Army High School Baseball Program Continues Saturday at Fifth Third Field

Dayton, Ohio-The 2018 Army High School Baseball Program at Fifth Third Field resumes Saturday, April 21 with five games on the schedule for the weekend. Games continue into the start of next week with two games on Monday and another on Tuesday.
This spring, the Army stations throughout the Miami Valley have made high school baseball possible at Fifth Third Field. This is the 13th straight season that high school games have been played at the home of the Dayton Dragons. 
This Saturday, a triple-header is scheduled for Fifth Third field beginning at 1:00 p.m. In a matchup of two Greater Western Ohio Conference (GWOC) teams, Lebanon plays host to West Carrollton. Lebanon has started the 2018 season 5-5 and sits at 2-2 in conference games. Lebanon returns outfielder/right-handed pitcher A.J. Fritz who has already committed to play at the University of Evansville. West Carrollton returns 6 players from last year's team that finished 2nd in the GWOC American South. The list of returnees includes 2017 1st team American League infielder junior Noah Martin and special mention American League pitcher senior Tre Nixon. West Carrolton is 3-9 so far this season and 3-3 in conference play.
Game two of the triple-header is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start and features St. Mary's Memorial against West Carrollton, who will play a double-header. St. Mary's, from the Western Buckeye League (WBL), has had a tough start to 2018 sitting at 1-7 overall and 1-3 in WBL play. The Riders return just three seniors is 2018: Drew Jacobs, Austin Wilker and Evan Vogel. Jacobs received All-League honors in the WBL in 2017.
Finally on Saturday, the last game of the day is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. in a matchup between Springfield-Shawnee and Triad. Shawnee, from the Central Buckeye Conference (CBC), comes into the weekend with a 7-3 overall record and 6-2 in conference play. The team is led by All-CBC second baseman Ben Ross, and handed three-time reigning division champion Kenton Ridge its first loss in 2018. Triad is currently 3-5 overall but 3-2 in the Ohio Heritage Conference (OHC) North Division. Triad has had successful campaigns the last two years, finishing as the Division 4 State Runner-Up in 2016 and the OHC North champions last year. These two teams have not met since May 2014 when Shawnee won 10-0.
Sunday's double-header begins at 1:00 p.m. when National Trail faces Bethel in a Cross County Conference (CCC) matchup. National Trail is off to a hot start this season, starting 7-0 in conference play and 8-1 overall. Over a three-game stretch from April 12-17, National Trail averaged 15 runs per game, all wins. Bethel has only managed to play four games thus far due to the inclement weather this spring. The team is 1-2 in CCC play and 2-2 overall on the year.
The final of five games this weekend is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start between St. Henry and Covington. St. Henry, from the Midwest Athletic Conference (MAC), is tied for first in conference play with a 4-1 record and sits at 7-3 overall. Covington is just 1-5 in CCC play and 1-9 overall on the year. The team is led by senior Mason Dilley, a three-year starter who leads the team in hits, batting average and RBIs.
High school baseball at Fifth Third is not limited to the weekend. A pair of games is also scheduled for Monday, April 23, and one more on Tuesday, April 24. Monday's double-header starts at 4:30 when Bradford battles Mississinawa Valley. These two teams met on April 6 when Mississinawa Valley scored two in the bottom of the seventh and won 5-3 in nine innings. Bradford has lost five games by two runs or fewer and sits at 0-6 in the CCC and 0-7 overall. Mississinawa Valley is 4-2 in CCC play and 7-2 on the season.
Fairborn against Beavercreek is the second game to be played on Monday with a scheduled 7:00 p.m. start. Both teams lead their respective divisions in the GWOC; Fairborn is 6-3 in the GWOC American South and 8-6 overall. Beavercreek is 5-2 in the GWOC National East and 7-3 on the season. Beavercreek is led by Brandon DeWitt who has already committed to Wright State to continue playing baseball.

The lone game on Tuesday is a 7:00 p.m. start between Dixie and Milton-Union in a Southwestern Buckeye League (SBL) battle. These two teams will play a make-up game the day before on Monday. With only three returning starters, Dixie is 0-8 in conference play and 0-9 overall. Milton-Union is 4-5 in the SBL and 6-5 overall. Milton Union began the season 5-0 but has since lost five of the last six.
The Dayton Dragons have been hosting the Miami Valley's best baseball teams since 2006 and are proud to continue the tradition for a 13th consecutive 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 is 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.
The games at Fifth Third Field also serve as a fundraiser for the participating schools. 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.
To learn more about joining the U.S. Army, scholarship opportunities, and the expert training the Army can provide in over 150 career fields, visit the U.S. Army kiosk on the concourse during high school games at Fifth Third Field, visit www.goarmy.com, or call (877) 933-ARMY.
*Note: All team records are updated as of Friday morning, April 20.

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.