Follow on Twitter- @PrepBaseballOH
Follow on Twitter- @PrepBaseOHScout
Follow on Instagram- @prepbaseballohio

To view all things Spring High School Baseball Related, click here.

To view the 2024 State Tournament Preview, click here.

To view the 2024 OHSAA 64-Team Regional Tournament Preview, please click below: 

• Division I | Division II | Division III | Division IV | Tournament Preview

To view the 2024 Ohio Team Power Rankings updates, please see below.

• Final Rankings | Update 6 | Update 5 | Update 4 | Update 3 | Update 2 | Update 1 | Preseason

Interested in attending a Prep Baseball Ohio event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

2024 OHSAA Tournament: Division II State Semifinal - No. 6 Badin vs No. 24 Padua

AKRON - Caleb Driessen fired a three-hitter and Badin scored four runs in the fifth inning en route to a 5-0 victory over Parma Padua in the opening game of the 96th annual OHSAA state baseball tournament at Canal Park on Friday morning.

The Rams will play the winner of the second Division II semifinal between Indian Creek and West Branch on Sunday at 10 a.m. The sixth-rated team in the state has yet to surrender a run in the tournament in moving to 27-6 on the season.

The uncommitted sophomore did not allow a runner to get in scoring position after the first inning until two Padua hits in the seventh.

Driessen had all the support he needed in the fifth with the Rams scoring four runs on three hits, two walks and a HBP to take a 5-0 advantage. Chase Luebbe hit an RBI single after a double by Austin Vangen and walks to Cooper Ollis and Chandler Taylor. Following a strikeout, Kade Bowling produced a sac fly to plate Ollis. Austin Buckle was then hit by a pitch and Jeremiah Carmella came up huge with a two-run single to left capping the four-run frame.

An inning earlier, Carmella hit a run-scoring single to bring in Cade Cummins with the first run of the game. Cummins led off the fourth with a pinch hit single.

Badin put runners on base in every inning against four Padua pitchers, pounding out eight hits to go along with four walks and two HBP.

Carmella had hits in his first three plate appearances and drove in three runs for Badin, making its 15th state appearance. The Rams have won two state championships, the last coming in 1996.

Padua closes out the season at 19-9-1, reaching state for the first time since 2005 when the Bruins fell to Badin 1-0 in the semifinals.

HOT TAKES

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Driessen was nearly unhittable, retiring 10 straight batters after Makhi WIlliams hit the first pitch he saw for a leadoff single in the first inning for the Bruins. The sophomore right-hander did not give up another hit until an infield single in the seventh and finished with six strikeouts, including three in the seventh. Driessen threw 59 of 90 pitches for strikes, walking just one.

BENCH COMES THROUGH: The bench played a big role in the Badin win, with Cummins replacing an injured Kyle Anderson in the fourth and hitting the pinch hit single while coming around to score the initial run of the contest. Cummins, who was not even in the team photo in the state program, was then subbed for by Cooper Anzalone who took over behind the plate for Anderson and promptly threw out a Padua runner trying to steal second. The sophomore also hit a single later in the game for Badin.

DEFENSE SHINES: Both teams had stellar performances in the field with no errors in the game. On the Padua side, second baseman Manny Lebron made a nice backhand play in the first to prevent Badin from scoring a run. In the second, Nathan Krayzel picked off a runner at first and starting catcher Yuri Bellina threw out a potential base stealer for the Rams. There was more from the Padua glove game, with rightfielder Matt Lowe making a spectacular grab approaching the warning track with his back to the infield robbing Luebbe of an extra-base hit. Badin had its share of big plays as well, highlighted by Ollis at short, Lebron at second and Bowling at third base with the infield trio combining for seven assists.

WHAT’S NEXT?: With four of the top five hitters in the Padua lineup juniors, to go along with starting pitcher Krayzel, the state's 24th-ranked squad will enter the 2025 season with a lot of optimism. In addition to Krayzel, Lucas Palange returns to anchor the pitching staff for head coach Ryan McSweeney.

LINESCORE

Badin              000  140  0  -  5  8  0
Parma Padua  000  000  0 -  0  3  0

Records: Badin 27-6, Padua 19-9-1.

Winning Pitcher: Caleb Driessen (7 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk, 1 HBP).

Losing Pitcher: Nathan Krayzel (4.2 innings, 5 runs, 7 hits, 3 strikeouts, 3 walks, 2 HBP). Others: Brandon Tillman, Lucas Palange, Nick Hofener.

Leading Hitters: (Badin) - Chandler Taylor single, 2 walks; Chase Luebbe single, run, RBI; Jeremiah Carmella 3 singles, 3 RBIs; Austin Vangen single, run; James Brink run; Cade Cummins single, run; Cooper Anzalone single. (Padua) - Makhi Williams single; Bryden Spellacy single; Trey Martin single.

Recent Articles