Bees’ softball team wins big, as usual; inexperience plagues baseball team

by Sheldon Ocker

When Brecksville-Broadview Heights High softball players say, “Wait ‘till next year,” they mean winning big will continue to be the norm. Last season, this season, next season; it doesn’t make much difference in the Bees’ record.

This spring, BBHHS compiled a 24-7 overall record and tied with Wadsworth and Hudson for the Suburban League National Division title with an 11-3 mark.

In postseason play, the Bees were one out from reaching the Division II regional finals, but a two-out infield single and a home run in the seventh inning gave Perrysburg a 5-4 win.

“I think we’re still in shock mode,” said eighth-year Bees head coach Rex Mack.

Mack has taken BBHHS to the regionals almost every year since becoming head coach of his alma mater. The Bees have ranked among the top 10 Division II teams in the state virtually every year of Mack’s tenure and finished seventh this season.

Churning out quality players hasn’t been a problem for Mack, the Suburban League Coach of the Year.

Certainly, the Jakosh twins were major contributors, forming the team’s battery. Kelsey was the Bees’ primary pitcher. Madison was her catcher, but not just a catcher. Her .477 batting average was seventh best in school history. Kelsey posted a 20-5 record and 2.52 earned-run average and struck out 175 in 152 innings. Both her innings pitched total and strikeout total rank second in team history.

The seniors were selected co-MVPs of the team and second team all-Suburban League. Madison made the all-Northeast Ohio District and all-Cuyahoga County second team; Kelsey was honorable mention all-county and all-district.

The Bees’ leadoff batter and Mack’s daughter, center fielder Choch Mack, is only a freshman, but posted the third highest batting average in program history, .514. Her 53 stolen bases record is 14th best in Ohio high school history. She also was the team leader in on-base percentage, hits and runs and was named the team’s No. 1 defender.

Choch was first team all-Suburban, all-county, all-district and honorable mention all-state.

The No. 3 batter in the lineup, traditionally the hitter with the best blend of power and contact hitting, was junior shortstop Emily Mau, who batted .485 and led the Bees in RBIs with 36. She earned first team-all Suburban honors and was second team all-district.

Almost everyone in the lineup made a distinctive contribution. Senior second baseman and first team all-Suburban Samantha McGonegal scored 91 career runs and had 111 career steals, both second most in school history; senior first baseman MacKenzie Stease smacked 17 home runs, most in Bees’ history; and freshman third baseman Grace O’Malley batted .389.

Six players will return next year. So are Mack’s expectations high?

“Always,” he said. “Our goal is to win the regional. I am cautiously optimistic.”

Baseball

The Bees’ baseball team, 10-16 overall and 5-9 in the Suburban League, went through the kind of growing pains associated with inexperience.

“We had seniors in left field and at third base, a junior catcher and two junior first basemen,’’ said 14-year head coach John Mutch. “Outside of them, we had all sophomores. There were a lot of rookies. We had the ability to play well, and we did that at times. The biggest thing was searching for consistency.’’

The offensive leader was sophomore outfielder Tommy Barth, who also pitched. Sophomore Max Hartland was the team’s No. 1 pitcher and also played some at third.

Featured image photo caption: Freshman leadoff batter Choch Mack (l) and senior second baseman Samantha McGonegal congratulate each other.