Koch brothers key players in Perkins' state run

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins is playing in its third baseball state semifinal Friday. Two big reasons for the Pirates' success are junior Kash Koch and freshman little brother Carter Koch. Kash is 7-1 on the mound and has pitched a team-high 49 innings for the Pirates (21-9). Carter, who isn't so little himself — about 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds according to Perkins coach TJ Blanton — has anchored the catcher position nearly the entire season. "Even in the summer on our team, he was behind the plate," Kash said. "It's awesome having him back there. I trust him a lot. If I spike the ball, he'll block it. If it's a dropped third strike, he's gotten the job done every time. It's been amazing having him back there." Kash has consistently gotten the ball in almost every big game the Pirates have played this season. The drive and desire for Kash to be even better started last season when Perkins lost to Huron in a district final. "Last year, we lost in the district finals and I just happened to be the starting pitcher in that game," Kash said. "It stuck with me. I went to work all offseason and it has definitely paid off. We're in the final four and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to pitch that day. That's going to be amazing." The Pirates take on Cincinnati Indian Hill at 7 p.m. Friday at Thurman Munson Stadium near Canton. "Kash has done a great job. We know we can give him the ball and expect near a complete game or close to it so we don't have to use other arms," Blanton said. "He's really gotten better with his command, working ahead and trying to get outs quicker. I think earlier in the year he was trying to get more strikeouts and working around the strike zone trying to be fancy or cute. Now he's comfortable with the defense behind him. "He's getting more quick outs, which leads to less pitches and more innings pitched." Kash has been able to throw to Carter this season. Carter is batting .300 with 15 hits, 12 runs batted in and 12 runs scored at the plate. "I trust him with all of his pitches," Carter said. "When he shakes something off, I know he's confident with what he wants to throw. We get along well on the mound, but after the game, he'll talk a little. It's all love." Carter has stepped into a tough position behind the plate. Catcher is no easy position and mistakes happen, but Blanton has seen strides in Carter, who could man the position for four solid years. "We knew Carter was coming up to be able to take a role as a catcher," Blanton said. "We didn't know if it would be part-time when Kash couldn't catch, but he came in and just impressed us. The first couple games he was back there, he did a great job. He makes freshman mistakes, but at this point, he's kind of a veteran here. "There's still little things he's working on, but for a freshman you can't really ask for anything more out of a catcher." In his 49 innings on the mound, Kash has allowed 38 hits and walked 27 batters. But, he's given up just 14 earned runs while striking out 48. At the plate, Kash has 25 hits, including five doubles, 23 runs and 22 RBI. He had four hits in Perkins' 10-8 regional semifinal win over Upper Sandusky. "They're characters and two of the more characters on the team," Blanton said. "Kash has come from a quieter kid as a freshman to one of the jokesters. He's got that confident demeanor now. You see that with kids as they come through the program. Last year, Kash had a great year behind the plate and hitting. This year, he put in more extra work than what he normally does. "That confidence he has, you can really see it." The two get along well. The desire for both to do better encourages each other. "We rarely fight," Kash said. "We usually talk about a lot of things. If I'm on the mound and I'm struggling, he'll come out and tell me that I've got to do better. Sometimes if he's doing bad, I'll let him know that he's got to make the play. It's never hateful. We're always trying to make each other better." Blanton said it's an "anything you can do, I can do better" dynamic for the most part with Kash and Carter. "Carter has grown up," the fourth-year coach said. "He's two years behind Kash, so he's watched him in baseball. I think Carter is a little bit more mature for his age and he's played in some big games as well. He's a good athlete. I think they have that 'you do something good, so I'm going to do something better.' They don't fight. They have a good bond." Carter is thrilled to still be playing as the temperatures rise in June. The group could play Sunday — the very last day of the high school sports season — with a win Friday. "We have gone farther than anyone in the area has been going," Carter said. "It's a great feeling when you're still playing and the weather is hot." Regardless of how the season wraps up, the two will have another year of high school baseball together. It's safe to think a lot of the same results will happen next season. "He's doing really well at the plate," Kash said. "I think his next three years are going to be really bright. He had some big shoes to fill this year, but I think he's doing it really well. "Sometimes I shrug him off, but we're usually on the same page. He knows what I want to throw and when I want to throw it."