ScoresBroadcast.com is on the scene of a headliner baseball tilt on Saturday when unbeaten Coldwater, ranked first in the state in Division III, travels to Russia, the D-IV state champ two years ago and state finalist last season.
The contest, which was recently added to the teams’ schedules, is set for 10 a.m. at Russia. The ScoresBroadcast pregame segment begins at 9:25. The open to the online presentation features highlights of the Raiders state tourney victories in 2022 and 2023.
Jack Kramer and Chuck McBee have the call on Saturday morning, weather permitting.
Coldwater nipped Russia, 3-1, in a regular season match in the spring of 2023.
Heading into this week with a mark of 13-0, Coldwater has hit double digits in nine triumphs so far. The Cavaliers had a Midwest Athletic Conference clash scheduled with Versailles on Tuesday. They crushed Elida on the road, 19-0, on Monday. The club currently boasts a robust .350 team batting average.
In the Cavaliers’ closest contest of the season, the MAC powerhouse blanked Ottawa-Glandorf, 3-0, when Cale Wenning tossed a complete game four-hitter.
In a recent 13-7 pasting of Celina, Baylen Blockberger plated four runs with three base hits, and Mason Welsch scored five more on three base knocks, including a triple.
Winning baseball contests and MAC first place trophies is nothing new for Coldwater, which leads the conference with 22 outright titles and 11 co-championships. The Cavaliers earned seven state crowns between 1983 and 2019, and finished second in the state on four other occasions.
Russia, 9-3 and ranked 13th in D-IV according to the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association poll, has been edged in the trio of losses by a total of four runs. The Raiders were blanked, 2-0, by Marion Local, and blew a 3-0 lead in the sixth inning last weekend at Celina.
Coldwater, by the way, plays the Flyers for the first time this season on Thursday.
The Raiders, who hold a two-game lead in the lost column atop the Shelby County Athletic League standings, continue to be paced at the plate by Felix Francis. He is hitting at a .500-plus clip through the first dozen games. Braylon Cordonnier is not far behind at .465. Francis and Cordonnier have combined for more than 40 runs batted in. Brayden Monnin is hitting at just under. 400.
Russia graduate Kevin Phlipot is in his 11th year coaching baseball for the Raiders program. Phlipot’s teams have averaged 20 triumphs per season. His clubs recorded 51 wins over the last two campaigns.
Coldwater is coached by Cory Klenke, a former Cavs athlete who played baseball at Miami University in Oxford. Klenke was named head baseball coach at Coldwater in October 2022 after the unexpected passing of Hall of Fame coach Brian Harlamert. Klenke was an assistant for Harlamert at Coldwater.
The late Lou Brunswick led Coldwater baseball from 1959 to 1993 and rolled up 750 victories during his well-publicized and legendary coaching career.
Lou’s son, Mark Brunswick, is the baseball coach and athletic director at Lehman Catholic High School. He enjoyed an outstanding baseball coaching career at Bellefontaine.
