By Nicholas Huenefeld

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

HAMLER — The Lake baseball team is among the final eight teams standing in the state for just the sixth time in program history after defeating Bucyrus Wynford 6-1 on Thursday in a Division III regional semifinal at Patrick Henry’s Garrold Parratt Field.

The fourth-ranked Flyers (26-4) advance to face fifth-ranked Coldwater (26-5) at the same location on Friday at 5 p.m. for a trip to the state semifinals.

It will be the first postseason meeting between the two programs since the Flyers produced a 6-2 win in a 1978 regional semifinal against a Coldwater lineup that featured future Lake coaching legend, Greg Wilker.

Lake’s junior ace, Drew Tajblik (11-0), extended his school-record win total, but it didn’t come easy as the righty used some key strikeouts and nice plays behind him defensively to strand 10 runners.

“I was just really proud of the way our kids battled defensively, made plays when we needed to, made pitches when we needed to, and just allowed our offense a little bit of time to come to life,” third-year Lake head coach Casey Witt said.

After Tajblik stranded three runners in the first two innings, including his first strikeout with two outs and runners on the corners in the opening frame, the Flyers got on the board in second with a Caleb Tobias sacrifice fly.

In the third, Bucyrus Wynford had a leadoff single, but a second-pitch 6-4-3 double play and a first-pitch line drive to short, featuring a giant leaping catch from Jack Sobczak, kept Lake up a run.

The Flyers kept the momentum of that quick inning by pushing across another run in the third as Korbin Adkins singled to lead off the frame, stole second and scored on an RBI single up the middle from Gavin Kohlhofer.

Perhaps the biggest sequence in the game came in the top half of the fifth as Bucyrus Wynford loaded the bases with one out for their 3-4 hitters in the lineup after an error in the outfield.

Tajblik remained on point, though, as he induced a lineout to Sobczak at short and a pop out to third to end the threat.

“Drew didn’t have his best stuff in a regional semifinal, and he still only gave up one run,” Witt said. “But Drew’s been our guy all year. You don’t win 11 games not being the guy. He’s a competitor, and we love it when he’s on the bump.”

After Bucyrus Wynford (21-9) stranded two more in the top of the sixth, Lake pushed across four runs in the home half to take control for good.

Back-to-back hits from Tajblik and Jay Blazevich put two in scoring position for Ryan Wagner, who delivered a two-run single to left. Another sacrifice fly from Tobias and a wild pitch accounted for the final two runs.

“I thought for the most part their pitching staff kept us off balance,” Witt said. “For Ryan to come and have a game like that, that’s just a senior stepping up in the biggest game of the year, and isn’t that sweet?”

Bucyrus Wynford got their first extra-base hit against Tajblik in the seventh, which helped them push across their first run on an RBI groundout. The rally fell short, though, as the final out fell into left fielder Aiden Young’s glove in short left.

Wagner and Tobias – two of Lake’s seniors – came through in big ways against a Bucyrus Wynford team that entered having won 15 of its past 17 games. Wagner played a part in four of his team’s six runs, scoring twice and knocking in a pair, while Tobias had two RBIs with his two sacrifice flies.

“It means everything,” Wagner said of Lake’s first regional final appearance in 21 years. “To come into the year knowing that I’m going to be one of the leaders, a senior and one of the guys who people are going to look to, it felt good.

“Now, being able to go and actually do this stuff, go to the regional final and win championships, it feels amazing.”

Lake will now battle the seven-time state champion, Coldwater, on Friday for a trip to the state semifinal round.

“It’s special to be able to go on this ride with this group of guys, these players and these coaches with a program that really means a lot to me,” Witt said.

“I’m just so proud of our guys,” Witt said. “How cool is this?”

Looking ahead, Lake has split four previous regional final appearances, which includes wins in 2001 and 1956. Those two teams are the only ones in school history to advance to the state semifinal round.

The 1935 team made the then eight-team state tournament, or the equivalent of the quarterfinals. Back then, however, teams advanced to that round after winning the district, so there was no regional tournament.

Lake Baseball Regional Tournament History

Semifinals

2024 – Lake d. Bucyrus Wynford 6-1

2014 – Huron d. Lake 3-2

2012 – Bloom-Carroll d. Lake 16-6

2003 – Lake d. Doylestown Chippewa 10-6

2001 – Lake d. Otsego 9-4

1990 – Ontario d. Lake 2-1

1985 – Bellevue d. Lake 5-2

1978 – Lake d. Coldwater 6-2

1958 – Elida d. Lake 8-0

1956 – Lake d. New Washington 9-2

1955 – Deshler d. Lake 1-0

Finals

2003 – St. Henry d. Lake 4-2

2001 – Lake d. Huron 3-1

1978 – Norwalk d. Lake 9-1

1956 – Lake d. Gomer 4-3