Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School baseball coach John Zangrilli didn’t mention that his team had risen to No. 1 in the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 3A poll on Monday to his players so he’s not going to worry about what a 9-2 loss to Roncalli will do to his program’s standing in the rankings.

“I’ll take a 7-1 (start to the season) anytime,” Zangrilli said. “That was just baseball last night. We got 10 hits. They got 10 hits. Theirs’ just came at a better time. I don’t know if the kids even knew (we were No. 1) because the polls don’t come out until they’re in school. That was only Roncalli’s second game and it’ll be ranked sooner or later because it’s a real good team. It should make for an exciting sectional if we get that far.”

Brebeuf lost No. 1 starter Jamie Hebenstreit from last year’s sectional champions and Zangrilli would like to see his current mound corps improve on its average of four walks per game but likes the potential of a staff led by Cody McFarland, John Krasich, Jake Krevda and Connor Hale. The lineup isn’t laden with power but the top seven hitters in the order return from last season.

The Braves will play at 2A No. 2 Park Tudor at 5 p.m. Wednesday, travel to Guerin Catholic for a game at 5 p.m. Friday then play Cincinnati Elder at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Midland Redskins complex as part of the two-day, 20-team A.J. Cohen Memorial Tournament at three sites in the Cincinnati area.

“We jumped at the opportunity to play a quality club like Elder,” Zangrilli said

A.J. Cohen Memorial
Kids’ Fest

Saturday, April 17, 2010 at The Summit Country Day School Athletic Complex
5580 Ehrling Rd, Cincinnati, 45227

9:00 a.m. - Braves Jones & Six Men Watley (Field 1)
9:00 a.m. - Braves Alcalde & Kilgour Dolan (Field 2)

10:00 a.m. - American Red Cross - Sesame Street Fire Safety!
Free puppet show for the first one hundred (ages 3 - 6)

10:30 a.m. - Cardinal Pacelli Deremo & Kilgour Stephens (Field 1)
10:30 a.m. - St. Mary Lang & Kilgour Godsey (Field 2)

11:00 a.m. - American Red Cross - Fire Escape: Fantastic Tales of Fire Safety!
Free full size puppet show for the first one hundred (ages 6 - 13)

11:45 a.m. - Junior League of Cincinnati's - Kids In The Kitchen
Iron Chef Kids Challenge

12:00 p.m. - St. Mary Mulligan & Six Men 2 (Field 1)
12:00 p.m. - St. Mary Olsen & St. Mary Plas (Field 2)

12:00 p.m. - Auto Extrication Demonstration

12:30 p.m. - Super Bowl Champion and Notre Dame Alum, Mr. Rocky Boiman(Autograph Session)

1:00 p.m. - American Red Cross - Fire Escape: Fantastic Tales of Fire Safety!
Free full size puppet show for the first one hundred (ages 6 - 13)

1:30 p.m. - Cardinal Pacelli Yates & Summit Gallagher (Field 1)
1:30 p.m. - A’s Patton & Summit Berry (Field 2)

2:00 p.m. - Auto Extrication Demonstration

Formal Bengal, Mr. David Fulcher

A.J. Cohen Memorial
Tournament and Baseball
Showcase

Friday, April 16th, 2010 at The Summit Country Day School Athletic Complex
5580 Ehrling Rd, Cincinnati, 45227

4:00 p.m. - A.J. Cohen Jersey Retirement Ceremony
• UC ROTC Pershing Rifles Company E-1
• Sky Dive Greensburg
• Summit Glee Club and Band
4:30 p.m. – Deer Park v. Summit Country Day

Friday, April 16, 2010 at Midland Field, 7000 Midland Blvd, Amelia, 45102 Automated Directions – (513) 588-6238
1. 4:30 p.m. - Kings v. Milford (Field 1)
2. 4:30 p.m. - Reading v. Indian Hill (Field 2)
3. 7:00 p.m. - Covington Catholic v. St. Xavier (Field 1)

Saturday, April 17, 2010 at Midland Field
5. 10:00 a.m.- Goshen v. Withrow (Field 2)
6. 10:00 a.m.- New Richmond v. Anderson (Field 1)
7. 12:30 p.m.- Indian Hill v. Batavia (Field 1)
8. 12:30 p.m.- CCD v. Seven Hills (Field 2)
9. 3:00 p.m.- Elder v. Indianapolis Brebeuf (Field 1)
10. 3:00 p.m.- Loser (game 4) v. Loser (game 8) (Field 2)
11. 5:30 p.m.- Winner (game 4) v. Winner (game 8) (Field 2)
12. 5:30 p.m.- St. Xavier v. CHCA (Field 1)
13. 8:00 p.m.- LaSalle v. Oak Hills (Field 1)

Rain Date – Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Anderson Township- Junior pitcher Ryan Ossenbeck, the Redskins' win leader at 4-2 last spring, returns for third-year head coach Chris Newton following Anderson's 13-14 season in 2009.

Now two years removed from its conference title in 2008, Anderson returns six starters this season with Ossenbeck leading the way alongside seniors Logan Schmidt and Ryan Beebe.

Ossenbeck threw a team-high 35.0 innings last year including 19 strike outs and a 3.60 ERA while turning in 11.1 more innings of work than any of his teammates.

Schmidt anchors Anderson's defense at second base, Newton said via e-mail. He hit .290 last spring including eight RBI and 17 runs.

Beebe led Anderson with his .470 average in 2009 including 31 hits, 12 RBI and 16 runs.

"I believe this is a great group of young men that has tremendous chemistry and will work together to compete in a very tough league and against a very tough schedule," Newton said about his inexperienced Redskins.

Additional returning starters for Anderson include junior catcher Austin Raisor, senior outfielder Caleb Correll and senior Tyler Brooks, a pitcher and infielder.

Correll hit .323 with 21 hits, 14 RBI and 16 runs last season. Raisor was close behind with a .318 average including 14 hits, 11 runs and nine RBI. Brooks produced 12 hits, 10 runs and seven RBI while batting .231.

From the mound, Brooks was 0-2 with a 3.00 ERA through 14.0 innings pitched last spring. Schmidt was 0-1 with two saves and a 1.75 ERA through 8.0 innings of work.

Hyde Park-If Summit Country Day had to pick a year to move up to Division III from Division IV, this would be it.

Silver Knights coach Triffon Callos has six starting position players and six pitchers returning from a team that won the Miami Valley Conference Gray Division championship last season. Among them is junior first baseman Jack Gustafson, an Enquirer Divisions II-IV first-team all-star in 2009 after hitting .522 with three home runs, 29 RBI, six doubles and two triples and totaling 13 stolen bases.

But he's not the only talented player back for Summit.

Senior Scott Mays returns for his fourth season as a starter, serving as SCD's top pitcher and shortstop. Sophomores Kenny Kerr, Matt Slager and Gabriel Scott also return after playing significant roles last season.

"I feel that we will improve on last season's success," Callos said. "... I really like our depth on the mound, as I have eight guys who will start. Our strong sophomore class could see five guys start. The experience they gained in 2009 will help this season. I look at six returning starters in the field and feel very good about this season."

The Silver Knights will have their work cut out for them in Division III. Besides state runner-up Badin, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, the defending MVC Scarlet Division champion, also will be a contender after reaching the regional final last year.