“This hurts. It definitely hurts,” Badin High School’s first baseman said. “To put all the work in and get so far. Then you lose. It’s just life. It’s a part of it.
“You get hit, you get knocked down, and then you get back up. You have to take it on the chin and go at it again.”
Badin lost to Newark Licking Valley 2-1 in nine innings in a Division III state semifinal on Friday at Canal Park in Akron.
It was the fourth time in five years the Rams reached the state tournament.
“I tell them that I’m very proud of them,” Badin coach Brion Treadway said. “I’m not sure how it’s possible to raise the bar in our program. We’ve been very successful. We’ve had a lot of success, and somehow, they managed to raise the bar again.
“I’m just very proud of them. It was an unbelievably enjoyable season. Those guys gave us everything they had, every day, and I am so proud of them.”
Badin finished its season 26-7. Licking Valley (25-6) moves on to Saturday’s Division III state final against University School at 1 p.m. at Canal Park.
“It was just an incredibly competitive baseball game, and our guys did a great job of competing,” Treadway said. “You’ve got to tip your hat to the opponent. They never quit either.”
Badin starting pitcher Caleb Driessen went 8⅓ innings and had five strikeouts. Licking Valley’s Evan Lichtenauer had seven strikeouts in 8⅔ innings.
“There haven’t been too many pitchers that have kept us in check all year,” Treadway said. “I think you get to this level, that kid’s only given up two runs all year. So yeah, that kid did a phenomenal job. We only got one off him. I’m not sure that’s happened all year. That’s probably the lowest run output that we’ve ever had this season. But he was good. And this environment is this environment. Every pitch is just magnified. The pressure is just magnified.
“I thought our guys did a good job of handling it. I don’t think we crumbled under the pressure. It was a good, great baseball game.”
Licking Valley tallied a run in the bottom of the fourth before Badin tied it up on Austin Vangen’s RBI single to left in the top of the fifth.
Badin stranded nine runners in the entire game, while Licking Valley only left two on base.
Licking Valley’s Zane Hancock knocked in the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the ninth to clinch it.
“It was a pitching duel,” said Badin shortstop Cooper Ollis, who went 1-for-3 at the plate. “They had a really good pitcher — a very funky lefty who was tough to hit.
“Driessen obviously did what he does,” Ollis added. “We just didn’t put enough runs on the board to carry as his backup. That’s going to hurt you in the end. We’re usually more of a hitting team, but props to them. They were a good team we played. We just couldn’t get the runs we needed.”
The Rams reached the state tournament for a 16th time. Badin won the state title in 1991 and 1996.
“The journey is what keeps our coaches coming back,” Treadway said. “You take a group of guys on day one and try to mold them and coach them up — teach them how we expect them to play, compete every day. The journey is why we coach.
“Day one to today was an unbelievable journey that I will forever remember. I’m very proud of my team.”
Eli Wolpert, Chase Luebbe, Jay Carmella and Kyle Anderson each had base hits for Badin.
Bowling, who will play baseball at Division II Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina next year, said he’s fortunate to have been a part of the Badin family.
He had some words of wisdom for future BHS players.
“Watch the guys ahead of you,” Bowling said. “Watch them, how they act and what they do. That’s just how it works here. That’s how we just keep building. They’ll put their own spin on it. That’s just how we keep growing.”
Ollis, who will play at Mount St. Joseph next year, chipped in.
“I think the leaders each year keep passing down a role that needs to be held at Badin,” he said. “We always have the best seniors who are good role models for the young guys.
“We had some freshmen and sophomores on the team, and they looked up to us. We played a big role in showing them how Badin baseball players should play. They’ll just keep developing from there.”
Driessen, who will be a senior next year, said he’s looking for the Rams to bounce back next season.
“It took a lot of time and a lot of effort — and we all gave it,” Driessen said. “One thing we talked about was being ‘all in.’ I think every single guy did that really well. I don’t think anybody was even a little bit out. Everybody brought the juice today.
“I want to thank my teammates for everything that they gave me this year,” Driessen added. “We’re going to be back here next year — I know that. But to the seniors, they provided the quality of leadership that you can’t ask for. They went above and beyond what I expected to have and what I think everybody expected. Everybody was super tenacious, and we’re going to keep getting after it.”
About the Author