Wilson Hall baseball learns about itself in Ripken Experience

Wilson Hall went 3-1 in the Cal Ripken Experience in Myrtle Beach this week.

After a 15-0 loss to North Lincoln, the Barons tailed off three straight wins to conclude things.

Wilson Hall beat Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin School 7-1, St. Mary's Ryken 10-6 and Mercyhurst Prep 5-0.

Dylan Jones was the standout against Notre Dame-Cathedral, totaling a team-high four hits and four RBIs. Ben Reynolds was fantastic on the mound, striking out 10 batters while allowing just two hits and a run in a complete game.

Blake Van Patten led the Barons with three hits against St. Mary's Ryken. Van Patten also notched two RBIs and had a successful outing on the mound, striking out four batters in 3 1/3 innings while allowing a hit and two earned runs. Hayden Mims had a solid relief outing, striking out five batters, also allowing just one hit while giving up one earned run. Carson Wilsey finished with a team-high four RBIs.

Jes Schwedler's 3-4, three-RBI performance against Mercyhurst included a solo homer. Schwedler also had a great day on the mound, throwing 6 2/3 shutout innings while striking out eight batters.

The trip to Myrtle Beach was successful not only because it kept the team active over break, but also because it allowed for the Barons to learn about themselves, specifically on the mound. Head coach Tommy Jones appreciated the variety of teams Wilson Hall came up against because it allowed for the Barons to use so many arms in two days.

Jones feels this was vital as the Barons prepare for the end of region play and the opening round of the upcoming playoffs.

"We played in a pretty competitive bracket," Jones said. "After getting stomped in that first game, the rest of the games were a little bit more of a tit-for-tat type thing. It was a very, very revealing tournament for us. We learned more about our players because we got a mixed bag of competition; we played some real good teams and played some poor teams. Any time you play in a tournament where you have a lot of games played in a short amount of time, you have to make decisions fast, and you have to make changes fast. You have to really learn who your pitching staff is and know who to use quickly.

"Interestingly, with this team, although they are a good team, they have not yet gelled, and here we are about a week or 10 days from the playoffs. I think we will (gel) because our pitching has begun to come into focus. It was a little bit fuzzy the last two weeks. Now I know who seems to be able to turn in good performances and who's able to throw strikes in pressure situations."

The Barons control their destiny in terms of capturing a second-consecutive region title. Wilson Hall has to beat Trinity Collegiate twice in order to clinch the region championship. In terms of the postseason, Jones feels there are two elements to look at: luck and pitching depth.

"I think oftentimes the component nobody likes to talk about is luck," Jones explained. "We've got to have some things fall our way, as far as the matchups and positions where we get seeded; that's gonna be a big thing.

"What's gonna tell the tale here is whose secondary pitching is good. Which teams can go deep into their pitching staff and still have a productive pitcher on the mound. Everybody's got an ace. I've never seen it like this. This year, I'll bet you there's at least four teams that have got a guy that can throw over 85 and almost 90 in some cases. The pitch count rule is in place to force teams to have to use all their guys. We've got probably five or six guys that can throw some quality innings for us. Some are better fitted for starting, relief pitching or closing. But we've got a pitching staff that I think can get better as the series goes deeper. I think our secondary pitching is what will give us a chance to stay in the mix and make some noise in the postseason."