2023 Mid-State League

[The Dock]

Crooksville 10 Miller 3
It was a 2-1 game thru 4 1/3 then Miller started kicking the ball around. The young squad struggling to put hits together and play 7 complete innings. Growing pains of freshmen and sophomores.

One of those deals where you remember it’s a game played by kids — many of whom can’t drive a car yet.

 

[KurtanskyField]

One of those deals where you remember it’s a game played by kids — many of whom can’t drive a car yet.

Yep. Remind them all the time in football, also. There are grown men making millions of $$$ that make the same mistakes you do. Have to brush it off. So What, Now What???? -Dr. Elko

 

[The Dock]

FC 10
Amanda 0 f/6

Great job all around. Underclassmen making good plays in the field; good at-bats to start and to finish; Dolci dealt a pretty good game and freshman catcher coming along well.

The main thing here from my POV is rewind to Monday — rough start the first 2 innings against FU. Young team, and they put a hard hole to dig out of behind them. Too early to give them flowers just yet, but impressed with how they’ve come around. Congrats to the coaches, and congrats to the players on good work so far.

 

[The Dock]

Seen that FCA beat Miller 13-3.

So, do I have this correct, the freshman catcher for FCA is the second freshman arm they have that will be dealing varsity this year? (per @BigPerm777) Only asking since I’m not in Lancaster and have no real way of knowing who comes up as incoming freshmen (from the JH side) at the schools.

 

[BigPerm777]

FC 10
Amanda 0 f/6

Great job all around. Underclassmen making good plays in the field; good at-bats to start and to finish; Dolci dealt a pretty good game and freshman catcher coming along well.

The main thing here from my POV is rewind to Monday — rough start the first 2 innings against FU. Young team, and they put a hard hole to dig out of behind them. Too early to give them flowers just yet, but impressed with how they’ve come around. Congrats to the coaches, and congrats to the players on good work so far.

Fisher looked good tonight. They will definitely compete with the top teams in the league. I think it’s a 3 man race for the league. FCA and Rosecrans being the favorites and Fisher can compete if they continue to get better. Worst case I think they finish 3rd.

 

[BigPerm777]

Seen that FCA beat Miller 13-3.

So, do I have this correct, the freshman catcher for FCA is the second freshman arm they have that will be dealing varsity this year? (per @BigPerm777) Only asking since I’m not in Lancaster and have no real way of knowing who comes up as incoming freshmen (from the JH side) at the schools.

Yes. Second freshman arm is there catcher.

 

[The Dock]

Fisher looked good tonight. They will definitely compete with the top teams in the league. I think it’s a 3 man race for the league. FCA and Rosecrans being the favorites and Fisher can compete if they continue to get better. Worst case I think they finish 3rd.

It’s a little hard to say. The main x-factor in all of this, at least the runner-up race (which has been a race also worth keeping an eye on in post-COVID Cardinal baseball), is going to be the rainouts and reschedules. And that’s before we get really into the weeds of suspended games. Oh, what fun!

If breaks something like rainouts n = FC: 3 or less; everyone else 3 or more, or less 3, that probably earns FC some breathing room. If it’s like some of the bad weather years, and you’re getting into 4-5 league rainouts, then that can suddenly go the other direction (especially if the assignor can only get May dates to backfill the postponements) at which point you’re probably getting into triage-mode on who’s throwing versus who and trying to make the best-educated plan on the games you think you can win through some slop-s*** score like 12-11 or 8-7. Didn’t Berne drop one to Rosecrans this way last year? Game was suspended and they resumed with a back-end of the rotation arm against a good Rosecrans pitcher, right?!

Anyways, yeah, the kind words on the team I appreciate reading on here. Thanks, because it’s good to see good stuff written on the boys. This year’s team is hungry. Coming in I wasn’t too sure what to really expect: Dolci and Viau (the only two seniors) have been proven commodities their entire HS careers (two years hill experience, including Districts as sophomores; both came into this year as 50-hit club members), but after them it was just a ton of potential but not entirely pronounced as a unit last year. Youth at the plate and in the field. Peyton’s making a good impact toward the cause and the younger guys have improved their tools, skills and game IQ.

I don’t know how Amanda’s gonna turn out this year, but to earn a shutout in the first week (3rd game in four days) with how young the team is indicates optimism (even if it’s to some varying degree of cautiousness.)

