Plenty of reasons for Rockets’ historic tournament run

There are multiple reasons why Oak Harbor softball was one game away from the state final four heading into last Friday.

One reason could be their Kent State commit, senior shortstop and pitcher Reagan Schultz, or it could be the three seniors who have led the way. 

Or, you can point to the impressive offensive numbers the Rockets have put up, or even the competition they had to face in the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division.

Point to any of them, or maybe it is just best to combine all of them, plus the impact coach Chris Rawski has had on his team as he got his 200th career win this season. 

They add up to the fact that Oak Harbor has been on a historic tournament run. It may lead to the program’s first state final four appearance in school history.

If the 23-8 Rockets defeated Lexington, ranked 10th in the state coaches’ poll, on Saturday in a Division II regional final Friday, they are headed to Akron’s Firestone Stadium to take on the winner of Plain City Jonathan Alder and Springfield Kenton Ridge in a state semifinal on June 2 at 12:30 p.m. Jonathan Alder is ranked second in the state, so it will not get any easier. The televised championship game is June 4 at 10 a.m.

In the Rockets’ regional semifinal, Schultz pitched a complete-game four-hit shutout as Oak Harbor defeated Norton, 6-0. Schultz struck out six, walked two, and threw 103 pitches, including 69 for strikes, facing 28 batters.

On the year, Schultz is 19-2 with a 1.85 ERA, striking out 134, walking 43, and allowing 98 hits and 33 earned runs in 124.2 innings.

At the plate, her numbers are just as impressive. She is batting .524 (43-for-82) with 14 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 29 RBIs. She is SBC Player of the Year and a first team All-Ohio and all-district selection.

“She can hit a variety of pitches, she can hit for power, she can hit for average, she’s real speedy and can even lay down a bunt. She has all the tools to play at an elite level,” Rawski said.

“She kind of carries us. She hits in the leadoff spot. That (batting numbers) is legit. She doesn’t get pitched to a whole lot and when she does, she hammers it,” Rawski continued.

In the win over Norton, the Rockets hit five doubles, including two by senior Remi Gregory and one each by Schultz, sophomore Porter Gregory, and junior Ashley Schiller. Junior Emily Sommers was 3-for-4, Porter Gregory and Remi Gregory had two hits apiece and combined for three RBIs, and senior Sydney Overmyer was 2-for-3, plus the team successfully laid down three sacrifice bunts.

It is not just Schultz who brings a powerful bat. Eleven players are batting over .300, if you include a couple players who have limited varsity time. They can hit the ball, too, giving Rawski plenty of options, and that includes on the defensive side of the game, too.

“We’re pretty special at hitting the ball one through nine. We have a freshman catcher (Allie Giezie) who has done a great job for us defensively behind the plate, and we have three senior leaders who have been outstanding throughout the run here,” Rawski said. 

The trio of seniors include Schultz, Remi Gregory at third base and Overmyer in the outfield. Schultz and Gregory are four-year varsity starters and Overmyer is a three-year starter.

Overmyer is batting .341 (28-for-82) with two doubles, five triples, and 21 RBIs. Remi Gregory is hitting .337 (32-for-95) with 10 doubles, one triple and 23 RBIs.

Sommers is batting .459 (39-for-85) with 12 doubles, two triples, one homer, and 27 RBIs. Freshman Hannah Schimmoeller is hitting .450 (27-for-60) with three doubles, two triples and two homers, and Porter Gregory is at a .431 clip (44-for-102) with 10 doubles, one triple, a team leading five home runs and she is tied with Schultz for the team lead in RBIs with 29.

Then, you get into others batting .300 and over, and there are more hitters than can fill a starting lineup, even if you include the flex and designated player.

Plus, you can almost put sophomore Reese Adkins into the .400 category because she might get there before the season is over. Adkins is batting .398 (37-for-93) with four doubles, one home run and 19 RBIs.

To get to the regional tournament, top-seeded Oak Harbor defeated St. Ursula, 3-2, and then took down Wauseon, 10-3, in a district final at Genoa.

“It was great. We lost a game in the late innings last year to Wauseon (13-9) in the district final, so it was nice for them to come back and bounce back and get that one this year,” Rawski said.

However, the Rockets did not even win the Bay Division, finishing second to Margaretta. It was not just the Polar Bears who taught Oak Harbor a few lessons during the season.

“It definitely prepared us,” Rawski said. “Margaretta was good, Edison was good, Huron was good, and each team made a run at the end, so we definitely went through the trials and the tribulations of league play that helped us out.”