By Chris Webb

Division III

Teams:  Athens Regional Champion: Wheelersburg (26-2), Elida Regional Champion: Defiance Tinora (24-3), Massillon Regional Champion: Canton Central Catholic (24-8), Xenia Regional Champion: Cincinnati Madeira

Pairings: Wheelersburg vs. Cincinnati Madeira Friday 4 p.m., Central Catholic vs. Defiance Tinora Friday 7 p.m., championship Saturday 7 p.m.

Top Players: Central Catholic Soph. OF Jake Krupar, Tinora Sr. 1B Alex Batt, Tinora Sr. RHP Brett Wonders, Madeira Sr. RHP Stephen Beamer, Wheelersburg Jr. C Austin Hall

Quick hits: Tinora is making their first appearance in the State Tournament while the other three schools have a combined 10 trips. Wheelersburg was the 2010 DIII Runners-up; Central Catholic was a state champion in 2008; and Madeira?s trips were 1999, 2002, and 2007. In the process of their state tournament run, Madeira has ended the season of the Division III?s #2, #4 and #6 team.

Preview:  The 2011 Division III State Tournament is as loaded as you can get in a given year. The field is composed of three state-ranked teams; #3 Madeira, #9 Tinora, and #10 Wheelersburg, and the one unranked team in Central Catholic making their fourth State Tournament trips since 2003. Wins are expected by each of the four teams here, there are no favorites, and it sets up for an exciting two days in Columbus in deciding who the best team in Division III is.

Wheelersburg finished 2010 as the second-place team in Division III. In 2011 the 10-ranked Pirates appear to be a team on a mission, fueled by last year?s shortcoming. In their five tournament games to date, Wheerlersburg has outscored the opposition 43-4, shutting out four foes. Wheerlersburg did not surrender a run in their blitz of the Chillicothe District; defeating Ironton 2-0, Oak Hill 16-0, and Albany Alexander 4-0. While Lucasville Valley managed four runs in the Athens? Regional semifinal, Wheerlersburg rebounded with a 10-0 blanking over Piketon in advancing to their second consecutive final four.

Defiance Tinora is making the first appearance in the State Tournament in school history. In his 13^th season Brent Renollet has seen his program do a 180 from a consistent downtrodden team to being two wins from being the state?s best. The number-9 team in state has won 11 in a row following a 5-2 loss to Archbold mid-way through the season. That loss was avenged by a victory for the Defiance District championship, a 4-2 victory. Prior to that win Tinora defeated Liberty Center 11-1 and Millbury Lake 4-1. Since that victory, a 6-0 win over St. Henry and 5-2 defeat over Bloom-Carroll propelled Tinora to Columbus. Tinora has a victory over the number five team in Division II, Defiance, to their credit.

Canton Central Catholic has a senior class that first-hand saw their school claim a state championship. In 2008 as freshman, they watched their upperclassmen peers at CCC defeat Hamilton Badin 8-0. Now the time has come for those players to take the diamond and participate in the State Tournament, not be spectators. Through their first three games in the Canton District, CCC appeared well on their way to returning to States. Back-to-back 10-0 wins were before a 9-1 win for a spot in the District title game.  Then it happened. Trailing 6-0 to Wooster Triway heading into the sixth inning, the rally of 2011 took place as CCC came back to win 10-8 by way of a Jake Krupar extra-inning three-run walk-off home run. In regional play a 10-0 win over Independence and 10-4 victory over LaGrange Keystone propelled CCC into the final four.

Cincinnati Madeira stands as the lone top-five team in the final four. That fact is mostly due in part to Madeira?s tournament success. On their way to advancing to Huntington Park, Madeira went through a gauntlet that has them battled tested and the perhaps the favorite. A 9-4 win over Cincinnati Shroder commenced play in the Kings Mill District, which was followed by a 5-2 victory over Cincinnati Summit Country Day. Starting with the District title game, Madeira put on a run that is nothing short of awe-inspiring. For the district crown, Madeira defeated sixth-ranked Hamilton Badin 2-1. The victory earned them the right to face Cincinnati Reading in a Xenia Regional semifinal. After a 4-0 win over their crosstown rival, a date with second-ranked North Lewisburg Triad awaited which the Mustangs won 5-4.