Walsh Jesuit High School - Baseball

Welcome to Walsh Jesuit Varsity Baseball

• Division II State Champions: 2008, 2006, 2004, 1999

• Division II State Runner-Up: 2010, 2009

• State Final Four: 1989

• State Poll Champions: 2007

• State Poll Runner-Up: 2010, 2009, 2006

• Nationally Ranked Teams: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004

• April 18-May11, 2010: WJ Baseball ranked #1 in the nation

• CRBC Champions: 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 1999

2010 Men's Varsity Baseball Team

SEASON SUMMARY
STATE RUNNER-UP!
NO. 1 NATIONAL RANKING!
THREE PLAYERS DRAFTED!

The Warriors compiled a 30-2 record in 2010 and made their fifth appearance in seven years in the Division II state championship game, ultimately ending the season as state runner-up, state poll runner-up, and Cuyahoga River Baseball Conference champions, and advancing seven seniors to college baseball. In addition, the team was ranked nationally for the sixth time in eight years. On April 18, in fact, the Warriors were ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history and earned the top spot in four polls: CBS Sports/
MaxPreps, ESPNRise, Collegiate Baseball/Louisville Slugger, and Rivals.com. The 2010 Warriors also earned their highest ranking to date in USA Today, with a No. 2 position.

Outstanding player performances were turned in by Kansas State recruit Johnny Fasola ’10, who was the Division II Ohio Player of the Year and named an All-American by several publications. Patrick Ammar (Wheeling Jesuit) and Tyler Skulina (University of Virginia) earned 1st Team All-Ohio honors while Ryan Berry (University of Dayton) was named 2nd Team All-Ohio. In addition, the 2010 MLB draft was a remarkable day for the Warriors, when Fasola was selected in the 36th Round by the Dodgers, Ohio State University recruit Greg Greve ’10 was selected in the 45th Round by the Giants, and Skulina was picked in the 46th Round by the Athletics.

Overall, the Class of 2010 included many of the finest seniors in Walsh Jesuit baseball history, including Marco Caponi (Butler University recruit and Team Ohio selection), Anthony Marotto, Tyler Springhetti, Zach O’Driscoll (Heidelberg), Alex Szymborski, Bobby Sadinski, and Vince Chiuchiarelli. Also making major contributions were Tim Faix ’11 (who posted a perfect 7-0 mark on the mound), Jake Nogalo ’11, Nate Lundy ’11, Michael Marsinek ’12, and 2010 CRBC Freshman of the Year Cassidy Brown ’13 – all of whom will be key contributors and returning starters in 2011. Other returning Varsity players include Joe Keller '11, Dan Keller '11, Kolton Snyder '11, Drew Miletti '12, Anthony Nemer '12, Graeme Frye '12, and Mark Mittiga '13.

Recognition for the team went beyond the players, however. Head Coach Chris Kaczmar ’88, who has led the program to four state championships and two state runner-up finishes, was inducted into the Northeast Ohio Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame on June 21.

Annual baseball showcase honors Tom Crews, raises $21,000 for cancer research

June 24, 2010 — High heat and humidity did little to dampen the mood of the Walsh Jesuit baseball family that gathered at the school June 23 for the annual “Showcase for

Tom Crews

the Cure.” Each year the invitation-only event draws top baseball prospects and scouts from throughout the region and, since 2006, has raised money for cancer research. The 2010 event was earmarked to benefit the Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute (for the second time in three years) and honor the memory of Tom Crews – father of three Walsh Jesuit graduates – who passed away in February 2000 following a courageous battle with melanoma.

This year’s showcase drew 116 top-level players from throughout the state and 70 college and professional scouts – and attendance was at an all-time high. Jake Boss, head baseball coach at Michigan State University, opened the event at 1 p.m. with an informative and poignant address to the crowd, which

Jake Boss, head baseball coach at Michigan
State University

included 125 grade-school boys who had just completed a three-day baseball camp.

