20-game High School Baseball Program Resumes Tuesday at Fifth Third Field

Dayton, Ohio-The 2019 High School Baseball Program, presented by Mount St. Joseph University, resumes on Tuesday, April 30, with two games at Fifth Third Field.  
This spring, Mount St. Joseph University has made high school baseball possible at Fifth Third Field. This is the 14th straight season that high school games have been played at the home of the Dayton Dragons. 
The final round of high school baseball games at Fifth Third Field begins with Springfield against Wayne at 4:30 p.m. Both teams play in the Greater Western Ohio Conference (GWOC) East Division. On the year, Springfield is 4-15 through their first 19 games while Wayne sits at 5-11 over 16 games. The two teams are scheduled to meet on Monday, April 29, before facing off again the next day at Fifth Third Field.
The second game on Tuesday is a scheduled 7:00 p.m. start between Dixie and Milton-Union. Just like the first game on Tuesday, this is a conference battle, pitting two teams from the Southwestern Buckeye Conference (SWBC) against one another. This is not just a rematch of two teams who played back on April 15, but also a rematch from a game at Fifth Third Field last season. Milton-Union got the better of Dixie two weeks ago, winning 13-12 in a thriller. Through 21 games, Dixie sits at 3-18 overall, 1-10 in conference play while Milton-Union is 9-8 overall and 5-6 in the conference. Players to watch for Dixie are the two senior captains, catcher Aaron Kanthak and two-way player Clark Miller, both of whom are near the top of the league leaderboards in many categories.
The doubleheaders continue on Wednesday, May 1, at 4:30 p.m. with conference matchup between West Liberty and Mechanicsburg, both out of the Ohio Heritage Conference. Mechanicsburg won the first meeting this season two weeks ago in extra innings, 10-9 in walk-off fashion. West Liberty sits at 6-8 overall and 6-6 in conference play so far and are led by infielders Jacob Vanhorn and Trevor Woodruff along with pitcher Zack Glock. Mechanicsburg is 13-5 through 18 games overall and 6-5 in the conference. As a team, they are hitting a solid .360.
After that game, Preble Shawnee squares off against Twin-Valley South at 7:00 p.m. in an inter-conference battle. Out of the SWBC, Preble Shawnee is 3-9 in conference play an 5-13 overall. Twin-Valley South is 4-6 in the Cross County Conference (CCC) and have an overall record of 6-9. These teams were initially scheduled to meet on March 31, not at Fifth Third Field, but that game was postponed due to weather.
The third round of games at Fifth Third Field continues on Thursday, May 2, starting with a 4:30 p.m. contest between Springfield and Middletown. This is the second appearance at Fifth Third field this season for the Wildcats but it's the first meeting with Middletown this season. Middletown is just 2-12 in the Greater Miami Conference through 14 games and sit at 5-13 overall during this time.
Also on May 2, at 7:00 p.m., Springfield-Shawnee takes on Beavercreek. Out of the Central Buckeye Conference, Springfield-Shawnee sits at 5-5 in conference play and 7-6 overall through 13 games. Beavercreek is undefeated through its first 8 games in the GWOC, going 8-0 with an overall record of 14-1, tied for first in the division and tied for the second most wins in the conference. Ethan Tedder and Mitch Sumner have been elite on the mound, combining for 73 strikeouts. At the plate, Grant Reeve is hitting a solid .420 for Beavercreek.
On Friday, May 3, the first of two make-up games will be played after the games were rained-out earlier in the season. National Trail will face Valley View at 7:00 p.m. in a game that was initially scheduled for April 20. In the very last game of the high school schedule at Fifth Third Field, Mississinawa Valley and Northwestern will play on Saturday, May 4, at 7:00 p.m. in the final game of a triple-header that day. The two teams were originally scheduled to play on April 19.
The first of the three games on Saturday, May 4, is Lima Sr. against Elida, beginning at 10:00 a.m. From the Three Rivers Athletic Conference, Lima Sr. has gone winless through its first eight conference matchups. Elida, out of the Western Buckeye League, is tied for third place with a 4-3 conference record through seven games. Overall, the team has gone 15-5, the most wins in the conference of any team to this point.
Finally, Covington faces St. Henry in the middle game on Saturday, scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start. Covington, representing the CCC, is a young squad with just two seniors, but have improved on their one win from 2018 to a 5-10-1 record so far in 2019. Jakob Hamilton and Trenton Alexander are the offensive leaders for Covington, leading the squad in a majority of offensive categories. St. Henry is off to another solid start this year, going 5-1 in the Midwest Athletic Conference and 12-2 overall to this point. St. Henry is playing in its 12th straight year at Fifth Third Field where the team is 10-1, including an 8-1 record against Covington.

The Dayton Dragons have been hosting the Miami Valley's best baseball teams since 2006 and are proud to continue the tradition for a 14th consecutive year. A complete list of the remaining high school baseball games scheduled to be played at Fifth Third Field can be found below.
All games are free to attend and the media is invited to cover them. Gates will open 30 minutes prior to the first game played that day. High schools may provide their own PA announcers, broadcasters, cheer squads, and national anthem singers.
The games at Fifth Third Field also serve as a fundraiser for the participating schools. This year's series of games will raise approximately $30,000 for the schools to help with the cost of uniforms, equipment, and bus transportation.
To learn more about the high school baseball program and schedule at Fifth Third Field, visit www.daytondragons.com/hsbaseball
* = Make-up date from a previous rain-out at Fifth Third Field

More Information: The Dayton Dragons are the Midwest League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and play a 70-game home schedule at beautiful Fifth Third Field in downtown Dayton, easily accessible from Interstate 75. Individuals and groups seeking information about Dayton Dragons group tickets, lawn tickets, the season ticket wait list, sponsorship opportunities or booking a Dragons speaker are encouraged to contact the Dragons by calling (937) 228-2287, by email at [email protected], or on the web at daytondragons.com