Walton, Shipp should be good to go for final four

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins played a tournament tuneup game against Tiffin Calvert on Monday and Pirates baseball coach TJ Blanton had a couple hold-your-breath moments involving key players. District player of the year Talon Walton was hit by a pitch on his left wrist in the game at Sports Force Parks. That happened an inning after sophomore left fielder Dante Shipp Jr. about ran through a fence and gashed his right arm while making a catch in foul territory. Both players should be OK for Saturday's Division IV state semifinal against Youngstown Cardinal Mooney at 10 a.m. in Akron. Walton had his left wrist wrapped in tape at Tuesday's practice. "It's where I got hit earlier in the season, and then on a couple slides I bent my wrist back sliding into home," Walton said. "It's been a little achy throughout the season. Getting hit brought back all the pain, but it's fine. "Nothing's broken; it's a little swollen. It hurts a little to go side to side so I taped it up. By Saturday it shouldn't be hurting." Walton batted after he was plunked by a pitch and got a base hit. "It kind of swelled up," Blanton said. "We took him out the game to ice it. He's tough. Luckily for us it's his left wrist. He has a few days to rest and ice and get healthy. Once that adrenaline starts pumping Saturday he'll be fine." Shipp missed Tuesday's practice, but not because of the injury. The star defensive back, who already has several big-time college football offers, was visiting Ohio State. "He's obviously an incredible athlete," Blanton said. "When you're getting recruited at that level, you're gonna see everything you can, which is awesome for him. He's gonna have a lot of choices. Wherever he goes it's gonna be big time." Shipp has had a strong baseball postseason and has raised his batting average to .293, but Blanton was wondering about his immediate future when he hit the fence. "He made an outstanding catch running full speed out in left," Blanton said. "At Sports Force, the foul fence is about 10, 15 feet (from the line). With the wind blowing he probably couldn't hear anybody yelling 'fence!' and he decided he was gonna run right through it. "He slowed down his momentum with his arm and slit it open. I thought his arm was broken the way he was holding it, but the good news was the X-rays were negative. Got a couple stitches and he should be good to go." Shipp's football offers are beginning to pile up. He recently received his first SEC offer from Kentucky. "He can make some unbelievable plays in the field," Blanton said. "Obviously in a state tournament, when you expect guys to hit the ball around the field a little bit, we need him out there to make plays. His speed is second to none. "Our outfield in general (with center fielder Bryce Davie and right fielder Grant Parker) gets to a lot of balls that would be base hits for other teams." Blanton said all three outfielders will be key leaders next year. "We don't know how much more baseball (Shipp will) end up playing — obviously his senior year he'll probably be an early-enrollee in college — but right now we're focused on this year," Blanton said. "In the district and regional tournaments, he was holding the trophy and we said, 'Get used to that.' " 1A or 1B? Blanton isn't committing to a starting pitcher for Saturday's game at 7 17 Credit Union Park, but it'll be Walton or Kash Koch, both right-handed standouts. "We've talked about it a little bit. It's obviously gonna be Kash or Talon," Blanton said. "Kash out there puts us in a good defensive alignment. If Talon throws the first game, his arm will be a little sore, but knowing the circumstances if we get to Sunday (championship game), I think we can put him wherever and his arm's gonna be OK if he does throw on Saturday. "I know Kash wants the game and if Talon is starting, they'll both give it their all. We'll decide the best route. It's a good problem to have." Walton is 7-1 with a 0.83 earned run average. He has struck out 60 batters in 42.3 innings. Koch is 7-2 with a 1.44 ERA with 65 strikeouts in a team-high 65.3 innings. Perkins advanced to the state championship game last year after Koch threw six innings in a 4-3 semifinal win over Indian Hill. He gave up five hits and no earned runs while striking out eight. Walton started the championship game — a 