When: Today through Saturday. Where: Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Lane, Columbus. Call 614-462-2757.
St. Edward catcher Alex Lavisky.
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(Lynn Ischay / PD)
When: Today through Saturday.
Where: Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Lane, Columbus. Call 614-462-2757.
Admission: $8 per person, per day.
Audio webcasts: Audio from all semifinals and finals is available at ohsaa.org.
Division I
Cincinnati Elder (27-4) vs. Cincinnati Moeller (29-1), Friday at 10 a.m.
About Elder: Ranked second in the state, the school has won 12 state championships, more than any school in Ohio, with the most recent coming in 2005 when it beat Mentor in the semifinals and Cincinnati Princeton in the final. This will be its state-record 20th appearance in the semifinals. Second to Moeller in the rugged Greater Catholic League South, the Panthers are riding an 11-game winning streak behind the play of pitcher Brian Korte (8-0, 1.43 ERA, 75 strikeouts, 49 innings), Tim O'Conner (.427, 46 RBI), Selby Chademo (.455, 26 stolen bases) and Jeremy White (.451, 30 RBI).
About Moeller: The state's top-ranked team is seeking its second state title in a row and the sixth in school history. Only Newark Catholic, Cincinnati Reading and Elder have won more. Moeller, led by Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year David Whitehead, won the two regular-season meetings with Elder. Whitehead, an Elon recruit, is 9-0 with a 1.17 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 52 innings. Rob Sunderman is a strong second guy with a 9-0 record, 1.81 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 46 1/3 innings. The Crusaders have scored 325 runs while winning 27 games in a row. The top hitters are Alex Barlow (.533, 32 RBI), Jake Madsen (.510, 25 RBI) and Max Belza (.465).
St. Edward (27-3) vs. Olmsted Falls (16-17), Friday at 1 p.m.
About St. Edward: The Eagles are making their third appearance in the state semifinals and are seeking the school's third state title since 1998. Led by the battery of pitcher Stetson Allie and catcher Alex Lavisky, center fielder Ross Kivett and a group of talented sophomores and juniors, the Eagles have won 25 straight games. Allie and Lavisky have been formidable. Allie, regarded as a first-round pick in next week's draft and a North Carolina recruit, is batting .507 with 27 RBI and 13 doubles. He also is 8-1 with a 1.29 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 54 innings. Lavisky, a Georgia Tech recruit and also regarded as an early-round pick, is batting .450 with a team-leading 13 home runs and 40 RBI. Kivett is a Kansas State recruit and is batting .465 with a team-leading 41 base hits. Sophomore Tommy Mirabelli (.500), junior Cody Cooper (.439) and senior Andrew Busser (.358) also are key figures.
About Olmsted Falls: The Bulldogs are decided underdogs. They have the worst record of any of the Division I semifinalists and the second-worst record of any of the other 12 semifinalists. The school has never reached the final four. As a team, they have hit two fewer homers (11) than St. Edward's Lavisky. That matters little to the Bulldogs, who defeated two teams that were ranked in the state at one time or another in St. Ignatius in the district finals and third-ranked Perrysburg in the regional finals. Falls will rely on junior second baseman Zack Ferster (.394 and a team-leading 37 base hits), senior infielder Erik Kolar (.316, team-leading six homers and 26 RBI), senior pitcher/shortstop Cam Trefny (.288, 22 RBI) and senior outfielder Kurt Carlisle (.359). Junior Denton Sagerman (6-2, 3.92 ERA) and Trefny (4-3, 1.81 ERA) have been the top pitchers.
Final: Saturday, 4 p.m.
Division II
Plain City Jonathan Alder (31-0) vs. Defiance (28-1), Friday at 4 p.m.
Jonathan Alder: The only undefeated team in the tournament, the Pioneers knocked Walsh Jesuit out of the top spot in the state coaches rankings during the fourth week of the five-week poll. Their best player is senior right-hander Tyler Miller, who has thrown three no-hitters this season and is 10-0 with a 1.34 ERA and is batting .469 with 41 RBI. Catcher/pitcher Jacob Mahon is 7-0 and is batting .463 with a team-leading 44 RBI. Sean Fleming leads the team with a .500 average. Plans call for Alder to throw Miller against Defiance star Dace Kime in the semifinals.
About Defiance: Everything starts with Dace Kime, who is 7-0, with a 1.21 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings. Kime, a Louisville recruit, is backed by Eric Stapleton (8-1, 1.15 ERA) and Steve Hammersmith (7-0, 1.14 ERA). Kime also is batting .420 with a team-leading 37 RBI. Aaron Helland leads the team with a .443 batting average and three others are over .350. The Bulldogs have won 24 games in a row. The team is making its third appearance in the state semifinals, winning the Division I state title in 1992.
Walsh Jesuit (29-1) vs. Hebron Lakewood (27-4), Friday at 7 p.m.
