THE BOYS OF SPRING
With a loaded pitching staff, this year’s Middies are ready to make a push to the top
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or years the calling card of a Middletown baseball team was big bats and high scoring games, but 2022 is shaping up to be different. The Middies bring back their entire pitching staff as they are poised to make a push for the top of the Greater Miami Conference. It’s been 11 years since Middletown has finished in the top third of the GMC, and it’s been even longer (34 years) since they captured the conference title on the diamond. Yet, Coach Wes Mercer knows his squad has the talent and experience to put the league and region on notice. 10
The Middletonian
“We entered last year thinking it was a year to build the younger class up,” said Coach Mercer. “We build them up, have a good year, and then [2022] could be our year.” That’s exactly what the Middies did during the 2021 spring. After not
BY REID MAUS
playing due to the pandemic in 2020, going into last spring was a fog. Yet, the Middies finished with their best in conference record since 2013 (7-11). This was thanks to standout performances from sophomores Braylon Bailey and Joe Kirby on the mound. The pair combined for 96.1 innings pitched while striking out 82 and having ERAs of 2.87 (Bailey) and 3.56 (Kirby). “In the past, we’ve been able to score, but pitching and defense have always been the key,” said Mercer. “We bring back our entire rotation. Everybody’s
