Mid-State League 2021
- Thread starter The Dock
- Start date
bballfan48
Active member
I heard this morning that GCC is back in quarantine. That will make for a rough stretch of games once they come back.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
Everyone’s catching some brutal breaks. FC just lost their #1 pitcher/starting 3B for about a week & and a half as he had an emergency appendectomy Wednesday afternoon. Could really use him vs Berne today. Looks like we’re getting a split title after all, now.
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WishIWasGolfing
Active member
I was late to this league's thread this year (basketball / followed on JJHuddle). A very close friend of mine is the head basketball coach at Grove City Christian. They have really had their struggles with athletes and quarantines this season. I have known Chris for over 30 years, and he was absolutely distraught this season. Hopefully the baseball team can get things going.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
Timlin’s a good man. Yeah— basketball was brutal for everyone this year with the repeated shutdowns across the board.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
GAME OF THE DECADE...
Fisher Catholic 5
Berne Union 4, F/11
Berne Union belted runs in each of the first three frames, before FC gets a 4-run rally on two outs in the top of the fifth. BU’s Dylan Winkler lands a 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to send it into extras. Enter the top of the 11th, 8-hole hitter Sean Harp hits a blooper into shallow center field that scores Chase Springer on 2-outs to give the Irish a 5-4 lead.
Nick Krooner (FC) is your MSL-Cardinal player of the year. He deserves it. Nick came onto the bump in the bottom of the 9th to relieve Springer, and went 2.2 IP the rest of the way — only surrendering one hit, while striking 4 (including the last two batters of the game.) Made one hell of a play catching the pop-out at the Fisher dugout on the run. Oh, and he destroyed a 2-2 fastball for a 2-RBI triple in deep left-center field at Beavers Field.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
The only real “update” for the Cardinal is FC still has a 2-game lead (10-0 to 8-2) over Berne Union for first place. Barring any unforeseen upsets at the hands of GCC (first game 10-0 f/5) FCA (13-3 f/5), MP (10-2), the Irish will have the league wrapped up... again.
I guess it is to be determined the fate of the FC/Rosecrans game — game started on Wednesday night but was suspended in the bottom of the 1st, with FC leading 12-0. Supposedly this game might not be made-up.
I guess it is to be determined the fate of the FC/Rosecrans game — game started on Wednesday night but was suspended in the bottom of the 1st, with FC leading 12-0. Supposedly this game might not be made-up.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
Central District final Coaches Poll is out. Newark Catholic (3 first place votes) edges Fisher Cath (2 first place votes) 76 to 74 in standings points.
Statewide Poll is out, and Fisher jumps NC. FC is #6, NC is #7
State brackets are out for D4
Central 1 plays Toronto or Berlin Hiland in Region 15 semi-final
Central 2 plays Southwest District team (looks like it is Ft Loramie or Newton)
@gils OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO
Statewide Poll is out, and Fisher jumps NC. FC is #6, NC is #7
State brackets are out for D4
Central 1 plays Toronto or Berlin Hiland in Region 15 semi-final
Central 2 plays Southwest District team (looks like it is Ft Loramie or Newton)
@gils OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
@bballfan48 seems like Haines (sp?) has done decent on the bump for GCC— just has had the misfortune of facing some difficult offenses. They seem to ride him hard, too.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
Fisher beats DeSales 1-0 f/8
Aidan Harris hits a walk-off to deep left field in his first game back from his appendectomy.
For anyone curious about “pitching”, an opponent that faced the same two pitchers FC faced was Cincinnati Elder (SFD lost 3-2.)
vs FC...
Devin McInerney 7IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Cedric Stewart 0.1IP, 2 H, 2IBB, 1 K
vs Elder...
Devin McInerney 5.2IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Cedric Stewart 0.1IP, 1 H
Aidan Harris hits a walk-off to deep left field in his first game back from his appendectomy.
For anyone curious about “pitching”, an opponent that faced the same two pitchers FC faced was Cincinnati Elder (SFD lost 3-2.)
vs FC...
Devin McInerney 7IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 3 K
Cedric Stewart 0.1IP, 2 H, 2IBB, 1 K
vs Elder...
Devin McInerney 5.2IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Cedric Stewart 0.1IP, 1 H
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Chase Springer pitched a complete 8 innings against Desales. Only gave up 3 hits the entire game and 5k’s. To hold a team like Desales to 0 runs in 8 innings is unreal. They are a run scoring machine. They just put up 4 runs against Bloom Carroll. He has pitched every big game FC has had this year. Only gave up a total of 2 runs in 14.2 innings pitched against Berne Union. He should be considered player of the year in the Cardinal Division. When your best beats the best in your league every time he pitches. Racking up stats against lesser opponents shouldn’t be taken into consideration.
Also not mentioned JJ Viau had the lead off hit in the 8th inning. He also stole second base and scored the game winning run. Deserves some credit. (Against Desales
You also said we would lose against Berne our second game and split. Springer came in down 2-0 and shut them down for 8 innings to lead FC to a win. Not mentioned by you. Harp has game winning hit.
Please tell the whole story. Not just pump certain players. This is a team.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
FYI — I wrote that recap article on the BU/FC game the parents and players saw, because Wilson flaked on you guys for a track meet. So I know the ‘whole story’ and tell it.
There are four different players from FC worthy of Cardinal POTY honors, IMO (Krooner, Santino, Springer and possibly Harris.) At the time I had written the comment that Nick was worthy of winning it, well, he appeared to be the most convincing because of his two-way play value being integral to FC locking up the league -- in Game 1 vs Berne he had the end-over-end in center field that would've prevented a run scoring; in Game 2 he hits the two-RBI triple to get FC back 'in it' and ended up closing the curtains on BU in game #2 in relief pitching because Springer had to come out due to approaching pitch count. And Chase pitched fantastic against Berne. I'm really proud of, and happy for, Chase and the year he is having. He transformed himself and put in the work. Chase is quite possibly the best, or second-best, pitcher this year IN ALL OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY after Jacob Miller from Liberty Union (who will be pitching in the Major Leagues.) His work against DeSales capitalizes the season he is having.
