The Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) baseball team continues to dominate local competition on the diamond this season.
The Crusaders, who are the reigning Division I state champions, won their 12th consecutive game on Saturday when they defeated Fort Thomas Highlands (Ky.) 7-0.
Moeller (14-1, 3-0 Greater Catholic League South division), which is ranked No. 1 in the Cincinnati Enquirer Division I area coaches poll, plays host to Purcell Marian at 4:30 p.m. today and then plays at Loveland at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
"The guys we expected to produce have produced," Moeller coach Tim Held told the Cincinnati Enquirer on Saturday. "The biggest surprise has been our pitching depth. All the kids have stepped up and done their part."
Senior pitcher Robby Sunderman leads the GCL with four wins. He is second in the conference with 24 strikeouts. Sunderman has one shutout and a 1.38 ERA.
Another solid pitcher has been David Whitehead, who is 3-0 with 18 strikeouts and a 0.43 ERA. Moeller’s offensive leaders include Alex Barlow (.639) along with Tyler Hutchinson and Kevin Thamann (16 RBI each). Moeller’s Kevin Brinkman has two home runs for the Crusaders.
2. Coldwater football coach to step down: Coldwater football coach John Reed was reportedly scheduled to resign his coaching position last week, according to the Dayton Daily News. The publication reported Reed has undergone treatments for esophageal cancer since leading the team to the Division IV state championship last fall. Reed won Division IV state titles in 2005 and ’07 and Coldwater had a record of 168-31 under the coach.
3. Elder, McAuley win track meet: Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio) and McAuley (Cincinnati, Ohio) won the annual Vince Mercure Colerain Invitational track meet on Tuesday, according to the Enquirer. Elder was led by first-place finishes from Keith Schenkel (800 meters) and Josh Makin (1,600 meters). Danielle Pfeifer won the 800 and 1,600 to lead McAuley.
4. USC offers Clark: Finneytown junior lineman Donovan Clark was offered by the University of Southern California on Thursday morning, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Clark, who is 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, also has offers from Cincinnati, Louisville, Syracuse, Miami (Ohio), Kent State, Minnesota, Ohio, North Carolina State, West Virginia, Duke, Buffalo, Ball State and Indiana. Clark was scheduled to visit Louisville and Indiana this past weekend.
5. Cincinnati offers sophomores: The University of Cincinnati recently made scholarship offers to Colerain sophomore linebacker Joe Bolden and Kings Mills Kings sophomore running back Jamire Westbrook. The scholarship offers are considered verbal offers until Sept. 1 when written offers can be made per NCAA rules. Bolden, who is 6-2 and 215 pounds, had four sacks and 64 tackles last season. Westbrook rushed for 916 yards and had 28 receptions for 442 yards last season.
Among the outstanding efforts this week
Jordan Moore, Springfield (Springfield, Ohio): The senior center fielder is hitting .667 with six doubles, a triple, 15 RBI and nine steals. He led the Greater Western Ohio Conference in batting average and RBI as of April 14.
Kelley Benhase, Glen Este (Cincinnati, Ohio) softball: The junior pitcher had eight strikeouts in a 2-1 win over East Central (Ind.) on Tuesday. Benhase improved to 9-0 after the game.
Amy Feie, Mother of Mercy (Cincinnati, Ohio) softball: The sophomore pitcher earned her third win as the Bobcats defeated Harrison 7-1 on Tuesday. Feie also had two doubles and four RBI for Mercy.
Looking ahead
Elder at Moeller boys volleyball, 7 p.m. Tuesday: These two Greater Catholic League South division rivals play on the East Side of Cincinnati. Elder started the season with a 7-1 record. The Panthers have won six consecutive matches.
Chaminade-Julienne (Dayton, Ohio) at Badin (Hamilton, Ohio) softball, 4:30 p.m. Wednesday: These two teams have led their respective divisions of the Girls Greater Cincinnati League this season. Chaminade-Julienne has been led offensively by Lyndsey Diggs, who has a .528 batting average and three home runs. Badin pitcher Anna Weber had seven wins for the Rams.
Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio) at Lakota East (Liberty Township, Ohio), 4:30 p.m. Thursday: These two district rivals play for the second consecutive day in suburban Cincinnati. East started the season with a 13-2 record and atop the Greater Miami Conference standings. Jesse Rait leads the Thunderhawks with a .537 batting average. Lakota West’s Ben Flannery leads the GMC with 23 RBI.
Recruiting news
Cincinnati St. Xavier junior linebacker Sean Duggan (6-4, 215) was recently offered by Cincinnati, Minnesota and Boston College. Duggan also has offers from Duke, Ball State, Air Force and Wisconsin. … Columbus St. Francis DeSales junior defensive end Chris Rock (6-5, 240) has reportedly added an offer from Virginia, according to ScoutingOhio.com. He also has offers from Notre Dame, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Stanford and several others. … Trotwood-Madison basketball standout Dawuan Thomas has committed to play at Ashland University, according to the Dayton Daily News. He averaged 18.6 points, 6.1 assists and 3.0 steals this past season, according to the publication.
Random thoughts
The Beast of the East baseball tournament is this weekend at Midland Field. The first two rounds are Saturday with the championship at 2 p.m. Sunday. … Little Miami recently posted its head football coaching position and is expected to start conducting interviews this week. A new coach could be named by the Board of Education meeting in May. … Finneytown boys’ basketball coach Craig Stork has resigned after three seasons, according to the school.
