jesuit Tournament at St. Xavier High School. The Cats' first game is Saturday at 4 PM versus Coach Chris Kaczmar's Walsh Jesuit Warriors.
Saturday's 1 PM game matches the host Bombers of St. Xavier against the Titans of Toledo St. John's Jesuit and Sunday's championship and consolation games are both scheduled for 11 AM.
The corner will be on hand for game coverage both Friday night at the home of the Tribe and on the campus of St. Xavier over the weekend.
Providing live broadcasts from Progressive Field and St. Xavier will be the golden tones of Brendan DeVenney and Matt MacKenzie, who promise to do their best Vince Scully and Tom Hamilton over the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network.
Mr. Vince Scully, the eloquent Hall of Fame broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has begun his 67th and what he says will be his last season before it is on to retirement.
And Mr. Tom Hamilton, well what can you say? In this old-timer's humble opinion (and I grew up listening to the radio, not watching TV), the best of the best in the Indians' broadcasting history.
Have a great and safe weekend!
Presented By Saint Ignatius' outstanding Team Manager George Martin '16 and Head Coach Brad Ganor, and Posted By Mr. Eddie Dwyer.
From Joltin' George Martin: The Cats' bats were working today, as they constantly put the ball in play to force the Irish to make plays on the defensive end. With 4 total hits, Nick Freund, Dennis Grosel, and Mike Rogers were feeling good at the plate. Dennis had two singles on the day and Freund as well, as the entire offense was like speed demons on the base paths. Rogers worked the count on a walk and hit a single to center as well. The Cats jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back as they scored 5 runs in total.
The Wildcat defense was strong throughout the game as junior Erik Demchuk had a marvelous play at 3rd base to highlight a great night. Junior phenom, Connor Adams, pitched 4 innings of no run baseball. He had a total of 60 pitches with 39 of them being strikes. He allowed 2 hits and fanned 5 batters. Safe to say Adams pitched the way he has all season.
Sensational reliever Griffin Hunt came in to shut down St. Vincent-St. Mary in the final three innings. He gave up 3 hits and a run, but it was not earned. He struck out 5 batters while throwing 50 pitches. Griffin has proven himself to be a trustworthy reliever for Coach Ganor and the Wildcats so far this season.
From Coach Ganor, whose Cats improved to 5-6 and extended their winning streak to four games: Connor Adams settled in and worked with great tempo. I wanted him to throw 60 pitches so we could have him back 100% for the Jesuit tournament this weekend, and he did just that. Griffin did what he has been doing all year, throwing strikes. I thought Nick Freund had a great day and was all over the bases. We have been talking about each week starting new. We played well last week and this week started off well. We know we will have a tough one with Mentor tomorrow so we need to turn our attention immediately to that game.
FROM THE CORNER: Coach Jeff Hasse's Mentor Cardinals stand 5-4 after their 7-4 triumph at Shaker Heights on Tuesday evening.
Two of Cardinals' four losses were to St. Edward, 4-2, and Strongsville, 8-7.
Last season, two of the current Wildcats, shortstop Kevin Mingus and left fielder Ryan Jacobs, each had two hits as Saint Ignatius defeated Mentor, 9-1, at The Pipe Yard Classic in Lorain County.
On the mound for the Cats on Wednesday in Classic Park will be promising 6-foot-4, 200-pound junior right-hander Braydon Nelson.
Just a little side note, Mentor graduate Kade McClure got off to a 6- 0 start for the University of Louisville this season. Saint Ignatius' gifted junior southpaw Connor Adams is a Louisville recruit.
From the baseball-rich facility on the campus of Upper Arlington High School
It was a picture-perfect spring day in Franklin County on Saturday and Saint Ignatius Head Coach Brad Ganor couldn't have drawn it up any better for his Wildcats, who have had difficulty scoring runs during the first three weeks of the season.
After defeating a solid Youngstown Ursuline team, 1-0, on Thursday, the Cats erupted for their biggest offensive output of 2016 and now stand 4-6 heading into Tuesday's 5 PM first pitch versus St. Vincent-St. Mary in Classic Park.
With not a cloud in the blue sky that hovered over the home of the Golden Bears of Upper Arlington, Saint Ignatius rained hits and runs all over Grove City and Upper Arlington, and walked away with a doubleheader sweep over two of the Central District's highly respected programs.
In game one, the Wildcats scored all of their runs in the first three innings and rode the gifted right arm of senior Murphy O'Brien to a 6-0 triumph over the Greyhounds from Grove City. The Greyhounds entered their matchup with Saint Ignatius with a 9-3 record.
O'Brien, a St. Bonaventure University recruit who is also one of Coach Ganor's tri-Captains, worked 5 1/3 innings in blanking Grove City. Murphy yielded two hits, struck out six, walked three and fired 92 pitches, 55 of which were strikes.
Murphy now stands 1-1 as a starter this year after setting a school record with 10 saves as the ace out of the bullpen in 2015.
Promising 6-foot-4 junior right-hander Braydon Nelson put a seal on the shutout with an inning and two thirds that saw Braydon give up one hit, record two strikeouts and no walks. He threw 22 pitches, 14 for strikes.
The nightcap featured a matchup between host Upper Arlington and Saint Ignatius that was pretty much all about a Wildcats offense that produced 14 runs.
Upper Arlington, which also defeated Grove City, 3-1, in Saturday's opener, is now 9-4 after being hit early and often by Saint Ignatius' now hot bats.
Only a four-run bottom of the seventh allowed the Golden Bears to walk off their field with a 14-7 loss.
Senior right-hander Nick Freund got the starting call from Coach Ganor and worked 3 2/3 innings. Nick, who is 1-0 this spring, yielded two hits, three runs, one of which was earned, walked three and had one strikeout.
Junior right-hander Danny Adler turned in workman-like 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen for the Cats, yielding three hits. Danny had a strikeout and did not issue a walk.
Saint Ignatius' offense versus Grove City saw Freund, who doubles as a starting right fielder, come up with two hits and a number of his teammates each produce one hit. The Wildcats also took advantage of six errors by the Greyhounds.
Coach Ganor's club took command against Grove City with a three-run third inning that featured a sharp lead-off single by senior catcher John Robinson, a base hit through the left side by junior outfielder Ryan Jacobs, an error and RBI singles by senior center fielder/tri-Captain Mike Rogers and versatile junior infielder/pitcher Erik Demchuk.
Rogers led the 12-hit attack against Upper Arlington with three hits and senior second baseman Joe Evans, who is having an impressive start to the season, had two hits.
Also touching up the Golden Bears' pitching for two-hit games were sophomore first baseman Tommy Grosel and junior infielder Christion Ramos. Christion hit a towering double to the base of the fence in left field that had the Wildcat faithful on their feet.
Providing the big blow that unleashed the Cats' offense against Upper Arlington was senior outfielder Dan Volpe, who delivered a two-out, bases-loaded three-run triple to deep left-center field. Rogers followed with an RBI single and the Golden Bears were back on their heels. Volpe also had a double to deep left-center field in the Grove City game.
FLASHING THE LEATHER: Saint Ignatius' defense played a significant role during Sweep Saturday as Tommy Grosel was money at first base, senior shortstop Kevin Mingus and Evans controlled the middle infield, sophomore catcher Drew Asadorian continued to show his savvy behind the dish, and Rogers patrolled the outfield from the 8 position.
FROM MURPHY O'BRIEN: "If I had to choose, probably the curve ball," O'Brien said when asked what pitch was clicking for him on Saturday afternoon. "I was really comfortable throwing that in hitters' counts.
"It's really hard to say right now," O'Brien continued when asked if the Cats are totally back and prepared to gear up for another postseason run. "We've got some momentum. Those wins today were great wins. That was the best we've played all year. If we carry this on, that could be the turnaround."
FROM COACH GANOR: "We knew it was coming at some point," said Coach Ganor of the impressive offensive display the Cats put forth on Saturday. "It takes pressure off the pitchers, pitchers are more comfortable and can get into a rhythm.
"I'm really happy for the offense and hope that we're building in confidence, feeling some success and trying to build on that," Coach Ganor continued. "It's hard to play a doubleheader and win a doubleheader. But to take two down here against two quality programs, I'm very happy with that.
"Each week is a different week, and now we're moving on to the next one."
FROM A VERY SPECIAL FAN, COACH GANOR'S SON, DOMINIC: "They played very good today and we hope that they win every single game and get to the state championship. They pitch good, but they have to hit the ball better. If they get to the MLB (Major Leagues), that's great. But they have to go to college first."
Note: I believe that Dominic Joseph Ganor will soon be 7 years old.
STICK AROUND LONG ENOUGH, AND YOU'LL SEE SOMETHING NEW: This seasoned reporter saw a first yesterday, as Coach Ganor and Grove City Head Coach Ryan Alexander played Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who would be the home team at Upper Arlington. Grove City won.
That was one of the few highlights on the day for the Greyhounds.
Massillon, Ohio - Saint Ignatius, which lost to three of the strongest teams the state of Florida has to offer and was shutout at Boardman on Wednesday, battled one of Ohio' premier programs, Massillon Jackson, down to the last pitch on Friday night.
Although disappointed with the 3-2 setback to the now undefeated through six games Polar Bears, the Wildcats walked out of Jackson's first-class and baseball-rich facility knowing they are capable of returning to the form that saw them finish as a state runner-up in 2013 and advance to the state semifinals in 2015.
"It's tough to sit with zero wins right now, but I asked them to bring energy for two hours and we played a good baseball game," said Saint Ignatius' veteran skipper Brad Ganor. "We just got beat. That's baseball. If we can duplicate that for the rest of the season, we're going to be more than fine.
"I don't know how many times I walked away from a loss feeling good, but I feel really good," Coach Ganor continued. "That's a good baseball team (Jackson). He (Polar Bears Head Coach Bill Gamble) does a great job with his program. That's a deep playoff-type team and we're right there with them."
In what was a matchup of two class-personified programs, teams that are almost mirror images of each other, Saint Ignatius (0-5) rode two hit batsmen, a stolen base and a two-out balk to a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning.
After strong plays by senior outfielders Nick Freund and Mike Rogers kept Jackson off the board in the bottom of the third inning, the Wildcats moved to a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Nick and Mike turned in running and diving catches in right and center field, respectively.
With two outs and the bases empty in the top of the fourth, Saint Ignatius senior designated hitter George Asadorian laced a double down the left-field line and senior shortstop Kevin Mingus followed with an RBI single to left-center field.
Jackson, which brought home the Division I State Baseball Championship in 2014 and was a regional runner-up in 2015, loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the fourth off an error, a base hit by first baseman/ clean-up hitter Jon Conkle and a walk.
The Polar Bears' three-sport standout (football, basketball and baseball), senior shortstop Jake Pallotta, drew a bases-loaded walk and Jackson knotted the score at 2 on a sacrifice fly to center field off the bat of second baseman Chad Matthus that saw Rogers make another diving catch.
Both teams turned to their bullpens after four innings on what was a brisk night in Stark County.
Following a 1-2-3 top of the fifth by Polar Bears reliever Glen Richardson that featured two strikeouts, Saint Ignatius thwarted a potentially productive bottom of the fifth for Jackson with a 4-6-3 double play.
After the Polar Bears had runners on first and third with one out in the bottom of the fifth, Cats senior second baseman Joe Evans stayed with a sharp one-bounce liner that appeared to have base hit written all over it, made a perfect toss to Mingus for the force at second and Kevin fired the relay to first base to end the threat.
Riding the emotion of his play at second, Evans led off the top of the sixth inning with a line-drive single to left field and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of junior left fielder Ryan Jacobs.
Richardson was equal to the challenge, however, as he ended the top of the sixth with two more strikeouts.
With the Polar Bears and their faithful making themselves heard, Jackson scored the winning run in the bottom of the sixth and turned back Saint Ignatius in the top of the seventh.
The versatile Pallotta led off the bottom of the sixth by drawing another walk. Cade Mottice, who was running for Pallotta, stole second base off a swinging third strike, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored the game's final and go-ahead run off a sharp single by designated hitter Justin Johnston through a drawn-in left side of the Cats' infield.
Pallotta then came on to pitch the top of the seventh and, with the exception of a one-out, bases-empty walk to Rogers, got the decisive final three outs on a leadoff pop up to the catcher off one pitch, a strikeout following Rogers' walk and a game-ending bouncer back to the mound.
"The hitting is going to come, the timely hits are going to come, we'll keep getting good pitching and we'll be okay, I truly believe that," said Coach Ganor, whose Wildcats defeated the Polar Bears, 3-2, at Jackson last season. "As down as I was the other day, I wouldn't say I'm on top of the world, but I feel a heck of a lot better."
Here are the pitching lines for Wildcats starter Murphy O'Brien and Polar Bears starter Noah Evans.
Murphy: Four innings, 66 pitches, 37 of which were strikes, two hits, two runs (1 earned) and three walks.
Noah: Four innings, 52 pitches, 34 of which were strikes, two hits, two runs, two hit batsmen, a balk, no walks and two strikeouts.
A STAT FROM THE HOT CORNER: Jackson entered Friday night's game having outscored its first five opponents by a combined score of 48-5. That included three shutouts by the Polar Bears' pitching staff.
NOTE: The Cats have added another game versus St. Vincent-St. Mary for this coming Monday. If Mother Nature's wrath calms down by Monday, the first pitch will be 5 PM on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University.
As for the Fighting Irish of St. Vincent-St. Mary, Coach Anthony Boarman's club won three of its first four games this season. Coach Boarman currently teaches American History, Economics and Personal Finance at St. Vincent-St. Mary and is also the school's website manager as well as an Irish Athletes for Christ advisor.
Like his dad, Dan, a legendary and highly successful football coach who recently retired as SVSM's head man on the gridiron, Anthony is a class act.
Last season, on a perfect May afternoon at Old Forge Field in Akron, the Cats erupted for eight runs in the top of the seventh inning and went on to a 9-0 victory over the Fighting Irish.
Stay safe and warm this weekend!
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit April 2016
From the campus of Boardman High School
Wildcats savvy southpaw Connor Adams certainly deserved a better fate, as the junior Louisville recruit pitched four-plus innings of hitless baseball, yielding an unearned run, striking out nine and walking three.