On the topic of POTY... let's break some things down. The MSL-Cardinal Player of the Year should be someone from FC. But it might not be -- the league coaches chose to screw Dylan Piko (FC) out of it in 2019 despite the fact Fisher ripped the league to pieces. 2 votes went to a player on a team that had SIX league losses, that year. So, it might not even go to someone from FC. There is a very real, and sad, possibility that might happen.
If you feel that Chase isn't getting his due, I'm sorry -- I genuinely am. I know what Chase's numbers are -- they are magnificent, and against a high-level of competition. The reason why I don't post or highlight them is because the coaches might not want teams to know of him. Wilson from the LEG will write six articles on Jacob Miller in a season; Springer will get nary a pittance of press because he plays for FC. He'll write about that awesome 5-4 win BC had over DeSales, but FC shutting DeSales out is the second-to-last paragraph of the daily round-up.
On the topic of highlighting Harris -- the guy is two weeks removed from an emergency internal surgery and is back to playing. Hits the walk-off shot in his first game back against a team that has two D2 State Titles in the past decade chocked to the brim full of kids playing high-level summer ball. Yeah -- it's wrong and a shame that I didn't highlight Chase and the work he did. FC doesn't beat DeSales without Chase pitching his off against SFD.
On the topic of saying Berne was going to beat FC the second time -- yep. Lots of people around the league thought that, too. Word traveled quick that Harris just had to get an organ taken out: it's a 13-man roster where only 11 kids play outside of the Harvest Prep games, and that number of active players got whittled down to 9 + 1. Top-2 pitcher/starting 3B all of a sudden can't play because of an Act of God medical issue... well if you're FC that loss of a player either means you have to bite the bullet when it comes to pitching or with the infield: against one of the best hitting teams in the entire Central District-- and you have literally 48 hours to decide what you're going to do. Plus you're missing the stick that comes with Aidan, even if he was in a batting slump.
The fact that FC beat BU under those insanely-difficult circumstances says A LOT about Fisher. Berne Union is unquestionably a top-15 team in the entire state. Chase Springer is without a doubt the best pitcher the county doesn't know about. It says a lot about the entire team concept that FC resorted to plugging in a true freshman to play 2B in his first ever high school game in the infield while Chase was on the hill in that game -- yeah the freshman had some mistakes that game, but he played gutsy as hell and limited the damage that could've been accrued with that loss of experience*value (TRADE-OFFS) defensively.
The fact that FC beat DeSales 1-0 says A LOT about Fisher. It does.
You're correct that there should be more love given to more kids on the team. But look at it this way, too: OUR LEAGUE DOES NOT LIKE US. Whoever you have to advocate for to get their due, when it comes to FC, you have to fight like hell for as you've learned here today. There are coaches who will intentionally NOT vote for a Fisher player, just to spite FC. There will be coaches in our league, in our district, that will be intentionally dishonest this weekend and LOW-BALL Fisher in tournament seeding to screw us. There's no neutral sites in the tournament, so highest hosts out in the two brackets. Home field advantage. Fisher is a top-2 team in this district (IF NOT THE BEST TEAM, BETTER THAN NC) and a top-6 team in the entire state for Division IV and there will be at least two coaches who will pretend they have never heard of FC beating DeSales 1-0 and vote Fisher some seed like #8. And if you don't believe me, just look at 2019. Fisher sweeps Berne, including 16-2 in Sugar Grove, and the coaches vote Berne Union above FC. BU gets #2 and FC gets #3.
Feel free to be frustrated with me -- you have reason to be. At the end of the day, we're on the same team.
Ya all I’m saying is Fisher has a lot of talent. And I would say every kid has had there time to shine and done something great. It is tough on these boys to only see a few recognized. I’m not saying who deserves player of the year, just saying there are others who should at least be considered. They are High Schoolers now and read these post and articles.
These comments do not serve the kids well and are needless.
Not sure what you expect The Dock (Tom Moore, an FC alum) to say about the entire team on here or on the MSL Forum Twitter. For those who don’t know, Tom has done a great job trying to get the kids promoted and recognized. The Berne game on 4/23, Tom spent all of the next day (Saturday the 24th, which was his birthday) writing about your son and his teammates. Lots of people got to read what he wrote on that game, and it earned a Retweet from a nationally-known sportswriter as well.
Also, Coach Stewart regularly praises and acknowledges the contributions of the entire team as well on Twitter after every game. This is a big difference from Jack Faulkner, a great guy that didn’t do social media.
When it comes to highlighting certain kids, Tom is doing what he thinks is best. I think there is nothing wrong with giving special attention to Krooner, Santino and Harris. Those three kids in particular have given a lot to this program and worked their tails off year-round for four years. Not saying that other seniors didn’t, but those three are cornerstones. They were crucial returning pieces that helped give form and defined roles to the talented, hard-working yet unproven non-seniors that have become solid “glue guys” (to use a term Tom has used often.) Springer has become an ace. Viau has been solid at 2B and in pitching, as has Dolci at 1B and Tencza @ SS. They get timely contributions in small ball and the outfield out of the Burke/Harp/Frank platoon.
If he wasn’t writing about FC, then no one outside the program would be. Check yourself.
Not sure what you expect The Dock (Tom Moore, an FC alum) to say about the entire team on here or on the MSL Forum Twitter. For those who don’t know, Tom has done a great job trying to get the kids promoted and recognized. The Berne game on 4/23, Tom spent all of the next day (Saturday the 24th, which was his birthday) writing about your son and his teammates. Lots of people got to read what he wrote on that game, and it earned a Retweet from a nationally-known sportswriter as well.
