“Those teams in 2015 and ’16 were good kids, had baseball talent, but most of all they had great heart,” says former Fort Recovery coach Jerry Kaup at the 2016 tournament (above). (Press Pros File Photos)
The man who once salvaged Fort Recovery baseball and led them to back-to-back state tournaments in 2015 and ’16, is still excited about Indians baseball…and this week’s latest appearance in the Final Four.
Fort Recovery, OH – Sadly, among area high school baseball enthusiasts there aren’t that many who remember the Fort Recovery Indians of 2015, and even fewer who remember Jerry Kaup, their head coach at the time.
But to refresh, Kaup, who by profession is a pharmacist and runs a string of drug stores in Fort Recovery, Versailles, and Union City, Indiana, was the man who took the Fort Recovery job at a time when they were considering giving up baseball altogether.
And not only did he salvage and create interest for the sport, he quickly led the Indians to back-to-back regional titles in 2015 and ’16, and appearances in the state Final Four where they fell short, losing to eight-time state champion Newark Catholic, both times in the semi-final round.
Publisher/editor Sonny Fulks writes the Big Ten and OHSAA baseball for Press Pros Magazine.com.
Now, a decade later, and a quiet one at that, current coach Kevin Eyink has provided the latest infusion of baseball interest at Fort Recovery, and has the 2024 Indians returning to the Final Four on Saturday where they’ll play Hillsdale High School, out of Jeromesville, on Saturday at 4 pm.
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Ten years, in today’s world, can seem like yesterday. But in high school sports and with the pace of change that governs it, it feels like light years ago. That is, unless you’re Jerry Kaup. Kaup, who retired from coaching four years ago to pursue his business interests, is still very interested in purple baseball (the school’s colors)…and one could even say ‘excited’ over the prospect of seeing the Indians on the big stage of the state tournament again.
“Everyone’s excited here,” said Kaup this week. “They’re painting cars, organizing caravans to Akron, and people are just crazy over this group of kids playing at the state tournament again.
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“Kevin (Eyink) has done a great job. He has a couple of good pitchers, a couple of kids with good speed, but most of all…I think it’s a group that has great heart.”
Kaup was then, and is now, one of the most upbeat, optimistic people you’ll ever meet…perfect for Fort Recovery baseball at the time a decade ago. And behind pitchers Jackson Hobbs and Nick Thwaits, he had two of the better pitchers in Division IV baseball in 2015 and ’16. Hobbs, presently, is teaching and coaching at Northmont. Thwaits was drafted out of high school by the San Diego Padres, and after tasting the life of minor league baseball for five years retired from the game after the 2023 season.
As we wrote, time has a way of washing away the past, even ten years. But Kaup, if you ask, is able to give you chapter and verse of Recovery’s experience back then, making it to, and playing in, the state tournament.
“I think the first year we were kind of awestruck by it,” he smiles. “We were a good team, we had Hobbs on the mound, but we made a couple of mistakes. Newark Catholic played better, and John (Newark coach John Cannizzaro) beat us.
“But the following year I thought we were an even better team given the experience of the previous year and this time we had Thwaits. I thought we were the better team on the field.”
Thwaits was a hard-thrower, much harder than Jackson Hobbs, and much harder than Newark’s Tanner Marmie. But on this particular day he didn’t throw enough strikes. Newark Catholic, a patient team at the plate who specialized in working the count, got the pitch count up, Thwaits was out of the game after four innings, and Newark ultimately won, 7-3.
Kaup is delighted to recall it all, and his pride in their accomplishment cannot be mistaken.
“Whether it’s business or baseball, you have to have heart to get through the rough times.” – Jerry Kaup
“Like this year’s team, those teams were talented, but they had great heart,” he says. “I would always tell them…whether it’s baseball or business, you have to have heart to get past the rough times. And we had those kind of kids – Ross Homan, Cade Wendel, Thwaits, Hobbs, Chase Bruns, Hunter Boughman, Jacob Homan, and Kyle Schroer.”
Kaup remembers them all and can’t wait to follow the current team to Akron Saturday hoping to see them get one step farther than his teams.
“I’ve actually done some scouting for Kevin,” he adds. “And I’m excited like everyone else to get there and see them play.”
No Newark Catholic this time, and no John Cannizzaro. Cannizzzro, a legend in small school baseball and winner of all those titles, died in his sleep this past winter. Hillsdale is 19-11, Recovery is 15-12, and neither would be considered a prohibitive favorite.
And as always, “You have to be good, but you have to be a little lucky, too,” Kaup reminds.
And sometimes it’s the intangible that gets you through…something you’ve never been able to do before.
“Heart,” declares Kaup.
Something you can’t buy at the pharmacy!
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