SPORTS
A8 • DELHI-PRICE HILL PRESS • JULY 10, 2013
COMMUNITY
PRESS
Editor: Melanie Laughman, mlaughman@communitypress.com, 513-248-7573
HIGH SCHOOL | YOUTH | RECREATIONAL
CommunityPress.com
Midland Redskins have more local flavor in 2013 By Scott Springer sspringer@communitypress.com
Michael Schmidt tees off on the 16th hole at Hyde Park Golf and Country Club during the final round of the 103rd Annual Tony Blom Men’s Metropolitan Amateur Golf Championship June 29. Schmidt a La Salle High School graduate - beat David Tepe 3-and-2 for the title. MARK D. MOTZ/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
Champ eschews driver for title By Mark D. Motz mmotz@communitypress.com
HYDE PARK — The pizza de-
livery and the bank robbery getaway cars need a driver. So do the Zamboni machine and riding mower. Everyone imbibing too much at the nightclub or corner saloon and trying to get behind the wheel needs a driver. Anyone under the age of 16. Popes, potentates, presidents. Oprah. All need drivers. Not so much La Salle High School grad and current Northern Kentucky University rising junior Michael Schmidt. Schmidt won the 2013 Tony Blom Metropolitan Amateur Golf Championship finals 3and-2 over David Tepe at Hyde Park Golf and Country Club June 29 without ever taking the diver out of his bag. Using long irons, hybrids and the occasional three wood, “I kept it in play all week off the tee,” Schmidt said. “The course really rewards you if you keep it in the fairway.” And as good as he was off the tee - even without benefit of the driver, the long-hitting Schmidt was consistently ahead of Tepe - his foe said the putter was the key to their match. “He made everything he looked at,” Tepe said. “It’s tough to beat an act like that when he doesn’t miss anything.” Tepe - a Lakota West grad and current University of Cincinnati player - finished as runner-up for the second consecutive year. “It’s not bad,” he said. “When I started the week and shot 80 (in qualifying), I didn’t think I’d make the finals. I survived 200-some golfers the last two years. When you look at it that way, it’s a pretty big
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accomplishment.” Schmidt, playing in just his third Met tourney, made sure Tepe was relegated to bridesmaid again with a dominant performance, carding a birdie on the first hole to apply pressure all morning. He made bogey on third hole to level the match, but finished the nine one under par and two up on Tepe. He made his third birdie on the 10th hole to go up three and all but sealed the match on the 13th with a routine par while Tepe struggled to a double bogey. Leading by four with five to play, Schmidt gave a hole back when Tepe birdied the 14th, but they halved the next two holes at par and bogey to finish on the 16th green. “I would have liked to have made that last (par) putt (which lipped around the cup), but it was a good feeling knowing you could three putt to win the Met,” he said. “It’s awesome. Definitely my best individual match ever.” An individual win, yes, but a family affair in both a literal and metaphoric sense. On the literal side, brother Danny Schmidt caddied for Michael in the early rounds and dad Tom Schmidt was on the bag for the semifinals and finals. “He was quiet the whole time,” Michael said of his dad. “I told him ‘Hand me the club and get out of the way.’” Tom said he violated the command twice, telling his son simply to aim for center of the green for easy pars on the eighth and 13th holes when Tepe was in trouble.
