TWINSBURG, Ohio — Twinsburg High School's varsity boy's team heads into Friday's state semifinal playoff game on a roll, winners of 9 of their last 10. They were 1 and 11 in the Suburban League last year, this year? 13-and-1.
"And that's a testament to our senior leadership. Really been blessed to have 12 seniors that really play together, work together," said first-year Head Coach Jim Lipinski, who knows it's also because they've been through a lot together. Jim took over the program in January after it was rocked to its core exactly six months ago on Dec. 5 when Jeff Luca, a coach with the team since 2006 and head coach since 2018, was killed in a tragic work accident.
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Because of that, many would have understood if this team of young men, many dealing with a loss like this for the first time, would have been weighed down by those emotions, but instead, these teens were lifted by them. After all, it's what Luca would have wanted.
"It was such a tragic thing and you know we realized this season was going to be personal and we really needed to step it up this year in the name of Coach Luca," said Lucas Tinter, a junior pitcher on the team.
Luca coached at many levels in Twinsburg and not only touched but also helped shape many lives.
"He definitely did leave a lasting legacy on Twinsburg baseball at all ages," said Twinsburg senior Josh Stalnaker.
Senior Chris Kimmel said he'll be playing and hear Luca in his head.
"I do, yeah, I think he's still watching over us," he said.
Kimmel remembers Coach Luca pulling him aside last year after winning an honorable mention award in the Suburban League.
"And he said I really want you to lead this team next year," Kimmel said. "And that's been replaying inside my head."
Chris fulfilled that request, and now this team is in the state semi-finals on Friday for the first time since 2006. Athletic Director Brian Fantone, who wondered back in December how these kids would respond, has watched in awe.
"You want to talk about a Hollywood script? I mean, I feel like that's what we're living here. And what a roller coaster of emotions from December til now," Fantone said. "Just the incredible ride that this team has taken this community on, it's really special and it's something that I think all of us are going to remember for the rest of our lives."
Lipinski said what the kids have dealt with has actually made baseball easier for them.
"They realize that baseball's just a game, and life is so much bigger and so much more important that they just have fun with it," he said.
"And I think that's a testament to Coach Jeff Luca," Lipinski said. "What he taught these kids the last three years, five years, and it goes back further than that with his being a Twinsburg travel baseball coach with some of these kids. Really, he taught them how to play the game the right way, taught them how to be young men, and that's a testament to what he did for these kids for them to be able to handle that adversity and again just go out and play baseball."
Twinsburg will face off against Olentangy Berlin High School Friday at 4 p.m. at Canal Park in Akron in the state semi-finals, with the Championship game set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
The rules of the game tell us the final score Friday is what will determine if these players emerge winners, but everyone in this community knows that their show of unity and strength through adversity has shown they're winners already and that they will walk together forever.
