By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Beechwood will enter the All “A” Classic small-school state baseball tournament Saturday as the most productive team at the plate in the entire state.
In statistics posted Thursday on the khsaa.org website, the Tigers had state-high averages of 9.9 hits and 9.7 runs per game. They also ranked first in total RBI (183) and second in team batting average (.376).
Their prowess at the plate has resulted in a 17-6 record going into the eight-team All “A” Classic state tournament at Daviess County High School in Owensboro.
Beechwood’s first-round opponent at 12:30 p.m. Saturday will be Jackson County (8-11), the only team in the bracket with a losing record.
The other matchups are Raceland (18-1) vs. Lexington Christian (11-8) at 10 a.m., University Heights (16-3) vs. Owensboro Catholic (13-5) at 3 p.m. and Walton-Verona (16-7) vs. Campbellsville (15-2) at 5:30 p.m.
The two-day tournament that concludes on Sunday will give downstate teams a chance to see one of state’s premier hitters in action.
Beechwood junior outfielder Tyler Fryman is batting .611 (44 of 72) with 25 extra-base hits. He leads the state in hits (44) and runs scored (43) and shares the top spot in RBI (34) and home runs (8). He also ranks second in batting average (.611) and third in triples (7) and slugging percentage (1.278).
Fryman made a verbal commitment with the University of Louisville baseball team, but he’s also receiving offers from college football recruiters as a wide receiver.
Beechwood won the All “A” Classic state baseball tournament six times in 14 previous appearances as the 9th Region champion. After winning back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 under coach Kevin Gray, the Tigers have gone 7-4 in sectional and state playoff games over the last four years.
Judging by their impressive statistics, the current team has the firepower necessary to win three games in two days and take the title once again.
Walton-Verona is making its ninth consecutive appearance in the All “A” Classic state tournament as the 8th Region champion. The Bearcats lost in the 2021 and 2023 championship games and were knocked off in the first round the last two years.
This year’s team has four senior veterans in the pitching rotation. The ace is right-hander Bronson Corpus with a 4-1 record and 0.42 ERA that ranks ninth in statewide statistics. In 33 innings, the Eastern Kentucky University recruit has 53 strikeouts, two walks and allowed 15 hits.
The Bearcats will need a good pitching performance in their first-round game on Saturday against a Campbellsville team that has scored 10 or more runs in 10 victories and has a .331 team batting average.
Ryle boys volleyball nears showdown with region rival
With one week left in the regular season, the Ryle and Oldham County boys volleyball teams have perfect records against their Region 6 opponents and will face each other at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Oldham County.
Both teams have another region match before their showdown. Scott visits Oldham County on Friday and Calvary Christian visits Ryle on Monday. If both of the home teams win, their match on Tuesday will decide first place in the region standings.
Unlike most of the other regions around the state, Region 6 made no plans to seed teams for their post-season tournament, according to the khsaa.org website. That means a blind draw will likely determine first-round pairings in the 10-team bracket.
The other eight teams in the region are Boone County, Calvary Christian, Scott, Simon Kenton, Walton-Verona, North Oldham, Shelby County and Collins.
Last year, Ryle defeated Oldham County, 3-0, in the 6th Region final. Both teams received berths in the first boys state volleyball tournament sanctioned by the KHSAA, but neither of them made it past the first round.
Oldham County’s current record it 16-2, but the Colonels have not played defending state champion Louisville St. Xavier or Louisville Trinity, who are No. 1 and No. 4 in the latest Ratings Percentage Index statewide standings.
Ryle has a 12-3 record that includes losses to both of those Louisville teams and the other to Walnut Hills in Cincinnati. The Raiders are No. 5 and Oldham County is No. 7 in the RPI standings that are based on each team’s won-loss record and strength of schedule.
Distance runner is double-winner at multi-state meet
Cooper senior Paul Van Laningham won gold medals in two boys distance events during the Eastern Relays at the University of Louisville that included high school athletes from seven states.
Competing in the invitational division, Van Laningham won the 800-meter run in 1:52.21 and the 1-mile run in 4:07.33. He was one of only two double-winners in boys individual events in the upper division.
Beechwood junior Caroline Nordman won the girls 400-meter dash (56.34) in another invitational event. The second-place finishers included Brossart senior Ava Walters in girls shot put, Conner senior Bella Rechtin in girls 2000-meter steeplechase and Dixie Heights in both the girls 4×100 and boys 4×400 relays.
The open division event winners included Ryle freshman Will Zeinner in the boys 3200-meter run (10:18.48) and Cooper eighth-grader Ryan Halik in boys pole vault (12-0).