The now 0-4 Cats, who managed just three hits and committed four errors, could not take advantage of early opportunities and were kept off balance all night by the Spartans' crafty senior right-hander Hudson Widrig.
In going the distance, Widrig threw 108 pitches, 69 of which were strikes, had seven strikeouts and issued just one base on balls in firing the three-hit shutout and improving to 2-0 on the season.
Widrig, who does not possess an overpowering fastball, did an exceptional job of spotting his pitches.
Boardman, which like Saint Ignatius was coming off a spring break trip to Florida, is 2-5 on the young season.
The Spartans also had their troubles in the field, as they matched the Wildcats' four errors.
Following Wednesday night's frustrating loss, Saint Ignatius' veteran skipper Brad Ganor, along with Wildcats Assistant Coaches Mark Terlep, John Whalen and Frank DeSico '09, huddled in the aisle near the front of Cindy's bus and discussed what they can do differently in order to get the Wildcats' promising offense in gear.
Not only was I impressed by the baseball knowledge that was being passed among these seasoned coaches, but the obvious love and admiration they have for the game and their players, and how strongly they want these promising young men to succeed.
And they were not trying to impress this old-timer, because they thought I was catching some Zs during the nearly two hour ride home from Mahoning County and the alma mater of Bernie Kosar.
It was great to see Frank DeSico again, as the former University of Notre Dame baseball standout and former Saint Ignatius football and baseball star gave this corner plenty to write about in the school year of 2008-09, when Frank helped the 2008 Wildcats bring home their 10th of a record 11 Division I State Football Championships and was a mainstay on Coach Ganor's 2009 Division I State Semifinalist Baseball Team. That 2009 team sealed what is a school record under Coach Ganor of three consecutive appearances in the OHSAA State Baseball Final Four, '07, '08 and '09. Saint Ignatius alos advanced to the final four under Coach Ganor in 2013 and 2015. The 2008 and 2013 teams were State Runners-Up.
Coach Ganor emphasized to this corner in the dugout after the loss to Boardman that the lack of offense the Wildcats have experienced through four games is on him and his coaches. The Cats have been outscored by a combined runs total of 23-3 in those four games, three of which saw Saint Ignatius face some of the strongest talent the state of Florida has to offer.
FROM COACH GANOR: "You need to score to win," said Coach Ganor. "We had opportunities early and weren't able to capitalize with base runners. It's about time to find the right lineup that is going to help us get that first one of the season, that's all it is about now.
"Connor (Adams) did a nice job," Coach Ganor continued. "We're sitting in a 1-0 game and had opportunities, and they (the Spartans) tacked on a couple more and put it out of reach. When you have runners on second and third (with one out in the top of the second) and don't get anything out of it, its' tough. We had a couple of mental mistakes with missed signs. But those are the kind of things that are on us as coaches. We have to do a better job of making our points and working them harder in practice.
"Right now, what we're doing in practice and the position we're putting them in as a coaching staff is not putting them in a position to succeed. And that starts with me. Ultimately it will start at the top and we have to reevaluate our work and make sure these guys feel confident to go out there and succeed, because they're a talented group. If they weren't talented, they wouldn't be on this team."
BOARDMAN'S EARLY AND LATE MOMENTS: With two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the second inning, the Spartans combined a walk, two passed balls and an error into a 1-0 lead.
A few miscues by the Cats, combined with an RBI single down the left-field line by shortstop Alex Cardona, a sacrifice fly RBI by third baseman Lou Cardona and a run-scoring single from infielder Coleman Stauffer keyed Boardman's three-run fifth inning.
After Saint Ignatius was retired in order in the top of the sixth, the Cats were able to come up with a base hit by senior infielder Joe Evans with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the seventh, an effort that saw Joe rip the pitch into center field. A lineout to center field sealed the deal for the Spartans and Widrig took home his complete game, a bulldog effort, to say the least.
NO EXCUSES OFFERED: Saint Ignatius' coaching staff did not bring this point up, but it is worth mentioning that the Cats played without their standout senior catcher/tri-captain Dennis Grosel, who was sidelined with a sore knee that resulted from a play at the plate during the Florida trip.
UP NEXT PREVIEW: Unless Mother Nature throws one of her wicked curves, Saint Ignatius is scheduled to make the trip to Stark County on Friday for a 5 PM first pitch versus the always baseball sound Polar Bears from Massillon Jackson. On Saturday, Saint Ignatius and St. Edward are slated to add another chapter to their storied rivalry in a 2 PM first pitch at historic League Park.
Jackson, which has brought home two state baseball championships (1947 and 2014), stood 5-0 with three shutouts entering today's (Thursday) home game versus North Canton Hoover. The Polar Bears outscored those five opponents by a combined score of 48-5. That 2014 state title for the Polar Bears was the result of a 5-1 victory over North Royalton in the Division I State Championship Game.
Last season, behind some small ball, a sound defense and strong work out of the bullpen, the Cats defeated Jackson, 3-2, at the Polar Bears' baseball-rich facility. Coach Ganor described the victory as a "collective effort."
Although St. Edward came away with an impressive 9-1 regular season victory over Saint Ignatius last season at The Pipe Yard in Lorain County, the Wildcats won the big one, a 2-0 triumph over the Eagles in a Division I Regional Semifinal on Ron Mottl Field. Among the Cats' heroes were then senior shortstop Jake Kucia (now at Case Western Reserve University) with a defensive game for the ages and current standout senior right-hander and tri-captain Murphy O'Brien, who came out of the bullpen and recorded his school-record 10th save of the season.
Now a starter, "Murph" is expected to be on the mound versus Jackson on Friday.
St. Edward is under the direction of first-year Head Coach Matt Rosinski, a former standout pitcher for Saint Ignatius and Miami of Ohio University, and a former Assistant Coach for the Wildcats.
By Eddie Dwyer
Fairview Park, Ohio - Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats, who now stand 0-4 on the season, were outscored by their four opponents this week - Venice (Fla.), Tampa Jesuit, St. Peter's Prep Jesuit out of Jersey City, New Jersey and Lakewood Ranch - by a combined runs total of 29-5.
After St. Peter's Prep rode an eight-run top of the eighth to a 10-2 victory this morning, Lakewood Ranch jumped on the Cats early.
The Mustangs rode a passed ball, a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and scored three more runs in the bottom of the second by bunting a runner home from third and taking advantage of an error that resulted in two runs.
Errors plagued the Wildcats all week.
Lakewood Ranch pushed its lead to 8-0 in a two-run third inning that was highlighted by an RBI double.
Saint Ignatius, which has three games on tap next week in Ohio - at Boardman on April 6th, at Massillon Jackson on April 8th and versus longtime West Side rival St. Edward on April 9th at Don Mills Field in Strongsville, scored its two runs in the top of the fourth inning.
It was reported that one of those two runs was the result of Danny Adler stealing home plate and the second run was courtesy of a rip city RBI single off the first baseman's glove by Erik Demchuk that scored Jack Siefert.
We wish Coach Ganor, his staff, the Wildcats, Team Manager and Stats guru George Martin '16, along with the SIBN crew, a safe return to the best location in the nation.
God be willing, this old-timer is looking forward to covering and reporting on the Cats in Boardman and of course versus the Eagles of St. Edward.
Gentlemen, I've bee around too many excellent baseball teams who experienced just what you did this week. Learn from it, shake it off, cleanup the errors and we'll show everyone over the next two months just how talented the 2016 Baseball Cats are.
Cleveland, Ohio - St. Peter's Prep, New Jersey's Jesuit School since 1872, got to the Wildcats' bullpen, to say the least.
After Saint Ignatius knotted the score at 2 on an RBI single by junior shortstop Alec Guy that scored pinch runner Ryan Jacobs in the bottom of the sixth, the Jesuit Schools played a scoreless seventh inning. A double by junior infielder/pitcher Jack Siefert set up Alec's clutch hit.
St. Peter's Prep, whose baseball resume includes two state championships and 11 county titles, including seven since 2000, moved to a 5-2 lead in the top of the eighth on a two-run single and an RBI infield hit.
It was then Katy Bar The Door, as five more Marauders crossed the plate in the commanding eighth inning. Yes, the season is young, but miscues in the field continue to hamper Saint Ignatius.
St. Peter's Prep, which can also get it done on the gridirons of New Jersey, trailed, 1-0, after Wildcats junior third baseman Griffin Hunt delivered a sacrifice fly that scored senior outfielder Dan Volpe. Griffin's RBI came after Saint Ignatius failed to take advantage of a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the third.
The Marauders took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning on a two-run triple and the stage was set for the finish described above.
A bright spot for the Wildcats this morning was the pitching of rich-in-promise junior right-hander Braydon Nelson (6-foot-4, 200 pounds). Braydon pitched five strong innings before turning the mound over to the bullpen.
Saint Ignatius will close out its Easter Break trip to Florida this afternoon when it takes on the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs at 4 PM in Bradenton.
The Mustangs have been struggling to stay above .500 as of late.
Here is how Wildcats outstanding Team Manager and Statistician George Martin saw Thursday morning's game: The Wildcats lose a tough and disappointing game to St. Peter's Prep. Wildcats were busy on the base paths as they totaled 6 hits and accumulated 4 walks. Jack Siefert had a huge momentum swinging double in the 6th that led to Alec Guy's single to score Ryan Jacobs. It was not enough though as the defensive side seemed to struggle at the end.Braydon Nelson started the game for the Wildcats and pitched phenomenal. With 5 innings of work, 5 hits and 1K, he allowed no earned runs. Also, he had great location only allowing 1 walk. Four errors hurt the Cats in both the top of the 6th and the top of the 8th. Ten walks also hurt a chance for a win.St. Peter's Prep executed to score 8 runs in extras to secure the win, taking advantage of errors and walks. With 9 total hits and only one error, the Marauders played clean baseball to land a victory of Saint Ignatius.
Fairview Park, Ohio - Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on a RBI single off the capable bat of promising junior left fielder Ryan Jacobs. Ryan's RBI scored senior catcher and tri-captain Dennis Grosel, who had singled.
The Tigers of Tampa Jesuit, ranked 25th in the PerfectGame.org Top 50 National Rankings, knotted the score in the bottom of the second and rode bases-loaded sacrifice flies to a 3-1 lead before sealing it with three more tallies in the late innings.
Wednesday night's game was played in one the most atmosphere-rich high school baseball facilities in the nation, Tampa Jesuit's Paul Straub Field at Hyer Family Park.
The Wildcats will close out their Easter Break trip with a doubleheader on Thursday in Bradenton, Florida.
At 9 AM, the Cats will face St. Peter's Prep, New Jersey's Jesuit High School since 1872, and at 4 PM it's a matchup with the Lakewood Ranch (Bradenton, Fla.) Mustangs. For a look at St. Peter's Prep and Lakewood Ranch High School, see the corner's glance right bellow this post.
Thursday's games will be brought to you live over the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network.
The Wildcats came out ready to play tonight and the final score doesn't give credit to the intense game that was played in Tampa.
Wildcats batting immensely improved from the first game as the Cats had 6 hits and 1 run.
Dennis Grosel kept the 1st inning alive with a single and from there scored off a Ryan Jacobs single. Also, Nick Freund and Joe Evans had singles as well. George Asadorian was the big hitter tonight as he scorched 2 doubles before going down with an apparent hamstring injury.
But in the end, momentum could not stay on the Wildcats' side. Two Wildcats were caught stealing and a lack of execution hurt Saint Ignatius tonight.
The pitching was in question as the staff gave up 11 combined walks.
St. Ignatius ace, Murphy O'Brien, started the game tonight and pitched 3.1 innings. Location was a struggle tonight as Murphy gave up 5 walks, but had 3 Ks before getting pulled. He had a total of 67 pitches with 37 strikes and 30 balls. He gave up 2 hits and had 1 earned run.
Erik Demchuk came in to pitch two thirds of the 4th inning and 1/3 of the 5th before getting replaced by sophomore Tommy Grosel. Demchuk gave up 1 hit, 1 earned run, and 3 walks. Grosel came in to work 1.2 innings and had 1 K, 2 hits, and 0 earned runs. Defensive miscues allowed for 3 runs to score while Grosel was on the mound.
The Jesuit Tigers had 5 hits and mainly executed off errors and walks. Alex Mocny was the hit Tiger as he had 2 singles.Jesuit High pitching, although giving up 6 hits, was dominate with a total of 7 Ks. Jack Anderson pitched 6 innings and shut down 5 Wildcats. He had 83 pitches with 58 strikes and 25 balls. He gave up 6 hits and 1 earned run.
The Wildcats vs. Sailors game has been rained out in Sarasota, Florida on Tuesday night.
Coach Ganor's Wildcats will look to get back to playing baseball on Wednesday night when they face their Jesuit rivals in the Tampa (FL) Jesuit Tigers at 7:00 at beautiful Paul Straub Field at Hyer Family Park. The game will be live on the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network.
By Mr. Eddie Dwyer, with comments to the corner from Head Coach Brad Ganor and an up-close breakdown on Monday's game from Wildcats' outstanding Statistician and Team Manager George Martin '16.
Fairview Park, Ohio - Venice, ranked 29th in the nation by PerfectGame.org, has won three Florida State Baseball Championships in the past four years, and a number of state titles before that.
The Indians complied a 29-3 record in route to another state crown last season, an effort that earned them a third-place spot in Baseball America's 2015 Top 50 Rankings.
Saint Ignatius opened its new season after finishing 27-6 last year and advancing to the OHSAA Division I state baseball final four for the fifth time under veteran skipper Brad Ganor, and the 12th time overall. Those 27 victories included a 15-game winning streak.
Up next for the Baseball Cats is Tuesday's game at Sarasota (Fla.) High School. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 PM and the game will be broadcast live by the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network.
Junior right-hander Braydon Nelson (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) will take the mound for the Wildcats.
Sarasota's Sailors are currently ranked second in the State of Florida by MaxPreps.
Six members oft the current Sarasota team will be furthering their educations and baseball careers at the next level.
They are Grant Horwitz who recently committed to San Diego State University, Nick Derr (FSU), Nick Long (UF), Andrew Jones (FAU), Adam Imwalle (SCF) and Vaun Brown (Florida Sourhern).
