Regional Semifinal Preview: Hillsboro Indians set to face St. Clairsville this Thursday
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
HILLSBORO – Reaching the Division II Regional Semifinals is a whole new experience for all involved with the Hillsboro Indians baseball program, as the year was 1993 the last time the Indians had a baseball tournament run go this far.
The Indians, who are 23-6 overall this season, will be facing the St. Clairsville Red Devils (20-7) in the regional semifinal game at Teays Valley High School on Thursday, June 3 at 5 p.m. When the time comes for the first pitch to be thrown, the Indians will not only be playing in a regional game for the first time in 28 years, but they will be putting a 12-game winning streak on the line in the process, as they haven’t lost since April 30.
Hillsboro is coached by Matt Garman, who is in his fifth year at the helm of Hillsboro. The Indians have flipped the switch this postseason, and in the latter stages of the ’21 season, resulting in their best baseball of the year.
In their four postseason games, the Indians have defeated Marietta (6-0), Jackson (1-0), Sheridan (2-0) and Unioto (6-5), with the extra-inning win over UHS winning the SE District championship.
One big part of Hillsboro’s success has been their starting pitching, and this season two players have stood at the top of the mountain for the Indians, and they are senior Ryan Scott and senior Tanner Warner.
Scott was the starter in the district final game, and this season he’s pitched 68.1 innings in 13 games, including 11 starts. Scott has a 9-1 record with one save, plus an ERA of 1.53 and a WHIP of 0.863. Scott is averaging 9.5 strikeouts per game for the season and 7.75 K/BB, with a total of 93 strikeouts and 12 walks. Also this season, Scott has retired the first three batters in the inning on 23 occasions.
In his senior season, Warner started the district semifinal game for the Indians, and in 13 games pitched, including 10 starts, he’s tossed 56 innings on the mound. He is 7-3 on the season with two saves and an ERA of 1.12, as he’s allowed just nine earned runs in ’21.
Warner also has 66 strikeouts in ’21 with a WHIP of 0.946. The senior is averaging 8.2 strikeouts per game and 3.3 K/BB.
Brad Miller earned the win in the district final game in a relief appearance, and this season he’s pitched in 34.1 innings with a 4-1 record. Miller has made seven starts (11 games pitched), compiling an ERA of 2.85 with 57 strikeouts.
At the plate, the Indians have been strong with Scott leading the team in hits with 37, while Hunter Green follows with 25 hits, and Zach Humphries enters the regional semifinal game with 21 hits.
Scott has also collected five doubles, one triple, 36 runs, 11 walks, 15 RBI, 27 steals and has a .407 batting average. Scott is also second on the team with six two-out RBI.
Others with double-digit hit seasons include: Spencer Wyckoff (17), Coltin Hunter (16), Quintin Captain (16), Warner (15), Brayden Kisling (15) and Brayden Cochran (11).
Hunter has the lone home run for Hillsboro this season, and Hunter Green is the RBI leader with 19 in 24 games played. Wyckoff comes in with 13 RBI in ’21, while others with at least 10 RBI are Humphries (12) and Captain (11). Nick Lewis leads the Indians with five sacrifices at the plate in ’21.
The Indians, of the Frontier Athletic Conference, have seven batters in the lineup with an over .200 average with at least 30 at-bats in ’21. Those batters are: Scott (.407, 91 AB), Green (.397, 63 AB), Korbin Adams (.300, 30 AB), Kisling (.288, 52 AB), Humphries (.296, 71 AB), Warner (.259, 58 AB), Hunter (.250, 64 AB), Wyckoff (.246, 69 AB) and Captain (.222, 72 AB).
As a team, the Indians have collected 207 hits (174 singles, 29 doubles, three triples and one home run). HHS has also collected 122 RBI, scored 169 runs, forced 124 walks and have a team batting average of .270.
Head coach Tom Sliva leads the St. Clairsville Red Devils (the champions of the Eastern Ohio Baseball League, Buckeye 8 and OVAC 4A) to face the Indians in the regional semifinals.
Their ace is Tyler Tonkovich, who as a sophomore pitched in the state semifinals in 2019. Now a senior, his numbers for this season include an ERA of 2.27 in 43 innings on the mound. He’s also walked 17 batters, has 42 strikeouts and has a record of 6-1 on the season with one save.
There is also Robbie Kain, who has an ERA of 1.97 with 39 innings pitched. He’s walked eight batters this season, with 34 strikeouts and a record of 4-2.
At the plate for the Red Devils, Jaren Starks is a junior who has a .328 average with 73 at-bats. Tonkovich is batting .338 with 62 at-bats, while senior Will Balgo is batting .311 with 87 at-bats and leads St. Clairsville with 36 RBI.
There is also the team leader at the plate Braylen Blomquist, a freshman, who is batting .406 with 91 at-bats. The Red Devils freshman has 37 hits with 18 RBI.
St. Clairsville’s path to the regional semifinals for a second straight season included wins against New Concord John Glenn (10-2), Millersburg West Holmes (13-2) and Dresden Tri-Valley (10-5 in eight innings to win the East 2 District championship).
