The Rams have built one of southwest Ohio’s most consistent powers defined by deep postseason runs, disciplined play and an expectation that June baseball is the norm, not the exception.
The message around this year’s team has been geared more toward the process.
“This is a team that’s just trying to get better every day,” said Badin coach Brion Treadway, who has been at the helm since 2012. “Opening day doesn’t matter — it’s not bigger than the second game, the third game or the last game. Every game is equally important.”
Few programs in Ohio enter a season with the résumé Badin carries. The Rams reached the Division III state semifinals last spring, falling 2-1 to Licking Valley in nine innings — their fourth state tournament appearance in five years — and finished 25-7. The program has reached the state tournament 16 times overall and captured titles in 1991 and 1996.
That consistency has been shaped by continuity, and this year’s roster reflects it.
Badin returns a senior-heavy group with depth across the diamond, particularly on the mound.
It’s a group built in the mold of past Badin teams — balanced, fundamentally sound and capable of growing over the course of a season.
“The journey is what keeps our coaches coming back,” Treadway said following last year’s run. “You take a group of guys on day one and try to mold them … teach them how we expect them to play, compete every day.”
Early results have already offered a glimpse of both the potential and the challenges ahead.
After erupting for 18 runs on 17 hits in a recent scrimmage against Hamilton, the Rams were shut out 7-0 by Toledo St. Francis de Sales on a cold, windy Friday at Xenia’s Athletes in Action. Badin bounced back with a 9-1 win over Massillon Jackson on Saturday.
“It was a brutal day to play baseball,” Treadway said Friday. “We scored 18 runs on 17 hits last night, so to think this team could get shut out is pretty shocking.
“Early on, it was evident the ball wasn’t going to travel. It was going to be a day where line drives win, and we didn’t hit enough line drives or have enough base runners. Just not a great day offensively. But we played great defense.”
Badin did just that, playing error-free in the field — reinforcing what Treadway believes will be one of the team’s defining strengths.
The return of senior pitcher Beau Chaney is an encouraging sign. Chaney, who missed his entire junior season due to an arm injury he suffered late in his sophomore year, got the start on opening day Friday.
“It was his first start back,” Treadway said. “First time out in cold weather, we didn’t really want anybody going over 50 pitches. He was in the 40s. We were happy — he was out there competing. It was great to see him back.”
Seniors Caleb Driessen, a Miami University product, and Brooks Treadway, a Marietta commit, return to the mound.
Other seniors include Alabama commit Chandler Taylor, who mans center field, and Thomas More commit Eli Wolpert, who played left field on Friday. Second baseman Cade Commins, who is committed to Marietta, went 2-for-2 on Friday and Saturday. Also returning is senior Austin Vangen, who played third base against Toledo St. Francis de Sales.
Badin’s schedule is designed to challenge the Rams, not protect them, with the understanding that growth often comes through adversity.
“We put a schedule together where it’s very likely we’re going to lose some ballgames, and that’s okay,” Treadway said. “We’re just trying to get better every day and be the best we can be at the end of the season.”
The formula itself is familiar — a lineup capable of producing runs, pitchers who pound the strike zone and a defense that limits mistakes.
“We’re going to have a tough lineup to face — you wouldn’t know it watching today,” Treadway said. “Our pitchers are going to keep us in games. I’m not going to make more of this than it is. It’s just a loss. Thankfully, we get to play more.”
For a program that has made a habit of playing deep into the postseason, the path forward remains unchanged.
Badin doesn’t chase perfection — it chases consistency, growth and the ability to respond when the margin tightens.
Because at Alumni Field in Joyce Park, the expectation isn’t just to win games.
It’s about playing the ones that matter most.
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