Senior Max Driesbach laces a single into left-center field. Couresty/Mike Driesbach

The CA baseball team had a successful trip to Myrtle Beach over Spring Break, leaving South Carolina with a 2-1 record in its preseason games and showing great promise for this year. 

The Vikes began their regular season with an emphatic 19-0 road win over London on Monday, April 2. Senior Matt Saling had a terrific outing on the mound, with four strikeouts over just three innings to lead the shutout.

Looking to earn a season sweep, Academy faced London again at home on Thursday, April 5. Sophomore Noah Glimcher took the hill and managed to strike out six batters in four innings. But this time, the Red Raiders would not go down easily. London strung together a few nice hits and built an insurmountable lead. CA tried to piece together a comeback in the final inning, but ultimately fell, 9-5.

The next day, Friday, April 6, the Vikings hit the road to clash with powerhouse Fredericktown. Saling pitched another gem for Academy, throwing four no-hit innings and striking out five. Fellow senior Davis Friedman was also efficient on the mound, giving up just one run in three innings. But costly errors prevented the Vikes from pulling off the upset, and the Freddies squeaked out a 5-3 win.

The final showdown of the week for CA was against Bishop Hartley on Saturday, April 7. Senior Ryan Mitchell led the offensive charge for the Vikings with a pair of hits. Junior Nick Rothmann found his groove after a shaky first inning on the rubber, striking out five batters over four innings. It wasn’t enough, however, for Academy to recover from its rough start to the game, as the Hawks grabbed three runs in the opening frame and held on for a 9-5 victory. 

The Vikes look to return to the win column on Monday, April 9, when they host Worthington Christian.