Tue June 4, 2019
To view the State Previews, click below:
Division I | Division II | Division III | Division IV
To view the Regional Previews, click below:
Division I | Division II | Division III | Division IV
To view the Final Team Rankings, click below:
Division I | Division II | Division III | Division IV
To view all things related to the 2019 Spring High School Baseball Season, click here.
To view the 2019 Scout Blog, click here.
Interested in attending a PBR Ohio event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.
We are holding a fan vote via twitter that will end Thursday night and we will add those results below after the vote is completed.
State Final Four Overview: Two schools (Springboro and Darby) are making their first state appearance and one (Mentor) has never won the title in five trips. Thus, history is on the side of St. Ignatius which is playing at state for the 10th time in 20 years. While St. Ignatius has the most next-level talent and perhaps the hottest pitcher in the division in Andrew Mulhern, Mentor, coming out of arguably the toughest regional this year, may have the best overall pitching, Springboro's hitting has been outstanding and Darby, entering the tourney as a six seed, has nothing to lose.
For Fun Prediction:
Dylan Hefflinger:
Fan Vote:
Record: 22-5
Coach's Name: Jeff Haase
Final Ranking: No. 10
Preseason Ranking: No. 16
Highest Ranking: No. 10 - Final
Postseason History:
Team Stats:
Top Players:
Coach's Thoughts:
PBR: Talk about the feeling when your team won regionals?
Coach: It was overwhelming and a relief. Getting past two great teams in Brunswick and Walsh in less than 24 hours was a tremendous feat.
PBR: Talk about what this means for your school and community?
Coach: Our parents and student section has been fantastic all year. They bring energy to all ourgames and it really motivates the guys to play hard. The community has supported us very well, and since we haven’t been to state since 2007 in baseball everyone is excited to see if we can bring a title back to Mentor.
Hilliard DarbyRecord: 24-7
Coach's Name: Mike Weer
Final Ranking: No. 20
Preseason Ranking: No. 49
Highest Ranking: No. 20 - Final
Postseason History:
Team Stats:
Top Players:
Coach's Thoughts:
PBR: Talk about the feeling when your team won regionals?
Coach: I felt fortunate to be able to share that incredible team accomplishment with our players, parents, students, alumni, team supporters, and my family. It is a memory I will always treasure.
PBR: Talk about what this means for your school and community?
Coach: Hilliard is a wonderful place to live and Hilliard Darby is a fabulous school to work for. We have a lot of pride already in our community, hopefully this will add just little bit more to that.
PBR: Thoughts on the four-team field at the state?
Coach: Getting through baseball districts and regionals is so difficult; we are just honored to be left standing with the three other outstanding teams in Akron.
PBR: Anything else you would like to add?
Coach: A whole lot of people have worked really hard and sacrificed a lot over our school’s 22-year history to make this possible. I just want to say, “Thank You”!
Saint IgnatiusRecord: 22-8
Coach's Name: Brad Ganor
Final Ranking: No. 12
Preseason Ranking: No. 7
Highest Ranking: No. 4 - Week 1
Postseason History:
Team Stats:
Top Players:
Coach's Thoughts:
PBR: Talk about the feeling when your team won regionals?
Coach: Our team played, in my opinion, a schedule that could be the toughest in school history. Our early season trip to Florida, playing nationally ranked teams like Calvary Christian and Tampa Jesuit, prepared us for this tournament run. Winning the semi final game against Amherst, against a scrappy team, was a perfect example how we were ready for a game like that after playing the teams we played all season long. We knew playing Amherst was going to be a dogfight ,and it was all the way until the end. Having coached in Regional Final games in the past, they are always hard because you don't know a whole lot about the team you are playing. We had a good scouting report from watching their semi final game and we were able to use that to our advantage. The early season tests we faced came back into play when we were down 3-2 in the 6th, it's easy to say this now, but I really didn't see a ton of panic in the dugout...they knew what needed to happen and we found a way to get 5 runs on the board in the 6th and hang on for a thrilling win.
PBR: Talk about what this means for your school and community?
Coach: Many outside of Saint Ignatius think that we should always win and be in the state finals. Of course that is our expectation every year. But, what I have seen with this team is a group of players that love each other and have a bond on and off the field. We are blessed to have a chance to compete against the top teams in the state in 2019 with a chance to be the last team standing. We know the road in the Final Four will be difficult and we are excited to have a chance to play these games.
PBR: Thoughts on the four-team field at the state?
Coach: Nobody backs their way into these games. People always say in HS baseball, the best team doesn't always win...I don't agree with that. The best teams are in the Final Four each year, because 4 teams found a way to be playing their best baseball during the state tournament. Everyone's path was different, but each team found a way to get here and earned the chance to win a state title, so...the top 4 teams in the state are playing this coming weekend.
PBR: Anything else you would like to add?
Coach: I have been a part of a lot of success while coaching at Saint Ignatius. And every team that I have been a part of had their own story as to how they got to where they did. 2019 has been an amazing ride. I am going to miss these kids so much when the season is over, especially the seniors and their families who have created such an amazing experience for this years team!
SpringboroRecord: 26-6
Coach's Name: Mark Pelfrey
Final Ranking: No. 13
Preseason Ranking: No. 18
Highest Ranking: No. 13 - Final
Postseason History:
Team Stats:
Top Players:
Coach's Thoughts:
PBR: Talk about the feeling when your team won regionals?
Coach: It was a great feeling to watch our players celebrating their Regional Championship. They have worked hard since last summer and have developed a great chemistry. It is amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.
PBR: Talk about what this means for your school and community?
Coach: It has been special watching the support from our community. We had a police escort arranged by our principal, Kyle Martin, when we drove back into town. It was a great feeling having the community cheering us on as we drove down Main St.
PBR: Thoughts on the four-team field at the state?
Coach: Any team still playing is talented and playing well. I do not know many specifics about any of the teams.
PBR: Anything else you would like to add?
Coach: We are excited for the opportunity to be in the Final Four.
