It is safe to say the Barons' baseball team is firing on all cylinders right now, and at just the right time with the postseason fast approaching.
Last week Manheim played four games and outscored its opponents 39-3 to gain four wins.
The Barons, which improved their record to 18-2, clinched the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Three title for the second straight year.
In the middle of the week, Manheim had two straight shutouts, pounding out 21 runs and 20 hits against Elco and Cocalico, respectively.
On Tuesday, April 30, Manheim handed the Raiders a 10-0 loss. Curt Kroesen was 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and one RBI. Cody Gibble was 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs and Nolan Weaver was 1-for-2 with 2 RBI's.
On the mound, Colton Book improved his record to 7-0, scattering two hits and gaining four strikeouts.
The Barons carried their hot bats into their next game on Wednesday, May 1 in an 11-0 blow out of Cocalico. Drew Mummau was 2-for-4 at the plate with 2 RBI's. Mummau, who has done well in the closer role for Manheim, got the start and tossed a two-hitter, striking out four.
Offensively, Book was 1-for-3 with 3 RBI's and Cody Gibble 1-for-2 with two runs batted in.
"The team is playing well and the bats seem to be getting hot at a good time," head coach Jason Thompson said. "Our play this past week is a reflection of our guys playing well. Pitching has been solid all year and now the bats are starting to heat up."
Central started the week with a 6-2 victory against Garden Spot. Hunter Hess earned the win on the hill, fanning seven in the game. Mummau, who hit a home run, entered the fifth inning and earned the save, striking out two Spartan batters. Book also homered in the contest. A side note, the hot bats are transferring over to the junior varsity, where the Barons' JV won 15-3 against the Spartans.
Manheim ended the week with another lopsided triumph, beating Northern Lebanon, 12-1 Friday.
The Barons, who pounded out 14 hits, clinched the section title with the win. Hess gained the victory on the mound, fanning three Vikings. Book crushed another home run.
Thompson, who took over as skipper this year from Matt Huber, knew the potential for a big season was there.
"I knew we had the pieces to have a good season," he said "Defense up the middle is always important, and our catcher, Garrett Bruckhart, and Drew Mummau at shortstop and Cody Gibble at second base and Curt Kroesen in center field have been great for us."
Thompson said early in the season they had a lot of pitchers, which he said is a good thing, and they have thrown really well. Coming into the season, the Barons' offense looked like it might struggle, but it is becoming a strength.
"The weakest part, based on past numbers from last year, was the offense, but the guys have bought into our plan and approach at the plate and it is paying off," Thompson said. "They are a great group of young men who love to play baseball and have good baseball IQ."
TRACK
The boys' track and field team played spoiler in denying Ephrata a section title, giving the Mountaineers' their first loss of the year. The Barons pulled off an 80-70 victory Monday, April 29.
Manheim was fueled by a four-win day by Will Rivers, who scored 20 key points, winning the long jump (22-1.25) and triple jump (45-4.25) in addition to track victories in the 100 (11.1) and 200 (23.2).
The Barons were dominant in the field events, outpacing the Mounts, 53-10.
Zach Reed captured two events, winning the high hurdles (15.5) and 300 hurdles (41.6).
The Barons came up big in the field events, as Tyler Fahnestock took the shot put (40- 9.25) and discus (107-1), Christopher Shaw took the pole vault (12-0) and Kade Kegarise won the javelin (148-2).
The girls lost to a talented Ephrata squad 114-36. The Mounts claimed wins in 17 of the 18 events. The only event the Barons won was 400 meters, won by freshman Kylie Bannister (64.0).
Tori Fahnestock was second in the 100 meter high hurdles, but ran a very good time of 16.9 and Laura Good ran a respectable 12.9 in the 100 meters for second.
Even with the loss, Barons' coach Ryan Kennedy is happy with the season the girls are having and excited about the future.
With a strong group of freshmen this year and a talented group of eighth graders coming up next year Kennedy said the future is bright for girls' track and field.
"We got a pretty young team on the girls' side," he said. "We lose a couple throwers, but with the eighth graders coming up and a lot of freshmen, there is room to grow. Next year should be a banner year for us."
