“We’re a very competitive family,” Wendy Olinger said. “I cheer and root for him. I’ve gone to some of his games. We talk and ask how each other is doing. I’m definitely rooting for him to have a good season as well.”
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Northeastern entered this week 6-4 overall and 6-3 in the OHC North Division, trailing North co-leaders West Liberty-Salem and Mechanicsburg at 7-1. With its current record Northeastern would be battling Greenon for the South Division title, where the Jets resided last season. Both the baseball and softball programs moved into the bigger school North Division this season.
“I like it because of the competition,” Olinger said following her team’s 6-0 defeat of Greenon last week. “We’re hanging right there with the teams and it challenges the girls. It makes for more interesting games.”
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Five seniors provide leadership with first baseman Reide Hajnik, center fielder Harley McCombs, third baseman Nicole Ohns, shortstop Karsen Rhoades and pitcher Hayley Suchland.
Suchland, the team’s ace, also leads the Jets’ offense hitting near .500. Junior catcher Mackenzie Grimm, junior Katie Drow and McCombs have also been offensive leaders.
“With what we have and with our hitters,” Olinger said, “this team could go far in the tournament as long as everyone comes out ready and focused. We definitely can hang and go far.”
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Olinger isn’t counting the Jets out of the OHC chase, either. A pair of one-run losses to Mechanicsburg (3-2 in extra innings and 1-0) and a 6-4 loss to West Liberty-Salem have accounted for the OHC defeats. A few more runs and a few less bad hops and the Jets could be leading the North.
“We’ve been working on trying to cut down our errors in practice,” Olinger said. “You make errors and that can cost you big time.”
Having consistent playing time is helping, too. When Northeastern played Greenon the Jets had nearly a week off from games due to the wet and unseasonably cold spring.
“I feel like once we get into a groove and have those games, four or five a week, that really gets things going,” Olinger said.
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Heading into the preseason Olinger attempted to break up the monotony of practice by having her brother give the Jets some hitting tips.
“I told him the girls need to hear something different sometimes from other people,” she said. “Baseball hitting is similar to softball, other than pitching the ball. He came out and did it. The girls loved it. It wasn’t until later on in the season they were asking, hey what happened to that guy that came out and helped us. I was like, ‘You mean my brother?’ They didn’t realize he was my brother. … They enjoyed it and listened to him.”
Shawnee’s baseball team was 8-4 overall and 7-2 and tied for first in the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division. She’s glad their contact on the playing field ends there and they don’t have to coach against each other.
“No way. It would be a very competitive game,” Olinger said, laughing at the notion. “There would be some interesting family functions if we coached the same sport.”
NORTHEASTERN SOFTBALL
Coach: Wendy Olinger
Next game: 5 p.m. Friday, hosts Fairbanks
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