PICTURED IS the 2021 Eastern District Division II baseball champion, St. Clairsville Red Devils. Front row, from left, are Marcus Bush, Braylen Blomquist, Jaren Starks, Tyler Tonkovich, Harrison Kazmirski, Logan Shields and Caleb Cook. Standing, from left, are assistant coach Zuke Jacob, assistant coach Eric Gay, head coach Tom Sliva, Hunter Hoffman, assistant coach John Nemeti, Robbie Cain, Luke Jozwiak, Will Balgo, Austin Porter, Jake Hayley, Mason Myers, Saul Crist, Drew Sefsick and assistant coach Joe Slavik.
ST. CLAIRSVILLE — When the St. Clairsville baseball team got back to work Saturday, there was a definite buzz around the practice.
But, it was also very workmanlike, too.
When a team is preparing to play in the regional tournament the former can be expected, but it’s the latter that head coach Tom Sliva has come to expect and love about his club.
“We’ve definitely talked about not being satisfied and knowing that we have another job to do,” Sliva said. “The kids are excited and the energy has been really good.”
The next job comes Thursday afternoon at Teays Valley High School in Ashville when the Red Devils (20-7) will take on Southeast District champion Hillsboro (23-6) at 5.
“It’s fun to be playing (high school) baseball in June,” Sliva said. “I really like what we’re doing and where we are. Now, we just have to keep the energy up.”
This marks the Red Devils’ fourth time in the ‘Sweet 16’ under Sliva’s guidance. Prior berths came in 2011, 2012 and in 2019 when St. C. won the regional championship and advanced to the state semifinals where it fell to Gilmour Academy.
The Indians, however, hadn’t claimed a district championship, prior to this season, since 1993.
Sliva, however, doesn’t put a whole lot of stock into an advantage factor.
“It would be nice to think that the experience we gained (in 2019) gives us an upper hand, but you still have to play good baseball to have success,” Sliva said. “Hillsboro is scary because they’re really hot at the right time (of the season).”
If the Red Devils are going to earn a return trip to Teays Valley on Friday, they’ll have to deal with a Hillsboro club, which hadn’t allowed a run in the tournament until its district final win against Unioto.
“I know they have a couple of real nice pitchers who throw in the low to mid 80s with good breaking balls,” Sliva said. “Those are the guys who got them (to the regional).”
Hillsboro could elect to go with Ryan Scott, who got the win against Unioto, or Tanner Warner, who has made 10 starts and won seven games this season.
Scott has been lights out on the mound. He’s 9-1 with a minuscule 1.53 earned run average and opposing teams are hits ing just .183 against him.
Offensively, Scott makes it go with a .407 batting average. He’s also scored a team-high 36 runs. Hunter Green leads the Indians with 19 RBIs.
Interestingly, of Hillsboro’s 207 hits, only 33 are of the extra base variety.
“Hillsboro is similar to what we’ve been seeing,” Sliva said. “They’re well rounded offensively. They swing the bats well, can bunt, have good speed. And they play good defense to go along with their pitching. From what we’ve seen, they won’t beat themselves.”
As for his own team, Sliva confirmed what many had already known. Senior ace Tyler Tonkovich will get the start on the mound. He last pitched on May 24 and got the win in a complete-game against West Holmes. Against Tri-Valley, in the district championship, it was at the plate where the Devils’ unquestioned leader delivered. He smacked a bases-clearing triple in the top of the eighth, fueling the 10-5 victory.
“Tyler has meant the world to me and our team because he’s such a good student-athlete and good kid on and off the field,” Sliva said. “He’s everything you want in an athlete and kid. He bring its at 100% every game with a fire and tenacity that makes him so fun to be around.”
Tonkovich, who is 6-1 on the season, has worked 43 innings and owns a 2.23 earned run average. He’s struck out 42 and issued 17 walks.
Hitting out of the three spot, Tonkovich has produced a .338 batting average with 19 RBIs. He leads the club with six triples.
The Red Devils offense has been strong all season. Collectively, they’re hitting .290 on the season and none of their every day players hits lower than .270.
Leading the way offensively is talented freshman shortstop Braylen Blomquist, who bats .406 and has a club-high 37 hits.
Classmate Marcus Bush — the every day catcher since the middle portion of the season — checks in at .388. His biggest hit of the campaign came in the aforementioned West Holmes game when he crushed a grand slam to break open that game.
Junior Drew Sefsick, who will play third base with Tonkovich on the bump, is batting .333. Classmate Jaren Starks is the Devils catalyst in the lead-off spot. He’s hitting .328, shares the team lead with 14 walks and also leads the squad with 14 stolen bases.
Senior Will Balgo is the Red Devils top run producer. He’s hitting .311, leads the team with two home runs and 36 RBIs.
Senior Luke Jozwiak is the designate hitter and has also been a steady run producer. He’s hitting .283 and has 13 RBIs with a home run.
Freshman Mason Myers has provided a steady spark, batting seventh in the lineup. He’s at .272 on the season and has scored 19 runs. He’s also a speedster on the bases with 12 stolen bases.
Junior Logan Shields bats ninth and plays second base. He’s been solid at the plate with .281 average.
Austin Porter is the left fielder and for whom Jozwiak hits for in the order. Porter has been brilliant in the outfield.
“We have a good group of seniors who have really found their niche and they’re the backbone and leaders of the team,” Sliva said. “We have a handful of juniors and a handful of freshmen who have made big impacts, too. Then you sprinkle in a few sophomores. The commitment and team aspect of these guys have been outstanding.”
REGIONAL NOTES
THE WINNER will face the survivor of Thursday’s opening game, which pits Cambridge against Bloom-Carroll. The championship game will be played Friday at 5 back at Teays Valley.
THE Red Devils will be the visiting team against Hillsboro. That’s determined by the line on the bracket.
SLIVA said his team will try to keep its game-day approach as similar to a normal game as possible. It will have batting practice at home, depart for Central Ohio between 11 and 11:30, stop to eat and then arrive at the ballpark for its normal pre-game routine.
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St. Clairsville to face Hillsboro in Division-II at Teays Valley - Martins Ferry Times Leader
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