From the home of the Lake County Captains
Eastlake, Ohio - As is his nature, Wildcats highly successful Head Baseball Coach Brad Ganor talked about those he has and had the privilege to coach, and those who believed in him when was chosen as Saint Ignatius' Varsity Skipper in 2005.
"I know this, I didn't win any games," Coach Ganor said after his 2018 Wildcats presented him with career victory 300 on Friday, a 5-0 triumph over one of the most tradition-rich baseball programs in Ohio, 13-time District Champion, six-time Regional Champ and three-time State Champion Canton Central Catholic.
"That's 300 wins with 300 players, many teams and many seasons. I didn't win any of those. The players won them all.
"The only thing I ever wanted to do was create memorable experiences for these kids," continued Coach Ganor, a former baseball and football standout at St. Edward High School, and a baseball mainstay for Cleveland State University. "Have them walk away saying they love Saint Ignatius Baseball more than anything they ever have. I'll keep coming in every day to try to feed that and, if I can do that, I'll be very happy.
"I have been blessed beyond words to be the Head Baseball Coach at Saint Ignatius High School," said Coach Ganor moments after his current Baseball Cats improved to 16-7 and extended their winning streak to four games. "I will forever be indebted to Dale Gabor '66 (former Wildcats Athletic Director) for giving me the chance and for Rory (current Saint Ignatius Athletic Director Rory Fitzpatrick '88) to still be believing in me.
"The support of the Administration means so much," said Coach Ganor, who also serves as Saint Ignatius' Assistant Athletic Director. "It's the best job in the country, in my opinion. There isn't another job I would want and, God willing, I hope I'm here a lot longer."
Entering this season, Brad has guided his Wildcats to six Division I state final four appearances, including a Saint Ignatius baseball best three consecutive trips to state in 2007, '08 and '09. Coach Ganor's 2008 and 2013 'Cats were state runners-up.
Before being named the head man of the Wildcats' Baseball Program, , Coach Ganor was the top Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach for Coach Brian Morgan's 2000 State Runner-Up Team and 2002 State Championship Team. Brad helped hone the skills of the most successful pitcher in Saint Ignatius history, "The Big Lefty," Greg Moviel, who totaled a school-best 36 career victories.
"You're only as good as your last game," Coach Ganor said. "I've been told that before. So on to tomorrow."
Tomorrow, Saturday at high noon to be exact, Coach Ganor's 'Cats will host the Knights from Archbishop Hoban on Baldwin Wallace University's atmosphere-rich Fisher Field. The Knights, who received points in this week's Ohio High Baseball Coaches Association's State Poll, won a Division I Sectional Championship this past week by defeating Brunswick, 6-4. Please note that Saturday's game is the annual Seniors Day recognition.
The Wildcats' Junior Varsity Baseball Team will close out its outstanding season by facing the Knights' Jayvees on Fisher Field following the completion of the Varsity game. This corner will provide coverage on both games.
HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM FRIDAY EVENING'S RECORD NIGHT, AS COACH GANOR'S WILDCATS DODGED A FEW EARLY RAINDROPS AND THEN TOOK CARE OF BUSINESS IN ONE OF THE FINEST MINOR LEAGUE FACILITIES IN THE NATION - CLASSIC PARK.
Off to another fast start: As they did throughout their Division I Sectional Championship week, the Varsity 'Cats wasted little time in taking command against the 16-9 Division III Crusaders of Canton Central Catholic. Friday marked the second time in four games this week that Saint Ignatius defeated a team that is/was seeded No. 1 for the OHSAA Sectional/District Tournament.
The 'Cats started off the week with a 2-1 triumph over the host Trinity Trojans, who are seeded No. 1 at the Division IV Fairport Harbor District. Canton Central Catholic entered the Struthers Division III Sectional/District as the top seed, but was upset in Sectional Final play by Columbiana, 1-0, this week.
With rich-in-promise sophomore Nick Fletcher making his Varsity debut after being called up from the Junior Varsity, Saint Ignatius staked Nick to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and then closed out the evening's scoring with a four-run second inning.
That was more than enough support for Nick, who went six complete innings, threw 82 pitches, struck out three, yielded a walk and limited Canton Central Catholic to two hits. Those base knocks for the Crusaders were produced by junior catcher Cameron Johnson, who singled to center field with two outs and the bases empty in the top of the first inning, and junior third baseman Chris Wilson, who singled up the middle with one out and the bases empty in the top of the sixth.
Top-seeded Saint Ignatius, which will face fourth-seeded North Royalton in an OHSAA Division I District Semifinal on Monday at Strongsville High School (first pitch 2 PM), scored its first run off a leadoff walk by dynamic junior second baseman AJ Gaich, a stolen base by Gaich, a wild pitch and a one-out RBI single off the bat of senior right fielder Jack Eyink, a University of Cincinnati recruit.
Gaich was coming off his big night against Willoughby South on Wednesday at Fisher Field, when AJ set a new Wildcats single-season stolen bases record (see the corner's story on the South game). His SB Friday night now gives AJ 32 on the spring.
Saint Ignatius came right back in the bottom of the second inning and put all of the pressure on the Crusaders by scoring four more times.
Gifted sophomore shortstop Michael McNamara drew a walk with the bases loaded and Jack Eyink promptly cleared the bases with a three-run double to the gap in left-center field.
A CASE FOR THE DEFENSE
Along with Jack Eyink's bat and Fletcher's cool and crafty pitching, Saint Ignatius turned in another solid defensive game.
Junior catcher Austin Jones, a young man who also can handle first and third base and swings a more than capable bat, threw out a runner trying to steal second in the top of the first inning and ended the top of the first by firing a seed to second base that caught a runner straying too far off base.
Senior first baseman/co-Captain Tommy Grosel ate up a line drive in the top of the second inning, McNamara made one of his smooth and strong throws for the first out in the top of the third and Gaich dove to the ground, rolled over and threw out a runner at first to end the top of the third.
Once again, senior Evan Henry was golden in center field.
FROM NICK FLETCHER: "It is a real cool opportunity to be able to play up as a sophomore (where he was unbeaten) and I thank Coach Ganor for giving me the opportunity.
"I was a little nervous in the first inning, but cooled down after that and helped the team get a win. The fastball, I figured it out in the second inning and was able to mix that with a curveball. It worked out pretty well."
FROM COACH GANOR, AS HIS WILDCATS LOOK FORWARD TO PAYING TRIBUTE TO THEIR SENIORS ON SATURDAY AND TO MONDAY'S ALL-IMPORTANT DISTRICT SEMIFINAL MATCHUP WITH THE BEARS FROM NORTH ROYALTON: "First Varsity start, not to mention at Classic Park. You would have thought there would be some jitters. But I didn't notice any jitters on his (Fletcher) part. He got the ball and threw strikes. He got out of that first inning thanks to Austin (Jones), who had those two big putouts, and Jack had those four RBIs. All in all, a good day and now we move on to the next one."