'It means everything.' Moeller baseball punches ticket to Division I state title game

AKRON, Ohio − Moeller baseball is one victory away from adding to its impressive legacy.

The Crusaders took down Walsh Jesuit, 2-0, in the Division I state semifinals Thursday morning at Canal Park in downtown Akron.

"It's just an incredible feeling," Moeller head coach Tim Held said. "The way these guys have battled and the big loss in the (2022) regional final. To come back and the talk about us being No. 1 and stuff like that. They just weathered the storm and made plays when they needed to. It's just so fun to watch."

Vote: Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky high school athletes of the week, June 5

GCL-South battle: Moeller beats rival Elder in DI regional baseball final, 7-6

Moeller (30-3) advances to the Division I state championship game on Saturday morning (10 a.m.) against either Anthony Wayne or Olentangy Orange.

Here's how Moeller moved on.

Early bird gets the worm for Moeller baseball

Held said with yesterday's hectic schedule of driving over three hours to get to Akron, a team dinner and hotel preparations, that Moeller was anxious to get started Thursday morning.

Moeller was 20 minutes early to breakfast, early to get on the bus and was so early to the stadium that they had to wait outside of Canal Park to get in.

"I think they're all so jacked up," Held laughed.

Moeller's Toby Hueber delivers on the mound

Moeller may have been jacked up, but Walsh Jesuit grabbed the early momentum in the top of the first inning when Walsh-Jesuit lead-off man Alejandro Covas singled and Joey Canzoni followed with a walk. With two-on and none out, Moeller starting pitcher Toby Hueber disposed of any first-inning jitters and retired the next three hitters in order.

"A little nerve-wracking out there," Hueber said. "I just kept my composure and kept throwing strikes and getting outs like I usually do. By the second inning, I was working quicker and I was back in my groove."

Hueber did find a groove on the bump, retiring 15 of the final 18 hitters he faced following the two early baserunners. In the fifth with Moeller leading 1-0, Walsh-Jesuit left fielder Justin Bremner worked a lead-off walk and advanced to third on a two-out single by Covas. With two runners in scoring position and two outs, Hueber struck out Canzoni looking to end the frame.

"That's why we gave him (Hueber) the ball," Held said. "He's been doing it since he's been a sophomore. He's just a bulldog and he has such confidence in his pitches, the kids playing behind him have such confidence − we just know he's gonna battle."

Hueber improved to 10-0 on the year and set the Moeller baseball record for career wins with 25, according to Held.

"It feels fantastic," Hueber said. "Our goal all year was to win state and just for me to be able to do my part feels great."

Moeller bats come through

Walsh-Jesuit starting pitcher and Xavier baseball commit Ryan Piech had allowed just one earned run all season coming into Thursday's state Final Four.

The senior had it working early, keeping Moeller hitless through three innings. In the bottom of the fourth, Moeller's offense broke through when catcher Nathan Manley ripped a triple to deep left-center. One pitch later, Clay Burdette's RBI single gave the Crusaders a 1-0 lead.

"He (Manley) is fast and to get to third base with no outs and for Clay (Burdette) to follow that up right away with a single, you could sense the dugout had full energy," Held said of the icebreaking run.

Moeller didn't wait long to add insurance. Ethan Sweat lined a lead-off single in the fifth and Carter Christenson followed with a sacrifice bunt that Piech threw down the right-field line. The error put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Two batters later, Hueber helped the cause offensively with a key sacrifice fly to center to make it 2-0.

"I ran down and I said, 'Take a breath. You know what you need to do," Held told Hueber during the at-bat. "He (Hueber) said, 'I have one job to do, coach.' It kind of gives me the chills."

Marsh slams the door

Moeller right-hander Carson Marsh was handed the ball for the final six outs. The senior immediately came in firing darts, touching 93 miles-per-hour on the radar gun over a 1-2-3 sixth inning.

Walsh-Jesuit threatened in the seventh after a one-out double by Bremner and Raul Gamez walk. Topher Salek then flew out to right field on a diving catch by Conlan Daniel. Facing Covas, who had three of Walsh-Jesuit's four hits on the day, Marsh induced a game-ending grounder to shortstop Charlie Niehaus and the celebration was on.

Legendary Moeller coach Gerry Faust on hand

Gerry Faust, who started the Moeller football program in 1962 and led the Crusaders to five Division I state championships and four national titles, was in downtown Akron Thursday to cheer on the Crusaders.

Faust briefly spoke with the team down the left-field concourse at Canal Park after the win. It's all a reminder to the players of the championship legacy surrounding Moeller. With a win on Saturday, Moeller would tie Newark Catholic for the second-most state championships (9) in OHSAA history.

"To have coach Faust here to talk to the guys and be close to his home, they know the Moeller tradition," Held said. "They want to be a piece of that. They want their names to be etched with all those other greats."

Hueber added: "It means everything, especially for a school with our legacy. We just want to keep carrying it on and hopefully be the best team to ever walk these halls."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: OHSAA baseball: Hueber leads Moeller past Walsh Jesuit in state semis