Senior pitcher AJ Griesdorn delivered the performance of the year thus far in Division III – no runs on four hits, striking out nine in Tuesday’s win over #1-ranked Coldwater. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Julie McMaken Wright)
Playing the high-scoring Coldwater Cavaliers in the rain and slop, Versailles AJ Griesdorn did what no other pitcher has even come close to in 2024…shut out the #1-ranked team in Division III, 4-0.
Versailles, OH – Afterwards, pitcher AJ Griesdorn wore a big smile and found the words hard to come by, describing his 4-hit shutout over #1 Coldwater (Div. III).
“It feels wonderful,” said Griesdorn, a senior three-sport star at Versailles, and at about 6:45 Tuesday afternoon, the man of the hour in Versailles.
The reason?
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Griesdorn did what no other high school pitcher had been able to do this spring, beat the #1-ranked team in the state…a team averaging 11.76 runs per game…4-0 on a four-hit shutout, striking out nine Coldwater hitters while walking four.
The conditions were horrible, and horrible for both teams, of course. But somehow, Griesdorn found the focus to outduel not only Coldwater, but opposing pitcher Cale Wenning, who through four innings matched him nearly pitch for pitch.
“I just pitched like I could,” said Griesdorn, struggling to hide his excitement. “I had my defense behind me, they were great, and that’s how we knocked off Coldwater tonight.”
After four scoreless, Versailles finally broke through to score four in the bottom of the fifth.
“He was terrific,” added coach Brad Koopman. “And we did what we’ve been talking about all year. You can’t play tense, you can’t let everything affect you, whether it’s bad weather, a bad call, whatever it is…you have to be ready to go at all times.
“AJ has been that guy for us, last year, and the same thing this year. When it’s a big game he’s out there battling. He pitched incredible tonight.”
Simply put, there was nothing much to write about through the first four innings. Griesdorn and Wenning threw strikes for the most part, and the heavy air and gathering drizzle made it nearly impossible for any hard-hit ball to carry.
To Griesdorn’s point about defense, both teams made plays – sliding, diving plays in the outfield – to rob the other of extra base hits.
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But in the bottom of the fifth Wenning’s luck ran out. The rain had intensified, the pitchers’ mound had gotten increasingly heavy, and Wendell appeared to struggle with his footing. With one out he gave up back-to-back singles to Versailles’ Ben Subler and Ross Francis. Then a walk, an infield error, another walk, and an infield base hit by Chase Monnin. Three walks and three hits yielded the Tigers three runs and all the momentum that AJ Griesdorn would need to record the final six outs.
They made some plays…Coldwater’s Cody Depweg made this fine sliding catch in the sixth inning.
But before he did Versailles would add a single run in the eighth on a pair of walks and a base hit off reliever Aaron Kaup, and Griesdorn would retire the Coldwater batting order in the top of the seventh without incident, striking out the seven, eight, and nine hitters.
Versailles won it to go 14-3 with 4 runs on 8 hits and had 1 error.
Coldwater dropped its first game of the year (13-1 with no runs on 4 hits and had 2 errors.
Impressively, even in the rain and cold AJ Griesdorn got stronger and the game progressed, striking out three of his nine in the final inning. and five of the last nine outs.
“I was getting a little more confident as we went,” he said, afterwards. “I knew that he was struggling a little (in the fifth), and I just couldn’t show that. I was just trying to mix my pitches, change speeds, and see what I could do.”
“It felt wonderful,” said Versailles winning pitcher AJ Griesodrn (above, celebrating with teammates).
He did more than enough, setting a tone for the rest of the lineup, according to Brad Koopman.
“It’s all about these kids,” he beamed. “I love these guys, they’re fantastic to be around every day, and they go out every game and play their hearts out.”
And if ever there was a game on which to build, can Koopman and Versailles use Tuesday to their advantage for the final month?
“Baseball is such a game of momentum,” he added. “Energy is so important, and to have something like this to build off of, carry that confidence, and continue to swing the bats well and get after it…well, that’s all you can ask for.”
And of course, a little recognition never hurts, as well. We would expect some shares of this column among Division III schools around the state – Wheelersburg, West Jefferson, and Ottawa Hills. Good pitching, it’s again proved, beats good hitting every time.
“You could look it up,” Yankees manager Casey Stengel once claimed.
And add Versailles, at least, to the state’s top 20!
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