The regional semifinals will be played at Teays Valley HS, 3887 State Route 752, Ashville, 43103 with a start time of 5 p.m. The winner will face the winner of the Cambridge vs. Bloom-Carroll regional semifinal game on Friday, June 4 at 5 p.m. at TVHS.
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The Indians, who are 23-6 overall this season, will be facing the St. Clairsville Red Devils (20-7) in the regional semifinal game at Teays Valley High School on Thursday, June 3 at 5 p.m. When the time comes for the first pitch to be thrown, the Indians will not only be playing in a regional game for the first time in 28 years, but they will be putting a 12-game winning streak on the line in the process, as they haven’t lost since April 30.
Hillsboro is coached by Matt Garman, who is in his fifth year at the helm of Hillsboro. The Indians have flipped the switch this postseason, and in the latter stages of the ’21 season, resulting in their best baseball of the year.
In their four postseason games, the Indians have defeated Marietta (6-0), Jackson (1-0), Sheridan (2-0) and Unioto (6-5), with the extra-inning win over UHS winning the SE District championship.
One big part of Hillsboro’s success has been their starting pitching, and this season two players have stood at the top of the mountain for the Indians, and they are senior Ryan Scott and senior Tanner Warner.
Scott was the starter in the district final game, and this season he’s pitched 68.1 innings in 13 games, including 11 starts. Scott has a 9-1 record with one save, plus an ERA of 1.53 and a WHIP of 0.863. Scott is averaging 9.5 strikeouts per game for the season and 7.75 K/BB, with a total of 93 strikeouts and 12 walks. Also this season, Scott has retired the first three batters in the inning on 23 occasions.
In his senior season, Warner started the district semifinal game for the Indians, and in 13 games pitched, including 10 starts, he’s tossed 56 innings on the mound. He is 7-3 on the season with two saves and an ERA of 1.12, as he’s allowed just nine earned runs in ’21.
Warner also has 66 strikeouts in ’21 with a WHIP of 0.946. The senior is averaging 8.2 strikeouts per game and 3.3 K/BB.
Brad Miller earned the win in the district final game in a relief appearance, and this season he’s pitched in 34.1 innings with a 4-1 record. Miller has made seven starts (11 games pitched), compiling an ERA of 2.85 with 57 strikeouts.
At the plate, the Indians have been strong with Scott leading the team in hits with 37, while Hunter Green follows with 25 hits, and Zach Humphries enters the regional semifinal game with 21 hits.
Scott has also collected five doubles, one triple, 36 runs, 11 walks, 15 RBI, 27 steals and has a .407 batting average. Scott is also second on the team with six two-out RBI.
Others with double-digit hit seasons include: Spencer Wyckoff (17), Coltin Hunter (16), Quintin Captain (16), Warner (15), Brayden Kisling (15) and Brayden Cochran (11).
Hunter has the lone home run for Hillsboro this season, and Hunter Green is the RBI leader with 19 in 24 games played. Wyckoff comes in with 13 RBI in ’21, while others with at least 10 RBI are Humphries (12) and Captain (11). Nick Lewis leads the Indians with five sacrifices at the plate in ’21.
The Indians, of the Frontier Athletic Conference, have seven batters in the lineup with an over .200 average with at least 30 at-bats in ’21. Those batters are: Scott (.407, 91 AB), Green (.397, 63 AB), Korbin Adams (.300, 30 AB), Kisling (.288, 52 AB), Humphries (.296, 71 AB), Warner (.259, 58 AB), Hunter (.250, 64 AB), Wyckoff (.246, 69 AB) and Captain (.222, 72 AB).
As a team, the Indians have collected 207 hits (174 singles, 29 doubles, three triples and one home run). HHS has also collected 122 RBI, scored 169 runs, forced 124 walks and have a team batting average of .270.
Head coach Tom Sliva leads the St. Clairsville Red Devils (the champions of the Eastern Ohio Baseball League, Buckeye 8 and OVAC 4A) to face the Indians in the regional semifinals.
Their ace is Tyler Tonkovich, who as a sophomore pitched in the state semifinals in 2019. Now a senior, his numbers for this season include an ERA of 2.27 in 43 innings on the mound. He’s also walked 17 batters, has 42 strikeouts and has a record of 6-1 on the season with one save.
There is also Robbie Kain, who has an ERA of 1.97 with 39 innings pitched. He’s walked eight batters this season, with 34 strikeouts and a record of 4-2.
At the plate for the Red Devils, Jaren Starks is a junior who has a .328 average with 73 at-bats. Tonkovich is batting .338 with 62 at-bats, while senior Will Balgo is batting .311 with 87 at-bats and leads St. Clairsville with 36 RBI.
There is also the team leader at the plate Braylen Blomquist, a freshman, who is batting .406 with 91 at-bats. The Red Devils freshman has 37 hits with 18 RBI.
St. Clairsville’s path to the regional semifinals for a second straight season included wins against New Concord John Glenn (10-2), Millersburg West Holmes (13-2) and Dresden Tri-Valley (10-5 in eight innings to win the East 2 District championship).
The regional semifinals will be played at Teays Valley HS, 3887 State Route 752, Ashville, 43103 with a start time of 5 p.m. The winner will face the winner of the Cambridge vs. Bloom-Carroll regional semifinal game on Friday, June 4 at 5 p.m. at TVHS.
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