H.S. Baseball Preview: Keystone has ranking and talent as it seeks first LCL title

LAGRANGE — Some people may have been surprised to see Keystone ranked in the top 20 when the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association released its Division II preseason poll. The Wildcats, however, are far from an overnight success story. Two years after struggling to a 12-win season with one of the youngest lineups in the area, Keystone is experienced, battle-tested and ready to win. With senior Brock Miller, the reigning Division III-IV Lorain County Player of the Year, leading the way, the Wildcats are looking to claim their first league title since winning the Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division in 2019. "I feel like we're a very experienced group," Miller said. "Most of the guys here with me have played three years of varsity. Having seen so much varsity pitching over time is huge, plus we're able to mentor the younger guys." Miller, a Cuyahoga Community College commit, hit .440 last season with 13 RBIs and 15 stolen bases and was also a star on the mound, going 5-2 with a 0.90 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 46 2/3 innings. "Brock is pretty much the team leader. We're going to roll as he does. He is a special kid," coach Bert Fitzgerald said. "We brought him up about one-third of the way through his freshman year and he's been showing great leadership qualities ever since. And it's only got stronger." Miller may stand out as one of the area's elite players but he is far from the only veteran leader on the Wildcats. Catcher Bowdy Todd is also a three-year starter and led the team last season with six doubles. "Being state-ranked doesn't mean a lot, we just have to go out and prove ourselves like we do every year," Todd said of the No. 16 ranking. "We've been consistently hitting and fielding and getting ourselves better every day. We have to play within ourselves. We can't overthink things." The Wildcats finished third in the Lorain County League last year with a 9-5 record (they were 17-10 overall) but it was somewhat deceiving, as three of the losses were by one or two runs in games in which Keystone had led. "Last year we didn't win some of the games we should have won. We lost a couple of conference games that kind of got away from us," Fitzgerald said. "They are a hard-working group. They are self-motivated and team-oriented, they have been here in the offseason at the open gyms. There really isn't a lot I have to do to pump them up." Keystone also returns a pair of veteran outfielders, seniors Dominic Reitz and Victor Vilchez, whom Fitzgerald refers to as the team's "twin assassins." They hit .341 and .329, respectively, last season. "Since we started playing together as sophomores we've been building together to get to this point," Vilchez said. "It would be really huge to win conference. For a lot of our seniors this will be our last year playing baseball. We've been working so hard for this for the last three years, it would mean a lot for us." Vilchez also had 15 stolen bases last season. Reitz said the senior class has been working toward this season since it started together on the junior varsity squad to begin its freshman season. "My freshman year I was on JV and growing that bond with the group that are all seniors now was so crucial. We all got really close and built a lot of chemistry," Reitz said. Experience doesn't just mean being able to pitch, hit and field at a high level. Reitz pointed out that a veteran team is also better equipped to handle the mental challenges of baseball. "We've learned to always keep a positive mindset," Reitz said. "Even when you're not having your best day, just do as much as you can to be as good as you can." Infielder Jack Senghas was the best clutch hitter for the Wildcats last season, leading the team with 29 RBIs while hitting .330. While Senghas has had great success on the golf course at Keystone, he said there would be something more special about replicating that success on the diamond. "Individual sports are great but as a team it's more important because you're so closely bonded with your teammates. It's more fun to succeed with other people," he said. "We have seven seniors and we all want conference. A district championship would also be spectacular. We've all worked hard for four years for the same goals: to succeed, win a lot of games and make our coaches proud." With the level of experience and talent in the Keystone dugout, the first district title since 2014 seems within reach. "Expectation are high," Fitzgerald said. "We have pitchers who can throw strikes and we have guys who have seen their averages go up from year to year. Most of these guys have played since their sophomore year and they've all put in the work." The Wildcats begin their quest for an LCL title Tuesday when they open league play at home against Wellington. Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.