'Take it all in': Grove City, Hartley eager to experience OHSAA baseball state tournament
Postseason coverage: Check out all of ThisWeek's web-exclusive stories and photos from May 31-June 4
Tyler Kent has fond memories of his playing career with the Grove City baseball team, including taking the field in back-to-back Division I state tournaments in 2011 and 2012.
Now, as an assistant coach with the Greyhounds, Kent has given the players the inside scoop on what to expect when they face Mason in a semifinal at 1 p.m. June 10 at Canal Park in Akron.
Part of his advice is to savor the flavor of playing at state.
Division IV: Newark Catholic seniors get overdue opportunity at state tournament
“I’ve shared a lot of my perspective with a lot of our guys and what I would do differently this time around if I were them,” said Kent, who has been an assistant since 2017. “The biggest thing I told them is just to take it all in. I think back to 2012 and there’s so much preparation, so much lead-up to this game and you get to the park and two hours later, it’s over. It goes so quickly.
“I encouraged our guys to play and live in that moment and don’t look forward to summer plans or college, live in this moment and take it all in.”
The Greyhounds are 25-7 and Mason is 27-4. The winner plays Sylvania Northview or Chagrin Falls Kenston for the championship at 4 p.m. June 11 at Canal Park.
Senior Jackson Ware is looking forward to making his own memories this weekend.
“I was 8 years old back in 2012,” he said. “I unfortunately didn’t get the chance to go to the game, but I know a lot of the players on the team went to the game at Huntington Park and they still remember it. I know (senior) Dennis Ritlinger-Nirider went. You’re going to remember this game for the rest of your life. It’s another big moment for us.”
In his 13th season leading the Greyhounds, coach Ryan Alexander said his team can’t wait for the first pitch.
“This group is definitely excited for the challenge that Mason is going to bring,” he said. “If we’re fortunate enough to play (in the state final), we’ll be super excited and geeked to play in that one as well.”
Grove City and Mason last met in 2014, with the visiting Comets winning 2-1.
The Greyhounds will be seeking their first appearance in the state title game. They lost in semifinals in 2011 (7-2 to Liberty Township Lakota East) and 2012 (3-2 to Cincinnati Moeller).
Grove City has received solid pitching and defense and timely hitting in its march to state, including in a 2-0 win over 2021 state champion New Albany in the regional final June 4 at Dublin Coffman. Sophomore Keegan Holmstrom went the distance on the mound, allowing three hits while striking out seven and walking four.
It was Grove City’s first regional tournament berth since 2014. The Greyhounds had shared the OCC-Ohio Division title with New Albany at 12-3.
Holmstrom is 8-0 and has a 1.48 ERA in 58 innings with 51 strikeouts and 24 walks. The Ohio State commit also is batting .415.
The pitching staff also features junior Zak Sigman (5-2, 2.21 ERA), senior Gabe Duncan (3-1, 2.25) and Ware (4-1, 3.05).
“They are what they always are,” Mason coach Curt Bly said of Grove City. “They’re tremendously well coached, gritty, play the game extremely hard, execute at a high level and have committed, talented guys that really play well together and care about each other. Coach Alexander has a great culture there and the players change, but their mentality as a team stays the same. It’s going to be a tough game.”
Division III: Liberty Union heads to state tournament with confidence thanks to lights out pitching
Mason also features a solid pitching staff led by senior Brenden Garula, who is 9-0 with a 1.03 ERA. He has struck out 99 and walked 11 in 61 1/3 innings.
The left-hander, who is hitting .365 with nine doubles, three homers and 16 RBI, was named state Player of the Year. He threw a perfect game with 17 strikeouts in a 1-0 district tournament win over Mount Orab Western Brown on May 19.
Senior Noah Samol (6-1, 1.05 ERA) and junior Michael Murphy (5-1, 0.81) are other key pitchers.
“Mason has a three-headed pitching monster and we’re going to see one of those great arms that they have,” Alexander said. “They appear to field it and swing it like we do, so we’re excited for the challenge. I’ve known coach Bly for a long time. We’re good friends. We’re always trying to pick each other’s brain on things we do with baseball in the offseason.”
Junior Drew Cox (INF/P) leads Mason’s lineup with a .438 batting average.
The Comets won the Greater Miami Conference at 17-1.
“We want to be the first team in Grove City history to win this (state semifinal) game,” Ware said. “This is a big moment for us and the whole city is rallying around us. We just want to make everyone proud and do our best.”
Hartley to face Chardon in first state appearance since 1996
Hartley hasn’t been to the state tournament since it won the Division IV championship in 1996, but assistant Randy Wooten was a player on that team. He has attempted to provide insight to the players about what the experience might be like.
Todd Dunkle, who was the Hawks’ coach that season and now is in his seventh season leading Columbus Academy, also has offered tips, according to second-year Hartley coach Tim Heinmiller.
The Hawks will play Chardon, which is 22-10, in a Division II state semifinal at 7 p.m. June 10 at Canal Park. The winner plays Akron Hoban or Hamilton Badin for the championship at 7 p.m. June 11.
“Coach Wooten was on the state championship team and he’s been very helpful,” Heinmiller said. “I’m good friends with coach Dunkle, who coached that team. He’s at Academy now, but they’ve both been integral in talking to us and the team. They’ve just reminded them to stay calm, play your game and it’s not about trying to be a superhero. It’s about playing your game the whole time.”
Hartley has picked up three regular-season games during the postseason to help stay sharp, including a matchup June 7 against Division III state semifinalist Apple Creek Waynedale. The Hawks lost 1-0 to drop to 19-10.
Senior pitcher Emmett Gillies threw two innings against Waynedale in preparation for a possible start at state. He is 7-0 with a 1.37 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings.
Junior Peyton Underwood is 2-2 with 47 strikeouts in 33 2/3 innings.
Boumis also plays third base and is the Hawks’ leading hitter at .438 with four home runs and 27 RBI. Underwood, a catcher when he’s not on the mound, has 26 RBI.
Seniors Alex Blain (SS), Lukas Graham (C/INF) and DuShaun Tucker (OF) also have been among the team’s top hitters.
Chardon has been to the state tournament three previous times, but its last appearance was in 1950.
Senior Christian Hall (3B/P) was hitting .431 with 15 RBI and 20 runs scored and junior Jake Barker (1B) was batting .378 with 30 RBI through 28 games. Hall and junior Nolan Kirsch have been the top pitchers.
At last year’s state tournament, Badin lost to Bloom-Carroll 4-0 in a semifinal and Hoban defeated Bloom-Carroll 2-1 in 10 innings for the championship.
Hoban is 22-9 and Badin is 26-6 heading into their state semifinal at 4 p.m. June 10.
Sophomore Noah LaFine, who pitched the first six innings of the state final last year, again is one of Hoban’s top pitchers.
Senior Landon Ladany won his first six decisions this season for the Knights, who have been led offensively by sophomore Michael Ciavolella (OF/1B) and senior Shawn Parnell (SS).
Badin senior pitcher Eric Rawlings gave up just two earned runs over his first seven appearances, winning his first six decisions. Senior Jimmy Nugent is a catcher and third baseman who has committed to Penn State.
“Just stay the course is what we’ve told our guys,” Heinmiller said.
sports@thisweeknews.com
@ThisWeekSports
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Grove City, Hartley tuning up for baseball state tournament
