Our Mustangs play a familiar foe on Opening Day, taking on Harrison County who we have defeated in 6 of our 28 bouts with the Breds since 1998. This game will be played “on the hilltop” in Cynthiana. A year ago the Thorobreds were the Regional Runners-up, but had lost to our Mustangs in a 1-0 classic, where then-Senior Alex Tatusko, pitched a complete game shutout. That game too, was played on the Hilltop.
While our Mustangs have only defeated the Breds on six occasions in the last 24 seasons, two of those wins have come in Regional Tournament competition, defeating them 4-3 in the 2012 Regional Finals, paving the way for our run in the State Tournament where we lost to Woodford County in nine innings in the Final Four. Our other regional victory over the Breds came in 2018 when we ended their season with a 5-3 win.
A year ago our Mustangs had a fantastic season winning 22 games against 14 losses. We were eliminated in the District Semi-Finals in a contentious 2-1 loss to Campbell County, who then went on to win the district, and won the 10th Region Tournament.
Both Senior hurlers Charles Hartig and graduated Alex Tatusko appeared in 14 games where Tatusko was 6-4 with a 2.38 ERA, and Hartig, 5-1 with a 2.88 ERA. Outside of Hartig and Tatusko, current Junior Evan Moore started 7 games. Beyond that group, 12 other Mustangs performed mound duties.
Graduated Senior Jacob Schroeder was our leading hitter, batting .326 in 86 at bats, with 2 doubles and 23 runs scored and 15 RBIs. Stephen Verst was next, averaging .320 in 97 at bats with 2 Home Runs, 5 doubles, and 20 RBIs. Present Senior Logan Meyer is our top returning Mustangs hitter, batting .310 in 100 plate appearances with 6 doubles and a team-leading 22 RBIs. Graduated Senior Tyler Malay also hit over .300, at 308 in 91 at bats.
Everything written from this point on is either my personal opinion, or sheer speculation.
Our left side of the infield is ROCK SOLID. The duo of Ebert and Meyer were two of the most impressive infielders that I have watched play in my history of watching Brossart baseball. The injury that forced Robbie Verst to miss his entire Junior year Basketball season, will also cost him his Junior baseball season. This is a big blow to the right side of the infield, as Verst was expected to man the second base spot.
If healthy, Sophomore Alex Amin, who missed last season with injuries, could give the team a lift this year. Andrew Beck, Brandon Bezold, Mitchell Enderle, Alex Kramer, Evan Moore, Aiden Schultz,and Daniel Williamson are all listed as outfielders.,
Brossart has long had a reputation of producing excellent catchers, with Tanner Norton being drafted in the thirteenth reound of the MLB Draft back in 2013. This year Collin Combs will asume catching duties, with Brandon Bezold and Keegan Gulley sharing backup catching duties.
Our team roster reads as follows:
Seniors – Andrew Beck, Adam Bezold, Mitchell Combs, Ryan Ebert, Charles Hartig, Alex Kramer, and Daniel Williamson
Juniors: Brandon Bezold, Colin Combs, Jackson Dietz, Mitchell Enderle, Anthony Kruse, Logan Meyer, Evan Moore, and Robbie Verst
Sophomore: Alex Amin
Freshmen: Keegan Gulley and Aiden Schultz
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This season is the Tenth Anniversary of our amazing run in the 2012 Post-Season, winning the 37th District Tournament, our one and only 10th Region Championship and posting wins over Pikeville, and St. Xavier in the State Tournament, and taking eventual champion Woodford County to extras.
The 2012 team was Ron Verst’s first season as our head coach. They began the season with five straight wins before being edged 3-2 by Covington Catholic in Park Hills. On April 17th we defeated Scott 10-6 in Taylor Mill to improve our season record to 13-2, with our only other loss coming to Cincinnati McNicholas. We then took the off ramp on the road to success, losing 8 of our next 9 contests, shaking our confidence . However, this team would rebound to win 13 of our next 15, taking losses to only CovCath and Harrison County in regular season games.
In the district tournament, we took down Campbell County 5-1 behind Zach Fardo, and then defeated Scott 7-6 in the district finals. The Regional Tournament was held at Montgomery County High School where we eliminated Mason County 10-4 and then George Rogers Clark 2-1, pitting us against Harrison County in the regional finals, where having defeated us 10-3 just two weeks prior, the Breds were looking to win yet another Regional Title under Coach Mac Whitaker, and pack their bags for Lexington. . However, our guys dodged a plethora of bullets, pitching out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh, and a dramatic, over the shoulder catch by Bobby Roderick, our first baseman, to end it and give Brossart High School our first and only 10th Region Championship……….and they weren’t done yet.
We drew 27-7 Pikeville as our first round opponent at Applebee’s Park in Lexington. After beating them 4-2 behind Zach Fardo, next up was tournament favorite Louisville St. Xavier, whose manager dissed us and our sophomore pitcher Nate Verst who came into the game at 9-0. Verst made him eat his words, pitching a complete game 5-3 gem, that saw us overcome a 3-0 deficit and knock out the tourney favorites, and their DIvision I pitching prospect – Ben Britt. This win in the Baseball State Tournament ranks right there with the basketball team’s win over Graves County in the State Tournament versus Graves County.
Knuckleballer and off-speed specialist, Jesse Orth, took the future State Champs, Woodford County extras, before succumbing to the Yellow Jackets after each team playing scoreless baseball for eight innings complete, when we were forced by rule, to replace Orth. In the bottom of the eighth we had the winning run at third base and Zach Fardo at the plate with two outs, but as the story goes, “Mighty Casey Struck Out.”
Our team finished 27-13.