Tigers Celebrate 2021 Family Day

This past Saturday, the Wittenberg University baseball team participated in their annual family day game at Carleton Davidson Stadium. Most collegiate teams around the country spend the fall competing in intra-squads against their own team. The Tigers do the same, just like any other program, but this day inparticular is very special to the Tiger baseball club, it is Family Day. This is a tradition Head Coach Brian McGee started when he was brought to Springfield five years ago. All of the players' families are brought together to spend the afternoon with each other and watch their son compete with the same people he will share a dugout throughout the spring. It is a chance for the new families to be embraced by the returning families, and a chance for returning families to reconnect since the end of the last season. 

The teams were split in half this year by the coaching staff for a 12-inning contest. Team Red dominated the day by way of a 13-3 victory over Team Black. After one shutout inning each to start the game by seniors Matt Shanor, Beau Foster, Logan Wiggenhorn, Michael Osmond, and Tyler Defibaugh, the Red team was able to strike first in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Junior Maxwell Monachino was able to draw a one out walk to get things started. Freshman Tarrus Garrett Jr. singled and Freshman Caleb Fogarty walked to load the bases. Sophomore Brayden Woods then followed with a bases clearing double to the left center gap. Woods would also score after Sophomore Luke Thomas knocked him in with an RBI ground out to short. Junior Joe Horoszko stymied any hope for a Team Black rebuttal in the top of the 4th, pitching a quick 1-2-3 inning to send his offense back to the plate. Team Red was able to add two more runs in the bottom of the 4th after Sophomore Lane Johnson singled to left field, scoring Junior Chase Whisner and Senior Gabe Stacy. 

Team Black got on the board in the top of the 5th with a double from Sophomore Preston Dorsey that scored Sophomore Austin Morrow. Freshmen Nate Floyd and Colin Maynard tossed back-to-back scoreless frames to take us to the bottom of the 6th. The half inning started with 3 straight singles by Whisner, Stacy, and Senior Mason Davis. Whisner scored after Johnson drew a walk. Stacy and Davis were brought home by Sophomore Ian Ash's 2 out 2 RBI single to center field. Team Black responded in the top of the 7th with a solo home run blast to right center field by Senior JC Bricker. Team Red was able to keep their motor going to add 4 more runs in the bottom of the 7th. Fogarty and Woods would score off a single by Thomas. Thomas would eventually score after stealing 3rd and being brought home on the next pitch from a ground ball by Whisner. 

The 8th inning saw 2 scoreless frames from Freshman Charlie Schafer and Sophomore Justin Kreller. Schafer also threw a scoreless top of the 9th. Freshman Josh Moore pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th for Team Black. Junior Nick Cunningham also worked a quick 1-2-3 top of the 10th and Moore followed with another scoreless inning of his own. Team Black chipped away at their deficit with a run in the top of the 11th when Freshman JJ Dixon was able to score on a wild pitch after hitting a single to left field. Sophomore Connor Goss threw a scoreless bottom of the 11th. The 12th inning was the final chance for both sides but Senior Jared Burick and Garrett Jr. each threw up zeros on the scoreboard to close things out.  

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES 

We also announced our team awards from the 2021 season at the beginning of the day before the first pitch of the game. We thank those alumni who were also in attendance! 

Wittenberg Baseball 2021 Season Team Awards 

Most Valuable Player - (C) Jack Hollinshead 

Pitcher of The Year - (RHP) Tanner Griggs 

Rookie of The Year - (SS) Chase Whisner 

Red Maurer Award - (OF) Tanner Boros