Beechwood keeps rockin' and rollin' in 12-6 district title romp over CovCath

By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter

The goals, they are evolving, Beechwood Coach Kevin Gray said Tuesday after his Tigers won the 35th District title, as they so often do, with lots of offense in a 12-6 slugfest over host Covington Catholic.

Beechwood’s Tyler Fryman acknowledges his teammates’ cheers for his second-inning home run. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)

Now it’s on to next week’s Ninth Region championship beginning Monday at Thomas More Stadium. But winning the region, after four titles under Gray, never changes as the No. 1 goal. Especially now having missed going downstate the last two years.

The 1-2-3 for the postseason doesn’t change, Gray says: “Be the (No.) one seed, win the region and go downstate and see what happens.”

It’s that “winning the region part” that’s the toughie, especially for a team built around offense – and in the Ninth Region. “Everybody has that one dog,” Gray says of the No. 1 pitchers who can beat you after a 29-9 record (17-3 in the region) with losses to Conner, Ryle and Dixie Heights. “That’s what makes our region so tough.”

One-and-out baseball from now on will do that to you. But with a lineup led by maybe the top offensive threat in the state – junior Tyler Fryman, the baseball/football star being recruited at the top level of college athletics for both sports – the Tigers have a shot every night out. As they did in this one.

Beechwood’s Caleb Arrasmith, district MVP, fires a high, hard one. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)

By the time he’d been up twice in the top of the second, leadoff hitter Fryman had scored twice, had two hits, two RBI and a home run on the way to a three-for-four day with three runs scored, three RBI and a stolen base.

Not exactly a surprise. Coming into Tuesday’s game, Fryman’s 67 base hits were 10 more than the second in the state. And his 129 total bases were 18 more than No. 2 while his 121 runs scored were nine ahead of No. 2. He’s among the state leaders in batting average (.554), home runs (11), doubles (14), triples (nine), slugging percentage (1.066), RBI (45) and steals (35 in 37 tries).

At 6-feet-1 and 185 pounds with 4.4 speed in the 40 and great instincts in the field and on the bases – both of which translate to football – Fryman is open as to which sport he’ll play in college, “I’m looking at both,” Tyler says. And teams are telling him he can play both. You know, like Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders.

Two can celebrate as CovCath players welcome Matt Fitz after one of his two home runs. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)

Tyler laughs at those names. But doesn’t back off. “I think I could do both,” he says. Although if forced to choose, he has the perfect answer: “Whichever one God wants me to play.”

“I wish we could clone him,” Gray says, then shakes his head. “Not for baseball, he’s one of the greatest kids – off the field – I’ve ever coached.”
And feeling no pressure, Tyler says, thanking his teammates “for having my back and picking me up when I need it.”

As they did on this day even when he didn’t need it with home runs from starter and winner Caleb Arrasmith (8-2), a junior lefty who had a bit of trouble finding the plate with an uncharacteristic five bases on balls after giving up just 10 in 38 innings in nine games.

“He was good enough,” Gray said, noting how the difficult spots in a season “sometimes makes you re-focus.”

First baseman Brooks Becker had plenty of focus in a two-for-three game with five RBI and a grand slam in the fourth inning that made it 9-2. For a CovCath team in its first season after the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Bill Krumpelbeck under John Michaels, the Colonels fall to 19-16. But earned Gray’s praise.

CovCath AD Tony Bacigalupo presents the district championship trophy to Beechwood manager Miles Laird. (Photo by Dale Dawn/NKyTribune)

“Coach Michaels has done a great job,” Gray said as they move on to the regional as well, paired against one of the four district winners next Monday.

Sophomore first baseman Matthew Fitz was a big part of that with a pair of home run shots to left center that got out in a hurry, matching his season total for 27 games. CovCath catcher George Unkraut added a seventh-inning two run home run.

DISTRICT 35 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Chase Tully, Holy Cross; Jack Nolan, Matthew Fitz and Nick Thompson, CovCath; Bobby Meier, Brooks Becker, Tyler Fryman, Beechwood. And MVP Caleb Arrasmith, Beechwood.

SCORING SUMMARY

COVCATH 001 111 2 — 6 6 1
BEECHWOOD 221 430 x — 12 11 0

WP: Arrasmith (8-2) LP: Pollock (2-1)
Leading hitters: Beechwood: Fryman, 3-4, HR, 3 RBI, 3 runs scored; Becker 2-3, HR, 5 RBI, 2 runs scored; Arrasmith HR; True 2-3; Mando double; Meier 2-2, 3 runs scored; CovCath: Fitz 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 runs scored; Unkraut HR, 2 Rbi; Nolan, double; Gaskins, double.