 

[The Dock]

^to explain this point in a more numerical manner…

Since 2012, there have only been two league races where the runner-up finished exactly two games behind first place.

2019: FC 14-0, BU 12-2
2017: BU 9-1, FC 7-3

Since 2012, there have been two times where the league had three teams finish with 10-or-more league victories.

2018: FC 12-2, GCC 12-2, BU 11-3 (and I believe this is the year BU was poised to actually finish 12-2 and force a three-way tie… if not Wellington smacking TWO grand slams on the Rockets in the final game of the league season.)

2013: LU 12-2, FC 11-3, Licking Heights 11-3. And this league season had TWO dudes go on to Major League Baseball! You had to be there.

— — —

Unbeaten is hard to do in the Cardinal. FCA could do the feat. FC did it in ‘21 and ‘19 (and they very well could’ve done it in ‘20, too ). FCA being pretty gifted on offense and solid on defense sets them up well; their pitching I like. But, holy cow it’s difficult to go undefeated in league play. ‘19 FC did with the trio of arms in Faulkner, Piko and Turner… but not without the b7 heroics of then-sophomore Aidan Harris to walk it off (Jack Faulkner’s trademark “get a young guy up there who can provide a spark” approach) against Berne; ‘21 required three arms (which to this day, looking back at that plan and how it worked out, makes me laugh and grin because of how ballsy yet masterful it was) in an 11-inning game at Beavers (still the best I’ve seen in league play.)

I think it’s possible that there’s three 10-league win teams this year. I don’t necessarily think it’ll split 14-0, 12-2, 10-4; it could be 13-1, 13-1, 10-4 or… more realistically (the most realistic of the three 10-wins finish scenario) 13-1, 12-2, 11-3 (or 10-4 instead of 11-3.) And if that’s the case… I’m chalking The Port as one of those three teams.

 

[BigPerm777]

^to explain this point in a more numerical manner…

Since 2012, there have only been two league races where the runner-up finished exactly two games behind first place.

2019: FC 14-0, BU 12-2
2017: BU 9-1, FC 7-3

Since 2012, there have been two times where the league had three teams finish with 10-or-more league victories.

2018: FC 12-2, GCC 12-2, BU 11-3 (and I believe this is the year BU was poised to actually finish 12-2 and force a three-way tie… if not Wellington smacking TWO grand slams on the Rockets in the final game of the league season.)

2013: LU 12-2, FC 11-3, Licking Heights 11-3. And this league season had TWO dudes go on to Major League Baseball! You had to be there.

— — —

Unbeaten is hard to do in the Cardinal. FCA could do the feat. FC did it in ‘21 and ‘19 (and they very well could’ve done it in ‘20, too ). FCA being pretty gifted on offense and solid on defense sets them up well; their pitching I like. But, holy cow it’s difficult to go undefeated in league play. ‘19 FC did with the trio of arms in Faulkner, Piko and Turner… but not without the b7 heroics of then-sophomore Aidan Harris to walk it off (Jack Faulkner’s trademark “get a young guy up there who can provide a spark” approach) against Berne; ‘21 required three arms (which to this day, looking back at that plan and how it worked out, makes me laugh and grin because of how ballsy yet masterful it was) in an 11-inning game at Beavers (still the best I’ve seen in league play.)

I think it’s possible that there’s three 10-league win teams this year. I don’t necessarily think it’ll split 14-0, 12-2, 10-4; it could be 13-1, 13-1, 10-4 or… more realistically (the most realistic of the three 10-wins finish scenario) 13-1, 12-2, 11-3 (or 10-4 instead of 11-3.) And if that’s the case… I’m chalking The Port as one of those three teams.

I think the thing that will hold Port back is the lack of pitching depth and not being able to replace the bats they lost from last years teams. The schedule for them isn’t set up well at all. You pointed out their first round with Fisher Berne and FCA all in a row. The second round on their schedule has the top four in a row starting with Rosecrans then Fisher Berne and FCA. I’m putting Port right now to finish 5th possibly 4th.

 

[The Dock]

I think the thing that will hold Port back is the lack of pitching depth and not being able to replace the bats they lost from last years teams. The schedule for them isn’t set up well at all. You pointed out their first round with Fisher Berne and FCA all in a row. The second round on their schedule has the top four in a row starting with Rosecrans then Fisher Berne and FCA. I’m putting Port right now to finish 5th possibly 4th.

