Big Walnut’s Nick Weiss could smell the blood in the water as he leaves the mound after quickly retiring the side in the top of the sixth inning. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless)
Pitcher Nick Weiss and his Big Walnut teammates delivered under pressure, advancing to only their second regional title game. New Albany also got a one-hit pitching gem from Cam Simmons to blank St. Charles in the other semifinal.
Grove City, OH – Facing a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the seventh inning of a Division II regional semifinal would seem a daunting task for any pitcher, regardless whether his name was Cy Young or Nick Weiss.
But instead of shriveling under the pressure, the Big Walnut senior seemed to relish the pressure-packed challenge in front of him Wednesday at Grove City.
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“I like it,” Weiss said. “It’s an awesome moment to find yourself in. It just boosts my adrenaline even higher and makes me focus on doing what I’m supposed to do.”
Nursing a 5-2 lead over Mount Vernon, Weiss struck out pinch-hitter Hayden Higgins. Then he got Caden Thiebert to smash a line drive to left fielder Evan Couser, who – on the run – wheeled to his left and gunned down pinch runner Greyson Deem at the plate for a game-ending double play.
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Big Walnut (20-6) advanced to face New Albany (18-10) in the regional title game at 5 p.m. Thursday.
“That ball seemed like it was pretty hard hit off the bat and I had a little bit of a heart skip,” Eagles coach Mike Stafford said. “But we practice those reads all the time and Couser was in great position to make the catch and throw. That was a heck of a way to end it.”
In notching a program-record 10th win, Weiss scattered seven hits, striking out six in his complete-game effort. His only hiccup until the seventh-inning drama was allowing a two-run homer to Ezra Kurek in the fourth that cut Big Walnut’s lead to 3-2.
“We thrive on playing small play and letting our defense makes plays,” Weiss said. “I especially trust our guys in the outfield. They can run down anything.”
The Eagles managed just eight hits, seven of them singles, but were exceptional at moving baserunners along and giving themselves ample scoring chances.
Nolan Buirley connects on a pitch for one of his two hits on the afternoon.
In the third, Big Walnut parlayed three hits (one on a bunt), a walk, a fielder’s choice, a sacrifice fly and some savvy base running into three runs.
The Eagles tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to give Weiss a cushion.
“Our identity is to play small ball … put some pressure on the defense with our legs and situational hitting,” Stafford said.
Fifth-ranked by MaxPreps and seventh in the state coaches poll, Big Walnut is seeking its first regional title since 2015. It marked the Eagles’ furthest advancement in the program’s lengthy history.
Sophomore center fielder Nolan Buirley had two hits and an RBI to pace balanced Big Walnut, which has captured back-to-back Ohio Capital Conference Capital Division titles under Stafford.
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“Since coach Stafford came here two years ago, part of the plan was for this program to play in big games like this,” said Buirley, a first-team All-Ohio running back (2,527 total yards, 34 touchdowns) for the state semifinal football team.
Ironically, Buirley’s father Matt was an All-Ohio running back and Mr. Football finalist and also was Gatorade state baseball player of the year at Mount Vernon from 1991-94. He played baseball at Ohio State before spending six years in the minor leagues as a catcher. Matt now serves as a Big Walnut assistant.
Junior catcher Trey Kaylor gets the final out in dramatic form by tagging the runner with both his empty glove and with the ball in his bare hand.
Nolan Buirley said he is “about 50-50” on whether to pursue football or baseball in college, and he already has many suitors in both.
In defeat, coach Nate Hunt of Mount Vernon (17-10) said his senior-laden team showed the same fight it has all season in advancing this far for the first time.
“I’ve got to hand it to Nick and those guys in the other dugout,” Hunt said. “That’s a good baseball team. They never do anything to hurt themselves, and they do all the little things so well.”
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Cam Simmons had an outstanding outing against St. Charles, recording 10 strikeouts while giving up no runs.
New Albany 7, St. Charles 0
Cam Simmons yielded just one hit – an infield single – with 10 strikeouts over five innings to carry New Albany into an all-Eagles championship game. Simmons allowed only one ball out of the infield.
New Albany’s Quinn Blaney finds himself caught in a rundown. The only way out this time was a timely tag by St. Charles catcher Ryan Ferguson as Blaney tried to evade.
“I had it going today, kind of like I have been the past couple or three games,” Simmons said. “The defense behind me was really strong.”
After never pitching a varsity inning in his first three seasons, the senior left-hander made a major breakthrough this spring, according to Eagles coach Michael Sandman.
“He’s throwing mid to upper 80s with some run on it,” he said. “He’s a fun guy to watch and a great competitor. He had a look in his eyes today.”
Simmons got plenty of support in the form of 10 hits (all singles), nine walks, one hit-by-pitch and six stolen bases. The defense made errorless ball.
Reliever Grant Romer celebrates the win after retiring the side in the seventh inning.
Jate Hoovler collected three hits to lead the parade for the Eagles, who are ranked 11th by MaxPreps and 12th by the state coaches. New Albany won state championships in 2004 (Division III) and 2021 (Division I)
Caden Kistner drove in two runs while Grady Bush, Van Routhier and Jacob Richardson had an RBI each in a five-run fourth inning that blew things open.
“We’re kind of like Big Walnut in that we play what many people call small ball and try to manufacture runs,” Sandman said. “We don’t have a bunch of quote-unquote “boppers” but we utilize our athletes to get the most out of them.”
Nolan Roscoe had the only hit for St. Charles (12-17), which left the bases loaded in the fifth against a tiring Simmons.
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