Some folks around these parts consider Maysville to be the “center of the universe.” I think it’s said in jest, but then again, I suppose there are a few who believe it to be fact. At the risk of offending the local natives, I respectfully disagree.
There’s actually a park in Tulsa, Oklahoma that lays claim to the title, called appropriately enough, Center of the Universe. It’s said to be a mysterious spot where visitors stand on a circle and the noises they make are echoed back to them much louder.
There are probably dozens of other places where people are convinced their town is the real center of the universe as well, but if you feel strongly that Maysville deserves the title, more power to you.
All of this is being blurted out because this guy feels the center of the baseball universe will reside in Central Kentucky in a few days, at least for fans in the commonwealth. Lexington will be playing host to baseball’s version of the Sweet 16 high school tournament beginning tomorrow at Legends Field, and across town, an NCAA Super Regional gets underway Saturday at Kentucky Proud Park.
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ROYALS BEAT THE ODDS — An improbable run propelled Mason County to the 10th Region baseball championship last week.
The Royals played the role of spoiler to higher-ranked foes in all three games and turned the tables on the favorites to claim the title, a feat that had not been accomplished in 30 years. The last time Mason County advanced to the state tournament came in 1994.
The 2024 Royals proved that records, rankings and reputations have little to do with playing winning baseball in late May. Coach Jason Butler’s determined squad had the winning formula, i.e. solid pitching, stingy defense and timely hitting. Mason County also appeared to relish the underdog role, with their sixth place ranking according to the RPI from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
Most close observers of 10th Region baseball were expecting a quick exit, with the Royals facing traditional region power Harrison County in a quarterfinal clash. The Thorobreds have dominated the region for years, led by the winningest coach in Kentucky high school history, Mac
Whitaker, and were favored to win back-to-back region titles. Harrison County also defeated Mason County in the regular season, but none of that mattered to the Royals, who demonstrated that games are not won on paper, but rather, on the field.
Mason County avenged their 5-3 loss to the ‘Breds on April 23 in Cynthiana with a 4-3 win in eight innings, led by the superb pitching performance from senior Landon Scilley, who scattered five hits and fanned 11 during his six-inning stint. Junior Cray Fite earned the win with a pair of scoreless innings.
The Royals faced another tall task in the semifinals, but again earned a measure of redemption. After knocking off the top-ranked team in the quarterfinals, Mason County picked up a 6-3 win over the second-ranked team, George Rogers Clark. The Cardinals came into the game with a 27-11 record and an 18-4 run-rule win over the Royals in Maysville on April 17.
Mason County scored four runs in the first inning and cruised to the 6-3 win behind excellent pitching from sophomore southpaw Brady Mefford, who went six innings, before Fite nailed down the save with a scoreless seventh. The 13-hit Royals hitting attack was led by senior third baseman Nathan Bisotti, who contributed three hits and drove in a pair of runs. Scilley had two hits and scored a pair of runs, while senior Cole Messer and sophomore Micah Payne each had two hits.
The impressive victory over GRC sent Mason County to the championship game against host school Bourbon County, the third-ranked team in the region. The Colonels also owned a 9-0 regular season win over the Royals on April 22 in Maysville. None of that mattered on May 31 in Paris.
Fite tossed a gem, blanking Bourbon County on four hits, and driving in a couple of runs at the plate. Scilley, the Royals shortstop when he isn’t on the mound and a Liberty University baseball commit, went 3-for-3 and scored two runs. The big hit was delivered by senior center fielder Connor Butler, who belted a triple to deep center with the bases loaded to score three runs, and give the Royals a 5-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Mason County will take a 20-15 record to Legends Field in Lexington in the opening round of the Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Baseball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare on Thursday evening at 8:30.
The opponent will be the same school faced by the Royals in the 1994 state tournament, Lexington Catholic. This year’s Knights (26-11) won the 11th Region with a 2-0 win over Franklin County last week.
Lexington Catholic’s head coach is a familiar name to baseball aficionados in the commonwealth. Scott Downs, who was named Kentucky Mr. Baseball while leading Pleasure Ridge Park to the 1994 state title in Owensboro, leads the Knights. Downs was a lefthanded pitcher who had an outstanding career at the University of Kentucky prior to his 14-year career in the major leagues. Following his retirement from the big leagues, Downs helped lead PRP to the 2017 state championship, while serving on the coaching staff under longtime head coach Bill Miller. The 2017 title was the sixth of Miller’s illustrious career.
