In the grand ballpark of Newport Central Catholic baseball, head coach Jeff Martin is stepping up to the plate and swinging for the fences when it comes to reconnecting his players with the rich history of the storied program.
Several years ago, the 1981 NewCath graduate came up with a winning strategy, bringing former Thoroughbreds back to The Hill and the ballfield to pass down their wisdom, love for the game and NewCath pride.
“We’ve had a baseball team since 1935. We’ve won four state baseball championships, the first one in 1946,” Martin said. “A few years ago, I found out we have a living player from 1946 still with us. I thought it would be a good idea to see if he could come back to the school and speak to the baseball team. That’s how this started.”
Tom Bankemper, a 1949 grad, was the second former NewCath baseball player making a return to address the Thoroughbreds. It turns out that there are two living members from 1940s NewCath baseball including Tom Beck, 93, who lives in Fort Thomas.
All-time multisport great Frank Jacobs, the area’s first Kentucky Mr. Football in 1986 who went on to play college football at Notre Dame, kicked off the tradition in March 2020.
“They both were great and very humble, which I expected,” Martin recalled. “They shared their insights and they talked about baseball, and life after baseball, too.”
The coach wanted to point out to his players that reverberations of NewCath’s proud past still resound long after the final out.
Mission accomplished.
Those talks went over so well with his fascinated players that Martin decided to keep it going with a yearly series of speakers. Six years into the new tradition, the coach is still making posts about the get-togethers on the school’s social media pages, sometimes ending them with “Stay tuned as we continue to wake up the echoes.”
NEWCATH’S PAST COMES TO LIFE
Other former Thoroughbreds who came back to speak include one-time coaches such as John Lyons and a handful of other players. Martin really dialed up the heater when he brought back former Major League Baseball pitcher Scott Wiggins, who proved that the road to the big leagues can begin at NewCath.
“I heard Wiggins talk and he said just remember to take it day by day and don’t get too far ahead,” said senior Mitchell Martin, the coach’s nephew. “I think it helps mentally to get all that good advice from guys who were representing the blue and gold. It’s a crazy sport. You’re trying to hit a little round ball square with a round bat, so I’ll take any advice I can get.”
This year, 1979 graduate Billy Vogt addressed the team in March at Morscher Park, NewCath’s practice field.
“Billy Vogt was one of the best athletes ever at this school and a great baseball player who was incredible on the football field,” coach Martin said of the former Morehead State football player. “He was a high school sensation. He was also a hero of mine and a mentor, and he’s been an idol all these years. It was nice to have him back.”
With this idea of connecting the past to the present, NewCath senior standout Ian Mann said Jeff Martin hit a home run, 44 years after the coach stopped playing baseball for the ‘Breds. Mann has seen most of the eight speakers who have been brought in.
“It’s a great idea,” said Mann, who’ll continue his baseball career at Thomas More University. “It’s very important to know how rich our tradition is so we don’t settle for being average. We need to be great no matter what. And I learned a lot from those talks. Billy Vogt said you need to take every opportunity as grace, even if you’re a pinch-runner. It’s a gift, so try to take advantage, no matter what.”
For Jacobs during his talk, it wasn’t a victory lap or a stroll down memory lane. He served up a high-and-tight dose of baseball insight in the school gymnasium while reminding the players that tradition is woven into the fabric of the Thoroughbreds’ identity. Knowing especially well that success on the field is built on more than just stats and strategy, Jacobs was effective at bringing history to life for Martin’s players.
“It’s about understanding the legacy,” said coach Martin, a big believer that while seasons change, the strong heartbeat of the ‘Breds remains. “This is a very old program with a lot of history. Our players need to know they are part of that.”
NewCath baseball has thrived across ten decades. The Thoroughbreds have the most state titles of any local team. They are tied for fifth all-time in Kentucky prep history with four. That’s double the total of the next nearest local team, Newport.
When coach Martin has looked to NewCath’s past for heavy hitters, talent has never been in short supply. In fact, he’s got a speaking candidate sitting in the athletic director’s office in former head coach Jeff Schulkens. He’s the architect of the ‘Breds last regional title in 2012. Martin, NewCath’s former boys soccer coach, replaced Schulkens as baseball coach after the 2019 season.
TODAY’S THOROUGHBREDS
In Mann, coach Martin might have a future speaker on his hands. The two-sport standout is following up a stellar season on the basketball court with a sweet swinging year on the diamond. Mann, a left-handed hitter, is batting .455, tops among NewCath regulars. He leads the team in walks, stolen bases and on-base percentage at .608.
“I’ve never seen a ballplayer more focused. He’s struck out just six times all year. He’s seeing the ball well and he’s had to,” Martin said of his captain. “We’ve really been hit by injuries. I’m traveling with just 13 guys right now. But we’re hitting. This is one of the best hitting teams I’ve had. We’re third in the 9th Region in runs, and our pitching has been holding up.”
The Thoroughbreds are hitting .317 as a team. They boast nine batters hitting .300 or better. Chris Meyer, one of seven seniors, is hitting .407. Classmate JT Mumper was hitting .556 before getting hurt. Sophomore Henry Brooks is hitting .367. Fellow sophomores Jonathan Meyer and Parker Hurtt are both hitting better than .320. Brooks leads the team with four homers and 31 RBI. Junior Eddie Bivens is hitting .281.
Mitchell Martin (4-0) is the staff ace with a 1.81 ERA. Jonathan Meyer (2-1) has a 2.47 ERA. Brooks (3-1) checks in at 2.93.
“I like our hitting, and I think we have pretty good pitching,” Mitchell Martin said. “Even with some guys hurt, we still have a solid four-man starting rotation.”
Pitchers Wyatt Fausz, Thomas Ruschman and Mann have had moments of effectiveness. But the team really misses Mumper, a projected top two starter. He was striking out more than a batter per inning when he went down with a back injury. He was out of action after just 13 games and his return is questionable. Mitchell Martin has also dealt with a back issue this season.
Despite the aches and pains, NewCath has clinched its first non-losing season since 2022. With a 15-14 final regular season record, the Thoroughbreds can do no worse than .500. With a 5-0 mark against 36th District foes, the ‘Breds hold the No. 1 district tournament seed and host the event. They enjoy a first-round bye.
NewCath plays Saturday’s Dayton-Newport winner in a Monday semifinal. The victor advances to play the Highlands-Bellevue winner in Tuesday’s final. District finalists automatically qualify for the 9th Region tournament.
“We want to win the district and make a run in the region. And we want to add some more history,” coach Martin said. “With our hitting and the pitching that I know we can get, we have a chance to do that.”
After hearing so many tales about NewCath baseball, Mann would love to tack on a final lasting memory to cap his own career while adding another chapter to team lore.
“I always think we can make some noise,” Mann said. “It all depends on how bad we want it and we want it.”