Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
If there's one thing that can be said about Oak Harbor, it's that the team is a resilient bunch.
With the regular season winding down, the Rockets (18-5, 9-4) have won eight of nine and elevated to third place in the Northern Buckeye Conference. They haven’t lost consecutive games all season.
"The team has worked through a lot of growing pains this season with young players coming up," junior shortstop Karder Haas said. "At the start of the season, we weren't quite stringing things together, but as a team, we have gotten through that. I think we simply have become more comfortable as a team, game by game. We go one day, one game at a time, and that has really helped us build momentum heading into the postseason."
Oak Harbor has outscored its opponents by a combined 60-3 margin after a loss and finds itself with a shot to make another strong run at what would be a third state semifinal appearance in four seasons. The Rockets won a Division III regional crown last year and a Division II title in 2022.
This year, the tournament has expanded from four to seven divisions, and the Division V top-seeded Rockets begin play with a district semifinal against No. 6 Galion on May 21 at 4 p.m. in Clyde. The winner will face either Milan Edison or Ashland Crestview for the district crown on May 23.
The Rockets have faced quite a challenging schedule within their league alone.
Three NBC teams - Eastwood, Lake and Otsego - are all ranked in the top 10 of the state in their respective divisions. The Flyers are alone in first at 11-1, while the Eagles are 10-2. The Knights feature one of Northwest Ohio’s best hitter-pitcher combos in Riley Rowe.
Since a 6-0 loss to Eastwood on April 18, Oak Harbor has compiled its nine-game stretch with an 85-28 run margin, including victories over preseason league favorite Maumee twice and Eastwood once.
"We play a good amount of teams from higher divisions, and our league also features some state-ranked competition this season," Oak Harbor’s third-year head coach Cami Haas said. "We struggled against Eastwood the first time through, but persevered for a win when we saw them again. Maumee is always tough to get by, and we were able to accomplish that again this season. We went 4-0 playing in Tennessee (to begin the season).”
The win over the Eagles was an extra-inning affair in which Tatum Baumgartner’s fly ball to left was misplayed, leading to the game-winning run from Karder Haas for a 4-3, eight-inning win. The result, which saw Oak Harbor rally from a three-run deficit in the sixth inning, also knocked Eastwood out of first place in the NBC standings.
"The NBC is very competitive this season,” Cami Haas said. “A strong schedule has had players in new roles on their toes from game one. Each game brings added experience with our crew, and the past couple weeks, our season has shown their growth (and ability to) come together as a team."
There were some minor changes made to the batting order during the middle of the season, and it's helped. The lineup has 1B Ava Geyer leading off, followed by Karder Haas, P Morgan Lalonde, RF Hannah Schimmoeller, CF Tatum Baumgartner, 3B Haylee Robinson, C Allie Giezie, 2B Kaitlyn Meloche and LF Addison Laubacher.
Amelia Tooman, Payne Lohman and Maddie Lenke have also seen playing time this season.
Haas is hitting .453, followed by Schimmoeller (.429), Robinson (.425), Lalonde (.407), Geyer (.404), Baumgartner (.400), Laubacher (.319), Giezie (.314) and Meloche (.270).
"Talent is only part of the equation," Cami Haas said. "Coming together as a team and keeping our mental game strong makes us more than capable of going on another strong tournament run."
One key reason for the team’s improved play is the development of Lalonde in the circle as she’s gone 17-5 with a 2.42 ERA. She entered this season tasked with taking over for Alyse Sorg.
"Being the starting pitcher as a sophomore was more of a mental challenge for me,” Lalonde said. “Coming off the final four run last year, Alyse left big shoes to fill. It's still challenging at times, but my confidence is starting to build and (I’m getting) comfortable in that position.
“I trust my defense behind me to pick me up and make plays when I need it and our offense as well. It helps to have Coach Cami and (assistant coach) Jeff (Sorg), who have had confidence in me since the beginning and never let me get down on myself."
Lalonde said the team has a special camaraderie.
"We always have each other's backs and enjoy being around each other,” she said. “Off days happen to everyone, and we know that, (so) it's important to stay positive and pick each other up. Haylee Robinson, our third baseman, is always the first person to be jumping up and down cheering for me or picking me up.
“When she knows I'm in my own head, it helps me maintain a positive attitude to then feed to the other players. (We feed) off each other, and we are always trying to stay positive."
Cami Haas is happy with Lalonde's growth.
"Morgan gets better every day, every game,” Haas said. “She has an athletic mindset and holds herself to a high standard. She knows what it takes to be successful, and has grown tremendously throughout the season."
As a team, the Rockets have hit 19 home runs, which is a new record for the program.
"Having an offense that can string hits together does wonders,” Haas said. “A few of our losses, we have out-hit the competition, which shows how important timely hits come into play. Things are really coming together in that regard heading into the postseason, and that's exciting for us all."
In addition to being the pitcher, Lalonde has had a successful season offensively.
"We step in the (batter's) box with a mindset to attack strikes,” Lalonde said. “We all have 100 percent confidence in everyone in the lineup. Even our only freshman, Addison Laubacher in the nine hole, gets on base and turns the lineup over, starting a run for us at times.
“I believe we have a lineup with lots of depth and can depend on it to keep us in games when our defense isn't the strongest."
The captains are Geyer, Giezie, Baumgartner and Karder Haas.
"Our captains have been a part of two of the most successful seasons in program history," Cami Haas said. "Knowing what it takes to get to the highest stage of the tournament is what makes them great leaders."
Karder Haas said the team’s growth is also a byproduct of how the team prepares in the offseason.
"We like to keep things loose, but we know we need to work hard,” she said. “Our team has a lot of winter sport athletes that always show up to off-season and open gyms, and our dedication as a team helps us to stay successful."
Lalonde echoed that sentiment.
"We are able to maintain having fun while getting things done,” she said. “We get our reps completed and our drills done before having a good time. We know what it takes to get better, and we put in the time at practice to perform when it's time for the games."
