Lions begin 2011 on state-of-the-art field

New Richmond opens 2011 on its new state-of-the-art baseball facility including the Cincinnati area's first turf infield.

The new turf infield will lead to some adjustments in how Lions coach Brian Benzinger approahes the game of baseball.

"I've always been an offensive minded coach and I've never like to bunt on our field, but things are going to change," said Benznger. "Now we don't have that short porch in left and the awful hops in the infield, and you're going to see a side of us as a team and me as a coach. We'll play a little more small ball than we have in the past."

But the goal of a New Richmond baseball team remains the same for Benzinger's Lions who finished second in the Southern Buckeye American Division in 2010 after winning the title in 209.

"When you don't win a league championship here, it's always a disappointment," said Benzinger, who has won 7 league and three district titles in his previous 12 seasons. "Tht's always going to be our goal."

Six seniors will lead the Lions in their quest for the 2011 SBAAC title, led by two four-year varsity playes in Austin Warden and Steven Binder and three-year starter Zach Ritter. The other seniors are Tre Jetter, Justin Underwood and Isaac Stroud.

Binder has led the Lions in hitting the past two seasons, spliting his time in center field and the pitching mound as the Lions top right-handed thrower.

"A solid player," said Benzinger. "He's one of the best overall players I've had in my 12 years here. He can play anywhere, but obviously he's the best defensive center fielder I've seen come through our program. This will be his third year as my No. 3 hitter and a great guy to have on the mound because he's consistent."

Ritter will be New Richmond's starting catcher this year after playing third, second and outfield in addition to pitching the last two seasons.

"Zach is one of those kids who has been asked to play anywhere from catcher, to second to third to outfield and anywhere you put him he does a great job," said Benzinger. "He's one of the most versitle baseball players I've ever had."

Lefty Austin Warden will be one of the Lions' top two pitchers and will move to first base when he's not on the mound after playing right field for the past three years.

"The last two years Austin has been one of our top pitchers," said Benzinger. "We're looking for some really big things from him this year."

Tre Jetter moves to shortstop for the 2011 season and Isaac Stroud will see action as the designated hitter.

After that, coach Benzinger is counting on some underclassment to step up including juniors ucker Hawkins, Austin Skaggs, Brandon Holbrook and Grant Gilman, sophomores Kevin Reid, Tanner Wolfe, Austin Wells, Sam Leffler, Cole Bird and Austin Craig and freshman Levi Simpson.

"We're relying on some of the younger guys," said Benzinger. "When its all said and done and when people judge this season it's going to be how well and how quickly our younger players are able to adapt."

Lions overcome adversity to win 2009 SBAAC title

Every time New Richmond baseball coach Brian Benzinger got more bad news when it came to his 2009 roster he could count on senior Josh Erdman for words of encouragement.

“He was one of the kids who, after all this adversity, that would say “Don’t worry coach, we’re going to win the league,” recalled Benzinger, who went into the 2009 season with a young team strapped for pitching and expected to finish fourth or lower in the American Division of the Southern Buckeye Academic and Athletic Conference.

 Benzinger lost four starters during the season from injuries to players quitting to suspensions for various reasons.

“I would walk away thinking, ‘If he only knew what he was talking about. He just doesn’t understand.’ ”

But Erdman, a four-year starter for the Lions, knew his teammates  who ignored the adversity and  bonded by into champions. The result was a 15-6 regular season and 11-2 SBAAC record and the seventh league title in Benzinger’s 11 years as head coach of the Lions.

“ There’s a whole bunch more to this story,” said Benzinger. “We were  glad to get in and we were lucky to coach the kids that we did this year.”

It all came down to a May 11 game against at preseason favorite Western Brown, which dismantled the Lions 20-3 earlier in the season.

“I thought Western Brown was one of the best teams I’ve ever seen in this league with the amount of offensive firepower they could throw at you,” said Benzinger.

Benzinger didn’t have to ask who wanted the ball in the championship rematch against the Broncos.
“I want Western Brown. I want Western Brown,” declared Erdman to  his coach.

“A lot of times when kids say things like that you want to tell them, ‘Be careful what you wish for,’ “ said Benzinger.”Josh got it and he made the most of it.”

Erdman pitched the Lions to a 6-4 victory that put the Lions in first place by a game. They then closed out the season with a 12-3 win at Goshen to win the league by two games.

“For us to win the league by two games, when I think about it I don’t know how they did it, “ said Benzinger.

Besides Erdman, who was 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the SBAAC, Benzinger also loses Justin Wilson (5-0 pitching and a .413 hitter) and Tyler Burns from the 2009 championship team.

Returning will be 2010 senios Dylan Senters, Andy Case, Michael Skaggs, Logan Wolfe, Kevin Hamilton and Will Shoemaker and juniors Austin Warden, Steven Binder, Zack Ritter, Tre Jetter and Justin Underwood and sophomore Danny Scholz.