3-2 loss to Mentor Lake Catholic — and went five innings, giving up four hits and three runs. Koch has committed to play next season for Ohio Dominican, a NCAA Division II program in Columbus. "I had a great experience on my visit," he said. "I really like the coaching staff and everything they were preaching, I agreed with. It was a no-brainer to go there. "The G-MAC is a good conference, especially today with the transfer portal. I'm excited for the opportunity." Walton also will play college baseball but has not settled on a school. Parker's absence Senior first baseman Blake Parker, who played a key role in Perkins' run to the final four last year, won't be playing this weekend. Parker, who is a preferred football walk-on at Ohio University, began summer classes at the college in Athens on Monday. The speedy wide receiver has been hampered by hamstring injuries this spring, which limited him to 35 at-bats. Parker, who hasn't played in the postseason, batted .343 in limited action. "We knew about this, however he's injured so he probably wouldn't have been able to play," Blanton said. "Had he not been injured, I probably would've called OU's coach myself. He's gotta do what's best for him." Quentin Binette's hot bat has softened the blow of Parker's absence. Grant Kuhnle played first base during last week's regional. "We obviously miss (Parker)," Blanton said. "He has speed, good defensive player and hit for power. But the guys who have stepped in and done a great job." Senior hype man Backup second baseman Cameron Zoellner hasn't seen much of the field this season, but the senior takes his job with the team seriously. "I don't play as much as other people, but we all have a job — everybody on the field and on the bench," Zoellner said. "If I keep the energy loud in the dugout and keep everyone hyped, and if someone strikes out, pick them up. The next at-bat they can go out and do better." Zoellner has a .667 batting average this season. He's 2 for 3. He's one of six seniors who will be in uniform for the Pirates on Saturday. "Our plan was to get back there and now we have the opportunity to make history for the baseball program," Zoellner said. "We hope we can do that." Zoellner plans to attend Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio, and focus on animal studies with the goal of becoming a veterinarian. 2026 OHSAA STATE TOURNAMENT (All championship games at 7 17 Credit Union Park in Akron) DIVISION I Thursday's semifinals No. 5 Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller (24-6) vs. No. 8 Perrysburg (25-6), 4 p.m., 7 17 Credit Union Park No. 7 Cincinnati St. Xavier (25-5) vs. No. 3 Lewis Center Olentangy Orange (24-5), 7 p.m. Championship game Friday, 4 p.m. DIVISION II Friday's semifinals No. 6 New Albany (24-7) vs. Harrison (14-10), 4 p.m., Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium, Canton No. 4 North Canton Hoover (25-4) vs. Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit (15-12), 7 p.m. Championship game Saturday, 7 p.m. DIVISION III Thursday's semifinals No. 1 Hamilton Badin (28-3) vs. No. 10 Parma Padua Franciscan (25-4), 4 p.m., Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium Cuyahoga Falls Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (23-8) vs. No. 2 Columbus Bishop Watterson (26-3), 7 p.m. Championship game Friday, 7 p.m. DIVISION IV Saturday's semifinals No. 3 Perkins (23-6-1) vs. No. 2 Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (24-3), 10 a.m., 7 17 Credit Union Park No. 11 Lancaster Fairfield Union (24-6) vs. Franklin Bishop Fenwick (22-8), 1 p.m. Championship game Sunday, 10 a.m. DIVISION V Thursday's semifinals No. 10 Findlay Liberty-Benton (22-5) vs. Gahanna Columbus Academy (16-16), 10 a.m., Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium No. 13 Lucasville Valley (22-7) vs. No. 1 Apple Creek Waynedale (28-3), 1 p.m. Championship game Friday, 1 p.m. DIVISION VI Thursday's semifinals No. 4 Hartville Lake Center Christian (23-4-1) vs. No. 8 Galion Northmor (25-5), 10 a.m., 7 17 Credit Union Park No. 2 Berlin Hiland (24-4) vs. No. 3 St. Henry (26-3), 1 p.m. Championship game Friday, 10 a.m. DIVISION VII Friday's semifinals No. 1 Tiffin Calvert (28-2) vs. Delphos St. John's (18-7), 10 a.m., Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium Leipsic (17-9) vs. No. 9 South Webster (21-10), 1 p.m. Championship game Saturday, 4 p.m.