Perkins' semifinal will be played on turf in Canton

Perkins will play on artificial turf in Friday's Division IV state baseball semifinal. If the Pirates defeat Indian Hill, a tony suburb of Cincinnati, they will move to real grass for Sunday's championship game. Perkins' semifinal matchup against the Braves is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium on the south side of Canton. The state championship game will be played at 10 a.m. Sunday at Canal Park in downtown Akron — the stadium that has traditionally hosted all state baseball games. The OHSAA's expansion from four to seven divisions this year means that two stadiums will host games this weekend. The Division VII semifinals kick things off Thursday in Akron. Canal Park also is the home of the Cleveland Guardians' Double A affiliate, the Akron RubberDucks. Tickets each day are $15 for adults and $10 for students. They can be purchased at ohsaa.org/tickets. Stadiums will not be emptied between games; one ticket is good for a whole day of baseball. The Division II semifinals will start at 10 a.m. Friday in Canton. No. 1 Amherst Steele plays New Albany in the first game of the day. The Pirates are no strangers to playing on turf. Their first two tournament games this spring were on synthetic turf in Willard. "I definitely like playing on dirt more, but everyone here has played at Sports Force their whole lives," said Dylan Crabtree, Perkins' only senior. "We're pretty used to it. I feel like the only difference is the cleats and how high the ball bounces. There is a confidence boost because there are no bad hops unless a rock is on the field." Talon Walton, the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division player of the year, also likes the fake grass. When the Perkins junior isn't pitching, he's playing shortstop. "It's my favorite thing to play on," Walton said. "Dirt can always be rough because you never know where the ball will bounce. Turf, everything's true. It helps me get the throw off quicker because the ball comes to me really fast." The turf could favor Perkins because of its team speed. The Pirates did a great job of covering the outfield gaps during last week's regional at Bowling Green State University's spacious field. The Pirates also have 149 stolen bases this season after nabbing 10 bags in a 10-4 win over Cleveland Benedictine in last Friday's regional final. The Pirates began their practice Monday on Perkins' football stadium turf with an eye on finishing their season Sunday on grass. "We're gonna prepare our way and keep doing what we're doing," Perkins coach TJ Blanton said. "It'll be different. When you're playing in a minor league stadium — if we get to Sunday — it's groomed very well. It's not like playing on a traditional high school field. The ball will roll similar to turf. "We're used to turf and I feel like we play really well on turf. It helps our speed and defensively balls get to you quicker so you have more time to make throws." Perkins has scored 40 runs in four tournament games. Indian Hill, conversely, has allowed only 12 runs in five postseason wins. The Braves defeated Jonathan Alder 8-1 in their regional final. In the semifinals, Indian Hill outlasted Middletown Fenwick 6-5 in 10 innings on the turf at Athletes In Action in Xenia. Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium is named after the Canton native who was a seven-time all-star in his 11 seasons with the New York Yankees. Munson was a team captain who helped the Yankees win two World Series championships. Munson died in August 1979 at age 32 when he crashed his private plane while practicing landings at the Akron-Canton Airport. The stadium that bears his name was built in 1989 and underwent a $5 million upgrade in 2022. The stadium seats 5,700 on its aluminum bleachers. Friday's first Division IV semifinal is at 4 p.m. and features Mentor Lake Catholic and Chillicothe Unioto.