Also, Coach Stewart regularly praises and acknowledges the contributions of the entire team as well on Twitter after every game. This is a big difference from Jack Faulkner, a great guy that didn’t do social media.
When it comes to highlighting certain kids, Tom is doing what he thinks is best. I think there is nothing wrong with giving special attention to Krooner, Santino and Harris. Those three kids in particular have given a lot to this program and worked their tails off year-round for four years. Not saying that other seniors didn’t, but those three are cornerstones. They were crucial returning pieces that helped give form and defined roles to the talented, hard-working yet unproven non-seniors that have become solid “glue guys” (to use a term Tom has used often.) Springer has become an ace. Viau has been solid at 2B and in pitching, as has Dolci at 1B and Tencza @ SS. They get timely contributions in small ball and the outfield out of the Burke/Harp/Frank platoon.
If he wasn’t writing about FC, then no one outside the program would be. Check yourself.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
In response to some general points on this sub-discussion...
As it Relates to Player of the Year/"Worthiness" Discussion
There is one specific thing that needs to be addressed and dissected in order to better understand what is being said by me, here: the Mid-State League (as an unwritten rule) does not honor out-of-conference performance in consideration for POTY. I'm not saying its the right way, or the wrong way, about it. It's just the way it is. The award, at its core, has to do with what is done in league play as seen by as many coaches as possible (because the coaches are who vote.)
Chase is in a very unprecedented, unusual and unique situation with his season as it relates to a hypothetical "Player of the Year" candidacy: only one league opponent has seen him pitch this year, and that was Berne Union. A head coach was told that he shutdown DeSales, and their response to that statement was "haven't seen him throw." His batting stats are OK (and I think he's a good hitter with sound plate presence, for sure.) It is just the case, painfully ironic as it may be, that the bigger game of having Chase throw against the best bats on FC's schedule, ensuring that he is well-rested, tracking his pitching and development as a blossoming pitcher throughout the course of the season... and the very wise idea of FC prioritizing him pitching consistently with plenty of rest, using him as an ace to steal non-league games (hello DeSales, Logan) as opposed to having him throw against the Cardinal six times this year across five different opponents as a #1 pitcher (which is what Jack Faulkner, Scott Robinson, John Joyce, Nate Conrad, Scott Burke and other previous FC coaches all would have done with their aces)... might hinder his candidacy. It's sad, yes, but honestly would have been even sadder is if this staff took a lame/non-aggressive approach in their non-league schedule when it came to the arms -- at the expense of signature wins -- just to get their best pitcher the most looks and best stats possible against Fairfield Christian, Rosecrans, Grove City Christian, etc in consideration for POTY. It just would have served NO PURPOSE to do that. I think everyone, if they're being honest about themselves, can understand and appreciate that Springer got to deal against the best competition he reasonably could have (they weren't going to throw him against Sheridan, 3 days after his warrior outing against Berne @ Beavers... not worth the opportunity cost were something to happen to his arm) at the expense of his league candidacy.
When it comes to Krooner/Santino/Harris -- these are the three kids for FC who make the most sense on the basis of their two-way play (supported by numbers), and their impact on the diamond being the most measurable & ultimately the most-observed.
The case for Krooner -- swiss-army knife player. Nick is going to have four pitching decisions in his four Cardinal Division appearances on the hill, all wins (10-0 2-hitter vs GCC; the win against Berne Union round 2 [and while Chase was, again, fantastic against BU, Nick literally had to come in because Chase was about to approach the 125-count that game]; the win against FCA round 2 (suspended game... FCA is not going to beat back the deficit); the win against Rosecrans round 2 (suspended game... Rosecrans is not going to beat back the deficit.) His league batting, offensive value, situational hitting, everything that he brings to the offense, there is only one other player in the entire Cardinal that is within a figurative percentile of him in those values (Sammy Amnah from Berne Union.) Defensively, Nick is the satellite in center field. There isn't a Center-Fielder his caliber there in the Cardinal since FC's Joe Delisio ('13.)
The case for Santino -- Mitch's work behind the plate cannot go unnoticed. It just can't. He is instrumental in making Fisher's pitching prowess possible. I believe Mitch only has two passed balls -- he had no PB's over the 200 pitch, 3-hour and 11-inning marathon versus Berne at Beavers. He has the arm and mechanics to hold runners down, and has picked-off/thrown out a handful of Cardinal opponents. Offensively, he brings so much value with everything he has in plate coverage and athleticism to FC as their lead-off guy.
The case for Harris -- it's what he brings to the infield @ 3B and the dugout. His pitching has been very serviceable in the Cardinal: he's going to have at least a 3-0 record against the Cardinal. The batting #'s aren't at the same level as Nick and Mitch, or even a few other guys, but he's still a presence at the plate and what he brings gives opposing coaches fits. Defensively, FC's best chance to win a tough game comes with him on 3B. It's the value he brings there with Chase on the mound. And Chase is a respectable 3B himself, but the absence of Harris really proved how tight-of-a-line FC was having to walk on infield depth.
Ultimately, if anyone from FC gets it, they'd accept rather humbly and with full support from their teammates. They would probably say it should go instead to someone else on the team. They're great kids and better teammates. All of them.
