The early-week baseball practice at Walton-Verona High School features a lot of fielding, throwing and sliding. It’s a luxury afforded to a team batting .338, one of the top marks in Kentucky.
“It was a little windy but a fun day,” sophomore Bronson Corpus said. “We had some batting practice, but we’re really working on bunt coverages and turning double plays.”
In preparation for the most important district game of the season, first-year head coach Andrew Sien wants to ensure that his Bearcats are comfortable with as many playing scenarios as possible. This includes wild pitches and passed balls.
“We want to help our pitcher out and execute a good play at the plate in case something like that happens,” Corpus said. “As a pitcher and third baseman, I’m definitely a part of that.”
Under coach Sien’s leadership, everybody is a part of everything. As a result, the Bearcats have continued their winning ways following the resignation of Sien’s highly successful predecessor, Clint Coleman, who coached for eight seasons.
By the end of April, the Bearcats held a 15-7 record. They secured the No. 2 seed in the 32nd District tournament after a dominant 14-2 victory over Grant County, thanks to a complete-game pitching performance from sophomore Will Hurles.
“We emphasize getting involvement from everyone. Fortunately, we have a lot of good players, and expectations are high,” Sien said. “We believe we can beat teams in a lot of ways, and we need everyone prepared.”
Aiding the cause are eight seniors, among them Cayden Smithers. He and Corpus form one of the more imposing power tandems in Northern Kentucky. After six weeks, both Bearcats ranked in the state top 30 in home runs.
Corpus launched five homers in his first 52 at-bats, hitting .327 and sharing the team lead with 21 RBI and 22 runs scored. Smithers had four homers, hitting .364 with 20 RBI and 20 runs.
“With a new coach, we’ve got new energy,” said Smithers. “We want to keep that winning environment, and coach Sien has done that.”
The Bearcats thrive offensively under Sien’s guidance. Their objective: get on base by any means necessary and keep the line moving.
At one point in late April, 13 Bearcats were batting .300 or better. Eight hitters coaxed at least 10 walks and 10 had been hit by pitch. Twelve players had at least one extra-base hit and 17 had driven in at least one run.
The on-base strategy worked at the 8th Region All “A” Classic where the Bearcats repeated as champions. They flat-out dominated the competition. The scores: 22-0 over Cornerstone Christian, 19-3 against Williamstown and 19-0 versus Gallatin County in the final.
The Bearcats won an All “A” sectional contest over Kentucky Country Day 12-1 before bowing out in the state tournament quarterfinals with a 3-2 loss in nine innings to Owensboro Catholic.
In between the region and state All “A” events, the Bearcats buried Highlands, 14-7, one of their 12 outings scoring at least 10 runs. Earlier, they beat Mason County, 10-0. They beat Conner, 12-0.
At the end of April, the all-for-one Bearcats were among state leaders in batting average, runs, home runs and RBI.
Walton-Verona’s low-yield pitchers complement the high-average hitters. The Bearcats also rank among state leaders in team ERA, maintaining an impressive 2.86 with seven shutouts at the end of April.
Three starters posted an ERA below 3.00: senior Mason Howard at 0.99, Corpus at 1.69 and Hurles at 2.51. Sophomore Cole Dryden contributed with a 2.71 ERA across his first seven relief appearances. Corpus struck out 43 batters in his initial 29 innings, while Howard fanned 36 in 35 innings. Both pitchers secured three wins by May, trailing only Hurles, the leader with five wins.
Hurles, like Corpus, excels in multiple facets of the game. He led or co-led the Bearcats in runs, triples and stolen bases, and ranked second in hits and RBI.
Senior Sawyer Webster led all those .300 hitters, boasting an impressive average of .391. Fellow senior Julian Dixon was batting .354, contributing to the team’s offensive prowess. Junior Aiden Kerns maintained a .321 batting average and led the team in runs and doubles. Two more seniors, Bryce Corpus and Landon Bach, play crucial roles.
Coach Sien believes that a balanced team, combining all players’ skills, forms a stable and equitable group that truly shares in the team’s success. He learned a lot of that at Ryle High School, where he spent seven years as an assistant.
The fusion of the Ryle approach with Walton-Verona’s style has been a skillful move by the new coach. Smithers hopes it leads to the program’s first 8th Region tournament championship.
“That’s the goal: go deep in the region and win it,” Smithers said confidently. “I know we can do it.”