For questions, comments or story ideas, contact Tom at loefflerslink@hotmail.com.
The Jefferson City Jays celebrate with the championship trophy after defeating the Hickman Kewpies 6-2 in the Class 5 District 9 title game Tuesday at Vivion Field.
Loeffler's Link
Winning one for George:
Jays roll over Tigers
in district semifinals
One goal reached: Weirich, Jays
oust Kewpies to win district crown
May 16, 2017
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. --- One goal down, one very big one to go.
Look at it this way ... you couldn't win the state championship this week, but you sure could lose it.
Not to worry.
Senior Jacob Weirich --- who built on his own school record with his 25th career win --- threw a complete-game four-hitter as the Jefferson City Jays ousted the Hickman Kewpies 6-2 in the championship game of the Class 5 District 9 Tournament on Tuesday at Vivion Field.
How sweet it is.
"If you're going to have anybody go out there and try to win a game," Jays coach Brian Ash said, "I wouldn't want anyone else but J-Dub and the team we have behind him. Obviously, Jacob's going to get most of the high fives, but it was a great team effort, for the most part."
The win was the 17th straight for the top-seeded Jays (27-2), who are ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 26 in the nation by MaxPreps. Those are heady numbers, indeed.
This senior-dominated team was supposed to win, and it did. That's not always the case ... hardly.
Ask Hillary.
"Anything can happen when you step onto a baseball field," Weirich said. "Nothing's guaranteed. So to come out here and win, even though we're expected to, it still feels good."
Nothing beats winning.
"The No. 1 team out of Kansas got beat and they were ranked right behind us, nationally," Ash said. "They get beat 1-0, so you just never know. For our guys to take the pressure like they did and relish it, that says a lot about this team. They just find ways to win, they just get it done."
The Jays, who will host seventh-ranked Willard (24-4) in the state sectionals next Tuesday, took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning and were never headed.
It gave Weirich breathing room ... and he had a big hand in giving himself breathing room, as he hit the first pitch in the bottom of the first to the wall in left-center for a double.
He scored with two outs on the first of three hits and four RBI by senior catcher Gaven Strobel, who then scored on a triple by senior Kade Franks.
"Kade and Gavin, they're clutch and they came out today and did it again," Ash said. "But if they don't do it, somebody else will, that's the sign of how good this team can be and how close these guys are."
Giving Weirich (8-0, 0.50 ERA this season) a two-run lead after one inning is like giving most high school pitchers a 22-run lead.
"Those were huge runs, to get on the board early," Ash said. "Not only because it was a district championship game, but there's such a history there between Jeff City and Columbia Hickman. And with J-Dub on the mound, he's pitched in so many pressure games, it's nice to give him some breathing room."
The Jays --- who won their second straight district title after breaking the program's nine-year drought last year --- made it 3-0 in the third when sophomore Payton Bodenstab reached on a misplayed, wind-blown double and scored on Strobel's second run-scoring single.
The second-seeded and fifth-ranked Kewpies (20-8) --- who lost the previous meetings to the Jays 6-4 and 4-1 this season --- got back in it with two runs in the fourth, with big help from two errors and two walks.
The runs were scored by the two batters who walked, which were Weirich's only two free passes of the game.
"I just wasn't focused like I should have been," Weirich said, "but I got back to it the next inning. I calmed down, talked to my teammates ... I knew we had it."
Weirich didn't have his 'A' game, he said, but he still struck out eight to give him 98 strikeouts and break the single-season school record of 97 held by Jake Schmitz.
"I've been better this year," said the crafty lefty, who's signed with Southern Miss. "I'd say I had my 'B' stuff."
The Jays finished this one with three runs in the fifth. After a walk, Grant Wood also entered the school record book --- twice --- with his one-out double. Wood's drive to left-center broke the career record for hits held by Jordan Coons (114), and the doubles record held by Todd Oetting (15).
"I'd say that's a pretty good day," Ash said.
Strobel capped his big day with a two-run single to make it 5-2, before the final run scored on a bases-loaded walk to senior Hayden Hirschvogel.
After giving up two runs in the fourth, the Jays came back with three in the fifth.
"We knew Hickman wasn't going to die and they made things happen, even though we kind of helped them," Ash said. "But we were able to come right back and answer, that's the sign of a good team."
This isn't a good team, it's a very good team --- and it has the potential to be great. The Jays are seeking their second straight berth in the Final Four --- they finished second last year --- and the school's second state baseball championship and its first in 28 years.
"This," Weirich said, "is a step towards our goal. It's a good start."