As it Relates to FC
This is a very special team. It is not your typical D4 by any stretch of the imagination. To echo mslfan, it has "cornerstone" players that helped settle-in a team that hadn't played in two years; it has the "Glue Guys" of Springer, Viau, Tencza, and Dolci in the infield with Burke, Messerly, Harp & Frank (the former two with gained experience in the infield as well.) I like to think of those four as the "Hard Hats" of the team -- their jobs are admittedly not the most glamorous and profiled (LF, RF, 5th combination infielders; 7-8-9 hitters) but they don't complain, they just do it. When they're needed to come up big, they get it done in the field and when the situation calls for it they can move guys over offensively & find ways to get on base to advance the batting order (and score runs) within a frame -- which creates rallies (a la the Berne Union game @ Beavers.)
This coaching staff is unquestionably one of the best Fisher has had in any sport for quite some time, with "best" being assessed the quality*quantity of work they all do; the preparations they make; their overall brain-trust and collective IQ; their player-development abilities. Oh, and they do a remarkable job getting the field ready as well.
Congratulations to FC on receiving the #1 seed in the Central District, Division IV. The only real significance is in the interim, as this year it is especially advantageous because of Home Field Advantage throughout the entire district tournament (there will likely be opponents making a 75-90 minute drive one-way to 1803 Granville Pike) but also because it means FC gets to pick which path to Akron they want. Symbolically, it does mean a lot as well. Past that, everyone is 0-0 when tournament rolls around.
As it Relates to Me and What I Do
There is no one else in the county doing high school sports. It's just Tom Wilson of the L E-G. Which -- Tom does great work, but there specifically are very few opportunities FC is going to have when it is one sportswriter. I don't agree with the way things are in that regard, but Gannett (parent company) didn't ask my opinion on it. My original goal behind the MSL Forum project was to create records, collect historical data, get myself to games to cover games that Tom couldn't. I pay about $25/month for domain and server-pointing to a site (mine) that cannot make money, with the current useful purpose of the site being a digitized collection of MSL records. When baseball is over, I intend on applying for the Historian position of the Mid-State League that has been discussed -- if for some reason I don't apply or don't get picked, I've already told AD's that I am willing to "sell" the site and my reproduction of the records to the league for $1. The Mid-State League does not have a website, so what I have is the closest thing to a useful one for the MSL and it would be a good starting point to help the league enter the digital age.
I have tried to make the MSL Forum a useful project this spring when it comes to quality coverage of as many kids as possible. I have not been able to do so, partly because I am one person and covering the entire Mid-State League (big geographic swath with 22 schools) is really not feasible for me to do. Factor in COVID-attendance restrictions (in that different schools, at least in the beginning, had rules that limited attendance to immediate household members) and the fact 80% of the entire league plays on the same night, and it became apparent that even doing just big baseball games was going to be a real P.I.T.A.
I tried to make the MSL Forum a useful pet project in expanding Cardinal coverage specifically. I reached out to a handful of schools and baseball coaches within the Cardinal on Twitter, asking if they'd be interested in taking the time to answer some questions so I could write pieces on them. The only coach who responded, aside from my obvious tie-in to FC, was Coach Baker from Fairfield Christian. GCC ignored my DM; so did Rosecrans. I reached out to Ryan Weaver at Millersport (not the head coach, but the only visible presence of the team on Twitter) publicly, three times, on Twitter, saying that I would be interested in giving the Lakers some press (after he complained that no one was writing about Millersport) and I received not a single word in reply.
So since I religiously follow FC baseball, it ended up being a hand-in-glove fit that I chronicle them. The plan since last Friday (4/30) has been to try and catch up with Stewart to write a second piece on the team centering around the Glue Guys and Hard Hats, as well as the run-up to the District preview (something I'm still interested in doing) but the issues with rainouts and scheduling has created backlogs & difficult game profiling... making what I'm trying to write about a little tough (plus I want to enjoy the games myself) as well as the fact I'm not trying to take up Stewart's time as "draw day" nears. The other issue for me: I've been busy on Saturdays, as I am the #2 reader in the entire state of Ohio for academic competitions and have read back-to-back Saturdays (missed the TOL game and was busy last night) as both were the State Championships.
Most of the parents know who I am. I'm literally at all of the games, except Meigs (wasn't a matter of distance that kept me away, it was my reluctance toward driving 70mph on the two-lane stretch of 33 at the Athens/Meigs county line) and Logan (was reading at Ohio Academic Competition regionals being held at FC that same day.) I strongly support the kids and would wish my own world away to see them avenge the 2005 team, much less the ghosts of Fisher's past 05-19 at District Finals. They love to play for FC and would give anything, themselves, to ensure the best of fortunes themselves as they prepare, practice and play their butts off to elevate their school for everyone to see at the final stage of this season (wherever/whenever they might be.)
I do what I do because the kids deserve as many opportunities as possible. FC is the road-less-travelled; sad, but true. If they played for Lancaster their opportunities to be in the lights and in the papers would have no boundaries. I also do it because FC can't stand to be continuously frozen out anymore in the local HS sports scene. It's bad enough that FC has had to spend the past decade of having its baseball prowess constantly marginalized and discredited because of the Cardinal, being D4, not to mention all the times it came up short in the District Finals.
I don't know who @Fan01- is; I hold no ill feelings toward them. Truly.
Anyone reading this, feel free to say "yo" next time you see the UNC ballcap or Diamond Supply sweatshirt @ an FC game near you! - TM
As it Relates to Player of the Year/"Worthiness" Discussion
There is one specific thing that needs to be addressed and dissected in order to better understand what is being said by me, here: the Mid-State League (as an unwritten rule) does not honor out-of-conference performance in consideration for POTY. I'm not saying its the right way, or the wrong way, about it. It's just the way it is. The award, at its core, has to do with what is done in league play as seen by as many coaches as possible (because the coaches are who vote.)
