HAMILTON — Tommy Harrison got an ice bath from a couple teammates while taking media questions Wednesday night at Foundation Field.
The Hamilton Joes catcher didn’t expect it.
“They got me for sure,” he said. “It was cold. I didn’t see it coming.”
He did expect the Joes to win another Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League title, though.
Harrison went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs to help the Hamilton Joes beat the Muskegon Clippers 13-3 and capture their fifth GLSCL championship.
“We’ve been pretty locked in as of late,” said Harrison, who plays for Miami University. “Our pitchers have been doing really well. Our hitters have been clicking.
“Then coming off a long bus ride (Tuesday), coming to the field (Wednesday) for a long day. But when you look up at the scoreboard, it’s always a good thing to be a part of.”
The Joes took Game 1 against the Clippers 14-1 at Marsh Field in Michigan on Tuesday. Hamilton finished the season 26-9, sweeping their way through the GLSCL postseason 4-0.
“We didn’t really lose many games this summer, which is really a lot of fun,” Harrison said. “So, it’s always fun coming to the field and competing and grinding and just winning, ultimately, at the end of the day. Just being around a bunch of good guys was fun.
“This was all about consistency. We’ve got a lot of guys that are really consistent, who showed up to the field every day. Some of the guys left (for college), so they really didn’t get to enjoy the final days of it. Our pitchers were super reliable. They came in and did their job like they were supposed to.”
The Joes have won three of their five GLSCL titles (2010, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2024) under manager Tyler Thamann, who took over the program before the start of the 2021 summer season.
“This is expected now,” Thamann said. “That’s the standard that I hold every one of my teams, no matter what level I’m coaching. If I’m doing my lessons, excellence is what I strive for with every single player that I become involved with. So, we’ve set that standard since Day 1, and the guys have followed along.”
Thamann described this year’s squad as successful.
“It’s not about the whole organization,” Thamann said. “Sometimes you’ve got to play for yourself if you want to make it to that next level. They have to make an impact that will eventually help the team. When these guys are looking to go to the next level and get the pros looking at them, you want to be a part of winning teams. The guys that are going to produce, they’ll watch. That’s this team.”
Brayden Fraasman, a Ross graduate playing for North Carolina State, led the Joes with a .353 batting average. Braxton Baird, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., who plays for Milligan College, batted .325, while Miami University’s Ryan Novak hit .314.
Wright State’s Abe Crall (2.45 ERA), Badin grad and Marietta’s Cooper Fiehrer (2.55 ERA) and Northern Kentucky’s Jared Teke (2.70 ERA) were Hamilton’s top pitchers.
“It was a grind every day — especially travelling,” Thamann said. “Home games, we’re here early putting in the work. It’s always a relief to come out on top.
“I thanked these kids for all the hard work that they put in. They all followed along with what I asked of them. Any one of my players is allowed to get work if they need it from me. They all have my numbers, so if they ever need anything in the future, I’m always going to back them up because they backed me up the two months they were here.”
