“We really scheduled our nonconference to be as strong and as competitive as possible,” said Mitchell. “We scheduled really strong this season and went out and sought some teams that were really going to push us. We did lose some games, but the win-loss column is where it’s noticed. For us, it’s really about challenging ourselves and even though that game may not have resulted in a win, we were able to take positive things away from testing our guys and putting them in high-caliber situations against quality pitching similar to what we would face in the tournament and thus far, we feel good about that.”
After finishing the regular season 13-10, the CBC Mad River Division champion Falcons have won six straight games to catapult themselves into the state tournament for the first time in 30 years. The program had “full belief” it could win a district title and play on the state’s biggest stage, he said.
“Now that we’ve accomplished one of those goals, it doesn’t mean that we’re satisfied,” Mitchell said. “We’re excited and we’re not done yet.”
The Falcons (19-10) will play Lynchburg-Clay in a Division V state semifinal game at 7 p.m. Friday at Canal Park in Akron. The winner will play either Apple Creek Waynedale or Coldwater in the Division V state championship game at 4 p.m. Saturday at Canal Park.
“We’re super excited,” Mitchell said. “We’re excited for the kids. They’ve worked really hard. They’re excited about representing their school, their community and their families. It’s nice and fulfilling to see these kids taking this to the next level and into a direction we haven’t been in quite some time.”
Graham advanced to the state tournament for the fourth time in school history. They won state titles in 1930 and 1973, but finished as runner-up in their last state tournament appearance in 1995.
They’ll play a Lynchburg-Clay squad that advanced to the state tournament for the first time in school history.
The Falcons pitching staff is led by senior Findlay commit Adam Levy (3-3, 2.23 earned run average, 31 Ks) - who struck out eight in their 5-1 victory over Ironton to claim the regional title - and junior Hayden VanHoose (4-1, 1.71 ERA, 45 Ks). Levy leads the team with a .446 batting average, six doubles and 15 stolen bases.
Mitchell, a 2004 grad, played on a district title team in 2003. As an alum, it means even more to help guide the program this deep into the tournament, he said.
The Falcons have 10 seniors, including several who have played for Mitchell for four years.
“We’ve been riding a wave of momentum and it’s a credit to the kids,” Mitchell said. “It’s a credit to the community and support that they’ve shown us. Everything helps. These kids deserve this kind of atmosphere and the recognition that they’re getting. They deserve every bit of it.”
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