Chase is in a very unprecedented, unusual and unique situation with his season as it relates to a hypothetical "Player of the Year" candidacy: only one league opponent has seen him pitch this year, and that was Berne Union. A head coach was told that he shutdown DeSales, and their response to that statement was "haven't seen him throw." His batting stats are OK (and I think he's a good hitter with sound plate presence, for sure.) It is just the case, painfully ironic as it may be, that the bigger game of having Chase throw against the best bats on FC's schedule, ensuring that he is well-rested, tracking his pitching and development as a blossoming pitcher throughout the course of the season... and the very wise idea of FC prioritizing him pitching consistently with plenty of rest, using him as an ace to steal non-league games (hello DeSales, Logan) as opposed to having him throw against the Cardinal six times this year across five different opponents as a #1 pitcher (which is what Jack Faulkner, Scott Robinson, John Joyce, Nate Conrad, Scott Burke and other previous FC coaches all would have done with their aces)... might hinder his candidacy. It's sad, yes, but honestly would have been even sadder is if this staff took a lame/non-aggressive approach in their non-league schedule when it came to the arms -- at the expense of signature wins -- just to get their best pitcher the most looks and best stats possible against Fairfield Christian, Rosecrans, Grove City Christian, etc in consideration for POTY. It just would have served NO PURPOSE to do that. I think everyone, if they're being honest about themselves, can understand and appreciate that Springer got to deal against the best competition he reasonably could have (they weren't going to throw him against Sheridan, 3 days after his warrior outing against Berne @ Beavers... not worth the opportunity cost were something to happen to his arm) at the expense of his league candidacy.
When it comes to Krooner/Santino/Harris -- these are the three kids for FC who make the most sense on the basis of their two-way play (supported by numbers), and their impact on the diamond being the most measurable & ultimately the most-observed.
The case for Krooner -- swiss-army knife player. Nick is going to have four pitching decisions in his four Cardinal Division appearances on the hill, all wins (10-0 2-hitter vs GCC; the win against Berne Union round 2 [and while Chase was, again, fantastic against BU, Nick literally had to come in because Chase was about to approach the 125-count that game]; the win against FCA round 2 (suspended game... FCA is not going to beat back the deficit); the win against Rosecrans round 2 (suspended game... Rosecrans is not going to beat back the deficit.) His league batting, offensive value, situational hitting, everything that he brings to the offense, there is only one other player in the entire Cardinal that is within a figurative percentile of him in those values (Sammy Amnah from Berne Union.) Defensively, Nick is the satellite in center field. There isn't a Center-Fielder his caliber there in the Cardinal since FC's Joe Delisio ('13.)
The case for Santino -- Mitch's work behind the plate cannot go unnoticed. It just can't. He is instrumental in making Fisher's pitching prowess possible. I believe Mitch only has two passed balls -- he had no PB's over the 200 pitch, 3-hour and 11-inning marathon versus Berne at Beavers. He has the arm and mechanics to hold runners down, and has picked-off/thrown out a handful of Cardinal opponents. Offensively, he brings so much value with everything he has in plate coverage and athleticism to FC as their lead-off guy.
The case for Harris -- it's what he brings to the infield @ 3B and the dugout. His pitching has been very serviceable in the Cardinal: he's going to have at least a 3-0 record against the Cardinal. The batting #'s aren't at the same level as Nick and Mitch, or even a few other guys, but he's still a presence at the plate and what he brings gives opposing coaches fits. Defensively, FC's best chance to win a tough game comes with him on 3B. It's the value he brings there with Chase on the mound. And Chase is a respectable 3B himself, but the absence of Harris really proved how tight-of-a-line FC was having to walk on infield depth.
Ultimately, if anyone from FC gets it, they'd accept rather humbly and with full support from their teammates. They would probably say it should go instead to someone else on the team. They're great kids and better teammates. All of them.
As it Relates to FC
This is a very special team. It is not your typical D4 by any stretch of the imagination. To echo mslfan, it has "cornerstone" players that helped settle-in a team that hadn't played in two years; it has the "Glue Guys" of Springer, Viau, Tencza, and Dolci in the infield with Burke, Messerly, Harp & Frank (the former two with gained experience in the infield as well.) I like to think of those four as the "Hard Hats" of the team -- their jobs are admittedly not the most glamorous and profiled (LF, RF, 5th combination infielders; 7-8-9 hitters) but they don't complain, they just do it. When they're needed to come up big, they get it done in the field and when the situation calls for it they can move guys over offensively & find ways to get on base to advance the batting order (and score runs) within a frame -- which creates rallies (a la the Berne Union game @ Beavers.)
This coaching staff is unquestionably one of the best Fisher has had in any sport for quite some time, with "best" being assessed the quality*quantity of work they all do; the preparations they make; their overall brain-trust and collective IQ; their player-development abilities. Oh, and they do a remarkable job getting the field ready as well.
Congratulations to FC on receiving the #1 seed in the Central District, Division IV. The only real significance is in the interim, as this year it is especially advantageous because of Home Field Advantage throughout the entire district tournament (there will likely be opponents making a 75-90 minute drive one-way to 1803 Granville Pike) but also because it means FC gets to pick which path to Akron they want. Symbolically, it does mean a lot as well. Past that, everyone is 0-0 when tournament rolls around.
As it Relates to Me and What I Do
There is no one else in the county doing high school sports. It's just Tom Wilson of the L E-G. Which -- Tom does great work, but there specifically are very few opportunities FC is going to have when it is one sportswriter. I don't agree with the way things are in that regard, but Gannett (parent company) didn't ask my opinion on it. My original goal behind the MSL Forum project was to create records, collect historical data, get myself to games to cover games that Tom couldn't. I pay about $25/month for domain and server-pointing to a site (mine) that cannot make money, with the current useful purpose of the site being a digitized collection of MSL records. When baseball is over, I intend on applying for the Historian position of the Mid-State League that has been discussed -- if for some reason I don't apply or don't get picked, I've already told AD's that I am willing to "sell" the site and my reproduction of the records to the league for $1. The Mid-State League does not have a website, so what I have is the closest thing to a useful one for the MSL and it would be a good starting point to help the league enter the digital age.