Derr, Long and Jones were invited to compete in the Florida Elite Showcase back in mid-October and didn't disappoint. The Florida Elite is one of the most prestigious and longest running showcases in the State of Florida.
FROM GEORGE MARTIN '16: The Cats started the season slow tonight. They couldn't get a feel at the plate and had some mental errors on the field. First game jitters were definitely in play. The Wildcats had one hit - Joe Evans' (senior second baseman) hard line drive to right center. The Cats got picked off 3 times at first as well, and left men on 3rd twice. They had a total of 10 strikeouts and many ground outs to a talented 2nd basemen in Venice's Scott Dubrule.Wildcat pitching did well. Adams (junior southpaw and Louisville recruit Connor Adams) had 4.1 innings of work with 4 strikeouts. He had 72 pitches with 41 strikes and 31 balls. He gave up 4 total hits and 2 earned runs. Connor yielded a home run to Jacob Grubbs to right field. Griffin Hunt came in during the 5th for 2 innings of work. He had 1 strikeout and gave up 1 hit and 1 earned run.
Tommy Grosel (sophomore right-hander) looked great tonight in finishing a tough game. He pitched 1.0 inning and had a strikeout. He did not yield a hit. In total, the Cats' pitching had 6 strikeouts, 4 runs, and 3 earned runs. The Cats' defense had 2 errors that gave Venice momentum. Venice pitched exceptionally well. Caleb Williams started off the game by pitching 5 innings with 5 Ks and 1 hit. He had a total of 72 pitches with 44 strikes and 28 balls. The Indians' Trevor Holloway came on in relief for an inning. He had 3 Ks. Brad Jones ended the game by pitching the 7th and striking out two Wildcats. In total, Venice had 10 strikeouts and gave up 1 hit.Venice batting did well also The Indians had 5 hits and showed their Florida speed with 3 stolen bases. Grubbs' HR in the bottom of the fourth gave Venice a 2-0 lead. Also, Shane Shifflet doubled in the bottom of the 4th to continue the Indians' momentum.All in all, the Cats played well for their first game when you compare the fact that Venice is midway through its season. With some cleaning up to do, the Cats have a shot to leave Florida on a high note.
FROM COACH GANOR: "They are very good," said Coach Ganor of Venice. "They showed why they have won so many state championships. We weren't as sharp defensively as we will be in a couple of weeks. But I would rather open the season against teams like this than go beat up on somebody. I wouldn't have it any other way."
Posted by Brendan DeVenney '17
Here is a news article from Baldwin-Wallace University Athletics on the new field that Wildcat Baseball will be playing on this spring and its dedication to Robert Fisher, a longtime head coach and professor at Baldwin-Wallace.
BEREA, Ohio -- Baldwin Wallace University will celebrate its newly improved baseball facility and dedicate it as Fisher Field on Saturday, April 23 at 12 noon and prior to its Ohio Athletic Conference doubleheader versus Capital University at 1 p.m. The field is being named after longtime professor and coach Robert "Bob" Fisher. All alumni, parents, friends and fans are invited to take part.The event will feature the unveiling of a plaque indicating the naming of Fisher Field as well as the name appearing just behind home plate. Several speakers will kickoff the event. A reception will both preceed and follow the dedication ceremony. The first pitch between BW and Capital is at 1 p.m.Work began this winter and is currently being completed on an all-turf infield that extends from the backstop to the outfield area. That area will be ready for play in late March or early April. The hope is to add the outfield turf, a warning track and new fence once additional fundraising is secured.The Fisher Field baseball facility fundraising project began in January of 2016 and is on-going. In total the facility improvement project will give the Yellow Jacket baseball program a distinct playing and recruiting advantage. It gives the Yellow Jacket program the ability to play games when other schools cannot due to the weather restrictions in Ohio (BW will be the only Ohio Athletic Conference school with a turf infield). It also will give the BW baseball student-athlete a safer facility (the turf's life is estimated between 10-to-16 years).
CLICK HERE to make a donation to help make the next phase of the "Coach Robert Fisher Baseball Field Project" a success.
Fisher retired in 2010 after 42 seasons as head coach of the Baldwin-Wallace College baseball program. Coach Fisher was the winningest head coach in the history of the College for any sport with an amazing 700 career wins (700-641-14 overall). For 42 years, Fisher built the Yellow Jacket program into one of the best in the Ohio Athletic Conference, Mideast Region of Division III and all of NCAA Division III. In addition to being one of the top baseball coaches in Div. III, Coach Fisher was a longtime assistant coach and the defensive coordinator for B-W's highly successful football program.Fisher had many outstanding moments on the diamond at B-W and on the road. On May 4, 2010 in Berea, Fisher won his 700th career game when the Yellow Jackets defeated Muskingum University, 7-0, in game one of a doubleheader at Heritage Field. He was selected by his fellow OAC coaches as the OAC Coach of the Year four times. Fourteen of his teams won 20 or more contests. Both his 1991 and 2002 teams set and then tied the school-record for wins in a season with 25. B-W advanced to the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament four times and the OAC Playoffs 16 times.
The highlight of Fisher's career came in the spring of 1985, and also was the biggest day in BW baseball history. His top-seeded and host Yellow Jackets, faced elimination in the OAC Tournament. Due to weather complications and an impending NCAA Div. III Tournament decision by the selection committee, Fisher's team had to pull off the impossible -- win a tripleheader on a Sunday, including two straight wins versus OAC arch-rival Marietta College -- to win the OAC Tournament title and earn a berth, its first of three in four years, to the NCAA tourney.In the classroom, Fisher developed a reputation as an outstanding instructor and spent a number of years as the faculty chair of the Division of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Fisher received his master's degree from Kent State University in 1968 and his doctorate in health education from The Ohio State University in 1988. He was a professor of health education and an Academic Program Coordinator for the health promotion and education major. Fisher also was a member of numerous professional associations in health promotion and education.
By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit March 2016
Cleveland, Ohio - When asked if there were any of the younger players who have really pleased or impressed him during the preseason, Saint Ignatius Head Baseball Coach Brad Ganor quickly responded: "Yeah, all of them that are on the roster."
Saint Ignatius, coming off a 2015 campaign that saw it make its fifth State Final Four appearance under Coach Ganor, who is now in his 12th season as the Wildcats' skipper, will build around six seasoned veterans, 10 seniors overall, a gifted junior class and one sophomore.
Showing the way will be three of the finest Captains in Saint Ignatius' rich history on the diamond - senior outfielder Michael Rogers, senior right-handed pitcher and St. Bonaventure University recruit Murphy O'Brien, and one of the most gifted athletes to ever walk the halls of Saint Ignatius, senior catcher Dennis Grosel. Dennis, a First-Team Division I All-Ohio quarterback this past fall, can also handle the infield corner positions if called on to do so.
After losing to the Westerville Central Warhawks, 10-5, at Huntington Park in the semifinals of what was the 88th annual OHSAA State Baseball Tournament last June, the Wildcats have not let the sting of that loss fade away. It was a setback that snapped Saint Ignatius' 15-game winning streak.
Instead, the Cats are using it as the motto or motivation to a 2016 season that they have labeled "Unfinished Business."
"I would say it's more so the program motto," said Grosel, who was a major factor in Saint Ignatius finishing 27-6 last spring and advancing to what was the program's 12th overall appearance at the State Baseball Tournament. The Wildcats were state runners-up in 2008 and 2013 under Coach Ganor and Coach Ganor led them to a school-record three consecutive State Final Fours in 2007, '08 and '09.
Saint Ignatius' only State Baseball Championship came in the spring of 2002 under former Wildcat baseball and basketball mainstay Brian Morgan. Coach Morgan's 2000 team was a state runner-up. Coach Ganor was a Pitching Coach/Assistant Coach for Coach Morgan before taking over the Varsity helm in 2005.
"We've thought it through and thought it through again about what it takes to get the job done (a state baseball championship), since we've only got it done once," Grosel said. "We've been saying it (Unfinished Business) all year and using it as motivation in the weight room. Just coming into practice with a mindset that we have to do more than last year and more than we've ever done (the current players) to finish our business."
O'Brien, a talented, tough-minded and gregarious athlete, said the feeling of that loss to Westerville Central in the state semifinals last year was "the worst." Murphy, whose dominant work out of the bullpen was a huge key in the Wildcats improving from a District Final loss in 2014 to a State Final Four last spring, will be taking the mound as a starter this year.
Last season, as Coach Ganor's closer/stopper, O'Brien was 1-0 and a perfect 10-for-10 in save opportunities with those 10 saves being an all-time Wildcats best. "Murph" also totaled 28 strikeouts and just three base on balls in 21.1 innings pitched. He had a .328 earned run average.
O'Brien sees one of the major roles that he and his fellow captains face is helping develop the team's chemistry.
"You can have all of the talent in the world, but I was never closer to a group of guys in my life than last year's team," O'Brien said. "The juniors coming up, there is a lot of talent there, but we have to jell together."
As far as Rogers is concerned, the responsibility lies in "showing them what Varsity baseball is all about," that it is not JV Baseball anymore.
"All practices have to be intense," said Rogers, who will be furthering his education and baseball career at Ashland University. "We need to go 100 percent so when we do get into a game situation, we can handle anything. They have to realize that the Varsity game is faster than any game they've played thus far."
Like O'Brien, Rogers is taking on a new role this spring, moving from right field to center field, where he will replace the outstanding Sam Fuller from the Class of 2015. Sam has already been named a Captain at St. Bonaventure as just a freshman. Sam was definitely one of the finest to roam center field at the high school level that this old-timer has ever seen. His bat and base running skills were also game changers.
Speaking like a true quarterback, Grosel pointed to the infield, where there is only one returning starter, senior third baseman Kevin Mingus. Kevin also might see some time at shortstop.
The ace of the starting pitching staff will be junior left-hander Connor Adams, a University of Louisville recruit. The gifted and good-natured Adams was 7-1 in 10 starts last season. He yielded 33 hits and eight earned runs in 53.1 innings pitched, struck out 45 and walked 16. His ERA was 1.050.
Connor's big moments in 2015 came when he fired a no-hitter versus a solid-hitting Midpark team in the Strongsville District Championship Game and threw a gritty four-hitter in the 3-1 triumph over Toledo St. Francis de Sales at the Bowling Green Regional Championship/State Qualifying Game.
In Grosel and big-game tested junior outfielder Ryan Jacobs, the Wildcats have a nice 1-2 punch.
Jacobs hit 349 last spring and Grosel delivered a .388 batting average that included 33 hits in 30 games, 22 walks, seven doubles, two home runs, 20 runs batted in and 21 runs scored.
Another name to remember is senior right-handed pitcher/outfielder Nick Freund, who went 4-1 last year with a 3.203 ERA.
"I see George Asadorian as being a big bat for us," said Coach Ganor in reference to his senior first baseman/designated hitter. "In (senior) Joe Evans, it's his job to lose at second base and we're looking for Rich McGraw (6-foot-4 senior left-hander) and senor outfielder Dan Volpe to make significant contributions."
Coach Ganor also referred to one of the great stories on his Wildcats Baseball Team, John Robinson.
John, after being cut from the team last year, asked Coach Ganor if he could stay connected with the program as a volunteer bullpen catcher last spring. Now a senior, John has earned a roster spot as a backup catcher and a bat off the bench with possible designated hitter opportunities. John was also a 220-pound wrestler for Coach Mark Sullivan's high rising program this winter, leaving everything he had on the mat.
"He was at every game and every practice last year, which is a real testament to him," said Grosel of Robinson. "It's not because he was a bullpen catcher that he got the spot this year. He definitely came and earned it."
AS COACH GANOR SEES HIS 2016 WILDCATS: "I wouldn't say there are any concerns," said the veteran skipper, who excelled in football and baseball at St. Edward High School and went to pitch for the Cleveland State University Vikings.
"It's the ability of the seniors to continue to do what they are capable of doing and we need some juniors to fill some holes for us, whether it's in the middle infield, the outfield, a corner spot or on the mound," Coach Ganor continued. "I think it's just us getting those juniors to take their game to another level. The expectations are high in the Saint Ignatius program and if you're a member of the program, we expect you to be able to fill those roles."
MURPHY O'BRIEN ON GOING FROM THE CLOSER/STOPPER ROLE TO A STARTER: "It's definitely going to be different because of the stamina. You definitely have to be able to go five or six innings, maybe seven, instead of one or two innings. I'm really excited. I've been working really hard."
MIKE ROGERS ON MOVING FROM RIGHT FIELD TO THE CENTER FIELD: "I've been working on my speed a lot in the offseason. Sam (Fuller) was one of the best outfielders I ever played with, if not the best. No one in the outfield is going to have that type of speed this year, so as a group we've been working on getting better reads on balls, trying to cut balls off in the gap and plays along those lines, like getting the ball in quick."
YOUNG CATS: Some of the many names to remember among the young faces are 6-4 right-handed junior pitcher/infielder Braydon Nelson, who is expected to pitch some big innings this year; junior infielder/right-handed pitcher Eric Demchuk, who saw some varsity time last season; junior infielders Christion Ramos and Mark Geraci; junior right-hander pitcher/infielder Griffin Hunt; junior right-handed pitcher/infielder Jack Siefert; and great program guys in junior infielder Joe Gutbrod, a grandson of the late St. Joseph High School Hall of Fame Football Coaching legend Bill Gutbrod, and junior infielder/outfielder Alec Guy.
Also, keep an eye on sophomore outfielder Justin Sands, who swings a more than capable bat and plays a solid outfield. Justin is also a promising safety in football.
ON THE MEND: Junior catcher Jeff Chonko, a great teammate, is injured and is hoping to work his way back for his senior season.
AND COUNTING: Coach Ganor enters this season with 249 career victories.
FLORIDA BOUND: The Wildcats open their season in Florida over the Easter Break with games versus Venice in Sarasota on March 28 at 7 PM, versus Sarasota on March 29 at 7 PM, versus Tampa Jesuit in Tampa on March 30 at 7 PM, and versus Lakewood Ranch in Bradenton on March 31 at 4 PM.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Cats stay on the road when they come home with games at Boardman on April 6 at 5 PM and at Massillon Jackson on April 8 at 5 PM. In what is an early meeting this year, Saint Ignatius and St. Edward get together on April 9 at 2 PM in the Northern Ohio complex. That's followed by an April 13th trip to Massillon to face the Tigers at 5 PM.
