SIDELINES NOTEBOOK
Surprising Eastwood reaches baseball regional
5/26/2011The Eastwood baseball team has already won as many tournament games as it did during the regular season.
The Eagles (8-17) play Oak Harbor (13-8) Thursday in a Division II regional semifinal at Tiffin University, and the winner will advance to Friday's final against either Napoleon (19-5) or Parma Heights Holy Name (15-3).
The Eagles' improbable postseason run has been built around pitching and defense.
They did not give up a run in two district wins, beating Lima Shawnee 2-0 in the semifinal, and then Lima Bath 2-0 in Saturday's final.
Freshman lefthander Nick Vespi threw a three-hitter in the semifinal and batted in a run. Justin Faykosh followed with a shutout in the final.
It might be natural to begin drawing comparisons between Eastwood and the 2005 Gibsonburg team which won the D-IV state title with a 14-17 record. But Eagles coach David Barkholtz says that conversation has not been brought up.
The Eagles start three freshmen and two sophomores.
"We haven't talked about anything past whatever we're going to play next," said Barkholtz, in his second year.
The Eagles are hitting just .201, and the team's leading hitter, freshman Jacob Schmeltz (.260), has all singles.
Faykosh, a senior, had a 2.53 ERA prior to his recent shut out. But Vespi (3.45 ERA) could start against Oak Harbor.
"We're playing one pitch at a time, as cliche as it is," Barkholtz said.
Ottawa Hills in regional
Ottawa Hills won its 13th district title with a 14-3 win Saturday over North Baltimore, and will play Stryker (16-8) Thursday in a 2 p.m. regional semifinal at Patrick Henry.
The winner will play either Hopewell-Loudon (18-6) or Delphos St. John's (16-4) at 5 p.m. Friday.
Ottawa Hills (15-12) has made seven trips to the state tournament.
City League playoffs set
The City League baseball playoffs are set for Sunday and Monday at Scott Park.
In Sunday's semifinals, top-seeded St. John's Jesuit (21-4 overall, 10-0 CL) will face fourth-seeded Start (13-10, 7-3) at 2 p.m., and No. 2 seed Whitmer (15-12, 8-2) will take on No. 3 seed Clay (16-9, 8-2) at 5 p.m.
The varsity championship on Monday will follow the 10 a.m. junior varsity championship game, approximately at noon.
WRESTLING
Springfield hires Nagel
Former Delta two-time state runner-up Mark Nagel will be Springfield's wrestling coach, replacing Tim Dishong who retired after 22 years as head coach.
Nagel compiled a 134-14 record at Delta from 2000-03. He made the 215-pound state final in Division III his sophomore and junior seasons before finishing third as a senior at 275 pounds.
He has been an assistant coach at Swanton and last season he worked with heavyweight Mimmo Lytle, who finished his junior season with a 40-0 record and a state title.
Dishong's teams were 243-57-3 in dual matches and won 10 Northern Lakes League championships.
Recknagel to ONU
Rossford senior wrestler D.J. Recknagel will attend Ohio Northern University.
Recknagel won 128 career matches and three Northern Lakes League titles. He was a four-time district qualifier and a two-time state qualifier.
Recknagel placed eighth at the Division II state tournament this year at 189 pounds.
SOFTBALL
Wyse tosses no-hitter at district
Archbold senior ace Sarah Wyse posted back-to-back dominating performances in the district.
Wyse hurled a no-hitter in a 10-0 shutout of Delta in a Division III final at Lima Bath. In a game shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule, Wyse struck out 14 batters. The only ball put into play was a foul pop out.
Courtney Day led the Blue Streaks at the plate, going 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs. Morgan Cody was 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs. Megan Gerig had a pinch hit single that scored two runs.
In the district semifinal, Wyse fanned 12 batters in a five-inning, 13-0 win over Rockford Parkway.