I have tried to make the MSL Forum a useful project this spring when it comes to quality coverage of as many kids as possible. I have not been able to do so, partly because I am one person and covering the entire Mid-State League (big geographic swath with 22 schools) is really not feasible for me to do. Factor in COVID-attendance restrictions (in that different schools, at least in the beginning, had rules that limited attendance to immediate household members) and the fact 80% of the entire league plays on the same night, and it became apparent that even doing just big baseball games was going to be a real P.I.T.A.
I tried to make the MSL Forum a useful pet project in expanding Cardinal coverage specifically. I reached out to a handful of schools and baseball coaches within the Cardinal on Twitter, asking if they'd be interested in taking the time to answer some questions so I could write pieces on them. The only coach who responded, aside from my obvious tie-in to FC, was Coach Baker from Fairfield Christian. GCC ignored my DM; so did Rosecrans. I reached out to Ryan Weaver at Millersport (not the head coach, but the only visible presence of the team on Twitter) publicly, three times, on Twitter, saying that I would be interested in giving the Lakers some press (after he complained that no one was writing about Millersport) and I received not a single word in reply.
So since I religiously follow FC baseball, it ended up being a hand-in-glove fit that I chronicle them. The plan since last Friday (4/30) has been to try and catch up with Stewart to write a second piece on the team centering around the Glue Guys and Hard Hats, as well as the run-up to the District preview (something I'm still interested in doing) but the issues with rainouts and scheduling has created backlogs & difficult game profiling... making what I'm trying to write about a little tough (plus I want to enjoy the games myself) as well as the fact I'm not trying to take up Stewart's time as "draw day" nears. The other issue for me: I've been busy on Saturdays, as I am the #2 reader in the entire state of Ohio for academic competitions and have read back-to-back Saturdays (missed the TOL game and was busy last night) as both were the State Championships.
Most of the parents know who I am. I'm literally at all of the games, except Meigs (wasn't a matter of distance that kept me away, it was my reluctance toward driving 70mph on the two-lane stretch of 33 at the Athens/Meigs county line) and Logan (was reading at Ohio Academic Competition regionals being held at FC that same day.) I strongly support the kids and would wish my own world away to see them avenge the 2005 team, much less the ghosts of Fisher's past 05-19 at District Finals. They love to play for FC and would give anything, themselves, to ensure the best of fortunes themselves as they prepare, practice and play their butts off to elevate their school for everyone to see at the final stage of this season (wherever/whenever they might be.)
I do what I do because the kids deserve as many opportunities as possible. FC is the road-less-travelled; sad, but true. If they played for Lancaster their opportunities to be in the lights and in the papers would have no boundaries. I also do it because FC can't stand to be continuously frozen out anymore in the local HS sports scene. It's bad enough that FC has had to spend the past decade of having its baseball prowess constantly marginalized and discredited because of the Cardinal, being D4, not to mention all the times it came up short in the District Finals.
I don't know who @Fan01- is; I hold no ill feelings toward them. Truly.
Anyone reading this, feel free to say "yo" next time you see the UNC ballcap or Diamond Supply sweatshirt @ an FC game near you! - TM
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Perfect, this is exactly what I am talking about. I get it there seniors. I definitely think Krooner, Santino and Harris are great baseball players deserving tons of credit for the success of FC season so far. Even more important is they are great young men. All deserving of poty award. No one ever said they didn’t deserve it. If you read the post it says there are others who are deserving of consideration. So why so defensive? Maybe you need to check yourself.
And you mentioned all the other top players on the team. That’s what I said others have contributed big time and deserve credit. So thanks for giving it to them. You say it yourself special attention to a few players. Don’t make the mistake of thinking Tenza, Springer, Viau, Dolci, Burke and some of the other players haven’t worked there butts off there whole life to get to this point
You’re talking about junior’s and Seniors, 1 year. We’re not talking about a 10 year vet and a rookie. It’s also pretty disrespectful to say those three are the cornerstone and not throw Tenza and Springer in that mix and call them the glue. And Viau and Dolci are having great years. I believe there both Sophomores. So it’s there first year of varsity baseball. Both special players.
Think about this way. Desales game 1 to 0. Sophomore Viau leads off the 8th inning with a single, steals second. They walk bases loaded intentionally. Ball hit to outfield he scored to win the game. No mention of him. IMO that’s wrong. Why just because he’s a sophomore and not a senior. You never no when it could be your last game no matter what grade your in.
Bottom line like I said in previous post they are a team and all need each other to be successful. I’m pretty sure that’s what we all want is success for all of them.
Perfect, this is exactly what I am talking about. I get it there seniors. I definitely think Krooner, Santino and Harris are great baseball players deserving tons of credit for the success of FC season so far. Even more important is they are great young men. All deserving of poty award. No one ever said they didn’t deserve it. If you read the post it says there are others who are deserving of consideration. So why so defensive? Maybe you need to check yourself.
And you mentioned all the other top players on the team. That’s what I said others have contributed big time and deserve credit. So thanks for giving it to them. You say it yourself special attention to a few players. Don’t make the mistake of thinking Tenza, Springer, Viau, Dolci, Burke and some of the other players haven’t worked there butts off there whole life to get to this point
You’re talking about junior’s and Seniors, 1 year. We’re not talking about a 10 year vet and a rookie. It’s also pretty disrespectful to say those three are the cornerstone and not throw Tenza and Springer in that mix and call them the glue. And Viau and Dolci are having great years. I believe there both Sophomores. So it’s there first year of varsity baseball. Both special players.
