Ottawa looks ahead
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LENEXA — The regular season is finished. The thoughts are not turned to next week’s regional.
The Ottawa High School baseball team lost its finale 6-1 Wednesday to St. James in Lenexa. It was a make-up contest from earlier in the season.
The scheduled doubleheader was sliced to one game because St. James had a time limit on the baseball field.
Ottawa coach Shawn Herrmann played most of the players on the roster for one final tune-up before the regional.
Herrmann said Ottawa’s regional, which will be played Monday and Tuesday at Orlis Cox, will be a dogfight.
His example is Paola, the eighth seed, is a team that beat Ottawa Tuesday.
“They can play,” Herrmann said. “It is two days and three games, you have to come ready to play. Everyone is 0-0.”
Ottawa plays 6:30 p.m. Monday against Louisburg in the first round. The two teams split this season with both games decided seventh-inning rallies and one run.
“Louisburg is one of the better teams,” Herrmann said.
The coach said the intensity rises during postseason and expects Ottawa to rise the occassion.
Ottawa got a boost from senior pitcher Ty Gardner in the loss to St. James.
Herrmann said the senior was tagged for four unearned runs — all in the same inning.
“That was the best he’s pitched all year,” Herrmann said. “We just could not get that big hit.”
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