The Blue Streak offense had 11 hits in the game led by Day, who was 2 for 2 with three RBIs. Wyse helped her own cause by going 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Cassidy Wyse was 2 for 3 with two RBIs.
Wyse (23-1) has struck out 251 batters in 150 innings and has an 1.07 ERA.
Archbold (25-1) recently wrapped up its sixth straight Northwest Ohio Athletic League title.
TRACK AND FIELD
Leppelmeier sets state record
McComb senior Jackie Leppelmeier set a new Division III state shot put record on her first throw at the district at Liberty-Benton.
Leppelmeier's toss of 47 feet, 5 inches broke the mark of 47-3 set in 1994 by Danbury's Rebecca Ann Ball.
Leppelmeier, the defending state champ, also won the discus title with a throw of 144-06.
Archbold sweeps at district
Both the Archbold boys and girls track and field teams celebrated Division III district titles at Ayersville.
The Blue Streak boys edged out Liberty Center 110-100.5 to successfully defend their championship. The Archbold girls easily outdistanced Tinora 129-66.
The boys team won on the strength of winning two relay events.
The 800-meter relay team of Desmond Sleigh, Dean Herrett, Noah Keefer, and Danny Young set a meet record with a time of 1:30.29.
Herrett, Keefer, and Young then teamed up with Hayden Stamm to win the 1600 relay in 3:27.17.
Young also took first place in the 300 hurdles (40.65), and Keefer won the 800 meter run (1:57.54). Sleigh captured first in the long jump (21-11), while Herrett won the pole vault (13-0)
Also capturing a title for the Archbold boys was freshman Lincoln Parsley (110 hurdles, 16.87 seconds).
Delta senior Colin Fisher successfully defended his title in the 1600 with a time of 4:29.65. Freshman Nick Demaline, took first in the shot put (45-5.25).
The Blue Streak girls got two individual titles from Kinsey Smith. The sophomore won in the 300 hurdles (48.49) and the long jump (16-6).
Archbold's 1600 relay team of Jesse Fidler, Tressa Parsley, Kassidy Garrow, and Trisha King placed first in 4:08.57.
King also took first in the 800 (2:20.81) for the second straight year.
The Blue Streaks were one-two in the long jump with Rachel Brader (5-1) and Rachel Wiemken (5-0).
The Liberty Center girls set a meet record in the 3200 relay. Erica Bodenbender, Kelly Haubert, Paige Chamberlain, and Ashlyn Moore posted a time of 9:43.47. Chamberlain, a freshman, placed first in the 3200 (12:10.52).
Delta senior Jessica Kern took first in the 1600 in 5:33.77.
BASKETBALL
St. Wendelin hires Rutter
Jim Rutter has been hired as boys basketball coach at Fostoria St. Wendelin.
Rutter was the coach at Fostoria from 1986-99. During his time the Redmen won four Great Lakes League titles and the school's only district title.
He replaces Shawn Ginnan, who resigned after four years.
The Mohawks were 5-14 this past season.
Rutter is currently principal of Vanguard-Sentinel Career and Technology Centers in Fremont.
FOOTBALL
Wauseon, Bryan hire coaches
Two Northwest Ohio Athletic League schools will have new football coaches in the fall.
Both Fairview graduates, one of them has simply changed league locations while the other already works at the school he will now coach.
Travis Cooper, who posted a 19-12 record in the last three seasons at Bryan, including the Golden Bears' first ever playoff berth in 2009, has taken the post at Wauseon.
Filling Cooper's spot at Bryan will be Kevin Kline, who had guided Edgerton to a 21-20 record in the last four years, including the Bulldogs' third playoff berth last season.
Cooper played at Fairview, at both Ohio Northern University and Defiance College, and then served as an assistant coach at Defiance High School.
Cooper succeeds Mark Emans, who posted a 118-99 record in 21 season with four NWOAL titles and a Division III state championship in 1993, when the Indians went 14-0.
Kline is a business teacher at Bryan. Before Edgerton, Kline was a Bryan football assistant for six seasons.