“I like this group of kids. They’ve got a little grit to them,” Hawkins said. “With the schedule we’ve played — starting off with the big schools down in Florida — I think this is one of the first teams we’ve had where we’ve gotten better every week, which I guess is the goal in any sport.
“We didn’t peak early or somewhere in the middle of the season. I think we’ve improved every week and every game in the tournament. We’ve learned a little bit about ourselves and trusting each other and sticking with it.”
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Country Day (21-6) is the Miami Valley Conference Scarlet Division co-champion, sharing the title with Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. CHCA will meet Fredericktown in Thursday’s second regional semifinal at 5 p.m., with the championship game set for 5 p.m. on Friday at AIA.
“Baseball is probably overall the best sport that our conference has,” said Tim Dunn, in his 31st season at the CCD helm. His team split 2-0 decisions with CHCA this year.
Dunn directed CCD to Division IV state championships in 1993 and 2001. The Indians also reached the Class A Final Four in 1959 and 1990.
Carlisle has made it to state once (1966). Hawkins was a varsity assistant the last time CHS advanced to the regional (and lost to Marion Pleasant) in 2010.
“Coach Dunn has brought plenty of teams this far and even farther, so I think it’s a safe assumption they’ll be well prepared,” Hawkins said. “This won’t be something that’s going to have them awestruck or on their heels.
“Our kids were all in grade school the last time we made it here. If you haven’t played in this game, you really don’t know what to be nervous for. I don’t know if some of our kids truly understand the stakes or what’s on the line. They’re just playing baseball. They’re excited about the work ahead of them.”
The probable pitching matchup is a pair of right-handers, senior Adam Goodpaster for Carlisle and junior T.J. Brock for Country Day. Goodpaster is 9-1 with a 0.80 earned run average. Dunn said Brock is 5-1 “with an ERA below 1.00” and totaled 11 strikeouts in the 2-0 district-final win over Versailles.
“(Brock) is the real deal,” Dunn said. “He throws hard, has a good curveball and changeup … he’s got the whole arsenal.”
Among the top players for CCD, which has a 13-man roster, are junior center fielder Trey Smith, senior shortstop/pitcher Cameron Davis (who has over 30 stolen bases) and senior catcher Ronnie Allen.
Allen, a Hamilton native who’s been starting since his freshman year, is hitting above .500 with five home runs. Dunn said major league scouts have been watching him regularly this spring.
“He’s big and throws rockets to second base,” Dunn said. “He went to a showcase back in the fall in Arizona where he faced projected first-round pitching and Division I pitching signees and had a home run from both sides of the plate. I think a switch-hitting catcher intrigues a lot of people.”
Dunn got a chance to see Carlisle in person and was impressed.
“We saw them play in the district championship the day after us,” he said. “It was a good fielding team that looked real solid, just what you would expect. Anybody who’s not any good is done.
“When you get to this point, most of these games are going to be 50-50. I watched both of the other district championship games and they were decided by little plays, mishandled bunts, an overthrow here, an overthrow there. That’s typically the way these games go. With what they’ve done with the bats in high school, the hitting’s even less of a factor. It’s really become a defensive game.”
Goodpaster is the Southwestern Buckeye League Buckeye Division Player of the Year and is hitting .398 with eight doubles, two triples, 22 RBIs and 20 steals.
Senior third baseman/shortstop Caleb Boy (.442, eight doubles, two homers, 33 RBIs, 12 steals) and senior third baseman/pitcher Jake Glover (.427, seven doubles, three homers, 31 RBIs) have the top two averages among Carlisle’s starters.
Goodpaster and Glover will both be attending Mount Vernon Nazarene to continue their baseball careers. Senior left fielder Reece Human (Walsh) and Boy (Marietta) will play football at the next level.
“We’ve got some kids who are pretty well-rounded athletes, guys who have excelled in two or three sports,” Hawkins said. “This senior class is pretty tight. They’ve been very good leaders. Not just the performance and running and hitting and all that, but the way they’ve treated the young kids.”
What’s his gut feeling heading into the regional?
“I like our chances,” Hawkins said. “We’ve going to have to play well and play clean, but we’ve done that a couple times now in the tournament, and we’re capable of doing it again.”
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