If today ends up getting lopped then it could help cut the burden down a little bit for the Lakers the first time around. I know if today is somehow a go that Port can make the scheduled ‘3 hard games in 5 days’ work in accordance with the pitch count, but it’d still be a little rough.

Weather looks bad next week. Fingers crossed for all that the forecast changes.

 

[The Dock]

So, we have an interesting wrinkle already. Before I mention it: it appears all of the Saturday games (except BU/Danville) are off, so no FC vs the New Lex cousins and no Rosecrans DH vs Steubenville Central.

Monday 4/3 became an intriguing day. There are two games with considerable league implications. Berne goes up by The Lake, and FC goes to The Gant to take on the sister school.

It doesn’t appear that Berne has landed on a #1 starter yet. I know their pitching room has kinda had some turnover, in no small part due to graduations and other things. I don’t see Hudson Gerken (who did well on the hill his freshman year) as taking any innings this week — he didn’t throw last year either. BU can still be solid with the stick, though, and it looks like they’re getting Nemeth across the diamond (e.g. playing in CF) to provide a boost. MP: either of the arms can do good work in this one (there also might not be an advantage to having one versus the other being held back vs FCA the next day since there’s familiarity on the Knights’ side with both dudes and vice-versa — summer ball can make a small world.)

Fisher / Rosecrans: I’m excited for this one in general. It should be a pretty good game. FC has a prime opportunity to get a win over the Bishops, here.

 

[BigPerm777]

So, we have an interesting wrinkle already. Before I mention it: it appears all of the Saturday games (except BU/Danville) are off, so no FC vs the New Lex cousins and no Rosecrans DH vs Steubenville Central.

Monday 4/3 became an intriguing day. There are two games with considerable league implications. Berne goes up by The Lake, and FC goes to The Gant to take on the sister school.

It doesn’t appear that Berne has landed on a #1 starter yet. I know their pitching room has kinda had some turnover, in no small part due stick, though, and it looks like they’re getting Nemeth across the diamond (e.g. playing in CF) to provide a boost. MP: either of the arms can do good work in this one (there also might not be an advantage to having one versus the other being held back vs FCA the next day since there’s familiarity on the Knights’ side with both dudes and vice-versa — summer ball can make a small world.)

Fisher / Rosecrans: I’m excited for this one in general. It should be a pretty good game. FC has a prime opportunity to get a win over the Bishops, here

I’m guessing Moore is going to be the #1 for Berne. He’s good pitcher and pretty consistent. Stat line against Newark Catholic is one to look at. Gerken has an on going arm issue. Doubt if you see him pitching.

Rosecrans Fisher is a huge game early on. If you look at Rosecrans schedule they hands down have the best set up they way it’s spaced out with the better teams in the league. Fisher gets the win will make a statement early on.

I don’t think any team will go undefeated in the league this year. The top 5 teams in the league can beat each other. We will see how it pans out.

 

[The Dock]

I’m guessing Moore is going to be the #1 for Berne. He’s good pitcher and pretty consistent. Stat line against Newark Catholic is one to look at. Gerken has an on going arm issue. Doubt if you see him pitching.

Rosecrans Fisher is a huge game early on. If you look at Rosecrans schedule they hands down have the best set up they way it’s spaced out with the better teams in the league. Fisher gets the win will make a statement early on.

I don’t think any team will go undefeated in the league this year. The top 5 teams in the league can beat each other. We will see how it pans out.

Good stuff.

One interesting thing about FC v BR is pitching leverage. Both teams should have everyone available if need be (duh), but BR is playing three league games in a row (GCC on Tuesday, BU on Weds) and Beallsville on Thursday… whereas FC’s only other game for the week is Miller on Weds.

Handful of possibilities on how they can take Monday on. It’s a powerful thing to have a confident pitching staff, and Fisher can get creative in a gameplan when they have arms to spare. They all did well last week. No way to know if it’ll play out to be a ‘go the distance,’ relief, or a starter/middle relief/save situation… just that a stiff seven innings is likely in sunny Zanesville. And if it’s a 15-inning game (Gant has lights), ‘Crans will need to get the fourth FC arm chased off in order for it to get possibly easier. No doubt there are some scores these boys want to settle — they let Rosecrans off the hook last year, in the rematch, for dancing on the field @ The Ben after snapping the league-winning streak.

I did see where Amanda beat Athens 11-1 today. ???

 

[bballfan48]

GCC has yet to play a game. The weather is not looking great for this week either.

