Eagles, Heralds excited to play in district baseball tournament

May 18—A couple of Ashtabula County baseball teams that have had a couple of bumps in the road this season will continue in the playoffs.

Geneva and Saint John won Division II and IV, respectively, sectional championship games on Thursday.

The schools will now compete in district competition.

The Eagles will head to Louisville to meet up against Salem for one district semifinal game at 2 p.m. on Monday.

The Heralds go west to play McDonald at Cuyahoga County Community College in Parma at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

Both teams have had impressive seasons, but each have also had their share of rough spots and some difficulties to overcome this season.

But both are excited about the opportunity to still be playing.

"It means a ton," Geneva coach Terry Hejduk said. "We came into the season with high expectations. We did not defend our conference title the way we wanted to, so the playoffs got to be a second season kind of, more of a redemption than anything else."

Saint John coach Alvin Rodriguez said he always strives to keep his players focused on just the next game, but admitted the excitement of the postseason is always on everyone's mind.

"This is what the season is really all about," said Rodriguez, who is leading the Heralds to a third straight district appearance, said. "We've been really waiting to get here."

Geneva, which has an eight-game winning streak, is 14-6 on the season. But that does not mean the team has faced its share of adversity this spring.

Early in the season, the Eagles lost four games in walk-off fashion where they had the lead, but could not close it out.

Geneva also lost to Madison 6-5 that helped derail its Chagrin Valley Conference Lake Division title hopes.

But Hedjuk said the adversity his team faced has made them stronger and more prepared for what lies ahead.

"Goals aren't always measured by wins and losses," he said. "Everyone thinks they are, but they aren't. We have really achieved a lot of good things here in mental and maturity growth. You could see it shifting about halfway through the season. We lost some games, but we also went from boys to men."

The Eagles edged Alliance Marlington 6-5 to capture their sectional title. Hewitt Wilt went five innings for the pitching win. Andrew Oros had two hits and two RBIs.

West Branch, the third seed, takes on No. 10 Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin in the second district semifinal game at 5 p.m. on Monday. The winners return to Louisville to play for a district title at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

Saint John will go into Tuesday's game with a 15-5 mark.

The Heralds won 12 consecutive games this season, but were recently run-rulled in back-to-back outings against Bristol (11-1) and Warren JFK Catholic (12-2).

The Heralds has also had to deal with injuries to key players throughout the season.

Rodriguez said a little bit of humbling was probably just what he and his team needed, though.

"It seems like we need that every once in awhile, our heads can get too big," the coach said. "We've had some ups and downs and adversity is the thing we've had to deal with this season, but they've been able to get focused again and that's what I'm really proud of."

Saint John's Will Anderson threw a no-hitter in an 11-0, five-inning win over Medina Christian Academy to win its sectional championship.

Jeromesville Hillsdale, the third seed, goes against No. 12 Ashland Mapleton in the second district semifinal game at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.

The winners will play for a district title at 5 p.m. on Thursday at Tri-C Parma.

Neither Geneva or the Heralds have any history with their next opponents, but both coaches have an idea of what they're up against.

Hedjuk said he expects Salem to pitch ace Carson Rhoades, a Virginia Tech commit.

"He's a special young man," the coach said. "He throws in the low to mid 90s, my son [Hagan] and him played together in Atlanta, I know a lot about him, he's a great kid."

Rodriguez said he has seen McDonald, and has a lot of respect for the brand of baseball the Blue Devils play.

"They're a very well coached team," Rodriguez said. "They're very similar to Bristol in the NAC [Northeastern Athletic Conference]. They can do everything, they can hit well, they can pitch well, they can play small ball. It's going to be a tough game, but we're very excited to play."