THE ANNUAL VISIT TO PROGRESSIVE FIELD: In what is part of the annual Cleveland Indians Charities High School Hardball Classic, the Cats will take on the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Bees on April 22nd at 5:30 PM at the corner of Ontario and Carnegie.
For a look at the complete schedule, go to ignatius.edu, click on athletics and click on baseball.
Have a great spring season and this old catcher will see you at all the fields of our dreams.
Here is the 2016 Spring Schedule as the Baseball Cats look to return to the OHSAA final four after a state-semifinal appearance this past June.
Florida Trip
March 28 @ Venice Sarasota, FLA 7:00 PM
March 29 @ Sarasota, FLA 7:00 PM
March 30 @ Lakewood Ranch High School, Bradenton, FLA 4:00 PM
March 30 @ Jesuit Tampa, FLA 7:00 PM
May 26-27 Regional, site and time TBD
June 2-4 State Semifinals and Finals, Huntington Park in Columbus, times TBD
The 88th annual OHSAA State Baseball Tournament is being played in Huntington Park, the home of the Indians' Class AAA affiliate, the Columbus Clippers.
The Wildcats, making their 12th overall appearance in the OHSAA's baseball final four, found themselves trailing, 9-0, after five innings.
Saint Ignatius got back in the game with a five-run top of the sixth that featured a one-out, two-run single by standout senior center fielder Sam Fuller and a two-out, two-run double by gifted junior first basemen Dennis Grosel.
The day belonged to Westerville Central, however, as the Warhawks continued their magical ride through the OHSAA tournament after scoring their 10th run in the bottom of the sixth and setting the Cats down in order in the top of the seventh.
A program that is just in its 12th year of existence, Warhawks Baseball (now 25-4), in what is its first appearance at the state tournament, advances to Saturday's 10 AM Division I Championship Game versus seven-time state champion Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (30-3). The Warkawks' previous highest finish in the OHSAA postseason baseball tournament was a Regional runner-up in 2011. Archbishop Moeller advanced to another title game by defeating Aurora, 6-1, in Thursday afternoon's semifinal at Huntington Park.
Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats, who were making their fifth trip to the final four in what was Coach Ganor's 11th year as the head of Saint Ignatius' baseball program, close their memorable season at 27-6. The Cats entered the matchup with Westerville Central on a 15-game winning streak.
Under the direction of Head Coach Jeff Kiefer, the Warhawks certainly weren't intimidated by the atmosphere of the state semifinals, as they came out swinging and made themselves right at home in the baseball-rich minor league facility in downtown Columbus.
Leading, 1-0, entering the bottom of the third inning, Westerville Central sent nine batters to the plate in its half of the third en route to scoring five more runs. Among the big swings for the Warhawks were a two-run triple by University of Toledo recruit Jeremiah Clarke, an RBI single by Florida Southern recruit Nick Buchanan and a two-run triple by Kyle Kiefer, Coach Kiefer's son.
Westerville Central, a member of the Ohio Capital Conference, stretched its lead to 9-0 with a three-run fifth that was highlighted by a one-out, two-run double by Drew Wallace.
Saint Ignatius showed the heart that drove it throughout the postseason by giving its faithful new life with a five-run top of the sixth. Along with the above-mentioned big hits by Fuller and Grosel, the Cats started the top of the sixth with back-to-back base hits by senior catcher/captain Alex Panstares and gritty senior shortstop Jake Kucia.
A total comeback wasn't in the cards, however, as a leadoff walk, a two-out single by Buchanan and an error gave the Warhawks a five-run cushion entering the top of the seventh, where Coach Kiefer's bullpen said no more.
We would be remiss not to mention the effort of Westerville Central's talented and tough-minded junior right-hander Gavin Lyon, who, before tiring a bit in the top of the sixth, was a bulldog.
Lyon, who has already committed to The Ohio State University, went 5 1/3 innings. He threw 110 pitches, 80 of which were strikes, and struck out 12.
Saint Ignatius southpaw Connor Adams, who put together a sophomore season that included a no-hitter over Berea-Midpark in the district finals, a combined no-hitter during the regular season and a strong complete-game performance in last week's 3-1 triumph over Toledo St. Francis de Sales in the Bowling Green regional final, experienced his first loss in eight decisions this spring.
Each team had 10 hits, with the Wildcats committing three errors and the Warhawks two.
Bound for St. Bonaventure on a baseball scholarship, the multi-skilled Fuller went 3-for-3 with two stolen bases. Kucia, who is going to further his education and baseball career at Case Western University, had three hits in four at-bats.
"The Westerville pitcher was very good today," said Coach Ganor. "He was able to get out of a couple early jams. We had some chances early on, but just couldn't get the ball to bounce our way.
"They were able to make us pay for some defensive mistakes and capitalized on early walks," Coach Ganor continued. "I have said it before and I will say it again. The 2015 baseball team stands on its own and I am so proud to be the head coach at Saint Ignatius."
This old-timer would like to thank Coach Ganor, Coach Mark Terlep, Coach John Whelan, Coach Matt Blazer, Team Chaplin Drew Vilinsky, Wildcats outstanding Athletics Director Rory Fitzpatrick and all of the parents and families connected to Saint Ignatius Baseball for the privilege to have covered a team that took over a special place in my heart and mind - the 2015 Baseball Cats.
I would also like to express how grateful I am for having the privilege to have worked with Saint Ignatius' tireless Student Manager Kyle Kostura '15 in both baseball and football these past few years. Kyle was and is the best of the best.
A huge Thank You also goes out to Wildcats' Baseball Stats guru George Martin '17 and Saint Ignatius' Student Baseball Broadcasters Joltin' Joe Mertens '15, who will be furthering his education and broadcasting career at Mount Union, and Brendan DeVenney, who will be entering his junior year at Cleveland Jesuit's Preparatory School later this summer. No one knows baseball better than Joe and the Saint Ignatius Student Broadcast Network is in solid hands and voice the next few years, as Brendan has developed into a savvy and tell-it-like-it-is broadcaster.
If The Lord and Saint Ignatius' administration are willing, I hope to return to my corner for the Wildcats' 2015-16 sports season, starting with the football mini camps and two-a-days this summer.
In the words of the late, great Plain Dealer Stark County Columnist and Canton radio legend Hymie Williams, "Goodbye until the next time, which will be the best time."
By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit May 2015
Coach Brad Ganor's Baseball Cats, behind a dramatic two-run top of the seventh inning that featured a clutch double by resilient junior outfielder Mike Rogers and a perfectly executed bunt by senior outfielder Dylan Smolen that produced the go-ahead run, defeated Toledo St. Francis de Sales, 3-1, in Friday's Reginal Final matchup at Bowling Green State University.
Saint Ignatius, which will take a record of 27-5 and a 15-game winning streak into Thursday's 10 AM Division I state semifinal game versus the Westerville Central Warhawks (25-6) at Huntington Park in Columbus, also benefited from the gritty four-hit pitching of sophomore left-hander Connor Adams, who now stands 7-0 on the season.
Thursday's matchup with Westerville Central will mark the fifth state final four appearance in what is Coach Ganor's 11th season as Saint Ignatius' skipper. The Cats were state runners-up in 2008 and 2013 under Coach Ganor and set a school record by making three consecutive trips to the final four in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Overall, this will be Saint Ignatius' 12th trip to baseball's final four. The Cats won the Division I state championship under Head Coach Brian Morgan in 2002.
It was a cold and windy opening day at Dublin Jerome High School when Saint Ignatius junior outfielder Mike Rogers was hit in the right eye off an errant pickoff attempt while on second base.
Mike would suffer what was diagnosed as an orbital floor fracture and would miss eight games over the next two weeks. He also required stitches above his right eye.
After returning to the lineup, Mike, the essence of a team player, was wearing protective glasses. Those glasses couldn't distract from his energy and love for the game.
Friday evening, with his team locked in a 1-1 tie with a scrappy bunch of Knights from St. Francis de Sales and a trip to the Division I state tournament on the line, Mike, a player who cherishes every moment he is on the diamond, delivered big time for his teammates and coaches.
With one out and the bases empty in the top of the seventh inning, Saint Ignatius' gritty senior shortstop Jake Kucia drew a walk. Rogers followed with an authoritative double to left-center field that put runners on second and third. Mike entered the game in the fifth inning as Wildcats Head Coach Brad Ganor wanted his top three defensive outfielders - Rogers in right field, senior Dylan Smolen in left and senior Sam Fuller in center - to be together down the stretch of a tension-filled game.
After Rogers' impressive hit, Smolen laid down a text-book bunt to the left side that brought home the go-ahead run as the Knights were unable to make a play at the plate.
Smolen would steal second on a pitch in the dirt and then, in what was a perfect example of heads-up base running, Smolen gave himself up between second and third on a ground ball to the left side with two outs, forcing the infielder into a run down that saw the Cats' third run score before the tag was applied on Smolen.
That was more than enough support for Saint Ignatius' talented and tough-mined sophomore southpaw Connor Adams, who closed the show with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.
The good-natured and well-read Adams went the distance in yielding four hits, one run and walking two. He had one strikeout and needed just 77 pitches to win his seventh game of the season against no defeats. Forty nine of those 77 pitches were strikes and the majority of them were fastballs. I'll say it again, remember the name my friends.
Friday evening's encounter with St. Francis was quite different from the 2013 regional-final meeting between the Wildcats and the Knights, which saw Saint Ignatius walk off Ron Mottl Field at Cuyahoga Community College-West with a 14-0 triumph.
Fuller, one of the top players in the entire area and a St. Bonaventure recruit, led off the top of the first by lacing a 2-0 pitch into deep center field for a triple. Sam would score the game's first run by beating the throw home off a ground ball to the right side.
St. Francis, which closed its season at 23-9, knotted the score in the bottom of the fourth on a one-out, bases-loaded bunt to the right side by senior third baseman Nick Lankard. Lankard pitched the Knights to a 4-1 victory over Mansfield Madison in Thursday's regional semifinals.
It stayed that way until the decisive top of the seventh.
St. Francis got a strong effort from senior pitcher Casey Johnson, who, like Adams, was able to minimize the damage for most of the game. Johnson yielded five hits.
FROM DYLAN SMOLEN: "Just getting an opportunity to play for this team is a blessing. It's a special group of guys and anything I can do to help this team is really appreciative. At the beginning of the year I was a pitcher only and now I am starting in the outfield. Things have changed dramatically and this ball club has changed dramatically. I like where we're at right now. I think we can do a lot of things."
FROM MIKE ROGERS: "I was really excited to get back," said Rogers, a Lakewood resident who returned to the lineup in mid-April versus the Rangers in storied Lakewood Stadium. "I know a lot of those guys (the Rangers), so it meant a lot to get back on the field and play in my home town. I was excited and ready to play.
"It was a fastball," Rogers continued in describing his impressive double. "Coach Ganor told me to just trust my swing, that 'We trust in you.' This means so much that I was able to get Kucia in scoring position for Dylan in such a big game. Probably the biggest base hit in my career by far."
FROM COACH GANOR: "I told Michael (Rogers) when we had that conference there that 'I believe in you.' He never wavered even though he started off the year the way he did with the injury.
"I can't say enough about Connor," Coach Ganor continued. "He is special for a sophomore. He has got the ability to battle and he works with a ton of confidence. I love his innocence, l truly love just the fact that he is what he is. He doesn't mince any words and says what's on his mind, which is good and bad at times.
"Every year is special," said Coach Ganor, who will enter Thursday's state semifinal with 249 career victories. "But these guys, the 2015 Wildcats, stand on their own right now, they truly do. I am truly blessed to coach at this school."
From Ron Mottl Field on the campus of Cuyahoga Community College-West
With Thursday's Regional SemifInal victory over the Eagles, Coach Brad Ganor's Cats improve to 26-5, extend their winning streak to 14 games and advance to Friday's Division I Regional Championship Game versus the 23-8 Knights from Toledo St. Francis de Sales.
The first pitch from Bowling Green State University will be 5 PM and sophomore left-hander Connor Adams (6-0) will take the mound for Coach Ganor.
St. Francis, which was defeated by Saint Ignatius, 14-0, in the 2013 Regional Finals, advanced to another Elite Eight matchup with the Wildcats by defeating Mansfield Madison, 4-1, in Thursday's Regional Semifinal at Bowling Green.
Knights senior Nick Lankard pitched a complete-game two-hitter against Mansfield Madison and scored what turned out to be the game-winning run, as St. Francis senior center fielder John Williams lined a two-strike pitch to right field to score Lankard from second with the first of the Knights' three runs during their rally in the top of the seventh inning.Note: St. Francis' scoring details are courtesy of the Toledo Blade, one of Ohio's outstanding Newspapers, or the entire country for that matter.
As for Saint Ignatius' run production against St. Edward, Cats junior third baseman Kevin Mingus drew a one-out, bases-loaded walk in the top of the third inning and junior first baseman Dennis Grosel delivered a two-out RBI double down the right-field line in the top of the fifth. The line score read 2-4-1 for the Wildcats and 0-4-0 for the Eagles.
Senior right-hander/captain M.J. Nara improved his record to 7-1 by going 4 1/3 innings, yielding four hits, two walks and throwing 58 pitches, 37 of which were strikes.
Junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien, the ace of the bullpen, went 2 2/3 innings with two strikeouts, a walk and 27 strikes off the 47 pitches he delivered. It was O'Brien's school-best 10th save of the season.
St. Edward junior right-hander Jaret Edwards (now 7-4) went the distance in turning in a gutsy performance for the now 20-10 Eagles. Coach Joe Kasl's team entered Regional play having won 10 of its previous 12 games. Edwards retired the last seven Wildcats he faced after Dennis Grosel's two-out, run-scoring double in the fifth.
THE TABLE SETTING FOR THE CATS' TWO RUNS: Senior right fielder/left fielder Dylan Smolen led off the top of the third inning with a walk. Senior center fielder Sam Fuller, a St. Bonaventure recruit, then beat out a bunt. The crafty Smolen, seeing that St. Edward was not covering third base after Fuller's bunt, advanced to the hot corner.
