THE CAPTAIN BRINN D2 FINAL FOUR BREAKDOWN

DIVISION II

These matchups may be the most difficult to analyze and to project a state champion. In the left corner we have #3 Clyde taking battle against #6 Canfield and in the right corner we have Dover vs Celina. 2 ranked vs 2 unranked opponents. The Clyde/Canfield matchup promises to be a heavy weight battle. Clyde enters the contest after upsetting one of Ohio's best in Kara Dill and #1 LaGrange Keystone in extra innings in such an epic battle. Clyde did not get one player mentioned on the All-Ohio list, but they are a team that leads by committee. In fact, they are a team full of heroes. There season has been built on a total team effort requiring contributions from every single player. The sum of the parts are greater than any one individual player. The Fliers are lead by a cast of stellar players including Lauren Meyer, Nikki Bryant, Aubrie Burkett, and Aliesha Boonie. Their victory over heavy favorite LaGrange Keystone showed this team was not only resilient, but they are that good...maybe even better than the rest of Ohio believed. Canfield, another Youngstown area rep, got their first state final four appearance after dethroning heavy final four favorite Akron Hoban in the regional final game 2-0. Hoban had been to the final four just one year ago. Tricia Bettura leads Canfield on the mound, while Melissa West takes home the golden glove award along with a solid stance at bat. Celina makes it 2nd appearance at the state tournament after taking an 8 year hiatus. The Mercer County rep is lead by ace pitcher Laura Homan with a spectacular 0.20 ERA. Celina started gaining my attention as the season went on. Their defeat of perennial state power Lima Bath in sectionals proved this team was on a mission to get to the final four. The Bulldogs kept rolling and defeated huge favorite Springfield Kenton Ridge in the regional final. They truly are the total package with timely hitting and stingy defense and pitching. Allison Braun also rounds out the all-state team players for head coach Nicole Driggs. Dover on the otherhand was a bit of a tourney surprise coming into the final four with 11 losses. These to me are the teams to be very afraid of. These teams have learned from their mistakes and usually have nothing to lose and play with little pressure and expectations. Kristin Moreland (15-4) leads the pitching attack for the tornadoes. What's most scary is that she is peaking at the right time and is getting stronger and stronger each game she has thrown in this tournament. Lindsay Limbacher has also helped the cause at the plate this season. This game may be better than advertised and therefore we shouldn't be fooled by the 11 setbacks for the Tornadoes. I'm sure Celina is well aware of the work they have cut out for them.

Clyde: 1 State Appearance (08)

Canfield: 1 State Appearance (08)

Celina: 2 State Appearances (99, 08)

Dover: 1 State Appearance (08)

All-State Players to Watch:1st Team Laura Homan--Celina, 2nd Team Allison Braun--Celina, 2nd Team Lindsay Limbacher--Dover, 2nd Team Melissa West--Canfield, Honorable Mention Tricia Bettura--Canfield

Predictions: Clyde over Canfield /Celina over Dover

State Champs: Clyde