DeCello a young veteran for Badin’s state-bound baseball team

Credit: DaytonDailyNews


Thursday’s games

What: Division II state baseball tournament, Steubenville (25-2) vs. Defiance (27-2), 10 a.m.; Badin (21-11) vs. Poland Seminary (28-3), 1 p.m.

Where: Huntington Park, 330 Huntington Park Lane, Columbus

Championship: 10 a.m. Saturday at Huntington Park

The fact that Badin High School’s baseball team practiced on Memorial Day was a clear indication of 2016 success.

The Rams are working toward the 12th state appearance in school history and will face Poland Seminary in a Division II state semifinal Thursday afternoon at Huntington Park in Columbus.

“It’s an honor to come out and practice because we know there’s only four teams left, and we’re one of them,” sophomore shortstop Daunte DeCello said. “It’s going to feel awesome. We’re going there to win.”

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Badin coach Brion Treadway has been to the Final Four as a player (getting the win in relief in the Rams’ 1996 state championship victory over Tallmadge), assistant coach and head coach.

“There’s no doubt as a player it’s a lot easier because all you really have to worry about is you,” he said. “God blessed me with the great ability to throw a baseball, so for me, it was easy as a player.

“As a coach, you’ve got to keep everything in mind and keep 22 young minds focused during a very hectic time of the year. But the atmosphere in Columbus is addicting once you get there. It’s part of what drives you to coach again every year. You’re always chasing that Columbus feeling.”

DeCello is a two-year starter for Badin. Being an everyday player as a freshman is no easy feat in high school, especially in a high-level program.

He was a student in the Talawanda School District before transferring to Badin as a freshman.

“Baseball is the main reason why,” DeCello said. “I came out to a couple games my eighth-grade year, and I just saw how much energy they played with. It was fun baseball to watch. I wanted to be a part of it.”

Treadway said it was obvious early on that DeCello had varsity skills.

“We started Day 1, Day 2 and maybe even Day 3 in freshman tryouts, and Daunte was clearly above the freshman class,” Treadway said. “So we decided to give him a look at the varsity level. We had him competing for the shortstop job with a couple other sophomores and senior Alex Holderbach.

“We just felt like at the end of the day, he gave us the best chance of winning, and he hasn’t looked back. He’s an unbelievable kid that is all about the team.”

Treadway said the 2015 Badin seniors deserve much credit for accepting the freshman and helping him along the way. He singled out Holderbach, who battled DeCello for the shortstop job and ended up playing left field and first base.

“The way Alex took him under his wing, even though he was competing for the same spot, says a lot about Alex,” Treadway said. “It says a lot about the senior class in general how they embraced him. They put their egos aside and did what was best for the team. Daunte is seeing the dividends of that.”

Holderbach made 30 starts at Eastern Kentucky this year. “His coach told him that he’s a great asset to the team because he can literally play any position,” Treadway said.

DeCello said those seniors were “an awesome group to play with.” And he’s the only sophomore in this year’s starting lineup.

“I look up to all of them. They’re all like big brothers,” DeCello said. “They have my back. If I make a mistake, they’re there to pick me up.”

He’s hitting .283 with four doubles, 12 RBIs and nine stolen bases, ranking third on the team with 23 runs scored. DeCello hit .232 with five doubles, 12 RBIs and seven steals last season.

“I think I’m hard-nosed,” he said. “I’ll do anything to help the team win, whether it’s out there playing defense or cheering in the dugout. Doesn’t matter.”

Mike DeCello, Talawanda’s former head boys basketball coach, is a vocal presence at every game. Daunte smiled as he talked about his father.

“He has his own spot at every park,” Daunte said. “I heard him more when I was younger. Now I hear him when I’m in the dugout, but that’s all. Everything else is just me and the ball.”

“There’s a lot of great baseball ahead for Daunte,” Treadway said. “I would anticipate him moving on to the Division I level for college. The dude lives in the weight room, he loves baseball, and he plays very competitive summer ball with the Spikes. He’s just a baseball player.”

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