Springfield experience big part of victory

By Joe Scalzo

scalzo@vindy.com

COLUMBUS

Springfield baseball coach Matt Weymer started growing his playoff beard a few weeks ago and now boasts a face full of scruff.

As for his ace pitcher, junior Nick Russell? Well, think Shaggy from Scooby Doo.

“Yeah, I don’t grow hair too well,” Russell said, laughing.

Russell looks like a kid and pitched like a man on Thursday, tossing a six-hitter to help the Tigers drub Delphos St. John’s 9-2 in a Division IV state semifinal at Huntington Park.

The Tigers, who advanced to their second state championship game in three years, will meet Minster in Saturday’s 1 p.m. final.

“I had a little bit of butterflies before the game, but they went away after the first pitch,” said Russell, who struck out six and walked just one. “After that, I just pitched.”

After giving up a run in the first inning, Russell (8-0) settled down and held the Blue Jays scoreless until giving up one run in the seventh inning. By then, the Tigers were comfortably ahead.

Springfield (19-6) scored three runs in the first, fourth and fifth innings thanks to a 10-hit onslaught that was built on balance. Eight of the nine players in the lineup had at least one hit.

“If the bottom of the order isn’t hitting well, usually the top picks them up and if the top isn’t hitting, the bottom does and that’s what happened today,” said Russell, who had an RBI triple from his cleanup spot. “Today, everybody hit.”

The Tigers probably would have scored more runs at a normal high school field — three of their hits reached the warning track of a Triple-A park — and they looked like a team that had been here before, playing error-free defense while piling up four extra-base hits.

In fact, the only one who hasn’t been here before is Weymer, who took over for Bob Beam this year when Beam was hired at Boardman.

“I’ve been sitting here, watching these kids and it’s really unbelievable,” said Weymer. “I’m going to enjoy it. I’ve been using the [former Dolphins QB] Dan Marino reference all year. He got there [the Super Bowl] when he was a rookie and never got back.

“So we’re going to do our best to win a title.”

(Actually, Marino made it to the Super Bowl in his second year, but you get the idea.)

Ronnie Bovo had two hits, two runs and three RBIs for Springfield, which is making its fifth state tournament appearance, having finished second in 1930, 1980 and 2009. Russell also had two hits, while Jake Noble had two RBIs and Anthony Yoder scored twice.

“This [state final] is the big one,” Weymer said. “These guys were here two years ago and they came up short and they don’t need to be told to refocus.

“We’re going to go home tonight and have a great time on the ride home and come back [today] and get refocused. These guys really want it bad and hopefully we’ll get it done.”

This is the third straight year a Mahoning Valley team has reached the Division IV state semifinals — Columbiana lost its semifinal last year — and it’s the last chance for Springfield’s seven seniors to win a state championship.

But when asked if the Tigers are feeling pressure, Russell shook his head and said, “I think there’s more pressure on them. They’re usually the bigger team and everyone is going to pick them to win.

“We should just come out relaxed and hit well and throw strikes. That’s all you can ask.”