By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
For the fifth consecutive year, two Northern Kentucky high school baseball teams won regional championships to qualify for the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA state tournament. Highlands and Campbell County are among the 16 contenders that will play first-round games on Thursday and Friday at Whitaker Bank Ball Park in Lexington.
A local team made it to the state final each of the last four years, but none of them won the title. It will be interesting to see if Highlands or Campbell County can make a successful run for the 2018 championship trophy.
Highlands (26-13) is making its fourth straight trip to the state tournament as the 9th Region champion and will face South Oldham (21-12) in a first-round game at 11 a.m. Friday.
The Bluebirds were state runner-up in 2015, lost in the first round of the 2016 state tournament and went 1-1 in last year’s season finale.
This year’s team has a solid pitching staff that has posted a combined earned run average of 3.21 in 39 games. The best of the bunch is senior left-hander Drew Rom, a fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Orioles in the Major League Baseball entry draft earlier this week.
Highlands coach Jeremy Baioni put Rom on the mound against most of the top teams on the schedule. He has an 8-6 record with a 2.40 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 67 innings.
At the plate, the Bluebirds have a .328 team batting average. The lead-off hitter is shortstop Ethan Kavanagh with a .413 average (33 of 80) that includes 18 extra-base hits. The other eight players in the batting order all have averages of .323 or higher.
Campbell County (21-11) returns to the state tournament as the 10th Region champion and plays McCracken County (32-8) at 6 p.m. Friday.
After a state runner-up finish in 2016, the Camels were upset in the first round of the regional playoffs last season. This year, the team got off to a 5-8 start and then won 16 of their next 19 games.
The four seniors on Campbell County’s roster played key roles in the team’s late-season success. The team’s leading hitter is Austin Hoeh with a .433 batting average, followed by Noah Brewer at .398. On the mound, Carson Werrmann and Luke Oehrle have a combined record of 13-2, giving up 26 earned runs in 100 innings.
The Camels have scored 10 runs or more in eight of their last 16 victories, but they’re not likely to do that in the state tournament game against McCracken County. The First Region champions have limited opponents to one run or less in 19 games and the pitching staff has a 1.69 earned run average.
WHITAKER BANK/KHSAA STATE BASEBALL TOURNAMENT
(at Whitaker Bank Ball Park, Lexington)
THURSDAY — Upper bracket
Greenup County (36-5) vs. Muhlenberg County (21-14), 11 a.m.
Corbin (24-12) vs. Hazard (24-9), 1:30 p.m.
Pleasure Ridge Park (28-6) vs. Louisville St. Xavier (33-2), 6 p.m.
LaRue County (22-7) vs. Boyle County (26-6), 8:30 p.m.
FRIDAY — Lower bracket
HIGHLANDS (26-13) vs. South Oldham (21-12), 11 a.m.
Paintsville (25-12) vs. Christian County (20-12), 1:30 p.m.
CAMPBELL COUNTY (21-11) vs. McCracken County (32-8), 6 p.m.
Madison Central (30-7) vs. Bowling Green (21-11), 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Upper bracket quarterfinals, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Lower bracket quarterfinals, 6 and 8:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, JUNE 15
Semifinal games, 6 and 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, JUNE 16
Championship game, 7 p.m.