Mt. Pleasant, Washington district match-up just another district game to players, coaches

Washington head baseball coach Nathan Miller modestly says that Friday?s Class 3A District 11 semifinal between his Demons and rival Mt. Pleasant is just another district game. Yeah, it?s important, he said, but not any more important than any other district game.

?I think in the eyes of the fans it?s a bigger game because it?s a Mt. Pleasant-Washington match-up, but I think our kids are just focused that it?s a first-round district game,? Miller said.

In reality, the contest may be one of the best first-round match-ups in the entire state. Both teams are in the top seven in winning percentage in Class 3A, and three of the four regular-season match-ups were decided by two runs or less.

As good as Washington (26-7) and Mt. Pleasant (25-8) were in the regular season, Miller said he would have liked the teams to meet later in the postseason, possibly in the sub-state final.

?Would it be a great game to have as a sub-state final at a neutral site? Youbetcha,? he said. ?But it is what it is.?

Washington and Mt. Pleasant split the regular-season series, each winning two games apiece. Miller expects Friday?s contest to be anybody?s game.

?It?s been that way all year,? he said. ?The first game here was a 5-3 game. The second game was a 10-run game, but they committed several errors that we capitalized on. The two down there were both one-run games that could have gone either way. I wouldn?t expect anything less for Friday night.?

Washington swept Mt. Pleasant by scores of 5-3 and 11-0 at Dick Sojka Memorial Field on June 21, but the Panthers came back to sweep the Demons by scores of 2-1 and 9-8 at Mapleleaf Sports Complex nine days later. But Miller said that in the postseason those first four meetings are meaningless.

?I don?t think [they matter] at all,? he said. ?The only thing that matters is the scouting reports that we?ve gotten from each other after playing four games.?

Mt. Pleasant knows that Washington has several of the top hitters in the Southeast Conference. Senior Brad Weatherman batted .408 and led the league in hits (24), home runs (five) and RBIs (24). Junior Jake Redlinger led the conference in triples (six) and slugging percentage (.875) and senior Anthony Ossman led the league in stolen bases (16). Senior Josh Moore batted a team-best .418 and led the conference with 10 doubles while finishing second to Ossman in stolen bases with 11.

Mt. Pleasant senior Braden Shull had the top batting average in the conference (.467). During the entire regular season senior Henry Krieger-Coble put up some monster offensive statistics, batting .514 with eight home runs, 17 doubles and 47 RBIs. Sophomore Alex O?Donnell hit .421, and junior Ross Heitmeier had a .411 average.

Neither Miller nor Mt. Pleasant head coach Brent Broeker is sure of what pitcher he plans to start on the hill for Friday?s game. Shull, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 27

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round of this summer?s MLB Draft, has a 5-1 record with a 2.35 earned run average, and senior Korbin Taylor is 4-2 with a 2.17 ERA. Senior Henry Krieger-Coble, who is 3-3 with an ERA of 2.92, could also start for the Panthers. Washington will likely start either Weatherman, who is 4-3 with a 4.74 ERA, or Moore, who is 4-2 with an ERA of 0.55.

Washington brings some momentum into the postseason after winning its last seven games of the regular season.

?I?m just glad we?re playing well,? Miller said. ?That?s the whole key. Going into the postseason when you?ve won a few toward the end of the season, that?s always a positive because the kids are confident and focused.?

And Miller said his team is more focused than excited or nervous for Friday?s game.

?I don?t think they?re overly pumped,? he said of his senior-dominated group. ?I just have a good feeling with this group. There?s not a lot of anticipation as far as being nervous. There?s not a lot of stress. The kids have been pretty loose the last couple of days.?

Broeker said his team is also ready to open the postseason.

?I think we?re excited,? he said. ?After we lost to them twice, I think that upset us because we knew we could have played better. We?re ready for them.?

Both coaches expect a hard-fought district semifinal game on Friday.

?This should be a good game,? Broeker said. ?We were first in the conference, and they were second. It?s pretty much the same thing that happened last year except we met in the district finals. It?ll be a great game. Nathan will have them ready, and hopefully we?re ready. We?ll knock heads and see who comes out standing.?