AMELIA — Normally stacked full of Division I recruits from across the country, this season’s 18U Midland Redskins has a notable local flavor. That’s not a bad thing as the original program started by the legendary “Papa Joe” Hayden was Cincinnati-based and has featured some of the Tristate’s finest. Among the local big leaguers with Midland ties are Barry Larkin, Ken Griffey Jr., Ron Oester, Todd Benzinger, Adam Hyzdu, Bill Doran, Richard Dotson, Mark Lewis and Jim Leyritz. “We haven’t had this many local kids in a long, long time,” field manager Dave Evans said. “The Midland program 40 years ago, everybody was from Cincinnati. If there are good players here, we’re going to try to get them.” This year’s crop of locals includes Cameron Varga (CHCA), T.J. Zeuch (Mason), Andrew Benintendi (Madeira), T.J. Nichting (Badin), Jarett Rindfliesh (Lakota East), Jack Schaaf (Springboro), Jake Richmond (Oak Hills), Zach Shannon (Anderson), Zach Beckner (Lebanon) and Zach Cook (Milford). The boys from the Interstate 275 belt have done well with just two losses at presstime. The most recognizable local is Madeira’s Andrew Benintendi. He finished his high school career with 213 hits and has played for the18U team since he was16. Every other player to accomplish that has made the major leagues. “Benintendi’s as good as it gets,” Evans said. “He started off as a little banjo-hitting leadoff guy and now he’s a power hitting three-hole guy that can drive the ball for us.” The 5-foot-10, 160-ish pound phenom reports to Fayetteville
Midland Redskins manager Dave Evans speaks to the squad after a win in the Matt Maupin Tournament June 27 at the Midland complex. SCOTT SPRINGER/COMMUNITY PRESS
Aug. 20. If all goes well, that will be 11 days after a successful Midland trip to New Mexico for the Connie Mack World Series. Though he’ll Richmond probably move back to lead-off in college, the deceptively strong lefty is happy with his Midland at-bats. “I’ve hit pretty well so far,” he said. “I changed my stance up this year. It allows me to see the ball more. A player here last year had that stance. He was smaller than me and had a lot of power.” Evans has other top prospects at his disposal that will also have to weigh the college or pro decision like Benintendi. “(Zach) Shannon’s got a chance to be drafted really high next year,” Evans said. “(Cameron) Varga’s about as good an arm as I’ve ever seen in this area.” Varga has another season at CHCA and is committed to
WORLD SERIES-BOUND
North Carolina. Shannon played on Moeller’s 2012 state championship team, but was ineligible this spring. The slugging pitcher/first baseman will sport new colors in 2013-14. “I’ll be at Anderson next year,” Shannon said. “Coach (Chris) Newton is kind of a family friend. He played football with my Dad. I’ve known him since I was a little kid. I’m pretty excited to play for him.” Shannon figures to get more mound time for the Anderson Redskins and is ecstatic to be back on the field for the Midland Redskins after spending the spring at the cages and weight room. Like his local cohorts, he’ll have plenty of watchful eyes on him between now and August. Midland is all but a regular in Farmington, N.M., but nothing can be taken for granted. “Our biggest goal of the season is to win the regional tournament to get to New Mexico,” Evans said. “With the talent in the country, we’re right there with anybody else.”
PRESS PREPS HIGHLIGHTS Sunderman steps up
Cincinnati Steam infielder Rob Sunderman (Dayton/Moeller) was named the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League Player of the Week for week four of the regular season. Last week, Sunderman hit .615 (8for-13) in three games with one double, one triple, four RBIs and two runs scored. After going 3-for-5 against the Licking County Settlers on June 27, Sunderman had his best offensive game of the season on June 29. In a game versus the Lexington Hustlers, Sunderman went 4-for-5 and with a triple and four RBIs. For the season, Sunderman leads the GLSCL with a .392 batting average and leads the Steam in RBIs (14) and stolen bases (14). Sunderman has also made two pitching appearances, throwing three scoreless innings in relief while striking out three batters. He becomes the third consecutive Steam player to earn GLSCL weekly honors joining pitcher Matt Jefferson (NKU) and Cody Kuzniczci (NKU/Madeira).
Sports injuries
Elder High School 2010 graduates Brian Korte and Tim O’Conner are headed to the College World Series in Omaha June 14-26 with their Indiana Hoosiers teammates. Indiana reached the College World Series for the first time with an 11-6 victory against Florida State, becoming the Big Ten’s first representative in Omaha in nearly three decades. PROVIDED
The Community Press is looking into sports-related injuries among youth. As a parent, athlete or coach of your sports, what do you want to know about sports-related injuries and how they are treated or prevented? Do you have a story to share? Would you be willing to take part in a panel discussion? Email sports editor Melanie Laughman at mlaughman@communitypress.com to contribute or with questions.