A LOOK AT THE EAGLES: A capsule look at the 2019 team:

• 2019 Record: 12-7, 6-5 ECC
• Head Coach: Tom Kilgore (21^st year at Milford)
• Top Hitter: Senior Calvin Hunter (.403 BA/8 2B/2 3B/19 RBI/2 SB)
• Top Pitcher: Senior Jake Becker (4-1/1.58 ERA/31.0 IP/28 SO)

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

• Monday, May 6 vs. Turpin, 5:00 p.m. (Senior Day) & Wednesday, May 8 at Turpin, 5:00 p.m.
  • 2019 Record: 12-7, 8-4 ECC
  • Top Hitter: Junior Justin Silverstein (.407/12 XBH/15 RBI/10 SB)
  • Top Pitcher: Senior Peter Henkel (5-2 record/1.70 ERA/37.0 IP/25 SO)
  • Last Meeting: 2018; Milford 4, Turpin 0 & Turpin 8, Milford 7
• Tuesday, May 7 at Walnut Hills, 4:30 p.m. (completion of suspended game from May 1; Milford leads 8-4 in the top of the fifth inning)
• Friday, May 10 at Springboro, 5:00 p.m.
  • 2019 Record: 16-5, 7-2 GWOC
  • Top Hitter: Senior Adam Berry (.537/4 XBH/8 RBI/2 SB)
  • Top Pitcher: Junior Austin Fawley (7-0 record/0.99 ERA/35.1 IP/30 SO)
  • Last Meeting: 2017; Milford 3, Springboro 2
• Saturday, May 11 vs. Elder, Noon
  • 2019 Record: 13-6, 4-3 GCL
  • Top Hitter: Senior Clay Hodge (.438/1 XBH/4 RBI/0 SB)
  • Top Pitcher: Senior Colton Sandhas (3-1 record/1.91 ERA/29.1 IP/33 SO)
  • Last Meeting: 2018; Elder 6, Milford 4

TOURNEY TALK: The Eagles have earned the No. 10 seed in the Cincinnati sectionals of the OHSAA Tournament, as voted on by the area coaches. The Eagles will open the tournament at home on Tuesday, May 14, hosting No. 32 Withrow. Click here for the sectional brackets.

The schedule for ECC teams in the tournament includes: No. 5 Kings vs. winner of No. 10 Milford-No. 32 Withrow (May 16, 5:00 p.m. at Kings), No. 7 Anderson vs. winner of No. 13 Colerain-No. 16 West Clermont (May 16, 5:00 p.m. at Anderson), No. 9 Turpin vs. No. 15 Walnut Hills (May 14, 5:00 p.m. at Turpin), No. 10 Milford vs. No. 32 Withrow (May 14, 5:00 p.m. at Milford), No. 16 West Clermont vs. No. 13 Colerain (May 14, 5:00 p.m. at Colerain) and No. 20 Loveland vs. No. 18 Hamilton (May 14, 5:00 p.m. at Hamilton).

THANK YOU SENIORS: Senior Day is scheduled in conjunction with the Eagles’ May 6 home game against Turpin. That day, the 2019 Senior Class consisting of Anthony Bassano, Jake Becker, Sam Greenwell, Calvin Hunter, Lucas Neidhart, Brady Sluder, Cam Sunderlage and Adam Yoh will be honored for their contributions to Milford Baseball.

A LOOK BACK: April 29 at Milford: Milford 10, Walnut Hills 1

GAME REWIND

For the second straight start, junior lefty Zach Byron recorded double digit strikeouts as he fanned 13 over six sparkling innings to lead the Eagles past Walnut Hills, 10-1. Byron, who allowed just a single unearned run and one hit, has now struck out 27 hitters over his past 11 innings of work. He begins the week ranked second in the ECC with 46 strikeouts this spring.

Walnut actually struck first, getting its marker in the top of the opening inning, but Milford used RBI in the bottom of the frame from Calvin Hunter and Brady Sluder to take the lead. The Eagles stretched the lead to 3-1 on a sacrifice bunt by Adam Yoh in the bottom of the second.