 

[The Dock]

GCC has yet to play a game. The weather is not looking great for this week either.

Hope Coach McCampbell is doing well these days. It’s going to be weird not seeing the longtime Dean of Cardinal Skippers out there this year!

Man was there from the beginning!

 

[KurtanskyField]

Miller this week
4/3 GCC
4/5 @ FC
4/6 Southern

 

[The Dock]

Miller this week
4/3 GCC
4/5 @ FC
4/6 Southern

Good opportunity for Miller to turn a winning record for week 2.

Might have to give the Southern Perry vs Southern Meigs rubber match a look on Thursday.

 

[BigPerm777]

Good stuff.

One interesting thing about FC v BR is pitching leverage. Both teams should have everyone available if need be (duh), but BR is playing three league games in a row (GCC on Tuesday, BU on Weds) and Beallsville on Thursday… whereas FC’s only other game for the week is Miller on Weds.

Handful of possibilities on how they can take Monday on. It’s a powerful thing to have a confident pitching staff, and Fisher can get creative in a gameplan when they have arms to spare. They all did well last week. No way to know if it’ll play out to be a ‘go the distance,’ relief, or a starter/middle relief/save situation… just that a stiff seven innings is likely in sunny Zanesville. And if it’s a 15-inning game (Gant has lights), ‘Crans will need to get the fourth FC arm chased off in order for it to get possibly easier. No doubt there are some scores these boys want to settle — they let Rosecrans off the hook last year, in the rematch, for dancing on the field @ The Ben after snapping the league-winning streak.

I did see where Amanda beat Athens 11-1 today. ???

Sounds like Cade Pugh is going to be Berne Unions # pitcher.

 

[The Dock]

Score settled.

 

[KurtanskyField]

Miller 8
GCC 5

 

[BigPerm777]

Score settled.

View attachment 40449

Big Win for FC.

 

[The Dock]

Big Win for FC.

If you told me “it” goes sideways not once, but twice, in the first half of the game along with several “Entrance of the Gladiators” moments in the field and on the paths down the stretch, and the top of the order doesn’t have a big day… I’d guess the result, and I’d have been wrong.

Weird how things can be both not pretty, at times, but poetic and just. Well-deserved win. How so? You dig deep. Underclassmen and juniors played their part at the plate & the work wholesale rose above expectations — clutch teamwork wire-to-wire from the 5-9 holes. Defense dug deep and put errors behind them.

Nick Dolci — W (2-0); CG; 11 K 1 BB 1 ER. Just another damn good game from the senior on the hill start to finish. The other end of the battery is looking good. Proud of, and happy for, this young man.

Just proud of this team all over. They deserved the win.

— — —

Baseball’s a team sport.

 

[BigPerm777]

If you told me “it” goes sideways not once, but twice, in the first half of the game along with several “Entrance of the Gladiators” moments in the field and on the paths down the stretch, and the top of the order doesn’t have a big day… I’d guess the result, and I’d have been wrong.

Weird how things can be both not pretty, at times, but poetic and just. Well-deserved win. How so? You dig deep. Underclassmen and juniors played their part at the plate & the work wholesale rose above expectations — clutch teamwork wire-to-wire from the 5-9 holes. Defense dug deep and put errors behind them.

Nick Dolci — W (2-0); CG; 11 K 1 BB 1 ER. Just another damn good game from the senior on the hill start to finish. The other end of the battery is looking good. Proud of, and happy for, this young man.

Just proud of this team all over. They deserved the win.

— — —

Baseball’s a team sport.

Great way to start out league play. On the road against one of the top teams in the league and take home a win. I think what we seen early so far FC is going to compete with a chance to win the league. It’s a three team race with FC FCA and Rosecrans. I would put money on thst nobody is going undefeated in league play. FC has 3 good starting pitchers and shown early the bottom half can help win games on offense. FCA has depth in the pitching and has a nice offensive lineup top to bottom. Rosecrans not sure on pitching but Hartman needs to get back on track next outing. MIllersport has no depth in pitching beside their top two and the bats need major major improvement. FCA should have no problem with MIllersport tomorrow. To me they are eliminated from making a run. Berne can hit a little but we will see where their pitching can take them. I don’t think they can make a run either.

