Newport Central Catholic head baseball coach Jeff Martin has stepped down after six years at the helm. He made the announcement at the team’s season-ending banquet. Martin finishes his tenure with a 74-86 overall record. This includes a 58-52 mark in regional play and a 24-7 district record. Under Martin’s leadership, NewCath reached a high […]
Author Archives: Marc Hardin
Posted inSoftball
The Holy Cross softball team believes
A postseason hot streak with a string of upsets. Some good pitching and timely hitting, capped by one swing of the bat. The Holy Cross High School softball team rose to the challenge in last week’s 9th Region tournament. Given an opportunity against the three-time defending champ in the final, little Holy Cross took down […]
Posted inBaseball
Major League genes fuel Bluebirds’ baseball championship pursuit
As a kid, Highlands High School baseball coach Brian Benzinger shagged fly balls off the bat of his brother Todd Benzinger, a former Major League Baseball player with the Cincinnati Reds and others. “My father played college football. He was an avid sports fan,” Benzinger said. “When we worked on baseball, he pitched to my […]
Posted inGolf
NKY Am slam: Birdie blitz ices it for Asch
Golfers Ian Asch and Timmy Hollenbeck spoke in hushed tones Thursday morning while hitting practice shots on the driving range at Lassing Pointe Golf Course in Union. They weren’t just warming up; they were pumping up each other while getting into a winning mindset ahead of the second and final round of the 85th Northern […]
Posted inGolf
Aces wild at wet, windy Northern Kentucky Amateur
The 85th Northern Kentucky Amateur Championship at Lassing Pointe Golf Course teed off a second time Wednesday with a wild first round, featuring not one, but two holes-in-one. With the rain cleared out and greens rolling truer after play was suspended partway through Tuesday’s original start, golfers felt unleashed, and they went pin-seeking in Union. […]
Posted inSports
Rain takes the first swing, golfers try again Wednesday at Northern Kentucky Amateur
Mother Nature is undefeated and still champion. No matter how much people try to control or predict the weather, the natural world always reminds us of who’s in charge. Take Tuesday’s opening round of the 85th Northern Kentucky Amateur Championship, where precipitation ruled the day at Lassing Pointe Golf Course in Union. Not only did […]
Posted inGolf
85th Northern Kentucky Amateur Championship tees off Tuesday at Lassing Pointe
Championship golf returns to the area this week with the three-day Northern Kentucky Amateur. The 85th playing of the annual event tees off Tuesday at Lassing Pointe Golf Course in Union. Tee times on the 6,729-yard, par-71 course begin at 7 a.m., weather permitting. “They are forecasting around an inch of rain Tuesday, but I’m […]
Posted inBaseball
Thoroughbreds baseball “waking up the echoes”
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 […]
Posted inSoftball
Streaking Simon Kenton seeking 8th Region breakthrough
A season-long rampage in the batter’s box, a transformative winning streak, and good old-fashioned high school team chemistry have ignited the red-hot Simon Kenton softball team. The 18-4 Pioneers have been so dominant over the last four weeks that they are thinking big. Really big. “There’s no reason why we can’t accomplish our goals and […]
Posted inBaseball
Three brothers, two coaches, one team: The family that defines Calvary Christian baseball
Calvary Christian’s baseball squad has a talented lineup this season, with a batting average over .300 and a team ERA under 3.00. But the Cougars’ most intriguing statistic isn’t about averages — it’s about family. With three brothers and their father as head coach, the Cougars might be the most family-oriented high school ballclub in […]