Fifth Third Field Set to Host High School Baseball

Dayton, Ohio- This spring, high school baseball is returning to Fifth Third Field for the 13th straight season. In 2018, the Army stations throughout the Miami Valley have made high school baseball possible at Fifth Third Field. The Army High School Baseball Program begins with a doubleheader on the afternoon of Saturday, April 14.
The contests at Fifth Third Field will feature several highly-touted programs and individual standouts. Schools from 10 different conferences across Ohio will be represented. Among the teams participating, six finished in the top three in their respective conferences, five were ranked or received votes in the final OHSBCA Coaches Poll of 2017, and more than 10 won at least one OHSAA tournament game last postseason. Nine players were named to an All-Ohio Team in their division.
The first day of games will pit Fort Recovery against Alter on Saturday, April 14th, at 1:00 p.m. The Indians and Knights represent the Midwest Athletic Conference and Greater Catholic League respectively. Fort Recovery pitcher Nick Thwaits has committed to play at Kent State University and is rated by Prep Baseball Report as the #2 right-handed pitching prospect in the state of Ohio. The second game in the opening doubleheader features Franklin-Monroe and Arcanum in a Cross Country Conference matchup, one of nine conference battles scheduled as part of the high school series at Fifth Third Field.
The Greater Western Ohio Conference (GWOC) will take center stage for three games during the season at Fifth Third Field. On April 21st, Lebanon takes on West Carrollton in a matchup between two teams that won at least seven conference games last year. Lebanon outfielder/right-handed pitcher A.J. Fritz is committed to play at the University of Evansville. Then on April 23rd, Fairborn and Beavercreek will play what is sure to be a meaningful game. The two squads each finished first in their divisions within the conference in 2017 and had 18 and 17 wins, respectively. Beavercreek senior left-handed pitcher Brandon DeWitt has committed to play at Wright State University. The final GWOC matchup sees Springfield against Tippecanoe on May 2nd. Tippecanoe was ranked 6th in Division II in the final poll after going 13-2 in conference play. Tippecanoe senior right-handed pitcher Zach Losey has committed to play at Ball State University.
There are three other league matchups at the home of the Dragons this season, including two in the Southwestern Buckeye League and one in the Northwest Central Conference. On April 24th, Milton-Union will face Dixie and then M-U returns on May 1st to play Brookville. The NWCC game between Lehman Catholic and Riverside on May 3rd marks the final high school baseball matchup played at Fifth Third Field in 2018. These two teams finished first and second in the conference in 2017, respectively, with Lehman Catholic boasting a perfect 14-0 record in league play.
The non-conference schedule also includes top teams from around the state. On the second day of action at Fifth Third Field, Lincolnview out of the Northwest Conference faces New Knoxville from the MAC. Lincolnview returns three all-conference performers from the 2017 season, including senior Chayten Overholt, junior Jayden Youtsey, and sophomore Gavin Carter.
After the Lebanon-West Carrollton GWOC game on April 21st, three of the next four games that weekend will be inter-conference matchups. West Carrollton will turn right around after its 1:00 p.m. game to play St. Mary's Memorial at four o'clock. West Carrollton is led by junior Noah Martin, a First-Team All-Conference selection in 2017. The last game of a triple-header that day will be at 7:00 p.m. between Springfield Shawnee and Triad, in what could be the headliner of the entire schedule. Triad finished the 2017 season with a perfect 11-0 record in Ohio Heritage Conference play and ranked 12th in the Division IV poll. The Cardinals return four all-league North Division selections including first-teamers Briley Harland and Trevor Instine. Springfield Shawnee welcomes junior Ben Ross back to the lineup after his Central Buckeye Conference first-team selection last season.
The final game of second weekend of action at Fifth Third Field is St. Henry against Covington at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 22nd. St. Henry finished in the middle of the MAC standings last season but have the second most MAC baseball titles in league history with eight.
The end of the non-conference games is on Wednesday, May 2nd, at 4:30 for a tilt between Urbana and West Liberty. West Liberty finished last year at 7-3 in OHC play, one spot behind Triad in the North Division. Thomas Allen and Levi Moell return for one more season after being selected to all conference North Division post-season teams in 2017.

The Dayton Dragons have been hosting the Miami Valley's best baseball teams since 2006 and are proud to continue the tradition for a 13th consecutive year. A complete list of 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 joining the U.S. Army, scholarship opportunities, and the expert training the Army can provide in over 150 career fields, visit the U.S. Army kiosk on the concourse during high school games at Fifth Third Field, visit www.goarmy.com, or call (877) 933-ARMY.

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.