The speed demons from Shelby County and the fountain of youth.
This is what some northeastern Ohio media outlets are calling the 1 pm. Saturday Division IV state semifinal baseball game between Fort Loramie (28-4) and Warren John F. Kennedy (20-9).
The Redskins have amassed 117 stolen bases as a team. Warren JFK has six freshmen on its roster of 11. Meanwhile, the Redskins will open the game with seven seniors in the starting lineup, including the designated hitter.
Caeleb Meyer, 8-0 on the season, will oppose the JFK ace, Cam Hollobaugh, who is 9-1. Meyer’s earned run average is right at one per seven innings pitched. Hollobaugh’s ERA is 0.38. He has racked up an average of almost a dozen strikeouts per game.
ScoresBroadcast.com and WMVR Radio, 105.5 TAM FM, will be in Akron on Saturday to cover the contest starting at 12:30 p.m. with pre-game comments from Fort Loramie head coach Jeff Sanders and Jim Ciambotti, first-year head coach of JFK.
The victor returns Sunday for the 4 p.m. state title tilt versus Lucasville Valley or Van Wert Lincolnview, which meet at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Rain chances for overnight Friday into Saturday morning were only 20% for Akron and 25% for game time Saturday afternoon. The high temperature could soar to 88 degrees.
This is the Redskins’ first trip to the state tournament at Canal Park, which is the home of the Akron Rubber Ducks, a Class AA affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.
The Redskins won state titles at Huntington Park in Columbus in 2010 and 2018. In 2007, they won the Division IV state championship at the old Columbus Clippers Stadium on the south side of the city.
Coached by Jeff Sanders in his first year, Fort Loramie scored five straight come-for-behind triumphs to close out the state tournament and capture the crown four years ago. Fort Loramie last lost at the state tournament in 2008.
Russia won the Class A state baseball title in 1971 and celebrated this season its 50 year anniversary of that championship. Anna won Class A crowns in 1972 and 1980.
Beating Russia June 5 marked the Redskins’ seventh regional title since 1985. The club began the 2021 season by splitting its first four games but has claimed victories in 12 of its last 13. It won the Shelby County Athletic League with a record of 11-1.
The Redskins’ roster features three seniors named to the Shelby County Athletic League first team for 2021. They are Mack Fortman, Jake Sanders and Darren Hoying. Juniors Derek Meyer and Evan Eilerman earned second team recognition.
Fort Loramie closed the regular season ranked sixth in Ohio, according to the final Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association poll.
