Moyers in the middle: Senecas' lineup rolling into state semifinal vs. Newark Catholic

Winning a state championship in high school in any sport is the ultimate goal for a high school athlete.Just making it to state, it is a huge accomplishment, and one Calvert baseball has not taken for granted, especially after a loss in the regionals last season. Yes, a disappointment … but also perhaps the best thing to happen to the Senecas?"We were definitely motivated as a team and we knew the things we had to work on and get better at," junior first baseman Cameron Moyer said. "We were losing seniors, a senior outfielder and a third baseman, so just filling those gaps and learning our roles and executing more, that was big this year. Coach (Matt) Coleman is always talking about execution. It's about executing more and always finding a way."After a tough extra-inning loss last season to Warren JFK, coach Coleman addressed the biggest improvement he wanted to see from his team: hitting. Specifically hitting with runners in scoring position. Can you get those clutch hits, or move guys from first to third in key situations. For the 2025 season to this point: check.A prime example of that was in last week's regional final against the rival Warren JFK as the Eagles led the Senecas 3-0 in the sixth inning. The Senecas, who did barrel some pitches throughout, just couldn't connect a few hits together until the sixth inning and then won the game in the seventh on a clutch AJ Shoemaker RBI single.That's what wins ballgames. Not every game will be an easy 14-4 run-rule, it's those high-pressure moments within a game where putting the bat on the ball becomes key. Calvert has had a solid season at the plate 1-9 in the lineup as as a team the Senecas are hitting .340. The top of the order is patient, seeing a lot of pitches and makes the pitcher work before either walking or getting on base with a hit, which sets the table for the big guys. Big guys … as in the Moyer twins, who hit No. 4 and No. 5 in a loaded lineup.Ideally, the top of the order gets on base, the middle of the order drives them in and then the bottom of the order gets on to send it back to the top of the order. Rinse and repeat.If Calvert's middle of the order keeps raking, opposing pitchers will have to be careful.Mainly, Shoemaker in the three-hole, hitting .395 with seven doubles, 20 RBIs and 31 runs scored, Connor Moyer, who is batting .383 with nine doubles, five home runs, 27 runs scored and a team-high 40 RBIs and Cameron Moyer, who's hitting .355 with five doubles, three dingers, 15 runs scored and 25 RBIs. "My approach is when I step up to the plate, I just want to hit the ball hard, which (assistant) coach (Sam Shelt) Palm always says," Connor said. "If you do that, you can't be mad about it. He said, it'll find a gap, so that's my mentality. It's to go up there and hit a double and I know if Cameron is on, he's gonna hit the ball and find a way to score me."Cameron Moyer is scorching hot at the dish right now. He was 7 for 7 in last week's regional, including a towering homer against McDonald in the semifinal."I actually started attacking more the first couple of pitches instead of taking them," Cameron said. "So usually, the first one, two or three pitches are gonna be the best pitches of the at-bat, so being able to barrel those balls and finding a way is how I'm succeeding right now."Overall, 1-9 in the lineup right now are tough outs, but with the middle of the order stepping up as the Senecas go deeper in the tournament, it's huge."To see their body language continue to develop in the way they handle things, they have improved in that area immensely," Coleman said. "They've always been able to hit the ball, you know, a long ways, but to develop that side of things is huge. "Now, I'm not saying they don't get frustrated at times because this game is hard and it's hard to hit, but they are always willing to put in the time and they've gotten a lot better in the weight room or handling adversity because whether they wanted to be leaders or not, guys watch them how they handle those situations, which improves our team."In terms of being locked in, I haven't seen Cameron this locked in in a while. Teams a lot of the time want to pitch him inside, but he obviously turned on that ball against McDonald and then was 7 for 7 last week. It's fun to see, he's worked a lot at it."Calvert has a "unity" or "togetherness" feeling about the team this season. Yes, there are actual brothers, cousins and uncles on the team, but that twin connection is something special."It means everything to me. He's like my best friend, so, we've been working together since we were young and just doing things the way our parents always wanted us to, and then having it pay off in high school sports is the best thing I could ask for," Connor said. Cameron added: "It's unreal. We'll be fighting at home … but it's just the bond between me and him is crazy," he said. "We're like pretty much each other's best friends, honestly. I know that he knows that I have his back and he has my back at all times. So, to have guys in our lineup that get on a lot and get into scoring position for me and Connor to knock people in, it's awesome."What's awesome is being one of the four teams still playing in Division VII. The other teams are Newark Catholic, Russia and Minster.Calvert's opponent is Newark Catholic (21-9) Thursday at 1 p.m. at Canal Park in Akron – a stadium the Senecas have played in three of the last four years.Historically, the Green Wave have nine state titles and they're making their 18th trip to the state tournament. Junior pitcher Owen Przymierski was a first-team All-Ohio selection as he is 6-2 on the hill this season with a 0.60 ERA in 58 innings with 89 strikeouts and only 14 walks. Senior outfielder Miller Hutchinson (.357, 29 RBI, 9 doubles) and senior utility Mikey Hess (.379, 16 RBI, 9 doubles) were both second-team picks."Yeah, they have a great program and they had a legendary coach pass away a couple of years ago, but I know they have a lot of state titles," Coleman said. "They have a storied program and they were (at state) in 2022 when we first went. I did get to watch them a little bit at Willard this year, but I know their top three guys are really good. "Their starting pitcher, who is a lefty and he throws it well and he's one of their main hitters too. Their leadoff hitter is going to Dayton to play football, but I feel like they're a similar team to us. Really, all four teams in the state tournament you can flip a coin, but it's going to come down to who wants it more. It should be a fun weekend."All players interviewed this week for the Senecas said the exact same thing when asked what they were most looking forward to this week in Akron: "Winning a state championship."There's that "team unity."