There is an old sports adage that a team and its players have to learn how to win through experiences, whether it be in the regular season or playoffs. That may be less applicable in high school sports with the changing nature of the roster each year. Still, Hilton hopes this year is the year they take that next step to a Section V championship.
The Cadets lost in the 2021 Class AA final and dropped a one-run affair to Fairport in the quarterfinals last year despite being the top seed.
This year they are tied with Webster-Schroeder for the top spot in Class AA with a 10-2 record while getting contributions from many different players, both on the mound and at the plate.
They started the season with a loss on a three-game trip to Myrtle Beach, but then ran off a seven-game winning streak. As of this writing, they were 10-1 since that opening loss, and their pitching staff was sporting a 21-inning shutout streak.
“The guys have been hitting their spots, I just got to put the fingers down, and the defense has been doing their job, and we’ve been scoring just enough to get by,” senior catcher Joey Sanna said.
In a 1-0 victory over two-time Class A defending champion Webster-Thomas, it was Jeffery Broadnax who slammed an 0-1 pitch over the wall in left field for a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to support six innings of two-hit pitching from junior lefthander Drew Lenhard and a shutout inning save from senior and 2022 Player of the Year Michael Whelehan.
“Keep throwing strikes, pound the zone, and get the job done,” Lenhard said.
“Everyone one through nine, even guys on the bench, everyone is ready to go from the start,” Sanna said.
The Cadets are led offensively by Broadnax, senior third baseman Michael Heise and Steven Kraus, along with shortstop Brady Gerig at the top of the order getting on base.
On the mound, James Capellupo leads the team in wins, followed by Kraus, Lenhard, and Whelehan.
Their eight seniors bring the experience to help them overcome the inevitable dips in a season, such as a one-run loss to Greece Athena in mid-April.
“Last year, we had a great team and won the league, so everyone is gunning for us this year,” senior third baseman Michael Heise said. “It (the Athena loss) wasn’t really panic mode, but more of a wake-up and be ready to play every day.”
“I think it was kind of a wake-up for all of us that anyone can beat us; Athena is a great team and scrappy, but anyone can beat us on any given day if we don’t show up,” Sanna said.
Now to get over the hump and bring back the third Section V title in program history (1997, 2008).
“I really like these guys; great group that plays for each other, and they worked their tail off in the offseason and weight room and they compete,” head coach Kevin Whelehan said.
“Different guys stepping up, different guys getting hot at different times, the pitching has been great, the defense has been great, and some timely hitting the past couple of games.”
Hilton has eight games remaining in their regular season, including a home-and-home two-game set with Webster-Schroeder and a senior day rematch with Athena.
