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Division II Team Of The Week: Gilmour Academy

GATES MILLS - Even Jay Fowler admits to being surprised with the record of his Gilmour Academy team.

“I never expected going into the season that we’d be starting the year with 13 wins in 14 games,” the head coach said about his squad, PBR Ohio’s Division II Team of the Week. “I’m a little surprised. But some of our juniors have really stepped up and our seniors continue to lead the way. We had a lot of questions coming in with a lot of first-year varsity experience, but they’ve stepped up and done the job.”

It doesn’t hurt to have a pitching staff that has a 1.43 ERA, with opponents batting at a .155 clip. Highly-touted sophomore right-hander Ben DeMell (Video) leads the way. The eighth-rated 2021 player in Ohio, a 6-5 185-pound Penn State commit, has allowed just one run in 28.2 innings with a 5-0 record, 0.24 ERA and 54 strikeouts..

“He’s been everything advertised,” noted Fowler of DeMell, who on Saturday against Medina Highland threw a one-hitter with 14 Ks and no walks. “He’s been great on the mound with great composure. He’s also a great two-way guy hitting .550 at the plate.”

Gilmour, which won on Monday for its 12th straight win since a 7-4 loss to Holy Name in game two, was 4-0 last week highlighted by a Luke Shepherd perfect game and a one-hit shutout from Joe Hollis, who is now 3-0 on the season including a pair of wins over Division I teams.

But the Lancers have much more than just a strong pitching staff.

In addition to DeMell, the duo of Nick Christopher and Matt Christopher has been outstanding this season. A senior four-year catcher, Nick - the 102nd-ranked senior in Ohio - bats cleanup and is averaging .500 while tying Demell for the team lead in RBIs with 15. Matt, a junior shortstop/second baseman, carries a .400 average with 13 RBIs.

“Matt struggled his first two years but he put in so much time and it’s paying off,” Fowler said of the 187th-ranked junior in the state.

Garrett Olsen, a 6-4 155-pound junior third baseman called “phenomenal in the field” by his head coach, also has 13 RBIs on the year with Jack Krebs adding 10 runs driven in.

“Garrett has been a big key for us,” Fowler said. “He has so many clutch hits.”

A big week is ahead with Trinity on Tuesday and Orange on Thursday.

“I love the way our guys come to compete,” Fowler explained. “They all love baseball and show up ready at practice or at games. We’re blessed to have guys willing to work for us and the school.”

A program that has never won a state title, Gilmour Academy has only reached the Final Four once, that in 2008 when Fowler was an assistant coach.

“The big part with our guys this year is they put in a lot of time in the offseason on basics and fundamentals,” said the 10th-year head coach, who has been helping in the program for 14 years. “It was all self-led. When they got to us at the start of practice they were ready to go. That gives us a chance to be a leg up on all the others.”