Minster has pitching (Louis Magoto, above), relies on its defense, and hopes for enough offense by season’s end. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Russia, Minster and Fort Loramie are rated in the state’s top ten in Division IV this week, and all within seven miles of each other. What’s it say about area Division IV baseball?
Someone asked me recently about the Ohio baseball coaches’ poll for baseball.
Is it right?
Minster Bank sponsors the MAC and the SCL on Press Pros Magazine.com.
Is it relevant?
And does it really tell us anything about who the best baseball teams are in the state?
Publisher/editor Sonny Fulks writes OHSAA sports and Buckeyes baseball for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Well, in reverse order it does tell you about at least some of the best. Berlin (Bur-lun), for instance, won the Division IV title last year and is back at number one with a good core of the same players. No question in my mind that they’re probably pretty good.
Is it relevant? From the standpoint of record, yes. But it’s baseball, which means that everyone is susceptible on a given day when the opposing pitcher is throwing the breaking ball for strikes. I hate to be that general about it, but that’s why Jim Hardman used to say, “Go start the car, Mom. They’re throwing the curve.”
So with that said, does the poll really tell you about who the best teams are in the state?
Well, in the case of Russia (#6, Div. IV), Minster (#7, Div. IV) and Fort Loramie (#8, Div. IV) I certainly think so. Rated 6,7,and 8, I’ve seen Russia and Minster play, I know Fort Loramie, and yes, I think they can probably play with anyone in southwest Ohio, for sure.
And not to leave them out…Newton is #9 in last week’s poll, and Lincolnview, out of Van Wert, is rated at #10.
Minster Dental proudly support area sports of all sorts on Press Pros.
What makes me dubious about the poll is the reality that there are thirty-two (32) voting coaches in each division, split up by region, and there’s no way that a coach from St. Clairsville can tell me anything about Minster with certainty, just as it’s likely that Mike Wiss (from Minster) can tell you much about St. Clairsville. I suspect that there’s a lot of…I’ll scratch your back if you’ll scratch mine. But for the sake of baseball profile and a bit of marketing I’m glad that 128 are paying some manner of attention.
More, because I personally care about baseball, I’ve gotten my share of questions about area teams this spring, particularly Russia, Loramie, and Minster.
Russia’s Hayden Quinter (above) vies for a third straight appearance in the OHSAA Final Four.
Admittedly, I haven’t seen Loramie thanks to the weather. In fact, the weather simply sucks and we lost five of our first seven targeted games to cover because they were rained out. But I know coach Jeff Sanders, I know the culture of baseball in Loramie, and I saw enough of them last year to believe that a year’s experience has made them nothing but better. At this writing, they’re 19-5 according MaxPreps, but in a league (Shelby County League) that’s decidedly down this year in baseball.
I have seen Russia, twice, including a 10-0 loss in April to Coldwater. Remember what I say about a given day?
But this is a team with more experience than anyone else in Div. IV, with the possible exception of Berlin. Their seniors have won a state title, they’ve finished runner-up (top Berlin), and they will be competing starting this week for a nearly unprecedented third straight trip to Akron in June. And that’s tough, because you have to be good, yes. But you also have to be lucky, as well. And they have pitching, headed by Marshall commit Braylon Cordonnier, to compete with anyone in that one big game it takes to get there.
By the way, Russia put a pretty good whuppin’ on Fort Loramie on Monday, 15-2. Emotional, I’m sure…but also impressive for the way the Raiders hit the ball.
Bunny’s Pharmacy, in downtown Sidney, supports the Shelby County League on Press Pros.
I’ve seen Minster in person, last week in an impressive late win over St. Henry. It’s a typical Mike Wiss team that leans on pitching and defense, and hopes that by the time they’ve played twenty games they’ve started to see the ball better at the plate.
And more irony for people outside the area…Russia, Loramie and Minster are all within seven miles of each other, play each other, and Russia lost 2-1 to Minster in the Division IV title game back in 2017. So there’s history.
Loramie coach Jeff Sanders has been a consistent winner, and owns an OHSAA baseball title in 2018.
Who’s better? Tell me who’s pitching on that particular day and I’ll tell you who’s better.
Braylon Cordonnier always makes Russia a good bet.
At Minster, James Niemeyer pitched a no-hitter this week, and Louis Magoto pitched a gem last week in their win over St. Henry.
And with Loramie, there aren’t many Jared Hoyings, but the Redskins do own impressive MAC wins over Versailles, Marion Local, and St Henry, so they’re a good bet to compete against anyone you can run out there.
What’s really unfair about baseball is the fact that so many area teams have had to make up rained-out games in the span of two weeks…that is, if they want to play.
And yes, the kids want to play. Some have had as many as five games in a week, and not enough pitching, which makes everyone’s record questionable. It still eludes me that if we’re talking about doing what’s best for kids – in this case, baseball kids – why do we not do what the state of Iowa does and move the season back to May through July 4th, so those kids have the same predictable competitive climate that football and basketball have?
There’s very little question as to why.
But until they do that I’ll continue to believe that we don’t do what’s best for kids, at all. We do what’s best for the adults in Columbus. There’s a schedule to keep, and we need those three months to get ready for football!
Orthopedic Associates of Southwest Ohio sponsor your favorite sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.