After a 1-3 putout put runners on second and third with one out, the Eagles intentionally walked junior first baseman Dennis Grosel and Dennis' cousin, junior third baseman Kevin Mingus, drew the one-out, bases-juiced walk for the 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Fuller was hit by a pitch with one out. Senior second baseman Mullen Socha doubled to the gap in left-enter field, but Fuller was thrown out at home by two perfect throws from the Eagles. Up stepped Grosel, who went clutch rip city with a two-out RBI double down the right-field line.
Bottom of the first inning: With one out and St. Edward junior shortstop Evan Kayser on third after his leadoff triple, Jake fielded a ground ball and fired the throw home to standout senior catcher/captain Alex Panstares, who applied the tag on Kayser for the second out of the inning.
Bottom of the second inning: Jake took a page right out of Derek Jeter's file, as he recorded the first out of the inning on a perfectly timed leaping one-handed catch near the outfield grass that took away a base hit.
Bottom of the third inning: Jake took the throw from senior pitcher M.J. Nara in a perfect rhythm, stepped on second and fired a strike to Dennis Grosel at first base to complete an inning-ending 1-6-3 double play. Jake would want the corner to tip its cap to Grosel, who started the inning by making a diving stop of a sharp grounder, getting back up and beating the runner to first base for a 3 unassisted.
Bottom of the fourth inning: St. Edward had the bases loaded with not outs, when Grosel caught a pop fly in foul territory for the first out. The next batter slapped the ball up the gut, but Jake was money again, as he made a diving stop while the ball was in the air and tagged second base to end the threat with an unassisted double play.
Bottom of the sixth and seventh innings: After Jake ended the fifth with a 6-3 toss to Grosel, he still had two more web gems to leave on Ron Mottl Field.
With two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth, the next batter hit a high chopper over the mound that at first eluded Kucia's grasp. However, Jake never gave up the play, as he hustled after the ball and dove to tag out the runner who had broke from first base on the play, but stranded too far off the bag after reaching second base.
And last but not least, with no outs and a pinch runner at second base in the bottom of the seventh, Jake fielded another sharp grounder and, as though he was in the mind of the runner at second, applied the tag as he saw the runner straying off second base and fired a seed to Grosel to complete a double play. The Cats' junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien, Coach Ganor's mainstay out of the bullpen, then ended the game with a strikeout.
FROM JAKE KUCIA: "In that situation (in the bottom of the seventh), I'm getting the ball and looking him back to see if he goes back. Fortunately he kind of stumbled a little bit and I caught him off guard, tagged him and then threw to one (first base). This is a little surreal.
"This game means everything to me," Jake continued. "I grew up a Saint Ignatius fan, I went to Saint Ignatius because of my uncle (Wildcats Hall of Famer and John J. Wirtz award winner Scott Mutryn '94). I have him to thank for this. Our guys came out and competed. It was a great team win.
"We've been tight since day one," Jake said in reference to Coach Ganor's exceptional senior class. "From day one this season we said it's 'our' team, not one guy's team. We decided to take all of these juniors and sophomores and get them ready for the next level, games like this. I love all of the seniors, juniors and sophomores. It's just a great team."
FROM COACH GANOR: "Jake was phenomenal! He couldn't have been any better, he really couldn't have been. That is one of the best defensive games I have ever seen at Saint Ignatius in 17 years. That was impressive.
"We talk about Ben Jurevicius and some of the plays that he used to make and some of the plays that Jeremy Farrell and Derek Dietrich made, and that (Jake's efforts) is as good as anyone of them," Coach Ganor continued. "They had singular plays and Jake had a whole game of plays. He was just fantastic.
"They have some great players," Coach Ganor said of St. Edward. "They're scrappy and Jaret Edwards pitched a heck of a game. That's two games this year that he has pitched great against us. But the day really rested on M.J. (Nara), Murphy (O'Brien) and Jake."
FROM THE CORNER: Since the 9-1 regular season loss to St. Edward and Jaret Edwards on April17th in The Pipe Yard, Coach Ganor's Cats have won 17 of their last 18 games.
Strongsville, Ohio - In pitching his second no-hitter of the season, the gritty and good-natured Connor Adams threw 103 pitches through seven complete innings, 63 of which were strikes.
Adams, who is now 6-0 on the season, walked four and struck out five while working rapidly and confidently. His previous no-hitter this spring was a combined effort in a 7-0 victory over Willoughby South on April 21st in Classic Park. Connor threw six innings against Willoughby South and standout junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien, the ace of the Cats' bullpen, worked a perfect seventh inning that evening.
Saint Ignatius gave its young southpaw all of the support he needed by scoring its three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Base hits by senior designated hitter Dylan Welch and senior shortstop Jake Kucia got the Wildcats' offense started, as Kucia ripped an RBI single to center field for a 1-0 lead.
Unselfish, sacrificing at-bats by sophomore left fielder Ryan Jacobs and senior right fielder Dylan Smolen produced Saint Ignatius' second and third runs. Like Adams, Jacobs' future is limitless and Smolen continues to carry a hot bat.
Senior catcher Alex Panstares, one of the best behind the dish in all of Northeast Ohio, did a veteran-like job of catching Adams and encouraging him on the diamond and in the dugout. Alex also displayed his exceptional defensive skills, as with runners on first and second and two outs in the top of the fifth he made an authoritative and on-the-money throw to pick off the runner at first base and end the threat. On the receiving end of Panstares' textbook snap throw was his first cousin, talented junior first baseman Dennis Grosel.
Saint Ignatius' defense was superb all around, as its outfielders and infieders allowed Adams to pitch to contact when he needed to.
With the victory, Coach Brad Ganor's Baseball Wildcats improved to 24-5, extended their winning streak to 12 games and advanced to the 3:30 PM May 28th OHSAA Division I Regional Semifinal at Ron Mottl Field on the campus of Cuyahoga Community College-West.
Saint Ignatius will face West Side rival St. Edward (20-9), which advanced to Regional play by defeating Amherst, 5-1, on Wednesday evening in the Lorain District Championship Game. St. Edward defeated the Cats, 9-1, in a regular season matchup on April 17th at The Pipe Yard in Lorain County.
"I came into the seventh inning and said to myself if I get the first kid out, I'll be fine," said Adams. "It was really fun and great to just be part of the group and give the seniors another week. I am really comfortable with working fast.
"A fastball outside," Adams continued in reference to the pitches that were clicking for him on Wednesday. "In the first couple of innings my curve was working and then my changeup started working. Just being able to locate spots was the main point. It's been a tremendous experience, especially from the leadership of the seniors who have showed me just how important this experience is, playing high school baseball. It's been phenomenal."
FROM HEAD COACH BRAD GANOR, WHO PICKED UP CAREER VICTORY NO. 246: "Spoken like a veteran," Coach Ganor said of the comments Adams made about Saint Ignatius' mature beyond their years seniors. "He was obviously fantastic today. I didn't realize what the scoreboard had said until about the fifth inning. I looked up and said, 'Oh jeez.'
"Offensively we had that big inning," Coach Ganor continued. "We've been talking about wanting to score first and put the pressure on them, and we did it. I would have been happy with one and we put up three. No matter who you play, where you play or what year it is, this is always a tough game (the district final). That's a good baseball team full of juniors (the now 15-11 Titans of Berea-Midpark). Between them and North Royalton with their young guys, there is some quality baseball in this district for years to come. But this (the 2015 Wildcats) is a special, special group of kids."
Strongsville, Ohio - Junior first baseman Dennis Grosel delivered a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, scoring senior center fielder Sam Fuller, who came racing home from second base with the winning run. Fuller beat out a sharp ground ball to the shortstop with one out and then stole second base.
Grosel's clutch hit, a shot that went off the tip or top of the third baseman's glove, fell into short left field and Wildcats Head Coach Brad Gannor never hesitated in waving the fleet of foot Fuller home.
Saint Ignatius, which got six solid innings from its No. 1 starter, senior right-hander/captain M.J. Nara, turned to its ace out of the bullpen, junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien, for the seventh and eighth innings.
O'Brien was more than equal to the task, firing two hitless innings that featured three strikeouts, no walks and 17 strikes in the 24 pitches he delivered. A young man who has nine saves on the season, O'Brien celebrated his first victory on the Varsity level.
The Wildcats cut the deficit to 2-1 on an authoritative two-out RBI single to right field by sophomore designated hitter/outfielder Ryan Jacobs in the bottom of the sixth. Senior pinch hitter/infielder James Zajaczkowski led off the bottom of the sixth with a four-pitch walk and junior Dan Volpe, who was pinch running for Zajaczkowski, advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score off Jacobs' sweet swing.
Saint Ignatius' talented senior second baseman Mullen Socha, who had three hits on the afternoon, led off the bottom of the seventh with a base hit and advanced to second on a fielder's choice. After North Royalton's multi-skilled shortstop/relief pitcher Alex Sir Louis recorded the second out of the bottom of the seventh with a strikeout, the Bears' defense became unglued and the Cats scored the tying run.
Nara and his counterpart, North Royalton starter David Steward, turned in solid outings. M.J., a Walsh University recruit who entered the game with a 6-1 record, yielded two runs and six hits in the six innings he worked, striking out four and walking four. Nara threw 83 pitches, 53 of which were strikes.
Steward's impressive afternoon included 5 2/3 innings, five hits, an unearned run, six strikeouts, three walks and 62 strikes off the 107 pitches he threw.
The line score on the game read 3-8-0 for the Wildcats and 2-6-3 for the Bears. North Royalton scored its two runs in the top of the third, with the key blow being a one-out, two-run single down the first base line by Sir Louis. A 4-6-3 double play by the Cats prevented a bigger inning.
Saint Ignatius, which improved its record to 23-5 and extended its winning streak to 11 games, advances to tomorrow's (Wednesday) 4:30 PM District Championship Game at Strongsville High School.
The No. 1 seed at Strongsville, the Wildcats will face third-seeded Berea-Midpark, which defeated second-seeded Strongsville, 2-1, in eight innings in Tuesday evening's District Semifinal at Strongsville. Saint Ignatius defeated Berea-Midpark, 12-2, in a regular season matchup at Berea-Midpark on April 1.
Gifted sophomore left-hander Connor Adams (5-0) will take the mound for the Cats.
Fourth-seeded North Royalton, which defeated Saint Ignatius, 5-2, in last year's District final at Strongsville and went on to finish as the Division I state runner-up to Massillon Jackson, closed its 2015 season at 13-16.
FROM COACH GANOR: "We were knocking on the door (early), but their kid (Steward) was great. That kid pitched a great game. We made them pay for some mistakes (in the seventh inning). They're a great program. There's a reason they were in the state championship game last year. Brad (Bears Head Coach Brad Klingbeil) does a great job.
"You look at our team, I'm just proud of their ability to fight" Coach Ganor continued. "It's a cliché to say played until the last out, but our guys played till the last out. They certainly do that. Whatever happens from here on out, these guys are a special group. That game right there is just indicative of our entire season, what they've been doing all year."
FROM DENNIS GROSEL: "It really happened quickly," Grosel said of his game-winning base hit. "The whole thing came down to us doing our jobs. You look at the scoreboard right now, a run in each of the last three innings. That's just being scrappy. We bit down and got the win. We said in the fourth and fifth innings that we were not going to lose this game."
FROM MURPHY O'BRIEN: "Honestly, it's not really whether a pitch is working, it's about throwing strikes. When you have a defense like that behind you it makes everything so much easier. Everyone came together and we got the win.
"It makes it even better because it's the playoffs," O'Brien continued in reference to his first Varsity win to go along with the nine saves he has racked up this spring. "Everyone is jacked up. When you get a win like that, it just feels great. I couldn't be happier. But we have a job that's not done yet."
Coach Brad Ganor's Cats, the No. 1 seed for the OHSAA Division I Strongsville District, improved to 22-5 and extended their winning streak to 10 games heading into Tuesday' District Semifinal versus the fourth-seeded Bears from North Royalton. The first pitch from Strongsville High School on Tuesday will be 2 PM.
Saint Ignatius and North Royalton met in the annual Cleveland Indians Charities Hardball Classic in Progressive Field on April 24, with the Cats coming away with a 4-1 victory. Last season, the Bears, on their way to a Division I state runner-up finish, eliminated Saint Ignatius, 5-2, in the Strongsville District Championship Game.
Wildcats gifted sophomore left-hander Connor Adams worked three innings and came up with the victory over Brunswick on Saturday. Adams threw 42 pitches and struck out seven.
The Cats' offense scored early and often, putting up six runs in the second inning and taking command with a nine-run fourth inning. Senior right-handers Luke Diggs and Jacob Bangert worked the fourth and fifth innings, respectively.
Among the big swings on Saturday were two doubles by sophomore outfielder Ryan Jacobs, a triple by senior outfielder Sam Fuller and doubles by senior designated hitter Dylan Welch, junior third baseman Kevin Mingus, junior outfielder Mike Rogers and senior catcher Alex Panstares.
Senior first baseman Dennis Grosel drew two walks and had a single, and senior shortstop Jake Kucia laid down a bunt for a base hit. Saint Ignatius finished with 12 hits and played errorless baseball.
The statistics are courtesy of the Cats' outstanding senior Team Manager Kyle Kostura.
By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit May 2015
From Classic Park in Lake County - After a dominant month with the Freshmen Cats and pitching a complete-game shutout on the Junior Varsity level, Tom Grosel was called up to pitch Tuesday evening's Varsity game versus the Eagles of Kingsway Christian.
While Tommy's impressive performance included six complete innings, 0 earned runs, three hits, three strikeouts, 1 walk and 51 strikes in 78 pitches, it was who he shared it with, both on and off the baseball-rich diamond in Classic Park, that made it an evening that dreams are made of.
Supporting Tommy both offensively and defensively was his older brother, standout junior first baseman Dennis Grosel, and catching his Varsity debut was one of the top performers behind the plate that Northeast Ohio has to offer - his first cousin and senior catcher/captain Alex Panstares.
Adding to the memorable family affair was Saint Ignatius' mainstay at the hot corner, junior third baseman Kevin Mingus, who is a first cousin to Panstares.