Pleasure Ridge Park is one of the favorites to make a deep run in this year’s state tournament. The 36-3 Panthers, the 6th Region champions, meet Region 5 champs LaRue County (19-17) prior to the Mason County-LexCath game tomorrow at 5 p.m. The winners of those two games will face off at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
The Knights are led by a pair of outstanding senior hurlers, Brody Rogers (8-0, 1.07 ERA) and Burkley Bounds, who is 6-2 with a 1.81 ERA. Junior Owen Jenkins leads the LexCath offense in nearly every category. Jenkins is hitting a robust .467, with 42 hits and 26 RBI.
The Royals will be attempting to prove the rankings wrong again as they battle a team with a strong reputation, and they’ve already shown they’re capable after their run to the region title. The key to defeating the Knights will require Mason County to execute the same way they did in the regional tournament. They will need a solid pitching effort and excellent defense, as well as coming up with a few runs with clutch hitting against quality pitching.
Whatever the result, Coach Butler, his staff and the players deserve a ton of credit for putting together a great run to earn a trip to Lexington.
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BAT CATS ADVANCE TO SUPER REGIONAL – Not only is a busy weekend of high school baseball on tap for the south side of town, but there will also be keen interest in what’s occurring on the campus of the University of Kentucky.
UK will be hosting an NCAA Super Regional for the first time in school history after an impressive 3-0 run through the regional last weekend. The Bat Cats (41-14) will be meeting 43-14 Oregon State in a best-of-three series with a trip to Omaha on the line. Game 1 will be played at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening, with the second game scheduled for Sunday at 9 p.m. Both games will be shown on ESPNU. If a third game is necessary, it will be played Monday with the time still to be determined.
Kentucky is seeking its first-ever visit to the College World Series with the tradition-rich Beavers standing in the way. Oregon State, the champions of the Corvallis Regional, began the tournament as the No. 15 seed in the field, but in this guy’s opinion, they’re extremely underrated and they will be a tough out.
Not only is this year’s team impressive, but the history of the program is elite. The Beavers won the 2006, 2007 and 2018 College World Series titles to become the winningest collegiate baseball program in the Super Regionals era. Oregon State has also won 26 conference championships and appeared in seven College World Series.
This year’s squad is led by a player who is projected by MLB observers to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft on July 14. Beavers leadoff hitter Travis Bazzana, a lefthanded hitting second baseman, who hails from Sydney, Australia, is the school’s all-time leader in home runs and stolen bases. Bazzana is hitting .415 with 28 home runs and 66 RBI this season.
Other key offensive contributors include shortstop Elijah Hainline (.286, 11 HR, 45 RBI), left fielder Dallas Macias (.324, 8 HR, 41 RBI), left fielder Gavin Turley (.280, 19 HR, 74 RBI), and first baseman Mason Guerra, who has 11 home runs and 55 RBI.
The ace of the Oregon State pitching staff is junior right-hander Aiden May, who is 7-0 with a 2.88 ERA, The other two starters are junior right-hander Jacob Kmatz (7-2, 3.39 ERA) and freshman righty Eric Segura (6-1, 4.93 ERA).
Expect the full-throated fans in blue to enthusiastically cheer on their beloved Bat Cats as they strive to earn their first College World Series appearance. UK played solid baseball in the Lexington Regional after a not-so-great performance in the SEC tournament, and it will be interesting to see what transpires at KPP this weekend.
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LOSE THE PING – This guy is admittedly a huge college baseball fan; I enjoy the enthusiasm and hustle that’s always on display, and talent has only gotten better in recent years.
My only gripe–at the risk of sounding like an old grouch–is the sound of the bat hitting the ball. Amateur baseball has been using aluminum/composite bats for years, but it is time for college baseball to use the wooden pieces of lumber.
I know the argument has been the cost is prohibitive. My counter to that is you’ve got to be kidding. With the money being thrown around in collegiate sports these days, money should not be an issue. After all, aluminum/composite bats aren’t exactly cheap either.
My primary reason for making this argument is that the players are bigger and stronger these days, leading to higher rates of velocity, posing risk factors to infielders, and especially pitchers.
Also worth considering is that the brand of baseball would be better, with more emphasis placed on pitching, defense and making more contact. I know folks love the long ball, but a few less dingers wouldn’t hurt the overall product.
It’s time for a change.
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“Baseball is dull only to dull minds.” – Former Cincinnati Reds sportscaster Red Barber
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“The radical of one century is the conservative of the next. The radical invents the views. When he has worn them out, the conservative adopts them.” — Mark Twain
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