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THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 2004 85
Moeller's top gun goes against St. Ignatius . I By Tom Groeschen
Thf Cincinnati Enquirer
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Moeller likes its chances today when Andrew Brackman, the team's ace, faces Cleveland St Ignatius in a Division I state semifinal baseball game in Canton at ·, 1:30p.m. Brackman, a 6-foot-10 right-hander, is 6-0 with an 0.53 ERA He is rated Ohio's No.1 prep player by Baseball America magazine, but Moeller will see a pretty good arm itself in St. Ignatius right-hander Brian Hoyer. The 6-foot-5 Hoyer (7-0, 2.10 ERA) is rated No. 5 in i Ohio by Baseball America. , "St. Ignatius is predominantly a right-handed hitting team, but I'm not a big righty-lefty guy," Moeller coach Mike Cameron said. "I feel if you've got the better pitcher, you've got the better pitcher." Cameron had debated whether to save Brackman for a possible ap-
Higb school baseball .
pearance in Saturday's state finals. Should Moeller win today, junior left-bander Eric Surkamp (7-0, 0:33 ERA) will start the championship game. ''The kids are expecting Andrew to walk out there first, since that's the way we've been doing it in the tournament," Cameron said. "We feel we're in a nice situation either way." Moeller (26-3) was ranked No.2 and St Ignatius (24-6) was No. 5 in the final coaches' state poll of the regular season. Today's other semifinal pits No.3 Mentor (28-2) vs. unranked Reynoldsburg (22-8) at 10 a.m. at Canton's Thurman Munson Stadium. The Brackman-Hoyer matchup is a pairing of multi-sport stars. Brackman has signed with North Carolina State for both basketball
walks. "I just want to win," Brackman said. "We have two more wins to get, and that's all I care about" Moeller also can hit, batting .354 as a team. Junior outfielder Cameron Satterwhite (.400 batting average) was voted Greater Catholic League South player of the year. Other top Moeller bats include sophomore outfielder Jason Cisper (.482), senior first baseman David Oberly (.407), senior designated hitter Mike Belza (.386), senior shortstop Mark Olexa (.379), senioroutfielder Mitch Kuczek (.370) and senior catcher Tyler Stovall (.324). The Crusaders carry a 14-game The Cincinnati EnQuirer/ERNEST COLEMAN win streak. This is Moeller's fifth state tourMoeller pitcher Andrew Brackman, ranked the No. 1 prep player in nament appearance in Cameron's Ohio by Baseball America, will start today against St. Ignatius. 37 years of coaching, with state tiand baseball, while Hoyer signed Brackman has pitched 40 in- tles in 1972, '89 and '93 and a F'mal as a football quarterback with nings this year and has allowed on- Four appearance in 2000. Michigan State. ly 19 hits, with 70 strikeouts and 12 St Ignatius is making its seventh
Final Four appearance, winning its only state title in 2002. Hoyer, third baseman Jeremy Farrell (.480 batting average) and shortstop Jeff Deighton started on the 2002 title team. The Division I championship game Saturday has been moved back from its original 10 a.m. start time. Should Moeller win today, it will play in the state finals Saturday at either 1:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m, depending on two other outcomes. Because of conflicts with graduation with Mentor (Division I) and Perry (Division III), who also are in their respective semifinals, the Division III finals have been changed from 1:30 p.m. Saturday to 10 a.m. If Mentor wins its semifinal game vs. Reynoldsburg today, the Division I championship game will be .at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. If Reynoldsburg beats Mentor today, the Division I title game will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.