Wednesday, May 30, 2001
Hamilton double-dipping in state tournaments
Baseball, softball teams vie for titles this week
By Neil Schmidt
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hamilton High is sending both its baseball and softball teams to state tournaments, the first such championship week in school history. And that's not the half of it.
On Thursday alone: Both teams play Division I semifinal games at the same time — in different cities. School is canceled. Athletic director Larry Wood is retiring. New AD John Ross is taking over. And baseball coach Dan Bowling is attending the visitation that night for his late father, Walter.
“There are some logistical problems,” softball coach Steve Heckman said. “But having two teams at state is a good problem to have.”
And an unexpected one.
The softball team (24-8), which hadn't been to state since 1987, has five freshmen and just two seniors on its 13-player roster. The baseball team (26-7) endured a 3-5 stretch in midseason.
“Both teams surprised us,” Wood said. “It's a thrill to have one of your teams go to the final four, but having both is quite thrilling.”
The baseball team meets Dublin Coffman (24-7) at 10 a.m. Thursday in Columbus' Cooper Stadium. The softball team plays Whitehouse Anthony Wayne (28-4) at the same time at Ashland's Brookside Park.
The title games for both baseball and softball are scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, though the time of one or the other would be changed if both Hamilton teams make the finals.
Youngstown Boardman — which is also alive in both baseball and softball — could meet Hamilton in both title games.
For the Big Blue, baseball success needs no explanation. Hamilton won the state's big-school division in 1983 and '97 — ranking second in the USA Today Super 25 the latter year — and also made state in 1928 and '98. Alums Joe Nuxhall and Mark Lewis have had long major-league careers.
Bowling said this team gained incentive when it failed to extend its five-year streak as Greater Miami Conference champion.
“The guys said, "We're better than that,'” Bowling said.
Hamilton has won 12 straight games.
Seniors Steve Polen (9-2, 2.72 ERA), Nate Stewart (7-1, 2.15) and Todd Richardson (5-1, 2.40) anchor the pitching staff. Senior Adam Gedling (.455), sophomore Nate Mahon (.448, 44 RBI) and Tommy Begley (.426, 30 RBI) are the top hitters.
Walter Bowling, diagnosed with cancer 2 1/2 years ago, was in a coma Saturday when his son coached Hamilton to its regional triumph over Lakota West, then died that night.
“It has been a roller coaster,” Dan Bowling said. “The kids say they want to win it for my dad.”
The softball team won it all in 1985 but lately has had a series of near-miss bids for state. This spring, it rode the hot arm of sophomore Katie Halcomb (21-6, 0.90). Sophomore Autumn Marshall is batting .491 with 35 RBI. Senior Jair Short (.343), junior Brandi Jones (.394) and freshman D.J. DeLong (.264) also have starred.
“The guys going to state three times in five years is remarkable,” Heckman said. “The girls seeing that the guys have done it lets them know it can be done.”
State baseball schedule |
State softball schedule
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Hamilton double-dipping in state tournaments