"I was a little nervous at first, but with my brother and cousins on the field it really helped me out," said Tom Grosel after Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats improved to 20-5 and stretched their winning streak to eight games. "I was just looking to throw strikes and let my defense help me. My fastball was working well, the curveball was working and I threw a circle change a few times."
And how did his big brother and cousins evaluate the young southpaw's first outing with the "big boys?"
"He did very well," said Dennis Grosel, who is also Saint Ignatius' starting Varsity Football quarterback. "He impressed me along with Coach Ganor and the entire team. He just did a great job. I' couldn't be prouder of him."
The soft-spoken and humble Mingus, who lets his bat and glove do the talking, summed up what helped make what was once a backyard dream of four kids become a reality.
"it was easy to play behind him, he threw strikes, got outs and was impressive," Mingus said.
Panstares, a three-year mainstay behind the dish, couldn't say enough about his first cousin's maturity and composure.
"He threw one JV game prior to this game, came right up with the big boys and took care of business," Panstares said. "He came out committed, knew he had to throw strikes and that is exactly what he did. It was an awesome experience. I think we can all agree that this was something we dreamed of, and never really thought it would happen.
"People think about playing in the pros and stuff, but we thought about playing in the Blue and Gold (of Saint Ignatius) together, all of us," Panstares continued.
Despite losing to the Cats, 12-2, in a game that was called in the bottom of the sixth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule, Kingsway Christian School, which is located in Orrville, Ohio in Wayne County, seemed to relish the experience of playing in Classic Park. The Eagles now stand 16-8.
Saint Ignatius, which tomorrow (Wednesday) evening will begin the most important stretch of its season when it returns to Classic Park to face the Rhodes Rams in a 5 PM Division I Sectional Final, scored its 12 runs on 11 hits. Wildcats No. 1 starter, senior right-hander/captain M.J. Nara (5-1), will take the mound on Wednesday.
Rhodes, the pride of Old Brooklyn, advanced with an 18-0 sectional-semifinal victory over Cleveland John F. Kennedy on Tuesday.
CATS JUMP ON THE EAGLES EARLY: With two outs and the base empty in the bottom of the first inning, Saint Ignatius scored four runs. The key blows were an RBI single by senior designated hitter Dylan Welch and a blast to deep left field by Panstares that the left fielder couldn't handle.
Dennis Grosel's authoritative shot into center field that he turned into a hustle double scored gifted senior center fielder Sam Fuller, who led off the bottom of the second with a walk and advanced to second base on a pitch in the dirt. The Cats pushed their lead to 7-0 entering the top of third on a sacrifice fly RBI by Welch and a run-scoring base hit to left-center by Panstares.
A walk to multi-skilled senior second baseman Mullen Socha, a single to center field by junior outfielder Dan Volpe, an RBI single to left field by junior infielder Joe Evans, a single from Dennis Grosel and a bases-loaded single by Mingus made it a 9-0 game in the bottom of the third. Evans also turned in a couple of nice plays in the middle infield.
Dennis Grosel's one-out RBI double, a base hit by junior infielder George Asadorian and an error showed the way to two more runs in the Cats' half of the fifth inning, which was a solid answer to the two runs Kingsway Christian scored in the top of the fifth. The Eagles' key hits in their two-run fifth were provided by catcher Zach Chupp and shortstop Jesse Barrios.
Saint Ignatius then called it a night in the bottom of the sixth on an error and an RBI double to left-center field off the bat of senior infielder James Zajaczkowski, who has swung the aluminum with clutch results all spring.
FROM COACH GANOR: "They have a couple of kids that can swing it," said Coach Ganor of Kingsway Christian. "They were enjoying the experience and I appreciate them wanting to take the ride up (from Wayne County) to play us. I thought Tommy did a great job. They aren't many freshmen who play varsity baseball. He did exactly what I thought he was capable of. It was fun to get everybody a chance to see some pitches."
ALMOST IN THEIR OWN BACKYARD: The Grosels reside in Willoughby, just a few minutes away from Classic Park.
And speaking of the Grosels, Dennis isn't the only successful football player in the family. Tommy Grosel was a mainstay at linebacker this past fall for Coach Rodney Gallaway's undefeated Freshmen Team.
Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio - Lightning and heavy rain forced the umpires to stop the game with a Canton Central Catholic runner on first base and one out in the top of the fourth inning.
Saint Ignatius Head Coach Brad Ganor and his staff said the game will not be resumed or made up, and that under the rules the Cats' record remains 19-5 and Canton Central Catholic still stands at 18-6.
In the first game of the two-game series with the Crusaders, which was played on Friday night in Canton, the Wildcats prevailed, 6-3.
While Monday's sun was still shining on the campus of Baldwin Wallace University, Canton Central Catholic took a 2-0 lead on a one-out, two-run double by senior left fielder Patrick Murphy in the top of the first inning.
The Wildcats cut the deficit to 2-1 behind an authoritative RBI single to left-center field by junior third baseman Kevin Mingus in the bottom of the first.
Canton Central Catholic built its 4-1 lead with single runs in the second and third innings.
A walk and back-to-back base hits by senior catcher Nic Millin and junior center fielder JC Colangelo accounted for the Crusaders' third run, and a single and a stolen base by Murphy, a single by junior picher Dan Platek and a one-out RBI single by junior third baseman Clay Davies made it a 4-1 game that Mother Nature decided to settle.
There were a total of 10 hits before the rain came pouring down, six by Canton Central Catholic.
Up next for the Varsity Baseball Cats is Tuesday's game at Classic Park versus Kingsway Christian School. The first pitch is slated for 5 PM and on the mound for Saint Ignatius will be Freshman Tom Grosel, the brother of Wildcats' standout junior first baseman/catcher and starting Varsity Football quarterback Dennis Grosel. Tom Grosel recently pitched a complete game shutout against St. Vincent-St. Mary after being called up to the Junior Varsity.
The Eagles of Kingsway Christian reside in Orrville, Ohio, are a member of the Ohio Christian Athletic Conference and proudly wear the colors of Navy and Green.
The Varsity Cats will take a record of 18-5 and a six-game winning streak into Saturday's 3 PM matchup with the Ramblers from Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep at Baldwin Wallace University. For a look at the 16-1 Ramblers, see the corner's post from Thursday on the weekend in Wildcats' sports.
With Friday evening's victory over Canton Central Catholic, Saint Ignatius' savvy sophomore left-hander Connor Adams improves to 4-0 and junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien, the ace of Coach's Ganor's bullpen, picks up his ninth save.
****The Junior Varsity Wildcats, on the strength of a 3-1 victory at Canton Central Catholic on Friday, won their 10th consecutive game and improved to 20-3 overall.
The Bats: Senior second baseman Mullen Socha delivers an RBI triple and junior first baseman Dennis Grosel provides a run-coring double as the Cats take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
In the third inning, junior third baseman Kevin Mingus doubles home Grosel, who drew a walk, and senior Dylan Welch made it 4-0 game with an RBI single. Canton Central Catholic scored a run in the bottom of third and cut the deficit to 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded and a un-scoring single up the middle.The night belonged to the Blue and Gold, however, as in the top of the seventh Grosel scored on an error and senior catcher/captain Alex Panstares followed with a sacrifice fly.
A Case for the Defense: Senior center fielder Sam Fuller and senior shortstop Jake Kucia were flashing the leather in Stark County on Friday evening, as Kucia came up with a web gem that saw him make a diving catch with two on and two outs in the bottom of the sixth. "We played great defense tonight," said Kucia, who credited his teammate Fuller for what was another highlight-reel evening for Sam while roaming the outfield.
"I just got a great read on the ball," Kucia continued in reference to his diving stop in the bottom of the sixth. "I knew we needed someone to make a play and I wanted to be the one to make that big play consistently. Connor (Adams) did a great job keeping us in the game, being tough and getting out of situations. And Nick Freund (junior right-hander) did well getting two key outs, Brendan Adler (senior left-hander) shut it down and let the defense make a play, and finally Murphy (O'Brien) was great again per usual. He is a gamer and comes up clutch when we need it." ****NOTE: THE CORNER WISHES TO THANK SAINT IGNATIUS' OUTSTANDING SENIOR STUDENT MANAGER KYLE KOSTURA FOR PROVIDING THE VITAL INFORMATION FOR THIS REPORT. I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE AND WILL SAY IT AGAIN, KYLE IS IRREPLACEABLE.
Akron, Ohio - In a game that was played on a picture-perfect spring evening at Old Forge Field, Saint Ignatius senior right-hander/captain M.J. Nara and St. Vincent-St. Mary's promising sophomore southpaw Brandon Bischof were locked in a pitchers' duel through six innings.
The Wildcats, who improved to 17-5 and won their fifth consecutive game, rode a one-out, RBI single into short right-center field by senior center fielder Sam Fuller to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning.
It stayed that way until the top of the seventh, when the Cats took command by sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs.
After Saint Ignatius stretched its lead to 3-0 on a two-run triple by Fuller, St. Vincent-St. Mary's outstanding young head coach Anthony Boarman went to his bullpen and replaced Bischof with senior reliever Brian Horning. Bischof experienced his first loss of the season in four decisions.
Things didn't get any better for the Fighting Irish (12-12), as Saint Ignatius senior pinch hitter/infielder James Zajaczkowski lined the first pitch he saw from Horning into right field for a run-scoring single.
The Cats' seventh-inning hit parade also featured a one-out, bases-loaded RBI single by standout senior catcher/captain Alex Panstares, a run-scoring infield hit by gritty senior shortstop Jake Kucia, a bases-loaded walk by sophomore left fielder Ryan Jacobs, who led off the inning with a base hit, and a two-run single to right-center field by junior first baseman/pinch hitter George Asadorian.
Nara, who went five complete innings without yielding a hit, improved his record to 5-1. M.J., who also serves as one of Head Coach Brad Ganor's captains, struck out six, walked four and threw 83 pitches, 53 of which were strikes.
Helping keep M.J.'s no-no effort intact was gifted senior second baseman Mullen Socha, who made a leaping catch of a line drive to end the bottom of the fifth.
Junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien, who entered the game with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and Saint Ignatius clinging to a 1-0 lead, picked up his eighth save on the season. Murphy pitched 1 and 1/3 innings, yielded one hit, struck out three and threw 15 strikes in the 21 pitches he delivered.
The line scores on the game read 9-11-3 for the Wildcats and 0-2-1 for the Fighting Irish.
From Coach Ganor: "An eight-run seventh, we'll take that every time. But when you don't give up any runs, one's enough. I say it every year, but Anthony (Coach Boarman) does a terrific job with his program. The score is not indicative of how close of a game that was. It was a hard-fought battle until the end."
Coach Ganor said he will send his talented sophomore left-hander Connor Adams (3-0) to the mound on Friday evening, when the Cats board the bus again and travel to tradition-rich Canton Central Catholic to face the Crusaders in a 5 PM first pitch.
From M. J. Nara: "My curveball," said M.J. of the pitch that was really clicking for him on the Old Forge mound. "This team reminds me of our 2013 team (a Division I state runner-up to Archbishop Moeller). We had our ups and downs at the beginning (during 2013), but then right before the playoffs we went on a roll. Games were flying by."
Saint Ignatius is the No. 1 seed for the Strongsville Division I sectional/district and will begin OHSAA postseason play on May 13 in a sectional final versus the winner of the sectional semifinal between Rhodes and John F. Kennedy. The May13th sectional final is slated for 5 PM in Classic Park.
Fairview Park - Coach Brad Ganor's Cats, coming off an impressive 4-1 victory over Walsh Jesuit in Saturday night's championship game of The Pipe Yard Classic, drew a bye in the first round and will take their No. 1 seed into a May 13th Sectional Final at Classic Park. Saint Ignatius will face the winner of the Sectional Semifinal between Rhodes and John F. Kennedy.
Host Strongsville garnered the second seed, Berea-Midpark was seeded third and defending Strongsville District Champion North Royalton is the fourth seed.
Sophomore left-hander Connor Adams started and went five innings. Wildcats No. 1 starter, senior right-hander/captain M.J. Nara, worked the sixth and seventh innings and picked up the victory. M.J., a Walsh University recruit, also had a key RBI as the Cats tied the score in the bottom of the fifth and scored three runs in what was the decisive sixth.
Two of Saint Ignatius' gifted young players, sophomore left fielder Ryan Jacobs and sophomore catcher Jeff Chonko, turned in solid performances. The sweet-swinging Jacobs had two hits and Chonko, in what was his first Varsity game after being called up from the Junior Varsity, did an excellent job behind the plate, both defensively and working with the pitchers.
Up next for the Cats is Tuesday's game versus Eastlake North in Classic Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 PM. Saint Ignatius will enter Tuesday's matchup with the Rangers carrying a record of 16-5 and a four-game winning streak.
Lorain County - Senior right-hander Luke Diggs went the distance in improving his record to 3-2 and Coach Brad Ganor's Wildcats now stand 15-5 after pounding out 14 hits against the Mentor Cardinals, who slipped to 9-7.
Saint Ignatius will send gifted sophomore left-hander Connor Adams (3-0) to the mound on Saturday evening when the Cats face the highly touted Warriors from Walsh Jesuit in The Pipe Yard Classic final. The first pitch is scheduled for 6 PM.
Walsh Jesuit, which is ranked third in the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association's Division I state poll, advanced to the all Jesuit School matchup with Saint Ignatius by squeezing by Amherst Steele, 4-3, in Friday's first game at The Pipe Yard.
As for Diggs, it was evident he was ready to go during his pregame bullpen and that strength came to fruition in the bottom of the first inning when Luke sent Mentor down in order, including two strikeouts.
Diggs was in command, as his complete-game performance included four strikeouts, one walk, one run and five hits. Luke threw 77 pitches, 49 of which were strikes.
Saint Ignatius' bats were ringing from the get-go.
The Cats took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, tacked on another run in the second inning and broke things open with a four-run top of the fourth. Included among Saint Ignatius' 14 hits, which came off three Cardinals pitchers, were two-hit nights by senior center fielder Sam Fuller, a St. Bonaventure recruit, sophomore left fielder Ryan Jacobs, senior designated hitter Dylan Welch, junior third baseman Kevin Mingus and senior right fielder Dylan Smolen.