The Eagles really blew the game open in the fourth with a five-run explosion. Following a Cameron Hemmert RBI double and a run-scoring single by Jonathan Baker, Anthony Bassano delivered the big hit of the inning, a three-run homer. The longball was the first by a Milford hitter this spring. Milford tagged on two more in the sixth on bases loaded walks to Baker and Mason Harvey.

RECORDS & PITCHING DECISIONS

Milford: 11-7, 5-5 ECC; Walnut Hills: 13-7, 5-5 ECC

WP: Zach Byron; LP: Sid Patel; Save: None

KEY PLAYERS

Milford

Zach Byron 6 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 3 BB, 13 SO

Anthony Bassano HR, 3 RBI

Calvin Hunter 2-4

Brady Sluder 2-4

Cameron Hemmert 2B

Jonathan Baker 2 RBI

Walnut Hills

None

May 1 at Loveland: Milford 1, Loveland 0

GAME REWIND

Milford got five hitless innings of pitching from senior Jake Becker and used some nifty defense to get past Loveland by a 1-0 final. A true pitcher’s duel featuring Becker and University of Cincinnati signee Zach Segal saw the only run of the afternoon score when Brady Sluder beat out a fielder’s choice that allowed Sam Greenwell to dart home.

On the hill, Becker kept the Tigers off-balance for five dazzling innings, before turning things over to Sam Roth. Behind the duo, the Eagles turned double plays in each of the last three Loveland turns at the plate. None was bigger than in the bottom of the seventh when Roth helped himself with an athletic play. Loveland started the inning with a Milford error and wild pitch, putting the tying run on second with no one out. But the Tigers’ Joe Timmerman popped up a sacrifice bunt attempt that Roth sprung off the mound to catch and double off the Loveland runner at second. Roth then struck out the last hitter to preserve the victory.

RECORDS & PITCHING DECISIONS

Milford: 12-7, 6-5 ECC; Loveland: 8-11, 3-8 ECC

WP: Jake Becker; LP: Zach Segal; Save: Sam Roth

KEY PLAYERS

Milford

Jake Becker 5 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 3 BB, 3 SO

Sam Roth 2 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 SO

Anthony Bassano 2-4

Loveland

Zach Segal 6 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 0 BB, 10 SO

May 4 at Ross: Milford and Ross played to a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning before inclement weather forced the suspension of the contest. No determination has been made if the game will be completed.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: A look at Milford’s statistical leaders:

Batting Average: Calvin Hunter (.403), Anthony Bassano (.393), Braden Pickett (.356)

Slugging Percentage: Anthony Bassano (.590), Calvin Hunter (.582), Braden Pickett (.511)

On Base Percentage: Max Ward (.488), Braden Pickett (.473), Anthony Bassano (.472)

Runs Scored: Anthony Bassano (19), Calvin Hunter/Grant Whitaker (16)

Hits: Calvin Hunter (27), Anthony Bassano (24), Braden Pickett (16)

RBI: Calvin Hunter (19), Brady Sluder (16), Grant Whitaker (12)

Doubles: Calvin Hunter (8), Anthony Bassano/Braden Pickett (7)

Triples: Calvin Hunter (2), Anthony Bassano/Cameron Hemmert/Tyler Rawlins (1)

Home Runs: Anthony Bassano (1)

Walks: Braden Pickett/Brady Sluder (9), Cameron Hemmert/Max Ward (8)

Stolen Bases: Cameron Hemmert (5), Grant Whitaker (4), Anthony Bassano (3)

Wins: Jake Becker (4), Zach Byron/Calvin Hunter/Sam Roth (2)

Saves: Anthony Bassano/Sam Roth (2)

ERA: Jake Becker (1.88), Sam Roth (2.41), Calvin Hunter (2.88)

Innings: Jake Becker (31.0), Zach Byron (26.1), Sam Roth (20.1)

Opponents Batting Average: Jake Becker (.177), Sam Roth (.194), Braden Picket (.203)

Strikeouts: Zach Byron (46), Jake Becker (28), Sam Roth (27)

COLLEGE BOUND EAGLES: Calvin Hunter was the first member of the 2019 Milford Baseball senior class to announce his plans for next season. Hunter has signed a national letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic career at Marshall University beginning in the fall.