The 15th annual Skyline Chili Reds Futures High School Showcase presented by PNC concluded last weekend after over 80 teams competed in 43 games from March 27-May 15.
High school baseball and softball teams across Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Southeast Indiana and Dayton played games at local high schools as well as at the P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy, Xavier University, the University of Cincinnati, Miami University and Wright State University.
As is tradition, the Showcase culminated with its jewel event: Big League Weekend at Great American Ball Park.
“Giving the opportunity for high school athletes to play on a Major League field during Big League Weekend is an unforgettable experience, as is the March to the Majors event where we invite every player participating in the Reds High School Futures Showcase to parade around the warning track before a Reds game,” said Karen Forgus Bowman, Reds chief communications and community officer. “These events reflect the Reds’ long-standing commitment to supporting youth baseball and softball and carry forward a tradition of giving back to the communities in Reds Country.”
The Big League Weekend games* took place last Friday, May 15. Beavercreek faced Ryle to start off the night at GABP followed by Madeira vs. Summit Country Day.
The battle between Madeira and Summit Country Day ended the Showcase in a perfect baseball conclusion … with a walk-off in extra innings.
Summit Country Day’s continuous hits put them on the board with six runs until Madeira closed the gap and then tied the game in the top of the seventh. The teams battled into the 11th inning when Summit Country Day junior Lucas Reder connected with a walk-off hit to win the game 7-6. Reder was named the PNC Most Valuable Player after going 3-for-5 with one double and three RBIs.
Reder described his walk-off hit just like an everyday appearance at the plate.
“I went up to bat just looking for my pitch. I got a fastball to start and then I got a curveball that hung over the plate for the second pitch, and I was able to put it in play.”
Summit Country Day baseball coach Andy Poli commented on the unique experience the Showcase and Big League Weekend brings to athletes.
“When players are done playing in high school, their competitive careers of playing baseball are over. So, to give [players] the opportunity to play at a venue as nice as Great American Ball Park where the staff and everyone is top notch … the whole experience for everybody is just exceptional.”
Whether these high school athletes were preparing for the college level or simply playing for love of the game, many of them delivered standout performances, starting with one of the games from the first-ever River Cup.
The Showcase kicked off at Sycamore High School with the inaugural “River Cup” series, which featured a competition between Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky teams with the winning state taking home the River Cup trophy.
Defeating Kentucky 4-1 in the series, Ohio won the first-ever River Cup Championship. Ohio baseball teams included Sycamore, Princeton, Loveland, Harrison and Archbishop Moeller.
The marquee game of the River Cup turned out to be the matchup between Loveland and Campbell County. Campbell County started off strong in the top of the first inning, scoring two runs and adding on another in the third.
But when Loveland senior first baseman Drew Oerther stepped up to the plate, he delivered a three-run home run in the fifth inning to tie the game at 3-3.
Still deadlocked in the ninth inning, Oerther went to bat in the bottom half with the bases loaded and hit a walk-off grand slam to earn the win for Loveland. Oerther was named the PNC MVP after going 3-for-5 with one double, two home runs, and seven RBIs.
Throughout the Showcase, a PNC MVP was named after each game. Some other notable winners included: Lakota West senior Noah Bramble, who threw a no-hitter with 14 strikeouts against Hamilton; Scott sophomore Ty Cook, who broke the school’s strikeout record with 16 strikeouts against Bishop Brossart; and Milford senior Meghan McClellan, who was named MVP for the second time in her career.
As the Showcase continued into April, many teams traveled to nearby universities for their matchups. A few teams got to play at the Reds Youth Academy during Jackie Robinson Weekend in recognition of Jackie Robinson Day, which is celebrated by the MLB on April 15 to honor Robinson’s life and legacy.
On April 26, all teams participating in the Showcase were invited to Great American Ball Park for the Reds vs. Detroit Tigers game. The teams were a part of the “March at the Majors” pregame parade and during a pregame ceremony, the PNC MVPs in attendance received custom engraved Louisville Slugger bats to commemorate their performances.
As seniors move onto their next steps and underclassmen continue to dedicate hard work to their high school career, the Reds Futures High School Showcase recognizes the excellence of high school programs across Reds Country. The Cincinnati Reds thank all participating teams, coaches and fans for taking part in this year’s Showcase.
For a full list of scores from the Showcase, visit Reds.com/hsshowcase.
*Due to weather, the Saturday, May 16 games scheduled for Big League Weekend were postponed. The Reds are working with the participating schools to try and reschedule.