Think about this way. Desales game 1 to 0. Sophomore Viau leads off the 8th inning with a single, steals second. They walk bases loaded intentionally. Ball hit to outfield he scored to win the game. No mention of him. IMO that’s wrong. Why just because he’s a sophomore and not a senior. You never no when it could be your last game no matter what grade your in.
Bottom line like I said in previous post they are a team and all need each other to be successful. Impretty sure that’s what we all want is success for all of them.
I was not knocking you for anything and do appreciate your support for Fisher. I was just simply stating others deserve a lot of credit also. Not sure where this may have turned into an attack, intentions were not meant for that. Just different opinions and that ok.
I personally believe who is called on in every big game and performs should be rewarded for that. It’s not there fault they are saved to pitch the big games. Its actually an honor. And when they perform well they should be rewarded regardless of grade.
I look at the Moore kid from Berne, great pitcher. Hurts arm early in the season and can’t pitch the rest of the year. No season last year so he hasn’t played school ball since his sophomore year. If he was the most dominant as a sophomore but passed up because coaches think he’s got 2 mores years to pitch and show more, they were wrong(hypothetical not saying it happened). He lost last year and got injured this year. And it’s his senior year. It’s unfortunate for him would have really liked to see him successful on the mound this year.
As far as voting goes I understand that’s out of your control. You just hope coaches do what they truly believe is right. Thanks for the conversation. And gain I do appreciate your dedication to this team and was not knocking you. Was just pointing out others deserve some credit to.
FrozenRope9
Member
This is not a good look for FC Baseball and frankly it’s embarrassing. It goes against EVERYTHING the coaching staff is trying to instill in the players...selflessness! The hashtag #ubuntu that they have used all season means “I am because we are!” Look it up. Be selfless, be a great teammate. Another one is #MUDITA. Having genuine joy and happiness for others success. Not one single player would be having the individual success they are having without their teammates. Nobody should care who gets the credit as long as the team is winning. This is a team game. There’s never in the history of baseball been a player good enough to win alone. Individual stats and accolades mean nothing.
Please stop! This childish bickering between adults can easily trickle down to the players and derail a great season and that would be a shame! Can’t win with selfish attitudes, and that includes the parents!
Please stop! This childish bickering between adults can easily trickle down to the players and derail a great season and that would be a shame! Can’t win with selfish attitudes, and that includes the parents!
Boy you are on a roll this weekend. Just read your self imposed Bio on why you do this. Then say Berne is running away from FC (Classy). Look at other brackets, that's generally how it goes. The number 2 pick goes opposite the 1. Even if they had played beating them a 3rd time would be no easy task. I don't see other school's shaming a team for there selection.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
No shaming, here. Just stating the facts — Cupp asked his team if they wanted to play FC a third time. Team said yes. He goes opposite bracket anyways. After weeks of saying he was going to chase them, no less!
Berne’s had a great season. I believe they’re closing in on their school’s first ever District Title (presuming chalk holds, and they win) since the A-Classifications of 45+ years. Good luck to BU; truly. Was widely thought between both communities there would be a Round 3 — there wasn’t. I think anyone would respect a coach doing what they believed put their team in the best position to advance — I do. But I make the note, anyways, that apparently Cupp had a change of mind at the last second and took the path away from FC. Super risky, because NC hadn’t gone on the board yet. Could’ve been jumped by NC. After weeks of repeated parroting down south that BU was going to try and take FC head on a third-time, it’s decently ironic that when it came time to make a choice they went the opposite bracket. Especially if they thought NC was better than FC— why risk having NC land in your bracket if you’re BU?
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bballfan48
Active member
I always love to hear the tournament draw scenarios! Speaking from basketball experience, you had Rock at Rosecrans last year to try an get Hiland at home instead of neutral site. The year GCC won the district, Timlin passed as the 1 seed to let HP pick and then went right at them!
This one could have played out a few ways. If Fisher wanted, they could have passed to let NC go on the board. That brings it back to them, FC goes away from NC and forces the hand of BU.
The other matchup you look at is the district final and who you play after. I am guessing FC and NC did not want any part of Toronto coming out of the East.
At the end of the day, still have to put the ball into play and make plays. We keep talking about the top three teams, I haven't followed enough to see if there are any sleepers. Anyone making that run that GCC made in '14?
This one could have played out a few ways. If Fisher wanted, they could have passed to let NC go on the board. That brings it back to them, FC goes away from NC and forces the hand of BU.
The other matchup you look at is the district final and who you play after. I am guessing FC and NC did not want any part of Toronto coming out of the East.
At the end of the day, still have to put the ball into play and make plays. We keep talking about the top three teams, I haven't followed enough to see if there are any sleepers. Anyone making that run that GCC made in '14?
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
BU was in an admittedly awkward position when they got put onto the clock:
*East Knox, the #5 seed, was beaten 10-0 in 5 innings by NC when they dealt Householder and Printz (#1 and #2 pitchers) early in the season. It was likely that East Knox was not going to into NC's bracket. Had there been an FC bracket and an NC bracket, with BU in the FC bracket, there was a very plausible chance East Knox was going to "jump" Berne Union and square them off in the District Semi-Final. The District Semi's are two days before the District Finals. That is a possibly bad scenario, if you are Berne Union. First team to 9 runs would probably win that game. Which is to say, East Knox would find a way to whittle down the available arms. Which BU has four of: Winkler, Hurst, Gerken and Homan (am hearing CM is not coming back to pitch this year.) Whoever you throw in that game possibly has to be the best pitching and fielding unit you know you have -- it doesn't matter if you try to save that unit up for FC Round 3... look too far ahead past an opponent you will have limited opportunities to find out about and you could get burned.
