By Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
Highlands baseball coach Jeremy Baioni didn’t fret over his team’s 18-17 record going into the post-season playoffs. He knew his players had the talent to compete for the 9th Region title, and they didn’t let him down.
Highlands defeated Beechwood, 7-1, in the regional final at UC Health Ball Park on Thursday and walked off with the championship trophy for the second consecutive year.
In five post-season playoffs games, the Bluebirds have outscored their opponents, 37-1, to live up to their coach’s expectations and earn a return trip to the state tournament.
“The regular season is an absolute grind and a lot goes on,” Baioni said. “But, when you get to the end of the year and the regional tournament, you’re going with the guys that you think can get you there. I put guys out there and they got it done. That’s what it all comes down to.”
This is the fourth time in the last five years that Highlands played in the 9th Region final. The Bluebirds are the first team to win back-to-back titles since Newport Central Catholic did it in 2011 and 2012.
In the opening round of the 16-team state tournament, Highlands (23-17) will play 15th Region champion Johnson Central (32-9) at 11 a.m. Thursday at Whitaker Bank Ball Park in Lexington.
Junior pitcher Ethan Doty was the Bluebirds’ standout performer in the regional final on Thursday. He limited a good-hitting Beechwood team to one run on two hits to pick up the win.
Doty, who was also the winning pitcher in last year’s regional final, did a good job against the top four batters in Beechwood’s lineup. They were a combined 2-for-11 with seven long fly outs in the minor league ballpark’s spacious outfield.
“I just don’t think we hit the ball very good,” said Beechwood coach Bob Mullins. “I mean, everything we hit was a long out. The park was just too big for us.”
Highlands took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when sophomore Drew Rom scored on a throwing error. Beechwood tied it on a run-scoring single by senior Kyle Rowe in the top of the third.
Highlands regained the lead by getting four runs in the bottom of the third off Beechwood starting pitcher Kyle Fieger. The big hit was a two-run double by senior Austin Mayhew, who came to the plate after an intentional walk to his team’s cleanup hitter.
“I was pumped,” Mayhew said. “I was like, ‘They better respect me,’ and I’m about to get it right here, so I did.”
After Highlands took the lead, Doty retired nine consecutive batters to protect it. In the sixth inning, he faced the top of the Beechwood batting order and all three of them flied out to center field.
“It’s great to have the defense behind you and the offense (putting) up seven runs,” Doty said. “That’s a bunch of cushion (for me) to come in and just throw strikes and get those big hitters out.”
Mayhew knocked in another run with a single in the seventh inning that gave Highlands a 7-1 lead. In three regional tournament games, he went 5-for-9 at the plate with five runs batted in.
“Coming into the tournament, I was hitting it pretty well,” he said. “But I just had a whole new mindset for this tournament. I had much more confidence than I’ve had all year. I just knew we were going to get it done.”
Mayhew is one of six first-year starters in the Highlands lineup who replaced the seniors on last year’s state runner-up team. With all of those newcomers on the field, the Bluebirds had a hard time keeping their record above the .500 mark during the regular season. But Doty knew they’d be ready to make a run in the playoffs.
“We’ve always come alive at tournament time,” he said. “I don’t know what it is, but we’ve always got that little fire in us that brings it when it counts.”
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Highlands – Ricky Raisor (MVP), Ethan Doty, Austin Mayhew, Drew Rom. Beechwood – Ethan Stringer, Brett Slusher, Brayden Burch. St. Henry – Collin Johnson, Kevin Flaherty. Conner – Cody Ware, Brian Manning. Dixie Heights – Keegan Barmore. NewCath – Spencer Pangallo. Ryle – Nathan Roe. CovCath – Nick Stegman.