The Walsh Jesuit baseball team has the skill, composure, and certainly the experience for a championship run.
"I think we are a state championship team," said senior pitcher Ryan Piech.
"Everything's coming together at the right time. I think one through nine in the lineup is all hitting well. I think our pitching is as good as it's been all year. We're making all the right plays on the field," said senior pitcher Jack Paulus.
"There's no holes with us right now," said senior catcher Mason Eckelman.
The Warriors are set to play in the Division I State Semifinal for the second time in three years.
"I think now that we've been there and we've seen how things go, it's gonna be a lot easier for us to not be as nervous," said Walsh head coach Joe Bowers.
While the Warriors look to advance further than they did in 2021, they also want redemption from their 2022 season, which came to an end in the regional final.
"It's in the back of our head every day. It just motivates us to get past that hump. We've been talking about it all year," said Piech.
"It kinda put a chip on our shoulder. We had to put our head down and work all year," said Paulus.
Walsh has a deep senior class, with multiple Division I commits, that's ready to prove they're the best in the state. This includes senior pitcher Drew Erdmann, who threw a perfect game in the district final, then a no-hitter to advance the Warriors to the Final Four.
"I've thrown a no-hitter before but not a perfect game. It's a great memory," said Erdmann.
"It's unreal going from a perfect game to a no-hitter. It's something that none of us have ever seen before," said Paulus.
"Just seeing him come out and be able to show everyone what he really has and who he really is and have some fun out there, it's fun to watch," said Bowers.
"It was awesome. It's great to have his confidence there, especially moving into these bigger games," said Piech.
It's onto Canal Park in Akron. Walsh plays Cincinnati's Archbishop Moeller at 10 a.m. on Thursday with a ticket to the title game on the line.