SETTING THE TABLE: Saint Ignatius did just that in the top of the first inning as Sam Fuller, one of the state's complete players, led off with a line drive single to left field. Fuller then stole second base and came around to score when junior first baseman Dennis Grosel hit a sharp grounder that the shortstop couldn't deal with. Grosel then advanced to second on the throw home.
After the Cats' Kevin Mingus hit an authoritative single to right-center field, Coach Ganor's team had runners on first and third with one out. Mentor would grab some momentum by picking off the runner at third, but, in what was a great at-bat by Saint Ignatius' Dylan Welch, Mr. Momentum immediately returned to the Wildcats' dugout.
Welch, a relentless worker in the batting cage, smoked a 3-2 pitch to left field for a single and Mingus, who had advanced to second during the rundown at third base, came home to score the game's second run.
ADDING ON AND BUSTING IT OPEN: With one out and the bases empty in the top of the second, Ryan Jacobs, one of Saint Ignatius' standout young hitters, doubled to the gap in right-center. Veteran Dylan Smolen then beat out a grounder to deep shortstop for a hit, putting Wildcat base runners on first and third.
After Smolen stole second base, Fuller made his presence felt again by driving the ball to deep center field for a sacrifice fly RBI and a 3-0 Saint Ignatius lead.
Following a scoreless third inning, the Cats put themselves in the driver's seat with a four-run fourth that featured a single by Jacobs, a bunt for a base hit by Smolen, another run-scoring single by Fuller, an opposite-field RBI single to left field by Grosel and a decisive two-out, two run single by Welch.
An opposite way RBI single to right field by senior second baseman Mullen Socha made it an 8-0 game in the top of the fifth and, after a line-drive single to center field by senior shortstop Jake Kucia was played into a double, the Wildcats' faithful were purring to the tune of a 9-0 lead entering the bottom of the sixth.
Mentor's only run, which came in the bottom of the sixth, was fueled by base hits from second baseman Tyler Thompson and center fielder Nathan Birtley.
FROM COACH GANOR: "Luke (Diggs) was outstanding. He pitched really well on Sunday (at St. Xavier), even though he took a tough loss. I was with him out in the bullpen before the game and I thought he was going to have a great game. He just looked sharp, he looked focused and I'm just proud of the way he came out, threw strikes and allowed us to extend the lead by putting up zeroes.
"Offensively, I would say the difference in tonight's game was Dylan Welch coming up with that big hit (with two outs and runners on second and third in the top of the fourth)," Coach Ganor continued. "We've spent a lot of time discussing how to come up with that hit, and Dylan went out and executed it."
FROM LUKE DIGGS: "The fastball was working tonight and it just feels good pitching in front of guys who have your back. The confidence level is great when you have people playing like that. We mixed in a few curveballs, but when you have the fastball working to the point where you're getting ground balls and pop ups, there's no reason to go away from it. I couldn't wait to get back on the mound tonight."
By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit April/May 2015
Fairview Park, Ohio - Coach Brad Ganor's Cats now stand 14-5 on the season after they were solid in all facets of the game in a sun-drenched, yes sun-drenched Bohlken Park.
Right-hander Nick Freund, who upped his record to 4-1, was tough-minded and talented on Tuesday evening as the amiable junior went six innings, yielded three hits and one run, struck out five, walked a batter and had a hit batsman. Nick threw 81 pitches, 53 of which were strikes.
Savvy senior southpaw Brendan Adler pitched a scoreless seventh. I say savvy, because Brendan, after picking up the victory in Friday night's 4-1 triumph over North Royalton at Progressive Field, took the baseball, wrote on it and then flipped it up into the stands to a young lady. On the baseball it read, "Will you go with me to my prom?" The answer was yes, my friends.
Freund, whose gutsy performance included plenty of offensive and defensive support, was staked to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, when junior first baseman Dennis Grosel turned on an inside fastball and sent Mr. Rawlings soaring over the right-field fence. The ball landed on the hill behind the scoreboard. Dennis' blast followed a one-out base hit and stolen base by red-hot senior second baseman Mullen Socha.
Saint Ignatius, which is scheduled to face Mentor on Friday evening at 6 bells in The Pipe Yard (Lorain County), started to pull away from Olmsted Falls courtesy of a three-run bottom of the third. Coach Dan Largent's Bulldogs from the Southwest Conference are now a deceiving 9-9, with their mark against Ohio teams at 8-6. The Falls is 5-3 in SWC play.
The Cats' bottom of the third was fueled by a leadoff base hit from senior outfielder Dylan Smolen, a stolen base by Smolen and an RBI double to left field by gifted senior center fielder Sam Fuller, a St. Bonaventure recruit. Saint Ignatius combined a fielder's choice, a stolen base by senior Kurt Mantes and an error into its fourth run, and Grosel went the opposite way to left field for a sacrifice fly that brought home the third run of the inning and a 5-0 lead.
A bunt for a base hit by Fuller and another base hit by Socha opened the door for the Cats' sixth and final run in the bottom of the fifth.
Olmsted Falls avoided a shutout by turning back-to-back base hits by junior right fielder Aidan Kelley and senior left fielder Ryan Hanna, a one-out walk and a wild pitch into a run in the top of the sixth. Freund went out in style, however, as with runners on second and third with one out, Nick reached back and retired the Bulldogs with two strikeouts. Three of Freund's five Ks came in the top of the sixth.
The line scores showed Saint Ignatius at 6-7-1 and Olmsted Falls at 1-4-1.
A CASE FOR THE DEFENSE: The Wildcats flashed their leather on Tuesday evening, as Dennis Grosel came up with two scoops at first base that would have brought a smile to the face of the late Vic Power, Dylan Smolen made a nice play for an out on a fly ball that the early evening wind in Bohlken Park was trying to circle away from him and senior shortstop Jake Kucia turned in a Derek Jeter-like catch on a sinking liner. With two outs and runners on first and second in the top of the seventh, Jake fielded a ground ball and alertly went the short way for a force at third that ended the game.
FROM HEAD COACH BRAD GANOR: "Nick (Freund) did a great job. His pitch count was perfect and he threw strikes. He had a couple of situations with some guys on and he battled. When you throw zeros up and then score runs on top of it, it kind of takes away their (the opponent) will."
FROM VETERAN ASSISTANT COACH MARK TERLEP: "In talking with Luke Diggs (senior right-handed pitcher) the other day, he gave me the comment that he really loves pitching in front of these guys. Our defense has been really playing solid behind our pitchers. We like our pitchers to pitch to contact and guys are making plays behind them. I talked today about confidence as the word of the day, and when pitchers can go out with confidence, knowing that the guys behind them will make the plays, they get the job done."
FROM NICK FREUND: "The fastball outside was really working well today," said Nick. "Then I would come with the curveball. I threw a few changeups, but mostly it was the fastball.
"Up the middle and third base, great plays, Dennis Grosel with two great scoops at first and in the outfield Sam Fuller was roaming in center field as always, and Ryan Jacobs in left and Dylan Smolen in right made plays," continued Nick, in reference to the defense behind him. "I've been throwing to contact all season and letting my defense make the plays."
FROM DENNIS GROSEL, WHO IS ALSO THE WILDCATS' STARTING VARSITY FOOTBALL QUARTERBACK: "It felt good," said Dennis of his two-run blast that set the table for a successful evening. "With a guy on second and one out, I just thought about barreling it up, getting it through and making something happen. I was trying to get him (Mullen Socha) over and in. It was a fastball inside and I turned on it pretty good.
"The pitching is going well and we have their backs," Dennis continued while talking about the Cats' defense. "They throw strikes and we'll make the plays. It's been working out well for us so far."
By Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit April 2015
The Wildcats seemed to savor every moment of their opportunity to perform in one of Major League Baseball's finest facilities, as they improved to 12-4 on the season behind what was the essence of a team victory over the North Royalton Bears.
Cleveland, Ohio - You could see the enjoyment in their eyes and carve their contagious spirit with a knife.
No matter how this promising spring comes to an end, the 2015 Saint Ignatius Wildcats Varsity Baseball Program will be remembered as a ball club that truly appreciated the game and considered it an honor to be "a teammate."
Friday night, at the annual Cleveland Indians Charities Hardball Classic, Head Coach Brad Ganor and his staff used seven different pitchers and cleared their bench as every young man wearing those sharp gold jerseys had his moment under the bright lights of Carnegie and Ontario.
"I say we play every game here," said Ganor, shortly after his Cats defeated the 2014 Division I State Runner-Up Bears. "I said before the game that they needed to enjoy the experience, and I think they did. And the outcome was in our favor, which is great, but that's icing on the cake. The outcome was irrelevant in my mind. It was a once in lifetime experience for a lot of them."
Senior right-hander Luke Diggs opened what was a "Magnificent Seven" performance by the Saint Ignatius pitching staff by calmly snagging a pop up near the mound with one out and a runner on second in the top of the first inning. Bears shortstop Alex Sir Lewis had singled to center field with one out and advanced to second on a pitch in the dirt.
After a strong second inning by senior left-hander Brendan Adler that featured two strikeouts, Saint Ignatius got its offense on track with a three-run bottom of the second that featured a lead-off single by Dylan Welch and an RBI hustle double to right field by James Zajaczkowski.
Those three runs gave Adler, a young man who had ACL surgery less than a year ago, his first victory on the varsity level.
North Royalton, which defeated the Wildcats, 5-2, in last year' District Championship Game at Strongsville, got on the scoreboard with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the third. The Bears combined back-to-back singles by center fielder Garrett Strom and left fielder Reese Albright with an error in scoring their only run.
Saint Ignatius, which is scheduled to face Cincinnati St. Xavier in a doubleheader on Sunday at noon on the Bombers' field, closed out the scoring in the bottom of the fourth on a sharp single through the left side by Zajaczkowski, a single to left field by senior catcher/captain Alex Pantares, a fielder' choice and a two-out run-scoring single by senior pitcher/outfielder Dylan Smolen.
Completing the Cats' seven for seven innings pitching rotation were Jacob Bangert in the third inning, Richard McGraw in the fourth, Nick Freund in the fifth, Smolen in the sixth and the ace of Coach Ganor's bullpen, junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien, in the top of the seventh. O'Brien struck out two of the four batters he faced and Smolen's scoreless sixth featured a slick and smooth 5-4-3 double play that was started by Joe Evans at third base.
In what was one of the more impressive swings that didn't go for a hit on Friday night came off the bat of Wildcats junior first baseman/designated hitter George Asadorian, who drove a pitch to the 370-foot mark in left field.
The line scores on the game were 1-6-1 for North Royalton and 4-9-1 for Saint Ignatius.
"I'm proud of them, they had fun," Coach Ganor said. "I mean getting to hit under the dugout before the game, they truly felt like big leaguers for a night."
Captains Park in Lake County - Connor Adams, a gifted sophomore left-hander, improved to 2-0 on the season by relying mostly on his fastball Tuesday evening. He yielded two walks, struck out five and hit a batter, and 46 of his 79 pitches were strikes. Remember the name my friends.
Murphy O'Brien, a savvy junior right-hander, continued his dominance out of Head Coach Brad Ganor's bullpen as he took over for Adams in the top of the seventh with runners on first and second and no outs. Adams was on a pitch count.
O'Brien calmly settled the issue and kept the no-hitter intact off a ground ball to the left side that gritty senior shortstop Jake Kucia fielded and alertly threw to third base to force the lead runner, and two strikeouts.
Kucia contributed big time with his bat and his glove, as Saint Ignatius improved to 11-4 and handed the Willoughby South Rebels just their third loss in 15 games. The South Rebels entered the game as the ninth-ranked Division I team in the state by the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association. The OHSBCA poll ranked the Wildcats 17th in Division I this week.
Along with his force-out toss to third in the seventh inning, Kucia helped keep the no-hitter alive by making a diving catch of a sinking liner in the top of the fifth and, in a quick heads-up reaction, firing the ball to junior Dennis Grosel at first base to double off the runner, who had reached on an error.
Multitalented junior designated hitter/ first baseman George Asadorian and Kucia staked Saint Ignatius to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning with ringing RBI singles.
Coach Ganor's Cats took command with a five-run sixth inning that featured the third consecutive walk drawn by the keen batting eye of junior third baseman Kevin Mingus, Mingus' second stolen base on the evening, a picture-perfect bunt down the third-base line by sophomore outfielder Ryan Jacobs that went for a base hit, Asadorian reaching on a hit by pitch, an authoritative RBI single through the left side by steady senior second baseman Mullen Socha, another run-scoring base hit by Kucia, and a stolen base by Kucia that resulted in Jake coming around to score from second off a line-drive single to right-center field by senior center fielder Sam Fuller.
Saint Ignatius' take-charge sixth also saw the Cats score off a passed ball and a wild pitch.
The Cats' line score read 7-6-3 and it was 0-0-0 for the Rebels.
Up next for the Cats is Friday's 8 PM matchup with 2014 Division I state runner-up North Royalton at Progressive Field. The game is part of the annual Cleveland Indians Charities High School Hardball Classic. Holy Name had to cancel its scheduled game for Thursday versus Saint Ignatius.
FROM COACH GANOR: "I was hoping for 80 pitches and he was just light of that going into the seventh inning," said Coach Ganor of Adams, a young man with a tough competitive nature. "He did a great job. I love his fire and passion in wanting to stay in the game. Even when I came out (to the mound) in the seventh (following two base on balls) he wasn't happy about it. But he's young and has a bright future so we don't want to jeopardize any of that, obviously.
"Going into today, that's what we needed," Coach Ganor continued in reference to his team's seven-run shutout of a top-10, state-ranked team. "We needed to have that game where we're not on the edge of our seats for the final out. I'm proud of the guys. It was a great job today."
FROM CONNOR ADAMS: "It was pretty much my fastball," Connor said of his impressive outing on Tuesday. "It was the only pitch I threw, except for their No. 4 batter (first baseman Dan Danford), I threw curves to him. I just go out and every hitter, I don't really look at the name. I just go at him. As soon as I get behind in the count, I get it over the plate and let my fielders make plays. I have faith in them."
FRESHMAN CATS NOW STAND 10-2: Coach Brian Becker's promising ninth graders rode a nine-run third inning on Tuesday to an 11-3 victory over Willoughby South. The Cats' line score read 11-7-4 and the Rebels' line was 3-5-1.
