After his team received its district-championship medals and trophy for defeating Valley Forge, 13-0, at Lakewood Stadium on Thursday afternoon, Saint Ignatius baseball coach Brad Ganor told his players that although their ultimate goal is still out there, they should appreciate what they just accomplished and never, never take it for granted.
“Two years in a row, I stood on the other side,’’ Coach Ganor said. “I know how much it hurts.’’
Ganor, who is in his fifth season as the Wildcats’ head coach, was referring to his first two seasons, when talented Saint Ignatius teams were defeated in the district finals. He rebounded from that by guiding the Wildcats to Division I state final-four appearances in 2007 and ’08, including a state runner-up finish last spring.
Although Saint Ignatius has advanced to the final four nine times, winning the state crown in 2002, last year marked the first time the school’s baseball program made consecutive final-four trips.
“If you win by one (run) or 13, it doesn’t matter,’’ said Ganor, who picked up his 117th career victory on Thursday. “And it doesn’t matter who you play. You have to win the district game. You beat who you play and never look ahead.’’
Up next for Ganor’s 2009 Wildcats (23-7) is a trip to the Shelby Regional, where their semifinal opponent will be the state’s No. 1-ranked Strongsville Mustangs (24-3). Coached by former Wildcat Josh Sorge ’91, Strongsville defeated Saint Ignatius, 6-1, during the Strongsville Dugout Club Tournament in late April.
The Wildcats and the Mustangs will play in the 2 p.m. semifinal on May 28. The winner will return to Shelby on May 29 for the 5 p.m. regional championship game. Shelby’s other semifinal, scheduled for 5 p.m. on May 28, matches the Generals from Anthony Wayne (19-7) and the Knights from Toledo St. Francis de Sales (17-7). The Knights are making their first regional appearance since 1999.
It was obvious Saint Ignatius was focused on the task at hand Thursday and not looking ahead to the Sweet 16.
After defeating Olmsted Falls, 14-4, in Tuesday’s district semifinal, the Wildcats took command early against Valley Forge by totaling 10 runs in the first two innings, including a seven-run bottom of the second.
Leading the offensive charge was senior second baseman and Kansas State recruit Brad Clement.
Clement was 4-for-4 on the day with three doubles, four runs driven in and three runs scored. His first double – a line drive to the gap in left-center field – scored junior left fielder Kevin Hopkins and senior shortstop Frank DeSico, who both drew four-pitch walks. A sacrifice fly by senior pitcher Neil Butara made the score 3-0 heading into the decisive second inning.
Butara, who yielded just one hit that resulted from a bad hop off the turf, struck out eight in the four innings he worked. He pointed out that his curveball was “biting’’ really well and he was quick to emphasize how the offense has “just exploded’’ the past few days.
That explosion came loud and clear in the bottom of the second, when Saint Ignatius put together nine consecutive hits in scoring the seven runs.
Junior right fielder Jesse Franklin got things started with a ringing single to right field and Hopkins followed with a sharp single up the middle. Hopkins alertly advanced to second base when the relay throw went to third in an unsuccessful attempt to throw out Franklin.
DeSico, a University of Notre Dame baseball recruit, then hit a Baltimore Chop to the left side of the infield that would have made the late John McGraw and the late Wee Willie Keeler smile. DeSico beat it out for a hit and a RBI. He went on to steal second and, on the catcher’s throw to second base, Hopkins scored from third to make it 5-0.
Yes, there’s nothing like mixing some small ball with extra-base hits.
Those hits kept coming as another double by Clement, this time to the gap in right-center, pushed the Wildcats’ lead to 6-0. Senior designated hitter Brian Lawless followed with a majestic two-run home run that hit the trees behind the fence in right-center and, after a single to right by Butara, junior third baseman Dave Gallagher lifted Mr. Rawlings high in the air and over the 20 foot-plus fence in right field for another two-run jack.
Singles by junior first baseman Mike Burke and senior center fielder Brian Cavanaugh closed out the nine-hit barrage, as Valley Forge (14-10) ended the inning with a 4-6-3 double play and a 4-3 groundout.
The Wildcats, who were ranked 14th in the latest state poll compiled by the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association, rode a leadoff base hit by DeSico, Clement’s third double, a walk to Butara and a two-out, two-run single by Burke to a 12-0 lead in the third inning. They closed out the scoring on singles by Franklin, DeSico and Clement in the bottom of the fourth, and senior southpaw Jack Masin ended the mercy-rule game with three strikeouts in the top of the fifth.
Saint Ignatius totaled 16 hits in the four innings it went to bat.
“We needed that, for sure,’’ said Clement, referring to the Wildcats totaling 29 hits in their last 10 innings. “It’s the playoffs and we’re definitely stepping it up a notch, both with the intensity and the focus.’’