May 28, 1999

Regional semifinal baseball matchup

By Dave Feltner
Sports Editor

The coaches are remaining subtle.

"He's a nice player," Genoa coach Gary Nissen said of Seneca East standout Mike Breyman.

"They're a fundamentally sound team," Seneca East coach Frank Lamoreaux said of the Genoa baseball squad.

Come on guys, spice it up a little. What we have here is one heck of a regional semifinal baseball matchup.

The Tigers and Comets meet at 4:30 p.m. today at Findlay's Flag City Memorial Park with the prize being a spot in Saturday's Division III regional finals.

But as far as semifinal battles go, this one rates a 10.

Seneca East (21-1) will come in with a team batting average of .388, a team ERA of 2.26 and 51 team home runs.

Genoa (26-4) hits .391, features two pitchers with an ERA lower than 2.00 and has committed just 35 errors as a team.

So this one could be a slugfest, or a pitching dual.

"I just think it's going to be a close game, whether it's a high-scoring game or a low-scoring game," Nissen said. "Really, it all depends on the pitchers. Sometimes pitchers just don't have it. You just hope it isn't your guy."

Nissen isn't saying just who "his guy" will be today, but the best bet is Jeff Keaton, who enters the game with a 9-1 record and a 1.38 ERA. He has struck out 70 batters in 66 innings.

The other top Comet pitcher is Eric McDaniel, who sports a perfect 8-0 record with 41 strikeouts in 46 innings. The defense behind the Genoa pitchers has committed just 35 errors this season.

But like the Tigers, the Comets not only excel in the field, they can bash the ball. They may not feature the same power the Tigers do, but the Genoa lineup features five .400 hitters.

The leader is Tony Sondergeld, who is hitting at a .500 clip. Steve Brewer (.463), McDaniel (.439) and lead-off hitter Tom Cooley (.409) also rate among the top hitters in the Suburban Lakes League.

Other probable Comet starters include John Dunn (.326), Nathan Egbert (.321), Nick Buehler (.383) and Dave Rymers (.268).

"The one thing nice about this lineup is that it's solid, one through nine," Nissen said. "We're hitting .391 as a team and we've scored 250 runs this year, so it's a nice lineup. These kids put the ball in play."

Lamoreaux pulls no punches when he discusses who will start on the mound for the Tigers.

"You've got to go with who brought you to the dance," the SE coach said.

That means the Comets will see Mike Breyman.

The Tiger junior is 7-1 this season, with a 1.98 ERA. He's struck out 78 batters in just 53 innings.

But it's at the plate where Breyman makes the most noise. He's hitting an astounding .652 (45-for-69) with 20 home runs and 58 RBI.

He's hardly alone, though.

Paul Young (.462) and Jason Burkholder (.408) set the table for the Breyman, the No. 3 hitter, and Brian Bischoff (.361), Kurt Weaver (.338), Joe Holmer (.326) and Rusty Wagner (.340) all provide protection in the lineup.

"Paul and Jason Burkholder have done a very commendable job all year for us getting the offense going," Lamoreaux said. "And that's big for us, because Mike doesn't always see the best pitches. Weaver and Bischoff have had nice seasons, and that's important to protect Mike. They've pulled their weight all season."

The trip to the regional tournament is the second in three years for Seneca East. Two years ago they defeated the Comets in the semifinals, 3-2, before losing to Lima Central Catholic, 2-0, in the finals.

On Friday at 1 p.m., LCC will take on Doylestown Chippewa in the other semifinal.

Last year, the Tigers made an untimely exit in the tournament when they were bumped from districts by Kenton.

"The difference is that last year we were bigger and stronger," Lamoreaux said. "This year, we're a better contact team and we're quicker. I think we led the league in stolen bases this year. Plus we've hit for power, and that's been a pleasant surprise."