Berea, Ohio - With the bases loaded with Mustangs and no outs in the top of the seventh inning, Wildcats junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien, the ace of Head Coach Brad Ganor's bullpen, recorded the first out via a strikeout.
Strongsville's faithful cheered as the next batter sent a sharp grounder up the middle against a drawn-in infield that appeared to be targeted for center field.
However, instead of a base hit that would have tied the score and possibly brought home the go-ahead run as well, the baseball gods smiled in the direction of Saint Ignatius senior middle infielder Mullen Socha, who fielded the ball behind second base, stepped on the bag and fired to first to complete a game-ending double play. Web Gem City my friends.
Okay, it was just game 14 and, not being affiliated with a league, the main focus of a Wildcats baseball season is always the Ohio High School Athletic Association state playoffs, which begin next month.
That said, for anyone close to Coach Ganor's program Saturday's heart-pounder was just what a tough-minded and talented group of Wildcats needed.
After starting their season at 7-0, the Cats hit an offensive lull that saw them lose four of their next six games.
Coming off Friday's tough loss to West Side rival St. Edward, Saint Ignatius needed to get the adrenalin flowing again and recapture the resiliency it displayed throughout the first three weeks of the season.
Standing 10-4 heading into Tuesday's game versus Willoughby South at Classic Park, all of the Wildcats' goals are still in front of them as they look to finish the regular season strong and gear up for their time of year, which is always mid May.
NICK FREUND EARNS A BIG-HEARTED VICTORY: After yielding two runs in the top of the first inning, Saint Ignatius junior right-hander Nick Freund, displaying the work ethic that has earned him a spot in Coach Ganor's rotation, shutout the Mustangs over the next three innings. Nick earned the victory after going four-plus innings. He yielded three hits, struck out three and had three walks. Thirty eight of Nick's 60 pitches were strikes.
MR. VERSATILITY: Saint Ignatius junior Dennis Grosel, who can handle first base, third base and go behind the plate when senior captain Alex Panstares needs a breather, put on the catching gear and came up with two impressive plays on Saturday. Dennis accounted for the second out in the top of the fourth by throwing a seed down to second base to retire a would-be base stealer and in the top of the fifth, with runners on first and second and two outs, he ended the threat by picking off the runner at first base. Wildcats senior first baseman James Zajaczkowski did a nice job of blocking the runner off the bag and making the catch.
Maybe the versatility Grosel possesses is a family thing. Panstares, Dennis' first cousin and one of the premier catchers in the state, played left field yesterday and made two key grabs on the run. Grosel, for those not aware, is the Wildcats' starting Varsity Football quarterback.
THE CAPTAIN VOLUNTEERS HIS SERVICES: Coach Ganor shared with the corner that before Saturday's game, M.J. Nara, a senior captain and the Wildcats' No. 1 starter, told his coach that if he needed him he could go at least one inning in relief.
A right-hander bound for Walsh University, M.J. came on in relief of Nick Freund in the top of the fifth and threw a shutout inning that included two strikeouts.
A "NOT AGAIN" FROM THE MUSTANGS' FAITHFUL: Strongsville's loss on Saturday marked the second time this season that the Mustangs had the early lead on the Wildcats. The teams met on April 2nd at Strongsville and the Mustangs led, 4-0, after four innings before the Cats rallied to a 6-4 victory.
THE OFFENSE: Saint Ignatius' promising sophomore outfielder Ryan Jacobs cut the Cats' deficit to 2-1 with an RBI double down the left-field line in the bottom of the second inning. The Wildcats took a 3-2 lead with a two-run bottom of the fourth that featured a game-tying RBI single to right field by senior center fielder Sam Fuller, a St. Bonaventure recruit, and a run-scoring single by Mullen Socha that saw Mullen go the opposite way to right field. Alex Panstares' RBI double to deep left field in the bottom of the fifth made it a 4-2 game. Saint Ignatius' line score was 4-7-2.
After Zach Kahn's run-scoring double cut the Mustangs' deficit to 4-3 in the top of the sixth, Strongsville loaded the bases in the top of the seventh on two singles and an error. Kahn also turned in a solid game in center field. Strongsville's line score was 3-6-2.
FROM COACH GANOR: "Nick was fantastic battling back," said Coach Ganor of Nick Freund. "When you're not playing well and you feel like the week has been a month, you start asking yourself if you're ever going to win another game. And then you do this and you feel like you can't lose a game. That's the story of high school baseball I guess, the ups and downs of it. But I'm very proud of them and their resiliency today."
MUSTANGS WIN THE MATCHUPS BETWEEN THE FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES: The day wasn't a total loss for Strongsville, as the Mustangs' freshmen handed the Wildcats' freshmen just their second loss in 11 games this spring, 10-7. The Mustangs' jayvees came up with a 3-2 victory over Saint Ignatius' junior varsity. It was the JV Cats' first setback in nine games.
Lorain, Ohio - In the words of Wildcats veteran Assistant Coach Matt Blazer '94, Saint Ignatius was out scrapped by the Eagles in almost every phase of the game on Friday evening, as another chapter of the storied West Side rivalry took place under ideal blue sky and sunshine conditions in what is an atmosphere-rich baseball facility off Meister Road.
Saint Edward, which improved to 8-2 and has now won eight of its last nine games, rode a leadoff single by junior third baseman Jake Budyka, a sacrifice bunt by senior right fielder Shayne Erny, two hit batsmen and a bases-loaded walk into a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
The Wildcats (9-4), who have lost four of their last six outings, were able to stay in the game early, as the Eagles left the bases loaded in both the first and second innings.
It was a short-lived stay, however, as Coach Joe Kasl's ball club scored seven times in what was a decisive bottom of the third inning.
St. Edward's seven-run outburst started with a line drive single to right-center field by promising sophomore Kevin Finzer, who was the designated hitter on Friday evening. Veteran senior left fielder Darien Knowles then laid down a bunt along the third-baseline and, after some indecisive fielding by the Cats, the Eagles had runners on first and third with no outs.
Three consecutive walks followed by a sacrifice fly to right-center field by baseball savvy junior shortstop Joe Weisenseel made it a 4-0 game. Keeping the pressure on with an aggressive approach on the base paths and coming up with clutch RBI base hits by senior center fielder Kyle Hegedus and junior first baseman Kevin Ruffing, St. Edward took an 8-0 lead into the fourth inning.
That was more than enough support for Eagles junior right-hander Jaret Edwards, who went 5 2/3 innings, yielded two hits, one run, walked three and struck out four in improving his record to 3-1. Edwards threw 97 pitches, 60 of which were strikes.
Saint Ignatius, which will face the Strongsville Mustangs for the second time this season when the teams meet in a 3 PM first pitch at Baldwin Wallace University tomorrow (Saturday), scored its run in the top of the fourth inning.
Wildcats senior outfielder Kurt Mantes led off the fourth with a double to right field. Senior designated hitter/infielder Dylan Welch reached on an error and a ground out to the right side of the infield off the bat of junior right fielder Mike Rogers enabled the Cats to avoid a shutout.
Saint Edward senior reliever Garrett Zorb closed out the game for Coach Kasl by pitching the final inning and a third. Zorb ended the top of the sixth with a strikeout and, after yielding a one-out single to Saint Ignatius senior second baseman Mullen Socha in the top of the seventh, coaxed a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.
The Wildcats' line score read 1-3-1 and the Eagles, who scored their ninth run in the bottom of the fifth off a walk to Weisenseel, a passed ball, a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly by Hegedus, had seven hits and committed two errors.
"I don't know, I feel like this has been a week from hell offensively," said Saint Ignatius Head Coach Brad Ganor, whose team has stranded several runners over its last six games. "We are out of sorts. If I knew what it was it would be fixed. But I don't know what it is. It's been a week that feels like three months.
"But we have to have a short memory," Coach Ganor continued. "We have another strong opponent tomorrow in Strongsville. We have to come ready to go."
The Wildcats and the Strongsville Mustangs met on April 2 at Strongsville, a game that saw the Cats rally from a 4-0 deficit after four innings and go on to defeat the Mustangs, 6-4.
"I'm kind of praying that this is that lull in the season that every team has," said Coach Ganor. "But these guys are going to snap out of it. They approach the game the right away and they play the game the right way. I couldn't be more proud to be the Saint Ignatius baseball coach and that wouldn't change if we lost every game from here on out. But we'll figure it out. That's the coaching staff's job, to figure it out and make us better, and it's their job (the players) to execute it."
The young Cats managed two hits and the Fighting Irish totaled nine hits.
St. Vincent-St. Mary scored a run in the bottom of the first inning and added two runs in the second inning.
Berea, Ohio - M. J. Nara improved to 2-1 on the season after the senior right-hander/captain worked the first four innings on Wednesday evening, yielding just one hit and racking up eight strikeouts. A Walsh University recruit, M.J. threw 59 pitches, 47 of which were strikes.
Savvy southpaw Connor Adams pitched the fifth and sixth innings, and also gave up just one hit. Connor, a sophomore, had three strikeouts and recorded 23 strikes in the 31 pitches he fired to junior catcher Dennis Grosel.
Completing the two-hit shutout over the Spartans was the ace of Head Coach Brad Ganor's bullpen, junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien. Murphy threw a 1-2-3 top of the seventh off two groundouts and a strikeout, as the Baseball Cats won for the ninth time in 12 games this season.
Saint Ignatius, which was playing its first home game of the spring, took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and added the second run in the bottom of the third.
Junior third baseman Kevin Mingus, who has been swinging an authoritative bat, led off the bottom of the first with a double to deep right-center field. Gifted senior center field Sam Fuller, a St. Bonaventure recruit, drew a walk and Grosel followed with an infield hit that loaded the bases with no outs.
After the Wildcats scored on a fielder's choice, Boardman right-hander Sam Varga (1-1) did a nice job of damage control in the first inning, as he pitched out of what could have been a big inning for the Cats by coaxing a groundout and a double play.
Saint Ignatius made it a 2-0 game in the third behind a leadoff walk to senior second baseman Mullen Socha, a textbook sacrifice bunt by Mingus and a ringing RBI single to right field by Fuller.
The official line scores on the game were 0-2-0 for Boardman and 2-5-1 for the Wildcats. Boardman's coaching staff said the Spartans are now 6-5.
Up next for Coach Ganor's Cats is Friday evening's annual matchup with West Side rival St. Edward. The first pitch from The Pipe Yard in Lorain County will be 5 PM and senior right-hander Luke Diggs (2-0) will be on the mound for Saint Ignatius.
Coach Joe Kasl's St. Edward Eagles are 6-2 heading into Thursday's game at Eastlake North. The Eagles had their six-game winning streak snapped with a 1-0 loss at Midview in Grafton on Tuesday. Midview's Middies scored in the bottom of the first inning on three walks and a sacrifice fly.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Saint Ignatius' multi-skilled senior catcher/captain Alex Panstares teams with two of his first cousins on the 2015 Wildcats Varsity Baseball Team - Kevin Mingus and Dennis Grosel.
COACH GANOR ON WHAT WAS ANOTHER BOUNCE-BACK VICTORY BY HIS RESILIENT WILDCATS: "The pitching was very good," said the veteran skipper. "M.J., Connor and Murphy, fantastic. They are our top three and they did everything we expected them to do. Offensively, I know that we are going to be fine. It was the lack of aggressiveness, though, that frustrated me today.
"We faced a great pitcher (Vanderbilt recruit Chris Machamer) yesterday," Coach Ganor continued in reference to Tuesday's 5-0 loss at Massillon. "We were facing more of a typical type of a high school pitcher today and I don't think we had great approaches at the plate. I thought we took better approaches yesterday against a guy with exceptional talent. Today we weren't as aggressive. That will come and we'll talk it out and get better at it. But it was frustrating to watch, especially the three backwards Ks in one inning. We just can not have that."
Boardman's Varga recorded his three backwards Ks in retiring the Cats in order in the bottom of the sixth.
y Eddie Dwyer, Copyright Credit April 2015
Massillon, Ohio - With Machamer, a Vanderbilt recruit, limiting the Wildcats two hits and striking out 11, the Tigers improved to 7-3. Just a junior, Machamer threw 101 pitches, 59 of which were strikes. He walked two and hit a batter.
Massillon did all of its damage in the bottom of the first inning, scoring five runs on three hits, two walks and two hit batsmen.
Machamer, who improved to 2-0 on the young season, yielded an infield hit off the bat of senior second baseman Mullen Socha in the top of third inning that saw the Tigers' third baseman and shortstop collide as they were both charging the ball.
Saint Ignatius' only other hit came in the top of seventh inning, an authoritative single to right field by promising junior Kevin Mingus.
The Tigers made two exceptional defensive plays in support of Machamer, an over-the-shoulder diving catch in deep center field by senior John Henry Bronczek off a ball hit by Mingus in the top of the second inning and a sliding one-handed grab of a line drive by junior left fielder Brock Wenger that shot off the bat of Wildcats junior George Asadorian leading off the top of the sixth.
After the first-inning outburst by Massillon, the Baseball Cats, now 8-3, got shutout pitching from a bullpen that consisted of senior lefty Brendan Adler, senior right-hander Jacob Bangert and junior right-hander Murphy O'Brien.
Adler came on in relief of junior right-hander Nick Freund and put out the fire by ending the bottom of the first with two strikeouts. Adler worked through the fourth inning before Bangert and O'Brien each pitched 1-2-3 innings in the bottom of the fifth and sixth, respectively.
HIGHLY TOUTED: Machamer, who is also a very capable infielder and outfielder, has been rated by Prep Baseball Report as the No. 1 prospect in Ohio. Before deciding on 2014 National Champion Vanderbilt, Machamer also was considering Stanford, South Carolina, LSU, Kentucky, Michigan and Virginia.
Prior to Socha's two-out infield hit in the top of the third inning, Machamer retired the first eight Wildcats he faced, five of them on strikeouts. With Saint Ignatius runners on second and third and two outs, he ended the top of the third with a K and went on to strike out the side in the top of the fourth.
TIGERS ROAR EARLY: Massillon's five-run first inning was highlighted by a line drive single to left field by senior shortstop Andrew David, an RBI single to center field by sophomore designated hitter Bryce H