Bracket (PDF)
MASON, Ohio – With threatening weather bearing down, eight games were played out at Prasco Park on Wednesday to start the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championship.
In a very unpredictable chain of events, the top four seeds in the tournament bracket are now down to their last win to keep their season alive, while two teams are making waves with their first-day performances on the field.
Coming from the bottom half of the bracket, No. 7 seed Tiffin and No. 5 Kentucky Wesleyan were the lone teams to finish Wednesday with a perfect 2-0 record.
The Dragons, having to win a series to close the regular season to even make the playoffs, and Panthers, last year’s championship runner-up, will clash on Friday with one of those teams being handed their first defeat.
Tiffin won in extras to defeat at least on paper, heavily-favored Ohio Dominican in its first conference tournament game as a member of the league. The Dragons, starting with senior outfielder, Brayden Callihan, put together three consecutive run-scoring hits with two outs in the 10th inning.
Clad in uniforms with lettering and font that closely resemble the Milwaukee Brewers, Tiffin won three of four from Walsh to even clinch a playoff spot. The Dragons proved they belonged from day one, beating the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in order.
The Dragons handed No. 3 seed Trevecca Nazarene its first loss of the postseason as second team all-conference performer Zach Campbell homered to go with five RBI. The most recent player of the week for the league, John Heckman, also doubled twice and drove in four.
As we have seen in the past, pitching is certainly the key to making a deep playoff run and standing among the final two in the championship series. Various starting hurlers embraced that and put teams on their shoulders with some impressive day one performances on the mound.
KWC’s Chris Johnson punched out 10 hitters against top seed and regular-season conference champion Malone in the nightcap, the eighth game played on the day. The righty was carving the Pioneers while his offense picked him up with plenty of run support.
Lake Erie’s Ryan Middendorf, a second team all-conference selection, helped No. 4 Lake Erie stave off elimination with seven scoreless frames in another run-ruled finale, this time to eliminate No. 8 Alderson Broaddus from contention.
Middendorf pounded the strike zone and was aided by a two-run blast from sophomore all-conference outfielder Trace Peterson to really get the offense on track. Sam Browning also went yard and the Storm scored four in the fourth and five more in the fifth innings.
Ohio Dominican starter Mitchell Bault went the distance for a complete-game effort to defeat Walsh. The senior righty gave up just one run on eight hits and recorded six strikeouts. Malone’s Clyde Yoder turned in a similar stat line in eight shutout innings vs. AB, limiting the Battlers to just two hits and punching out seven.
Trevecca Nazarene lefty Jake Roberson set the tone early for the pitching in the tournament with a quality start fired against Walsh. The sixth-seeded Cavaliers suffered a first-day exit from the postseason after also falling to No. 2 Ohio Dominican later in the day.
A tantalizing pitcher’s duel was set up between the Great Midwest Pitcher of the Year and three-time player of the week Devin Smith and Lake Erie’s David LeMasters over at Legacy Field, but the two teams ended up combining for 17 runs.
Thursday’s start times at Prasco Park and Legacy Field have been accelerated with rain in the forecast. 10 a.m. ET first pitches will be for a pair of consolation games between Trevecca Nazarene and Lake Erie (Legacy Field) and Ohio Dominican and Malone (Prasco Park).