Elder (Cincinnati) baseball coach Mark Thompson has more than 400 career coaching wins in his 21 years at the helm of one of the most prestigious baseball programs in the state of Ohio. 
Jeremy White, Elder
File photo by Michael Noyes
But, after his team played in the Division I state final Sunday afternoon in Columbus, Thompson told the Cincinnati Enquirer he hadn’t seen a pitcher like Lakewood St. Edward senior Stetson Allie.
Allie, who is considered to be one of the top picks in today’s Major League Baseball draft, had 16 strikeouts in six innings to lead St. Ed’s past Elder 8-3, according to the Enquirer. St. Ed’s is ranked No. 22 nationally in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25.
"That’s the most dominating performance I’ve seen since I started coaching high school ball," Thompson told the publication. "We were hoping to get his pitch count up and get him out early, but he’s a competitor. That’s why he’s going to be a multimillionaire (today)."
Elder (28-5), which finished as the Division I state runner-up and No. 2 in the state coaches poll, had plenty to be proud of this postseason. Elder upset league rival Moeller 1-0 in the state semifinal on Friday to advance to the state final. Moeller (29-2), the reigning state champion, was ranked No. 11 nationally by the Xcellent 25 and had won 27 consecutive games until the loss to unranked Elder.
This season, the Panthers were led offensively by senior Selby Chidemo, who had a .455 batting average with six doubles, 20 RBI and 26 stolen bases. Senior pitcher Brian Korte led the Panthers with a team-high 75 strikeouts and a 1.43 ERA.
2. Baseball state titles:
The
Fort Loramie baseball team won the Division IV state title with a 3-0 win over Newark Catholic on Saturday. Justin Hoying improved to 14-0 on the mound to lead Fort Loramie, according to the
Dayton Daily News. Hoying had four strikeouts and did not allow a runner to reach third base. It was the second state title for Fort Loramie, which also won in 2007 over Newark Catholic.
In Division II, Jonathan Alder (Plain City) defeated Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 3-2 on Saturday. Alder finished the season at 34-0 and became the first team to complete an undefeated season since Toledo Start in 1994.
3. Grove City is state runner-up:
The
Grove City softball team was the Division I state runner-up and finished the season at 28-5. Massillon Perry defeated Grove City 10-0 in the state final on Saturday in Akron. Grove City had defeated Lakota East 2-0 in the state semifinals on Friday. Grove City senior pitcher Paige Myers (Miami University signee) had 13 strikeouts in that game, according to the
Enquirer.
4. Versailles wins state track title:
The Versailles girls track and field team won the Division III state title in Columbus on Saturday. Sophomore Tammy Berger won the 3,200 meter run in 11:08.21. She also took third in the 1,600 meters with a time of 5:04.62. It is the program
’s first state track and field title.
5. Miller commits to Ohio State:
Huber Heights Wayne junior quarterback Braxton Miller – rated the nation's No. 1 quarterback in the 2011 class in the MaxPreps Top 100 – announced on Thursday that he has made an oral commitment to play at Ohio State. Miller, who is 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, also had scholarship offers that included Alabama, Florida, USC, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Michigan and several others. Miller is the 12th player from the 2011 class to orally commit to the Buckeyes, according to published reports. Miller has thrown for 2,628 yards and rushed for 938 yards during his high school career, according to the Dayton Daily News.
6. Rock commits to Wolverines:
Columbus DeSales junior defensive lineman Chris Rock orally committed to Michigan recently, according to several published reports. Rock, who is 6-5 and 250 pounds, also had offers from Notre Dame, Michigan, Cincinnati, Stanford, Boston College, Michigan State, Oregon, Louisville and several other schools, according to ScoutingOhio.com. Rock had 31 sacks over the past two seasons at DeSales, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Among the outstanding efforts this week
Paige Myers, Grove City: The senior had 13 strikeouts as Grove City defeated Lakota East 2-0 in a Division I state softball semifinal Friday in Akron, according to the Enquirer. Myers allowed just two hits in the game and improved to 24-1. Myers has signed to play at Miami University.
Nick Burrus, Hamilton Badin: The senior had two hits and pitched 7 1/3 innings in relief during the Division III state baseball semifinal in Columbus, according to the Hamilton Journal-News. Badin lost to Wheelersburg 8-4 in 12 innings.
Pat McClanahan, Milford: He had five goals as Milford defeated Centerville 10-9 in the Club Division of the boys lacrosse state final, according to the Enquirer. He was named the offensive MVP.
Looking ahead
East-West All-Star Game: The annual Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association/Ron Woyan East-West Game is at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Kings High School. The game will feature several of the area's top seniors from the 2010 class. The East roster features Moeller offensive lineman Ali Kassem (Western Michigan) and tight end David Schneider (Ball State). The West roster features La Salle defensive lineman Keenan Gibbs (Toledo) and Winton Woods receiver Juan Glover (Cincinnati, preferred walk-on).
Big 33 Football Classic: The 53rd game featuring all-star teams from Ohio vs. Pennsylvania will be played at Hershey Park Stadium in Pennsylvania at 7 p.m. June 19. The Ohio roster features several college signees, including Winton Woods quarterback Dominique Brown (Louisville), Lakota West offensive lineman Kevin Schloemer (Cincinnati), Hamilton defensive tackle Darius Gilbert (Bowling Green) and Elder defensive tackle Pete Bachman (Indiana).
Recruiting news
Wyoming (Cincinnati) junior linebacker/defensive end Eric Price (6-5, 220) was recently offered by Kent State. He also has offers from Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Toledo, Buffalo, Memphis and Ohio.
… Walnut Hills (Cincinnati) junior tight end Benson Browne (6-6, 237) was recently offered by Illinois. He also has offers from Louisville, West Virginia, Minnesota, Kansas, Miami (Ohio) and Central Michigan. … Oak Hills (Cincinnati) junior linebacker Ben Russell (6-2, 228) added an offer from Ohio University. He also has offers from Bowling Green, Toledo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Akron, Ball State and Air Force.
Random thoughts
Cincinnati St. Xavier and Cincinnati Seven Hills finished third in divisions I and II, respectively, in the state team boys tennis tournament in Columbus at the end of May. St. Xavier had won four consecutive Division I state team titles.
… Amy Kreider has been named the new Lakota East (Liberty Township) girls soccer coach. She is the third coach in the history of the Lakota East program. … Withrow (Cincinnati) has extended the interim tag for boys basketball coach Ty Gibert for a full year, according to the Enquirer. Gibert took over midway through last season for the Tigers. … Ursuline Academy was the winner of the All Sports Trophy in the Girls Greater Cincinnati League Scarlet division. Ursuline was champions in five sports and runner-up in three.