About Walsh Jesuit: The Warriors, ranked second in the state, are making the school's seventh appearance in the semifinals and are seeking the school's fifth state title. Its four titles are more than any school in Northeast Ohio. Only five others throughout the state have won more. Its galaxy of stars includes pitcher Tyler Skulina (6-0, 0.94 ERA), pitcher/third baseman Greg Greve (8-0, 2.67 ERA, .415), shortstop Johnny Fasola (.570, 49 hits, 43 RBI) and first baseman Ryan Berry (.476, 10 homers, 50 RBI). The Warriors are batting .433 and the pitching staff has a 1.94 ERA, with 257 strikeouts against 80 walks.
About Hebron Lakewood: The Lancers are in the state semifinals for the ninth time and have won three titles under veteran coach Don Thorp, the most recent coming in 2005. The team's star is senior pitcher/shortstop Bryan Large, who is being recruited by Cincinnati and Ohio. He is 12-2 on the mound and is batting .406 with a team-leading five home runs. Senior Justin White (13-2) is the other starter.
Final: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Division III
Hamilton Badin (22-9) vs. Wheelersburg (30-1), today at 4 p.m.
About Hamilton Badin: Another program with a storied state tournament history, the Rams are in the semifinals for the second year in a row and for the 10th time overall. Its two starters are senior right-hander John Gattermeyer (9-0, 2.50 ERA, 42 strikeouts) and Nick Burros (4-2, 4.23 ERA, 32 strikeouts). Juniors Jeff Smith (.402, 39 RBI), Alex Rieman (.379, 38 RBI) and Nate Snellgrove (.391, 23 RBI) supply the offense.
About Wheelersburg: The school is making its third trip to the state semifinals. It lost to Badin at this stage of the tournament in 2008 and beat Cardinal for the Division III state title in 1996. Wright State recruit Andrew Elliott is key, batting .509 and owning a 13-1 record as the ace of the pitching staff.
Independence (28-3) vs. Bellville Clear Fork (30-2), today at 7 p.m.
About Independence: The Blue Devils have been one of the most consistent teams in the area all season and will be making the school's first appearance in Columbus in 78 years with the best record in school history. Pitchers Josh Suvak (9-0, 2.25 ERA, 47 strikeouts, 20 career wins) and junior Travis Teare (school record 10 wins against no losses, 1.08 ERA, 50 strikeouts) have been solid when it counted the most and have a combined 17 complete games. Senior second baseman Anthony Siciliano has set a school record for most hits in a season (46) and has scored 33 runs and stole 13 bases. Catcher John Bugaj is batting .383 and has thrown out 14 base runners.
About Clear Fork: Clear Fork has never reached the final four before. The Colts sport two undefeated pitchers in Travis Hissong (7-0, 2.08 ERA, 51 strikeouts in 37 innings) and Brendan Liberti (9-0, 1.03 ERA, 45 strikeouts in 47 2/3 innings). Hissong and Liberti can hit as well, with Liberti carrying a .510 average and 43 RBI and Hissong batting .391 with 56 RBI. Jordan McCune (.448) and Justin Blake (.423, 25 stolen bases) also can swing the bat.
Final: Saturday, 1 p.m.
-- Tim Rogers
Division IV
Toledo Ottawa Hills (19-10) vs. Fort Loramie (28-3), today at 10 a.m.
About Ottawa Hills: The unranked Green Bears are vying for their second state title and head into their eighth final four appearance with a .353 batting average. Junior J.J. Buckey owns a sparkling .483 average with 24 RBI and sports an 8-1 pitching record with a team-best 1.99 ERA. Kyle Jarecki's four home runs and 36 RBI leads the team.
About Fort Loramie: The Redskins were ranked No. 9 in the final coaches state poll. The 2007 state champs have qualified for their fifth final four thanks to a .348 team batting average. Justin Hoying (12-0, 0.70 ERA) is the ace and also swings a potent bat (.365 average, 31 RBI).
Columbiana (21-10) vs. Newark Catholic (14-19), today at 1 p.m.
About Columbiana: The unranked Clippers enter their second state appearance since 1981 with 13 wins in their past 15 games thanks to the consistent pitching of Josh Saverko (6-2, 2.98 ERA), Hank Schlueter (4-3, 1.97 ERA) and Jeff Davidson (5-0, 1.52 ERA). Right fielder Tyler Denmeade (.516, 40 runs scored, 26 RBI), center fielder Kyle Shaffer (.389, 41 runs scored) and shortstop Andrew Burdick (.364, 34 runs scored) lead an offense that boasts a .314 team batting average.
About Newark Catholic: The six-time champion Green Wave, tied for 13th in the state poll, earned their second straight tournament berth. They have just four seniors, including third baseman Nate Adams, who is out with a torn meniscus. They played a brutal schedule with a young team that includes junior Micheal Lewis and sophomore Jim Lough, who share time at third base and on the mound.
Final: Saturday, 10 a.m.
-- Bob Fortuna