*The game of 'spite' probably wasn't the most worthwhile nor most successful idea to begin with for BU. While I think their team would embrace the opportunity to "have the last laugh" and beat their archrivals FC in the tournament, there was also some trepidation in Sugar Grove. There was. Evidently "the devil they don't know" was better to them than the devil that they did know.
//
Re: the very astute observation on Toronto -- the whole Region 15 business (Beavers) was going to be crap soup for the Central 1 winner. The East District champion could be Toronto, Hiland or Shadyside. I believe Shadyside beat Toronto 1-0. The simple factor of geography, plus the lack of readily available information on those three teams, there's just no real way to really know what you're facing. And the way that bracket is set up, Region 15, it's Central 1 vs East & Southeast vs Southeast. The southeast in D4 really has no majorly impressive teams this year (except maybe Paint Valley and Lucasville Valley... the TVC-Hocking was won by a team that won zero out-of-conference games against a mediocre non-league slate: Waterford), and the East District champion probably was going to feel the same way if FC/NC came that way (that FC/NC was better.) So the East would probably throw their #1 out of the absolute stable of arms that Toronto, Hiland and Shadyside all have against FC/NC. Those three all have great pitching rotations -- not saying that FC doesn't (FC has a really great system with serious arm depth themselves.)
Whoever the projected NC/FC winner will face @ Princeton in Region 16 will be a good team. It could be Ft. Loramie, it could be Troy Christian. There are no bad opponents in the tournament, but there are scenarios beyond Districts where a team has an obligation to themselves to do what is best given what's put in front of them. "East District winner" this year is just not the better path to take if you are afforded the luxury of first pick.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
Sleepers -- could be #7 Cardington in the Central 1 bracket. It might be a 'seed upset' if they beat #4 Madison Christian, but it wouldn't be a genuine upset IMO. MC is not that good this year. They lost 4-2 to a Rosecrans team that was missing their starting catcher. Cardington has bats and they have some arms. Beat MC, you likely draw East Knox in a "game 3" KMAC rematch in District semi-finals for the right to play possibly BU for a district title.
Could be #6 Millersport. BU and Millersport still have to play their second MSL game against each other, still. Thinking Millersport might go full tilt and throw everything at BU in District Semi's.
Bottom bracket (Central 2) -- can't take Danville for granted, if you're FC. Just can't.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
I think if you're FC, you have to be pleased with the way things played out. You have to beat a good team to win a District Final; no scrubs make it to the District championship game. You earn the #1 seed, you get home field advantage this year. No neutral sites this season in Districts. The presumptive FC/NC (if chalk holds) District Title game will be played at FC.
For the FC program, it goes without saying what it would mean to beat Newark Catholic in the tournament. That sentence holds true every year. Cannizzaro (NC) knows that, too. More, I will not say.
For the FC program, it goes without saying what it would mean to beat Newark Catholic in the tournament. That sentence holds true every year. Cannizzaro (NC) knows that, too. More, I will not say.
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
Congrats to FC on sealing off the league championship Thursday night, with the undefeated wrap-up tonight.
218-56 in Cardinal play, with a handful of more wins against the Cardinal in the tournament, since 2000. 73-9 against the current alignment, plus 5-0 in the touney. 39-game streak against the Cardinal carries over into 2022. Ten league championships since 2000 (would have a couple more if not for those Dave Klontz-led Heath teams of the early 2000's.)
218-56 in Cardinal play, with a handful of more wins against the Cardinal in the tournament, since 2000. 73-9 against the current alignment, plus 5-0 in the touney. 39-game streak against the Cardinal carries over into 2022. Ten league championships since 2000 (would have a couple more if not for those Dave Klontz-led Heath teams of the early 2000's.)
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The Dock
Persona Non Grata
Millersport 2
Berne Union 1
Fisher 6
Amanda 5 f/8
Soph. Nick Dolci (FC) comes in at gets the ‘W.’
Irish reach 20 wins. Might be the first Cardinal team to hit 20 in the regular season since... (will need to look at the file) Licking Heights in 2013, featuring Ronnie Dawson of the Houston Astros.
Berne Union 1
Fisher 6
Amanda 5 f/8
Soph. Nick Dolci (FC) comes in at gets the ‘W.’
Irish reach 20 wins. Might be the first Cardinal team to hit 20 in the regular season since... (will need to look at the file) Licking Heights in 2013, featuring Ronnie Dawson of the Houston Astros.
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The Dock
Persona Non Grata
So, Fisher played Lancaster last night in a game that went to 9 innings. Gales won 6-5 on a 1-out walk-off. LHS threw some good arms (appreciate it, for sure.)
FC played their tails off, and rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie it in the top of the 5th. Lancaster adds a run in the bottom of the 5th, FC responds in the 6th.
One thing stood out to me: the toughness and determination of the Irish to get back into the game & play it into 9 innings. It may sound clichè, but that was the performance of gutsiness & leadership all around that suggests what kind of ball they can play in the tournament. There were a couple major parts where LHS beat FC (although those may just be a direct product of things FC realistically was going to be limited in), but grit certainly wasn’t one of them. Losses aren’t great, but performances in losing efforts can be great when you lose to a much larger & deeper program that has a solid team of their own. Proud of FC, for real.
FC played their tails off, and rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie it in the top of the 5th. Lancaster adds a run in the bottom of the 5th, FC responds in the 6th.
One thing stood out to me: the toughness and determination of the Irish to get back into the game & play it into 9 innings. It may sound clichè, but that was the performance of gutsiness & leadership all around that suggests what kind of ball they can play in the tournament. There were a couple major parts where LHS beat FC (although those may just be a direct product of things FC realistically was going to be limited in), but grit certainly wasn’t one of them. Losses aren’t great, but performances in losing efforts can be great when you lose to a much larger & deeper program that has a solid team of their own. Proud of FC, for real.
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