By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Highlands senior pitcher Drew Rom was among the high school baseball players who got to display their talents at the Super 60 Pro Showcase on Sunday at the Max-McCook Athletic Center near Chicago.
The showcase gives professional baseball scouts a chance to evaluate draft-eligible high school prospects from several states each year. There were 24 pitchers among the 70 players invited to Sunday’s indoor event, but Rom was one of only three left-handers on the list.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound senior has accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Michigan. He was invited to the showcase because he’s considered the top pitching prospect among high school seniors in Kentucky, according to a scouting profile on Prep Baseball Report.
Last spring, Rom posted a 9-3 record with 117 strike outs in 65 innings pitching for the Highlands team that won its third consecutive 9th Region championship. Local coaches voted him Class A Player of the Year and he was a second team all-state selection.
During the summer and fall, Rom played for the Cincinnati Flames traveling club team. A scouting report posted on Prep Baseball Report after a Flames game in September said Rom “made a case for being the state’s No. 1 prospect” with his strong pitching performance
The scouting report said his fastball averaged between 86-87 mph. “The ball jumped on hitters and to make matters tougher, Rom also mixed in a swing-and-miss slider with sharp, late break.”
Region 6 wrestling features five top-ranked state contenders
Five high school wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the state in their weight class will be competing in the Region 6 championships on Friday and Saturday at Cooper High School.
Three of the top-ranked wrestlers are Walton-Verona teammates Ryan Moore (132 pounds), Mason Smith (170) and Braden Mulcahy (182). Last year, Moore won the 126-pound state title and Smith placed third in the 160 weight class.
Dixie Heights senior Karius Washington is ranked No. 1 in the state at 285 pounds. He was state runner-up in that weight class last season. The region’s other top-ranked wrestler is Conner freshman Sam Grandstaff at 106.
The top four finishers in each of the 14 weight classes at the regional meet will receive berths in next week’s state tournament at Kentucky Horse Park’s AllTech Arena near Lexington.
Simon Kenton won the Region 6 team title last February and Ryle had the highest team score at the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Championships earlier this season. But Walton-Verona is considered the favorite in this year’s 12-team regional field.
Holmes will honor retiring boys’ basketball coach at home game
Holmes will conduct a ceremony to honor boys’ basketball coach Mike Listerman during a home game against St. Henry on Thursday.
Listerman is retiring from coaching after this season. Family members and friends who attend Thursday’s game are asked to wear a sweater vest to simulate his usual coaching attire.
In 17 years as a boys’ head basketball coach, Listerman has compiled a 304-189 career record at three high schools. Holmes teams have a 58-50 record in four seasons under Listerman, including this year’s 10-12 mark.
After he retires from coaching, Listerman will be able to devote more time to the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Bluegrass-Buckeye Charity Classic basketball games. He started the event in 2001 and it has raised more than $233,000 for local charities over the last 17 years.
Highlands soccer player recruited by NCAA Division I team
Elias Ordoñez, the leading scorer on the Highlands boys’ soccer team that was 9th Region runner-up last fall, plans to sign a letter of intent with Mount St. Mary’s University of Maryland at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the high school’s media center.
Ordoñez wasa welcome addition to the Bluebirds’ roster for his senior year. He scored a team-high 12 goals with three assists on a team that reached the regional final for the first time since 2013.
“Elias is one of the most competitive student-athletes I have ever encountered,” said Highlands coach Chad Niedert. “His foot skills mixed with his speed make him extremely challenging to defend.”
Mount St. Mary’s is reinstating its Division I men’s soccer program in the fall of 2018. The team will compete in the Northeast Conference.