Ranked Squads Headline Penultimate Night of High School Games
Dayton, Ohio- The Dayton Dragons are hosting high school baseball at Fifth Third Field for the 11th straight season in 2016. The second-to-last evening of games for this year will feature three teams that are ranked or receiving votes in this week's OHSBCA poll and four teams that have at least 12 wins. This spring, 32 high schools will play regular season games at the home of the Dragons.
High school baseball at Fifth Third Field also serves as a fundraiser for those participating. This year's series of games will raise approximately $30,000 for the schools to help with the cost of uniforms, equipment, and bus transportation.
All games are sponsored by MAC Athletics, Inc., experts in athletic facility planning, design, construction, and equipment acquisition. Go to macathletix.com for more information on their services.
The opening game, which is scheduled for a 4:30 PM start, will be a battle between division leaders in the Southwestern Buckeye League. Waynesville is currently atop the Buckeye Division standings with an unblemished 11-0 record and is 18-2 overall. Oakwood has already played at Fifth Third Field once this spring when they defeated Franklin 2-0. They are leading the Southwestern Division with a 9-2 record and sit at 14-6 overall.
Waynesville won the Southwestern Conference in 2015 and finished last season ranked fifth in Division 3. This year they picked up right where they left off, now hovering just outside the top 20 in Division 2. The Spartans high-powered offense features three players who are in the top five in the SBL in runs batted in. Nate Hiles leads with 28, Cory Clark is right behind at 27, and Kyle Leis is only a few back with 24. On the mound, James Kelley, Mason Callahan, and Elijah Bennett have each won four games.
Oakwood pitcher Jackson Jennings is second in the conference with five wins and has recorded 26 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. Alex Neff does a little bit of everything on offense for the Lumberjacks. The sophomore leads the team with a .467 batting average, 28 hits, two home runs, two triples, seven doubles, 23 RBI, and 23 runs scored.
The second contest will start at approximately 7:00 PM, featuring Lehman Catholic against Fort Loramie. Lehman Catholic is currently ranked fourth in Division 4 after finishing last season slotted fifth. Fort Loramie is ranked 18th in the same division.
Lehman Catholic is an undefeated 12-0 in Northwest Central Conference play and owns a 15-2 overall record. The Cavaliers have 2015 First Team Division 4 pitcher Nate Bosway on their roster. They are coached by Dave King who entered the season tied for 17th in state history with 542 wins.
The Dayton Dragons have been hosting the Miami Valley's best baseball teams since 2006 and are proud to continue the tradition for an 11th year. A complete list of high school baseball games scheduled to be played at Fifth Third Field can be found below.
All games are free to attend and the media are invited to cover them. Gates will open 30 minutes prior to the first game played that day. High schools may provide their own PA announcers, broadcasters, cheer squads, and national anthem singers. Participating schools sell Dragons tickets to help raise money for their programs.
Below is the remaining schedule for 2016:
|
Wednesday |
May 4th, 2016 |
4:30 PM |
Greenon |
Tippecanoe |
|
Wednesday |
May 4th, 2016 |
7:00 PM |
Summit Country Day |
Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy |
|
Thursday |
May 5th, 2016 |
4:30 PM |
Oakwood |
Waynesville |
|
Thursday |
May 5th, 2016 |
7:00 PM |
Lehman Catholic |
Fort Loramie |
|
Friday |
May 6th, 2016 |
4:30 PM |
Greenville |
Northmont |
|
Friday |
May 6th, 2016 |
7:00 PM |
St. Henry |
Covington |
More Information: The Dayton Dragons are the Midwest League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and play a 70-game home schedule at beautiful Fifth Third Field in downtown Dayton, easily accessible from Interstate 75. Individuals and groups seeking information about Dayton Dragons group tickets, lawn tickets, the season ticket wait list, sponsorship opportunities or booking a Dragons speaker are encouraged to contact the Dragons by calling (937) 228-2287, by email at [email protected], or on the web at daytondragons.com