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Baseball Opens Season With Full Slate Over Spring Break

Posted on: March 25, 2018

SETTING THE SCENE: Coming off a fifth consecutive 20-win season and a berth in the OHSAA Southwest District Championship Game, the Milford High School baseball team is set to open its 2018 campaign this week as it takes on four opponents during Spring Break. The Eagles welcome back a solid core from that district runner-up squad, including a trio of All-Eastern Cincinnati Conference performers. Milford is led again this season by veteran head coach Tom Kilgore who enters his 20th season at the helm of the program.

 

A LOOK AT THE EAGLES: Two of the three returning All-ECC selections on the Milford roster are also top two-way performers. Senior Evan Baugh was a first team All-ECC pick last year, hitting .330 at the plate with three extra base hits, 13 RBI and 30 runs scored. On the hill, the right-hander posted a 5-1 record and a team-best 1.91 ERA in nine starts. Fellow senior Mitch Mierke was the top winner on the Milford staff a year ago, tallying six wins with a 2.14 ERA. Mierke enters 2018 as the top returning hitting, having batted .339 with 19 RBI last spring. A third senior, C Dylan Stewart was outstanding behind the dish and solid at the plate last year, batting .273 with four doubles and 12 RBI.

 

Other experienced returnees for the Eagles this spring include: senior RHP Tyler Barter, junior INF Anthony Bassano, senior OF/RHP Kyle Minton and junior OF Brady Sluder.

 

THE UPCOMING DOCKET: A look at Milford’s schedule for the upcoming week:

  • Monday, March 26 vs. St. Xavier, 5:00 p.m.
    • 2017 Record: 22-5, 7-2 GCL (4th Division I area coaches’ preseason poll)
    • Top Returning Hitter: Senior Nathan Kappers (.375/0 XBH/2 RBI/0 SB)
    • Top Returning Pitcher: Senior Nathan Kappers (0.81 ERA/8-1 record)
    • Last Meeting: 2017; St. Xavier 11, Milford 1
  • Tuesday, March 27 vs. Madeira, 1:00 p.m.
    • 2017 Record: 15-14, 10-4 CHL (7th Division II-IV area coaches’ preseason poll)
    • Top Returning Hitter: Senior Patrick Thatcher (.325/3 XBH/12 RBI/5 SB)
    • Top Returning Pitcher: Senior Sam Wirsing (2.04 ERA/5-2 record)
    • Last Meeting: 2016; Milford 11, Madeira 1
  • Thursday, March 29 at Springboro, 5:00 p.m.
    • 2017 Record: 19-10, 8-3 GWOC
    • Top Returning Hitter: Senior Cameron Roundtree (.283/7 XBH/10 RBI/10 SB)
    • Top Returning Pitcher: Junior Tyler Kean (2.01 ERA/3-2 record/1 SV)
    • Last Meeting: 2017; Milford 3, Springboro 2
  • Saturday, March 31 vs. Hamilton, Noon
    • 2017 Record: 11-16, 7-11 GMC (RV Division I area coaches’ preseason poll)
    • Top Returning Hitter: Junior Payton Pennington (.358/6 XBH/14 RBI/7 SB)
    • Top Returning Pitcher: Senior Gunner Kellum (1.98 ERA/3-2 record/1 SV)
    • Last Meeting: 2017; Milford 12, Hamilton 7

 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s returning statistical leaders from last season:

Batting Average: Brady Sluder (.395), Mitch Mierke (.339), Evan Baugh (.330)

Slugging Percentage: Brady Sluder (.526), Evan Baugh (.372), Mitch Mierke (.357)

On Base Percentage: Brady Sluder (.467), Mitch Mierke (.413), Evan Baugh (.404)

Runs Scored: Evan Baugh (30), Dylan Stewart (21), Kyle Minton (12)

Hits: Evan Baugh (31), Dylan Stewart (21), Mitch Mierke (19)

RBI: Mitch Mierke (19), Brady Sluder (17), Evan Baugh (13)

Doubles: Dylan Stewart (4), Brady Sluder (3), Evan Baugh (2)

Triples: Kyle Minton (2), Evan Baugh/Brady Sluder (1)

Home Runs: None

Walks: Dylan Stewart (14), Kyle Minton (8), Evan Baugh (6)

Stolen Bases: Evan Baugh/Dylan Stewart (3), Mitch Mierke (1)

Wins: Mitch Mierke (6), Evan Baugh (5), Tyler Barter (2)

Saves: Jared Dettmer (1)

ERA: Evan Baugh (1.91), Mitch Mierke (2.14), Kyle Minton (3.59)

Innings: Evan Baugh (44.0), Mitch Mierke (39.1), Kyle Minton (25.1)

Opponents Batting Average: Evan Baugh (.222), Kyle Minton (.228), Mitch Mierke (.232)

Strikeouts: Evan Baugh (36), Mitch Mierke (32), Kyle Minton (24)

 

POLL WATCH: Milford is ranked ninth in the preseason coaches’ poll released on March 19 and sponsored by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Perennial power Moeller is atop the rankings with six first place votes, despite receiving one less top nod than No. 2 Mason. Lakota West (two votes), St. Xavier (one vote) and ECC newcomer West Clermont (one vote) round out the top-five. The ECC is also represented by Kings, Loveland, Turpin, Anderson and Walnut Hills in others receiving votes. The coaches’ poll is released every Monday at Noon at preps.cincinnati.com/coachespolls.

 

COLLEGE BOUND EAGLES: A trio of seniors on the 2018 Eagles’ roster have already announced their intention to continue their athletic and academic careers on the collegiate level. Twin brothers Alex and Dan Lutz are headed to Thiel College, while Mitch Mierke will take his talents to Thomas More College.

 

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