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Division II Team Of The Week: Holy Name

PARMA HEIGHTS - A difficult schedule has not been a deterrent to the Holy Name baseball team.

In fact, the Greenwave is thriving on the stiff competition, rolling up some impressive wins this past week and with it the honor as the Ohio Prep Baseball Report Division II Team of the Week.

“We are a senior-heavy team,” pointed out Holy Name coach Tim Carter. “We had hopes and expectations of being very competitive and we’ve lived up to those expectations.”

Holy Name is 11-4 on the season, including a 5-1 mark this past week featuring a pair of wins over Elyria Catholic and one over Ross (D-II sixth-ranked team).

“We’re deep in pitching,” noted Carter, who coached at Holy Name from 1997-2005 and is now in his third season of a second tour with the program. “On the bad side it’s tough getting everyone innings, but on the good side on any given day we can throw out an above-average pitcher.”

Seniors John Lusnek and Pat Sullivan along with junior Richard Forgach headline the staff. Lusnek, a Hiram commit, is 3-1 with a 0.50 ERA, while Sullivan, an Ohio Wesleyan recruit, is also 3-1. Forgach is unbeaten in three decisions and has not allowed an earned run.

“Those three have carried us,” Carter said.

Strong defense has benefited the pitchers with senior second baseman Aidan Hickey, junior shortstop Sean Springer (Video) and senior catcher Ryan Byrne making it tough on the opposition.

Springer, a 5-10 162-pound left-handed hitter rated 22nd in Ohio’s 2020 class, is a Cincinnati commit. A two-hole hitter, Springer hit a walkoff home run to beat Southview on Saturday and is currently averaging .360 with six doubles and two homers. Hickey, who will play collegiately at Ave Maria University in Florida, follows Springer in the batting order where he is hitting. 429.

Cleanup hitter Dan Wimsett, a third baseman, gives the Greenwave another solid stick hitting .360 at this point in the season. Byrne “has been outstanding behind the plate” according to Carter, with the Holy Name backstop throwing out 9-of-14 potential base stealers.

“The biggest surprise with this team so far is our ability to win the close games,” Carter pointed out. “We’ve won in our last at-bat four times, either when we were tied or we had to come from behind.

“Our defense and the ability to get timely hits late have been pleasant surprises. Pitching and defense wins games and that’s been a strength.”

Junior Nick Mercuri gives Holy Name another productive player batting leadoff and playing left field.

“The key for us is staying consistent which is what we’ve been doing,” Carter said. “We’ve had good pitching and we are playing solid defense. I hope the bats take care of themselves. The top five or six in our lineup are doing well, if that continues I like are chances of going far.”

Playing a touch schedule will, hopefully, prove beneficial in the long run according to Carter, whose team’s losses have been to St. Ignatius (#7 D-I) 3-1, St. Edward’s (#13 D-I) 6-3, Solon (#20 D-I) 3-2 and Sylvania Southview 7-6.

“I’ve always invoked the thought that if you play a very tough schedule it’s all the better, win, lose or draw,” Carter said. “Playing good competition - we hope - translates come tournament time.”

The front-runners in the Great Lakes Conference at 6-0, Holy Name plays big league games this week on Thursday with 4-2 Bay Village and Friday with Normandy after facing Columbia in a non-league affair on Wednesday.