 

[The Dock]

Great way to start out league play. On the road against one of the top teams in the league and take home a win. I think what we seen early so far FC is going to compete with a chance to win the league. It’s a three team race with FC FCA and Rosecrans. I would put money on thst nobody is going undefeated in league play. FC has 3 good starting pitchers and shown early the bottom half can help win games on offense. FCA has depth in the pitching and has a nice offensive lineup top to bottom. Rosecrans not sure on pitching but Hartman needs to get back on track next outing. MIllersport has no depth in pitching beside their top two and the bats need major major improvement. FCA should have no problem with MIllersport tomorrow. To me they are eliminated from making a run. Berne can hit a little but we will see where their pitching can take them. I don’t think they can make a run either.

Rosecrans — TBH, I have no idea what to expect out of these guys… they’ve managed to continuously exceed expectations (at least mine) and they’ve sniped some wins against the top of the league. I guess the main thing that stands between them and driving the league title race is whether they can build some pitching depth (with an established 1-and-2.) They’ve been both capable of pulling upsets but also getting beat through attrition on the rubber in the same week.

^ 2/10/23

I think I got this one right. They have talent and interesting batting order (nice scattering of lefties) that can possibly generate some run damage against ~90% (?) of the league’s arms. They aren’t necessarily bad defensively either.

It looks like they’re doing the (rare these days) “catcher 1a is pitcher 1b; catcher 1b is pitcher 1a — they catch for another and catcher 1a takes all other appearances when he’s not throwing” like they did last year. This system kinda went extinct at most places when they changed the days of rest rule to pitches instead of innings. I get it; small roster and you work with what you have. It’s just a really tenuous and risky path to go down.

Looking back at the game, to what you were alluding to on him, literal 3-up 3-down the first two innings by us. Aggravating to watch only because I would’ve liked to seen them put some stress on him early. They left him off the hook, and they shouldn’t have. Didn’t have to break a sweat the first two innings pitching. Back of the order came through with the right mentality and dared to him pitch. Wore down every way imaginable.

Game to watch now, tomorrow, is Rosecrans/GCC. I assume they are going to throw the 3 with the 4 in relief in Grove City (might be a dice roll) in the hopes that they can snipe Berne with Bernath? As far as I can tell they basically bit the bullet when they relieved him today (threw a freshman into the fire and rode him out.)

 

[The Dock]

What’s the deal with being down on Port, brother man? They beat BU.

GC is too much of a pain for me this year. Did they throw Levacy or Jakeway? Or is this a “come to Beavers tomorrow to find out?”

 

[BigPerm777]

What’s the deal with being down on Port, brother man? They beat BU.

GC is too much of a pain for me this year. Did they throw Levacy or Jakeway? Or is this a “come to Beavers tomorrow to find out?

Definitely a good win for Port. Not trying to be down on them. Just throwing out what I have seen with them so far. They will definitely get wins with Levacy and Jakeway. Unfortunately I think lack of experience on the field and lack of hitting will get them. They definitely have room to improve and I think they will. Jakeway pitched 6 innings tonight with Levacy closing the game in the 7th. So that leaves Levacy for tomorrow at Beaver.

 

[The Dock]

Definitely a good win for Port. Not trying to be down on them. Just throwing out what I have seen with them so far. They will definitely get wins with Levacy and Jakeway. Unfortunately I think lack of experience on the field and lack of hitting will get them. They definitely have room to improve and I think they will. Jakeway pitched 6 innings tonight with Levacy closing the game in the 7th. So that leaves Levacy for tomorrow at Beaver.

Love seeing kids come in for the save, and getting it. Good stuff. Thanks for the info!

 

[CBusGuy23]

Any thoughts or breakdown on the MSL Buckeye this year??? With Miller graduating is it more wide open? Is there a favorite?

 

[The Dock]

Any thoughts or breakdown on the MSL Buckeye this year??? With Miller graduating is it more wide open? Is there a favorite?

FU beat Circleville last night. *[puts hands up; palms facing out]* I haven’t given FU their love, and took the wrong things away from their scrim vs FCA.

HT is a rising program.

BC should still be solid. When does [first name, last name] return to the field for BC this season?

 

[Coach Buckeye]

Love seeing kids come in for the save, and getting it. Good stuff. Thanks for the info!

Great game all around BU has stuff to figure out I think they left 8 on bases, 3 recorded errors I think there should have been some others given but you know how that works lol. Pugh did a heck of a job on his second outing of the year 93 - 51 strikes faced 20 batters 10 were strike outs followed up by Moore 5 batters 22 -16 strikes 3 strike outs outs.