Story and Photo submitted by OCA Sports.
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OCA Baseball. Photo Submitted
The OCA Eagles have been flying high this spring. “The Boys from 9th Street” took their sixth-consecutive win on Friday against Santa Fe South, 11-3.
After their highly anticipated game against Morrison was canceled Monday due to weather, the Eagles now soar into Districts on Thursday looking to take no prisoners whilst they advance to Regionals.
The team’s starting lineup is dominated mostly by sophomores, with the two exceptions being seniors Gage Goley and Caleb Levine.
Levine was brought in from the outfield in early April to man the plate after catcher Isaac Smith suffered a hand injury during a winning performance against Destiny Christian. Losing Smith for the season was a devastating blow to the team, who missed his utilitarian abilities in the field and strong batting skills.
Levine has stepped into the role with finesse, leading the team to four consecutive wins since taking his new position.
Goley is OCA’s leadoff batter and center fielder. The speed he possesses along with his sure glove and consistent bat make him a triple threat to anyone paying attention.
The Eagles’ bullpen is chalked full of left-handed options. The grouping of Cooper Whitehead, James Phillips and the baffling Jack Taylor combined with two-way player Cruz Gillespie make for an explosive line-up on the mound.
The batting power of OCA runs deep. While Gillespie is one of the top bats in the state, already hitting six home runs this season and maintaining a batting average over .650, he is surrounded by teammates that offer their own kind of danger at the plate. Wyatt Bruner, Alex Huber, Jack Garrett and Mathias Clay have all proven to be forces that opponents would be ill-advised to ignore.
The Eagles enter Districts this Thursday with a season record of 13-5.