High School Baseball Returns to Fifth Third

Fifth Third Field and the Dayton Dragons will host high school baseball for the 10th straight season in 2015 with the action starting on Thursday, April 9th at 4:30 p.m. This spring, 35 high schools will play regular season games at the home of the Dragons.

High school baseball at Fifth Third Field also serves 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.

All games are sponsored by MAC Athletics, Inc., experts in athletic facility planning, design, construction, and equipment acquisition. Go to macathletix.com for more information on their services.

A number of highly-touted programs and college commitments will play at Fifth Third Field. The Waynesville Spartans battle the Versailles Tigers to open the high school slate on April 9th at 4:30 p.m. Ohio University senior commit Troy Black plays third base for Waynesville. In the second game of the day, the Northeastern Jets face off against the Cedarville Indians at 7 p.m.

Northridge and Tri-Village are set to meet on April 20th at 4:30 p.m. and fans might have the chance to see NCAA Division II Ohio Dominican commit Brad Wilson. The 35th best prospect in Ohio can fire up to 90 mph from the mound and mix in an outstanding slider.

The Beavercreek Beavers, who finished 2014 ranked No. 18 in Division 1 at 20-6, will battle Springfield April 28th at 7 p.m. The Wildcats took home a No. 6 ranking in Division 3 with a 20-4 record last season. Beavercreek junior Jackson Tedder, a left-handed pitcher and outfielder, committed to the University of Virginia thanks to a fastball that reaches up to 87 mph.

Oakwood High School meets Wright State University-recruit Seth Gray and the Springfield Shawnee Braves at 4:30 p.m. April 29th. Gray anchors the shortstop position for the Braves in just his junior season.

Springboro looks to follow up on its strong 2014 campaign April 29th at 7 p.m. against Tippecanoe. The Wildcats finished 21-4 en route to a No. 5 ranking in Ohio Division 1, while the Red Devils grabbed a No. 11 ranking in Division 2, going 21-7.

"Year in and year out Tippecanoe always does a great job," Springboro head coach Mark Pelfrey said. "It's a neat experience [at Fifth Third Field] and with great fans out there."

Springboro senior third baseman Alex Lam heads to NCAA Division III Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania while teammate Ben Beachy committed to Otterbein University in the Ohio Athletic Conference. On the other side of the diamond, Tippecanoe senior left-hander Cole Quillen will take his pitching talents to Sinclair Community College.

St. Henry and Covington meet at Fifth Third Field May 2nd at 1 p.m. St. Henry senior and right-handed pitcher Ryan Mikesell, who stands at 6 foot 7, committed to the University of Dayton for basketball.

"This will be our eighth season at Fifth Third Field and it's a treat every time," St. Henry Manager John Dorner said. "We've played Covington a number of times and it's been competitive each time. [Covington head coach] Mitch Hirsch and I always look forward to our winter call about setting up Fifth Third Field again. There's always a great crowd; we're very fortunate."

The Dayton Dragons have been hosting the Miami Valley's best baseball teams since 2006 and are proud to continue the tradition for a 10th year. A complete list of high school baseball games scheduled to be played at Fifth Third Field can be found at daytondragons.com.

All games are free to attend and the media are invited to cover them. Gates will open one hour prior to the first game played that day. High schools may provide their own PA announcers, cheer squads, and national anthem singers. Some even bring their own radio broadcasters to the ballpark. Participating high schools sell Dragons tickets to help raise money for their programs. 

Day	Date	Time	Home Team	Away Team
Thursday	4/9	4:30 PM	Waynesville	Versailles
Thursday	4/9	7:00 PM	Northeastern	Cedarville
Sunday	4/19	1:00 PM	Greenon	Russia
Sunday	4/19	4:00 PM	National Trail	Brookville
Monday	4/20	4:30 PM	Tri-Village	Northridge
Monday	4/20	7:00 PM	Franklin-Monroe	Arcanum
Tuesday	4/21	4:30 PM	Fairborn	West Carrolton
Tuesday	4/21	7:00 PM	Princeton	New Miami
Wednesday	4/22	4:30 PM	Wayne	Lebanon
Wednesday	4/22	7:00 PM	Dixie	Milton Union
Tuesday	4/28	4:30 PM	Emanuel Christian	Middletown Christian
Tuesday	4/28	7:00 PM	Beavercreek	Springfield
Wednesday	4/29	4:30 PM	Springfield Shawnee	Oakwood
Wednesday	4/29	7:00 PM	Tippecanoe	Springboro
Friday	5/1	4:30 PM	Valley View	Fort Loramie
Friday	5/1	7:00 PM	Greenville	Northmont
Saturday	5/2	1:00 PM	Covington	St. Henry
Saturday	5/2	4:00 PM	Lehman Catholic	Fairborn

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.