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Seniors lead Springfield back to semifinal
DREAM SEASONS
The Tigers will play Defiance Tinora at 1 p.m. on Friday.
Seniors lead Springfield back to semifinal
Seniors lead Springfield back to state semifinals
By Tom Williams
NEW MIDDLETOWN
Eoghan Bees is one of five Springfield High seniors who will end their athletic careers playing in the state baseball tournament.
“This baseball season has just been a dream come true,” the Tigers’ second baseman and leadoff hitter said. “To end the amazing four years that I’ve had at this school with this program on a field in Columbus competing for a state championship is more than I could have ever asked for.”
The other seniors are shortstop Cody Pitzo, left fielder Joe Carabello, designated hitter Dom Gentsy and outfielder Chris Bishard.
Friday at 1 p.m. at Huntington Park in Columbus, Springfield (21-7) will play in the Division IV state tournament for the third time in five seasons. This time, the opponent is Defiance Tinora (19-7).
Bees, whose main sport has been basketball, couldn’t be happier.
“I was part of a district basketball champion and two teams that won league championships,” Bees said. “I was part of an undefeated league team.
“Springfield has been just an amazing trip.”
Pitzo is the only remaining Tiger who started in the 6-0 loss to Minster in the 2011 championship game.
“It was a new ballpark so it was really nice playing for the first time on a field like that,” Pitzo said of the 5-year-old home of the Columbus Clippers.
The lessons he learned?
“Every at-bat, take it like it’s your last,” Pitzo said. “And just try to help out your pitcher as much as you can, even if he’s not on.”
No one treasures this trip as much as Bees. As a sophomore, he came out for baseball when basketball season ended, then told Coach Matt Weymer he was giving up baseball to concentrate on basketball.
In March, Bees had another conversation with Weymer, saying he wanted to return to the team.
“We were very up front with him ,” Weymer said. “No coach loves to have a one-year senior because you’re taking reps away from a guy who could help you for two or three years.
“I told him he’ll get first crack at it and if it doesn’t work out well go in another direction,” Weymer said. “And he accepted that challenge.
“Obviously, it’s worked out better than we could have even anticipated with him starting and leading off,” Weymer said. “I think he has exceeded all of our expectations.”
Baseball might still be in his future. Bees will attend Case Western Reserve University this fall and hopes to make the basketball team.
“If that doesn’t work, I’ll try to walk on for the baseball team,” Bees said.
Carabello had two hits and two RBIs in Springfield’s storm-delayed 6-3 victory over Cuyahoga Heights last weekend in the Copley regional.
Weymer calls Bishard “a kid who shows up every day and will do anything to help the team. He’s the ultimate program kid.”
As for Gentsy, Weymer is pleased that he has persevered through baseball’s ups and downs.
“It just seems like he’s really struggled with his confidence,” Weymer said. “He’d start out a season real hot and then get into a slump and stay in the slump forever.
“As a senior, I think he’s learned how to grow [from] that. He battled all year and made adjustments and now instead of being off at the end of the year, he’s on his game.
“That’s great because you want to see kids succeed and he’s been a real success story over the past couple of years.”
Bees admitted watching his former baseball team play at state in 2011 stung a little.
“It hurt and it was tough but looking back on it now, I knew quitting baseball when I did was the best decision I ever made,” Bees said. “I was just focusing on basketball.
“Picking [baseball] up again when I did was equally a good decision.”
Bees credits his school and community for strong support.
“That youth program is unbelievable,” Bees said, pointing the bustling Little League fields adjacent to the Tigers’ practice field. “Other than the Fields of Dreams, that’s probably the best set of Little League fields around.
“I can remember growing up and playing in those games,” Bees said. “The community really supports the baseball program here a lot.”
He expects there will be support in Columbus.
“When we were playing at Cene [Park in Struthers] at districts, there were two Division I teams playing — between the two of them they had about 50 fans,” Bees said. “Then we took the field and there were about 100 for just us.
“For whatever reason, the school district and the community really get behind the baseball team.”