In the above photo, Jonathan Alder infielder Tyler Graber (23) makes a putout at third base during the 2010 state tournament. Members of the Pioneer squad (bottom photo) celebrate winning the Division II state championship at Huntington Park in Columbus. (Journal-Tribune photos by Tim Miller)
Saturday, June 6 will mark an important anniversary in the history of Jonathan Alder High School baseball.
It was on that date in 2010 the Pioneers captured a Division II state championship.
Alder claimed its second state baseball crown (the first came in 1998) a day later than expected when it defeated Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit, 3-2, during the game that was played on a Sunday evening.
The contest was held at Huntington Park, which is the home of the Columbus Clippers.
It had been scheduled for the previous afternoon, but was pushed back due to inclement weather.
A celebration of the team’s 10th anniversary was originally scheduled at some point during the 2020 season.
“We were going to recognize the team during one of our games,” said head coach Craig Kyle. “That wasn’t possible since the season was wiped out by the coronavirus.”
Kyle was in his first season as the Pioneers’ head coach in 2010, after previously serving as Grandview’s top baseball man the three previous campaigns.
Alder had earned a trip to the district tournament under head coach Matt Gilkerson the season prior to Kyle’s arrival.
“Being from central Ohio, I knew all about Jonathan Alder’s past success in baseball,” said Kyle. “It only took me about five minutes to apply for the job once I found out it was open.
“I didn’t try to change too many things when I got here,” he said. “Matt had done a great job with the program and all we did was put in a tweak or two.”
Kyle said it wasn’t difficult for the players to accept the coaching change.
“I’m pretty intense and passionate about baseball,” he said. “The guys on that team were just as intense and really bought into what we were attempting to do.”
He also said it didn’t take long to realize the 2010 Pioneers could turn out to be a very special group.
“It began right from the start, during the off-season,” said Kyle. “The guys thrived on hard work and were real competitors.
“Throughout the season, we stressed not beating ourselves.”
The Pioneers listened well as they went through the season with a 34-0 record.
As the victories continued to mount, Kyle still wasn’t sure whether his team could run the table.
He began to sense it could after the final game of the regular season.
“We went on the road and beat a very good Lakewood team, which isn’t easy to do,” said the coach. “After that, I felt we had a great opportunity to make a long run.”
There were so many factors built into the championship season.
For one thing, there was solid homegrown talent such as catcher Jacob Mahon, outfielders Sean Fleming and Wes Favre, third baseman Graham Johnston, shortstop Tyler Graber and the Squires twins Nate (second base) and Nick (outfield).
The roster benefitted that year due to the financially-induced shutdown of athletics in the Southwest City school district.
The Pioneers inherited two proven seniors in pitcher Zach Maynard (Grove City) and first baseman-pitcher Tyler Miller (Central Crossing).
“Zach was also a very good golfer and played during the fall season of 2009 at Jonathan Alder,” said Kyle.
The coach said there were no problems with the new additions to the program.
“Those guys knew Jonathan Alder’s baseball history was good,” he said. “The team jelled very well and everything went smoothly.
“There were no conflicts and everyone got along very well.”
Maynard and Miller added depth to the Pioneers’ pitching staff that included Mahon, when he wasn’t behind the dish.
Kyle said he quickly realize pitching and defense were going to be vital staples of the team.
That year’s statistics supported his thinking.
Alder finished with a staff earned-run average of a miniscule 1.90, while an air-tight defense committed just 30 fielding miscues,
“We made only 30 errors in 34 games,” said Kyle. “That was unheard of.”
The Pioneers also weren’t shabby with the sticks.
“We had a very solid batting order from top to bottom,” said Kyle, noting the team finished the season with a .390 batting average.
The 2010 team was the start of what some folks could call a golden era of Pioneer baseball.
The team won three regional championships during the next four seasons.
Alder was a state semifinalist in 2011 and claimed state runner-up accolades to conclude the 2013 and 2014 campaigns.
Starting with his debut season, Kyle has guided the Pioneers to a record of 232-49.
Combined with his three-year stint at Grandview, he would have very well gone over the 300-victory mark for his career this past spring.
Prior to the virus-shattered campaign, his record was 294-73.
Although it’s been a decade and there has been additional success within the program, the 2010 squad is never far from Kyle’s mind.
He said the team had a group of “Alpha” males who thrived on victory and playing with intensity.
Kyle said most of the team members are still in the area.
Johnston lives in Kentucky, while Fleming resides in Cincinnati.
Mahon coaches baseball in Evansville, Ind.
The coach said the team will gather at his home on Saturday for a cookout and celebration.
“These guys established their legacy,” said Kyle. “I still talk about them with my current teams.”