State Schedule/Results
Here are the schedule and results for the double-elimination Ohio Little League 12-year-old baseball tournament at the Fields of Dreams complex, located at 410 McClurg Road in Boardman:
Saturday, July 16
Hamilton West Side 12, Washington Court House 1, four innings
Canfield 12, Tallmadge 1, four innings
Galion 6, Guernsey County 1
New Albany 6, Maumee 2
Sunday, July 17
Hamilton West Side 13, Jefferson 0, four innings
Canfield 10, Minford 1
Tuscarawas County 14, Galion 5
Maumee 4, Guernsey County 1
Monday, July 18
Hamilton West Side 11, Tuscarawas County 0
Washington Court House 4, Minford 3
Canfield 6, New Albany 1
Tuesday, July 19
Hamilton West Side 2, Canfield 0
Tallmadge 4, Jefferson 2
Maumee 17, Washington Court House 9
Wednesday, July 20
Tallmadge 11, Galion 9
Maumee 8, Tuscarawas County 7
Thursday, July 21
New Albany 8, Tallmadge 5
Friday, July 22
Maumee 5, New Albany 3
Saturday, July 23
Losers’ Bracket Final
Canfield 11, Maumee 7
Sunday, July 24
Championship
Game 20 — Hamilton West Side vs. Canfield, field No. 1, noon
Game 21 (if necessary) — Game 20 winner vs. Game 20 loser, field No. 1, 2 p.m.
The championship matchup is set for the Ohio Little League 12-year-old baseball tournament.
Hamilton West Side, the unbeaten ruler of the winners’ bracket, will meet Canfield on Sunday at Boardman’s Fields of Dreams.
“My biggest thought is we’ve practiced for four days in a row, so we’re ready to play somebody,” Hamilton coach Tim Nichting said. “I think my kids are hungry. We’re going to come out and swing the bat.”
The final is scheduled for noon. If Canfield wins, another final will be played at 2 p.m.
West Side, seeking its 16th state 12-year-old title, defeated Canfield 2-0 on Tuesday. Canfield beat Maumee 11-7 in Saturday’s losers’ bracket final.
Hamilton came out of the losers’ bracket to conquer North Canton twice last year at the state tournament in Painesville. Nichting said Canfield is good enough to pull off that feat, but he’s confident it won’t happen.
“They’ve got to get us twice … they’re not going to get us twice,” Nichting said. “Simple as that.”
Both teams will have all their pitchers eligible to throw. Nichting said either Micaden Stephens or Maddox Pennington will start for West Side at noon. Canfield coach Kevin Burdette said he’ll choose between Nate Shaw, Ryan Petro and Jake Grdic.
Petro and Grdic combined on a three-hitter against Hamilton on Tuesday, while Pennington’s four-hitter earned the shutout.
“You’ll see them all hopefully,” Burdette said of his big three. “No matter what name they see at the beginning of the game, if he’s on, they’re going to keep seeing him. And if he’s not, they’re going to see another name. That’s how we’re going to roll. We’re going to find that hot hand until it’s cold.”
Petro pitched two innings and Grdic went 1.1 against Maumee on Saturday. Canfield used five pitchers, keeping all of them at the 20-pitch limit that will allow them to throw again Sunday.
Shaw did not pitch Saturday and is arguably Canfield’s ace. Nichting is expecting to see him first Sunday.
Canfield jumped to an 8-0 lead against Maumee, sparked by a three-run homer from Colin Burdette in the first inning. Maumee had won four straight contests in the losers’ bracket.
“You’re playing a gritty opponent,” Kevin Burdette said. “They have not survived this week by being a cakewalk or a walkover. I was nervous all the way through.”
He believes his team is ready to topple West Side twice.
“The big goal was to get here without a loss,” Burdette said. “We didn’t do that, but you know what? We’re here. It’s our third year in a row in a state championship game. We have all our pitchers available. The kids believe, I believe, and we’re going to bring it tomorrow. It’s two quality programs. Hamilton and Canfield … it doesn’t get any better than that.”
The Ohio champion will advance to the Great Lakes Regional in Indianapolis on Sunday, Aug. 7, facing Michigan at 6 p.m. on the Reuben F. Glick Little League Center’s Stokely Field.
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