Following Boss’s address, Chris Kaczmar, Walsh Jesuit’s head baseball coach and the force behind the fundraiser, thanked those in attendance for their enthusiastic response and introduced Crews’ eldest son, Kevin. A 1998 Walsh Jesuit graduate who played baseball at Walsh Jesuit and for Boss at Michigan State, Kevin served as the family’s spokesperson and attended the event with his mother, Nancy, and his brothers, Eric ’00 and Ryan ’07.

Kevin described the showcase as “an outstanding, amazing day that has touched our family more than I could ever have thought it would. It’s a good day for an unfortunate reason,” he added, clearly trying to hold his emotions in check, then relayed

Kevin Crews

for the crowd a maxim his father always used: “Treat other people how you want to be treated.”

Kevin also extended his sincerest thanks to all those who made the day possible, calling Walsh Jesuit the starting point in a series of schools his father encouraged his sons to select, knowing the schools would always be supportive. Tom Crews couldn’t have been more right.

The Walsh Jesuit baseball family, especially Kaczmar and event chairman Jeff Frye, worked for months to organize the showcase. Rather than charge baseball players to attend (similar events can cost more than $100 per player), Kaczmar asked each attendee to make a donation, all of which went directly to the charity. In addition, donations came from a corporate fair – new to the venue last year – which drew vendors selling everything from

Chris Kaczmar, head baseball coach at Walsh Jesuit,
addressing prospects and campers prior to the check
presentation

baseball gear to pizza. Not surprisingly, the response was tremendous, and the showcase raised a record $21,000 in honor of Tom Crews!

A ceremonial check was presented to Ernest Borden, MD, of the Taussig Cancer Institute, where the Crews family battled Tom’s illness. Borden graciously took time from his day to accept the gift and spoke briefly on advances that have made in the fight against melanoma, as well as progress in recognition by the public that has led to early diagnosis.

In fact, as a symbolic reference to stay protected from the sun’s harmful rays, all baseball and event staff at the showcase wore orange T-shirts, and the check presentation concluded with the release of orange balloons.

Ernest Borden, MD

Kaczmar, a 1988 Walsh Jesuit graduate who has led the school’s baseball program to four state championships and two state runner-up finishes, established the showcase a decade ago. Originally called “Baseball Junior Day,” Kaczmar reformatted the event in 2006 after a number of parents and relatives connected to the school’s baseball program were diagnosed with cancer. Known today as “Showcase for the Cure,” the event is dedicated to raising awareness about cancer and donating toward cancer research. It continues to attract the area’s top baseball players and college and professional scouts from organizations throughout the Midwest.

Donations to the annual charity showcase have increased yearly. In fact, in just five years, Kaczmar has facilitated the donation of more than $60,000 to three different charities dedicated to fighting cancer. The previous donation record was set in 2009, when the

Balloon release

showcase raised $20,000 for the American Brain Tumor Association.

About the Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute
The Taussig Cancer Institute is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top cancer hospitals in the country and the No. 1 cancer center in Ohio. With a long-standing tradition of offering world-class care, treatment, and clinical trial research, the hospital is a leader in cancer awareness, diagnosis and management.

The Taussig Cancer Institute is one of 26 institutes at Cleveland Clinic that group multiple specialties together to provide collaborative, patient-centered care. More than 250 cancer specialists annually serve 26,000 cancer patients, applying the most effective techniques to achieve long-term survival and improved quality of life. Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit, multispecialty academic medical center.

Founded in 1921, it is dedicated to providing quality specialized care and includes an outpatient clinic, a hospital with more than 1,000 staffed beds, an education institute and a research institute.

DONATIONS
To make a donation, go to www.clevelandclinic.org/isupport.
Under “Gift Designation,” select Melanoma Research Fund/Walsh Jesuit.
Your gift will be recorded in memory of Tom Crews.

Baseball - Varsity Baseball

Record: 30 - 2 - 0

Season:

Date

Time

Opponent

Location

Score

Outcome

Details

3/29/2010

4:00 PM

St. Edward's - POSTPONED

Walsh Jesuit H.S.

N/A