Medina throws no-hitter against Wooster to end Generals' postseason quest
GATES MILLS — Twenty-five years.
That's how long it had been since Wooster played in a regional game before Thursday's clash with Medina at Gilmour Academy.
Things didn't go Wooster's way against the Bees, but there's plenty of optimism it won't be another 25 years before the Generals get back to this stage again.
Owen Cavey was untouchable in the Division I regional semifinal, tossing a no-hitter to lead Medina to a 5-0 victory to end the Generals' postseason run. The Bees face Anthony Wayne at Bowling Green in Friday's regional final.
Coming into Thursday's game, Medina hadn't allowed a run in postseason play, and it was evident why with the way Cavey took command on the mound. He hit his spots all game, either striking out Wooster hitters or forcing them into weak contact. It all added up to a 10-strikeout no-no on just 85 pitches, with only one early walk (drawn by Ben Winge) separating Cavey from a perfect game.
"(My goal) was just to go out there and make them hit it," Cavey said.
Medina scored all five of its runs in the first two innings — the first two in the first on a Jack Geiser double, the third in the second on a Danny Stoddard single followed immediately by a two-run homer from Brennan Stobbs that made it 5-0 and knocked Wooster starting pitcher Brady Bowen out of the game.
Elisha Steiner threw 4⅓ innings of shutout ball the rest of the way, allowing three hits and striking out four, but the Generals couldn't muster up any offense.
It just wasn't their day.
"He beat us," Wooster senior Blake Bowen said. "We weren't on, and they were on. It was just one of those days we didn't have all of our stuff. Best of luck to them the rest of the way."
But in many ways, it was Wooster's year.
The Generals won their third straight OCC title. They became the first Wooster team in a quarter century to win a district championship. This team left its mark as one of the best in program history.
"It's been a pleasure to play with this team," Steiner said. "This team always has your back. It's been a lot of fun. I'm going to miss the team more than actually playing the game."
Of course, with the end of the season comes the end of the line for senior players, and Wooster is losing some irreplaceable players in Blake Bowen and Steiner. Wooster coach Steve Young got emotional when talking about the two seniors who emerged as the team's leaders in 2023.
Bowen, a University of Kentucky signee, has been one of the top players in Ohio since the first game of his sophomore year (his freshman year was canceled due to COVID), fully establishing himself as one of the greats in program history.
"The thing I'm most proud about with (Bowen) is that he was so selfless this year, picking guys up," Young said. "His leadership was night and day from what it was even as a sophomore. I think he learned a lot from the older guys we've had the past couple years and really took to it. He was conscious about it. He had guys bought in and believing."
Meanwhile, Steiner had a bit rockier of a journey, going from the high of winning OCC Pitcher of the Year as a sophomore to missing almost his entire junior year with an injury and finally returning to form late this season as one of the area's best arms and all-around players.
"He is probably the most selfless, hardworking kids I've coached in my life," Young said of Steiner. "He is the kid you dream of having and the kid who really sets the standard for a program. Those two ... I could go on for literally an hour."
Jacob Russell also stepped up in a major way as a senior, transforming from a junior varsity player as a junior to everyday right fielder in 2023. Young also praised Wooster's seniors who didn't see the field much as guys who have been integral in building the culture around the program as well.
"He had so many selfless seniors who didn't get much playing time," Young said. "But they were there every day, working, setting stuff up, tearing stuff down. It was a very, very selfless group. ... The foundation is laid. We're happy, but not satisfied."
That culture, and the returning talent headlined by an impressive class of 2025 that features Brady Bowen, Hayden Meese, Sam Nielsen, AJ Likowski and Winge, should keep the Generals humming into the future.
Brady Bowen is the type of player who will use a tough regional outing as fuel going forward.
"He'll bounce back," older brother Blake Bowen said of Brady. "He's a dog. He's going to come back out this summer and he's going to be great. Next spring, he's going to be even better than he was this year. He's got that bulldog mentality that whatever happens, he's going to get better."
Wooster will have plenty of time to look forward. But for now, they can look back and realize they accomplished something great in 2023, even if it ended with a loss.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Baseball: Medina no-hits Wooster in regional semi