SOFTBALL
Speaking of hot teams, the Lady Baron softball team rallied under the lights in Manheim Monday night (April 29) to beat Garden Spot, 3-2 in extra innings.
Jordan Walter was superb in the circle. The talented junior helped her cause, knocking in the winning run when her single plated Maddy Barbush in the eighth inning.
After scoring twice in the third inning to take a 2-0 lead, Walter was cruising along, tossing a shutout when Garden Spot managed to plate two runs in the top of the sixth inning to tie the game at 2-2.
Barbush went 2-for-3 with key hits, including the hit that led to the winning run.
The Lady Barons followed this up with two easy victories, beating Elco and Cocalico by identical 10-0 scores.
Central collected 12 hits in the ELCO contest. The Raiders committed 5 errors in the 5-inning affair.
On Senior Night against Cocalico, Walter fired a one-hitter with 14 strikeouts and smashed her third homer this spring.
All-Star Codi Bollinger hit her seventh round-tripper of the season to wrap things up in six. Walter only yielded one hit and struck out 14.
Manheim ended its week with a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to Northern Lebanon Friday night in Manheim.
The loss drops the Lady Barons' record to 14-5. The win improves Northern Lebanon's record to 15-3 and gives them the edge for second place in Section Three. Both teams were virtually tied for second prior to the game. The teams have now split two games this season (Manheim won 1-0 on April 1).
Manheim took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth and held that lead until Spot rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth.
TENNIS
The boys' tennis team lost 5-0 to Elizabethtown in the first round of District Three Class 3A team championship. Silas Eldeen suffered a 6-4, 6-4 loss. Andrew Rajaratnam lost a heart-breaker, winning the first set 6-3, before losing 6-7 (4) and 4-6. Hunter Winters lost 5-7, 1-6.
In doubles, Jacob Bidelman and Anthony Stoltzfus took the first set 7-6 (0), but dropped the next two 5-7, 6-7 (5). Derren Bertin and Scott Westfield fell 3-6, 3-6.
Eldeen, a senior, made Section Two All-Star team.
VOLLEYBALL
The Barons increased their win streak in Section Two to 35 straight games. That means the Barons, 11-0 on the season, have not dropped a game during a section match in more than two seasons.
"We just go out and play the games," head coach Craig Dietrich said. "It wasn't something we set as a goal. We just go with the flow. It is a neat accomplishment. Mason (Nissley), Ben (Wolford) and Brandyn (Musser) might think about it, because they have been around longer during the streak."
Manheim, which captured its third straight section title, cruised past Elizabethtown and Ephrata, by - yep - you guessed it, 3-0 scores. The section crown was clinched as the Barons held off the Bears 25-19, 25-19 and 25-14 on Tuesday, April 30.
Jeremiah Zimmerman posted 35 assists and Nissley had 14 kills and five digs. Musser contributed with two blocks.
"Zimmerman played well for us, as did Musser and Wolford," Dietrich said. "We executed very well out of the middle. They couldn't stop us."
Dietrich also noted that Darien Colbum, a junior, is doing a nice job with digs and is working hard.
"It is nice to see guys working hard and getting results," Dietrich said.
Central defeated the Mountaineers 25-1, 25-14 and 25-20. Nissley played an all-around game to fill the stat sheet, collecting five aces, 15 kills, and two blocks. Wolford added two blocks. Blake Wagner chipped in three digs and Zimmerman dished out 20 assists.
For Zimmerman, a first year starter, his progress as a setter is impressive.
"For a sophomore, he is ahead of schedule," Dietrich said. "He's doing exactly what the coaches are asking of him. He listens and is performing well.
"It's like a quarterback in the NFL. If you don't have a quarterback you aren't going to win. If you don't have a setter, you aren't going to win. Like Ben (Wolford), he gets overlooked. We have shining sports cars with Nissley and Musser and you don't truly appreciate, unless you watch closely, what these other guys like Wolford and Zimmerman do. We have lots of team players, and that's a recipe for success. No one person is looking for glory. If you focus on team goals the 'me goals' will happen."
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