CHCA baseball run to state a team effort

The Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy baseball team has made this run look easy.

The Eagles are unscored upon through five postseason baseball games, and earned the program’s second berth in the state final four. Now, CHCA is two wins away from claiming its first Division III state baseball title. The pitching has been dominant, but the Eagles have used a total team effort to advance this far.

“We’ve thrown the whole bag at them,” said head coach Jeff Keith. “We’ll do whatever it takes to win.”

No matter how well a pitcher is hurling, he needs some run support. Senior starting pitchers Cameron Varga and Blake Swanger have been impressive and have benefited from the consistent slugging of senior catcher Kyle Davis. Davis has provided all the offense the Eagles have needed this postseason. Davis homered in CHCA’s sectional and regional wins, and had the go-ahead runs batted in the the Eagles’ district clincher.

Davis’s slugging (.511 batting average, 39 runs batted in) is a luxury that the Eagles need not rely on. The West Virginia University commit has four home runs on the season and set a school record for most career doubles. He has also played stellar defense behind the plate and occasionally at third base. When the Eagles need a big hit, he steps up. But, when they simply need to move a runner over, he’s game for that, too.

“They’ve bought into my plan of playing aggressive, carefree baseball,” said Keith. “They’re okay with playing small ball and playing for runs early.”

From the top of the lineup to the bottom, the Eagles know what it takes to win and are willing to do it. Ricky Silvestri, Ryan Smith, and the Murray brothers, Chase and Cameron, are willing to share the offensive load.

“Nobody’s selfish,” said Keith. “We play selfless baseball.”

There is also pitching depth behind Swanger (1.30 ERA) and Varga (0.00 ERA) with Graham Lally and Conner Osborne. Varga, a University of North Carolina commit and likely first-round pick in the June 5 Major League Baseball draft, was recently named the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year. He broke a national record set in 1972 by striking out 33 consecutive batters, over the course of three games.

Two more wins would make this already memorable season even more historic. The Eagles (28-2) have gotten this far by focusing on each pitch, each at-bat, and each opponent. While it would have been easy to let overconfidence creep in, the Eagles have remained humble and driven.

“This team has never quit,” said Keith. “This team has a great instinct to keep going. They never look a game ahead. It’s been a joy to coach these guys.”

CHCA faces Orrville (18-11) at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at Huntington Park in Columbus. With a victory, the Eagles will meet either Coldwater or Wheelersburg for the championship at 1 p.m., Saturday, June 7, at Huntington Park.