Former Western Brown star Drew Day throws during a recent University of Cincinnati-Clermont game. Day is one of three former Western Brown players on the Cougars’ roster. Photo by Sheila Fontaine
Former area Brown County high school players making mark with Cougars
If you follow University of Cincinnati-Clermont baseball, or if you just scan the team’s roster, you can see it.
The recent past of area Brown County high school baseball.
And the foreseeable future for the UC-Clermont program.
Just over a month into the season, the Cougars are 10-7-1 (through March 17). They started slowly, going 1-4-1 in their first six games, but have won nine of their last 12 to help steady the ship – thanks in large part to the efforts of four former high school players from area Brown County high schools: Drew Day, Austin Stigers and Bryce Rayner from Western Brown and Ian Wiles from Eastern Brown.
As pitching goes, so have gone the Cougars, at least during the recent hot streak, UC-Clermont coach Keith Bauman said. He pointed to leadership on the mound with four senior hurlers, led by Day, who is 3-0 with a 4.34 earned run average and 23 strikeouts in 19 innings pitched.
“Drew Day has been in the Cougars starting rotation for the last three years – he’s a big, powerful pitcher, with an upper-80s (mph) fastball and a nasty slider,” Bauman said.
Although Rayner doesn’t yet have the numbers (.163 batting average, .275 on-base percentage) so far this young season, Bauman has lauded the efforts of the sophomore left-fielder and lead-off hitter.
“Bryce is one of the best hitters in the Clermont lineup,” Bauman said. “He consistently puts the ball in play and puts pressure on the defense.”
Stigers, a senior who plays first and third base for the Cougars, has a .250 batting average with a solid .429 on-base percentage. And then there’s his play in the field.
“Austin brings a strong bat to the Clermont lineup, and his versatility in the infield gives the Cougars many options in the lineup,” Bauman said.
Wiles, a junior, is part of the Cougars’ rotation behind the plate. And when he’s gotten opportunities at the plate, he’s responded, too – he’s batting .294 with three doubles and four RBI in just 17 at-bats and boasts a gaudy .636 on-base percentage.
“Ian is steady behind the plate, with a potent bat, and leads the Cougars in on-base percentage,” Bauman said.
After mostly playing at home for two weeks, the Cougars started a seven-game road trip March 18. They don’t return home until April 1 and finish the regular season April 30, also on the road – all with an eye on the Small College World Series in mid-May in Dubois, Pa.
“Expectations are high,” Bauman said. “With the experience and highly talented freshman class, UC-Clermont baseball should make a good run at the Small College World Series.
“This year’s strength will be experience. Even though there is a good mix of talented freshmen, the Cougars have 14 players who have competed in the Small College World Series, including nine players who were on the team when they finished second in the national championship in 2021.”