CINCINNATI — Nik Copenhaver woke up sluggish and a little on the achy side Friday morning.
The Badin High School senior wasn’t going to let that stop him from tossing another gem, though.
Copenhaver went six innings, struck out 13 and gave up just one earned run as undefeated Badin beat Fenwick 7-1 in the Skyline Chili Reds Futures High School Showcase at a wet Hayden Field on Xavier University’s campus.
“At the end of the day, you’ve just got to compete — compete your butt off,” Copenhaver said. “Just give your team a shot at winning. That’s what I try to do every time. I don’t want to get taken out of the game ever. I like to compete. I like to win.”
Copenhaver captured his fourth win, and the Rams remain unbeaten at 14-0 overall and 8-0 in Greater Catholic League Coed play heading into their 3 p.m. Saturday game at home against Tippecanoe.
The 6-foot-4, right-handed Copenhaver was named Friday’s Most Valuable Player.
“I felt most confident with my cutter,” Copenhaver said. “The fastball was a little shaky — it started to pick up towards the end of the game. You’ve got to compete with the bad stuff if you want to be good.”
The Rams have been great.
They’re ranked No. 1 in the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Division II state poll and have outscored their opponents 101-19.
“First it starts with our pitching staff and our defense,” said Rams senior Brycen Fox, who went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. “When you’re allowing one to zero runs a game, you can win a lot of games like that.”
Badin freshman Chandler Taylor had two hits, including a fourth-inning triple.
The Rams got three quick runs in the first inning off Fenwick senior starter Landon Schehr.
“I liked how we got after them early,” Badin coach Brion Treadway said. “We’ve been getting some strong pitching. It’s fun to play behind strike throwers and guys that compete on the mound.”
Falcons junior Tristan Bezold had two hits, including an RBI single that brought home senior Joey Maier in the fifth.
“For us, that’s where we want to be — we want to be where they are,” Fenwick first-year coach Josh Sams said. “We’ve talked about that all year long. When I took this job, I knew the road through the GCL would be through Badin.
“Our goal is to finish strong — finish in that second-place spot.”
The Falcons slipped to 7-7, 4-3 GCL and have lost four out of their last five, including an 11-1 defeat at Badin on Wednesday. Fenwick looks to get back on track at home against Carroll on Monday.
“The first game we made too many mistakes,” Sams said. “This one, we made a couple, and they were able to cash in on some of them. That’s what good baseball teams do.”
FRESH FACES IN THE DUGOUT
Treadway said the dugout has gotten an extra boost this season. The Rams have added mental performance coach Eric Cole to the mix.
“He’s spent a lot of time with our guys, talking about the mental side of competing,” Treadway said. “It’s paying off dividends, and it’s keeping our guys calm and focused on the present moment.”
The addition of former coach Mark Maus has also upped the Rams’ game, Treadway said.
“It’s a fresh set of eyes from a great coach. His perspective on things have made our coaching staff better and our players better. We’ve thrown a lot of knowledge at the guys, and they’re taking it in and putting it into action.”
THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Sams said he’s liking where Fenwick is at through the halfway point of his first season at the helm.
“I think we have a really good team,” he said. “The games that we’ve lost, we’ve done it to ourselves.
“The culture these guys were taught before is a lot different than what we’re trying to do. It’s been a tough change. We’re not going to change it overnight, but we’re going to get there.”
The Falcons aim to snap a three-game losing streak, but have enjoyed close wins against league rivals Alter, McNicholas and Chaminade Julienne earlier this season.
