Staff photo / Brian Yauger South Range pitcher Tyson Tarajack throws a pitch Monday evening against Champion during their district semifinal matchup.

CANFIELD — South Range baseball’s seniors have the opportunity to win their fourth straight district championship and make yet another regional appearance in 2024.

In their final season on the diamond and with so much success already, though, the Raiders may be aiming just a bit higher than where they’ve already been.

“Obviously, our goal is to make it back to regionals. And honestly, for every team, I think the goal is [a] state championship,” senior center fielder Tyler Wardle said. “I think for our guys, everybody’s kind of got that same goal.”

South Range’s season ended last year in Massillon in a regional final loss to eventual Division III state champions Waynedale. The Raiders narrowly lost in the regional tournament to Canton Central Catholic and Hawken in 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Despite suffering multiple tough postseason losses, the experience the Raiders gained over the past three years is invaluable.

“It’s very important because when it comes down to those pressure situations, if you have that experience, you’re not as nervous, you know what’s going to happen, you kind of trust in yourself more,” senior shortstop and pitcher Logan Baxter said.

South Range went 20-8 last year, and despite having the best run differential in its 14 Northeast 8 games, the Raiders finished third in the conference behind Poland and league champion Lakeview.

GEHRING MAKES COMEBACK

While most of the seniors try to build on last year’s success, one will attempt to make up for lost time.

As a junior, pitcher Luke Gehring endured a long football season before immediately turning his attention to baseball. Unaware of the extent of the wear and tear on his shoulder, a winter bullpen session ended in disaster for Gehring.

“I let go of a ball and I just felt everything snap, and I kind of knew that was a big uh-oh,” Gehring said.

Ultimately, Gehring suffered injuries to his labrum, rotator cuff and bicep tendon, requiring surgery on his throwing shoulder in April and an arduous recovery process afterward.

“It’s really frustrating because you go from being an athlete and being able to do everything you want to be able to do to having trouble putting your shirt on or just everyday school. Writing, I’m right-handed, it was my right arm, couldn’t write.”

Gehring managed to make it back for his final football season, and despite still experiencing some lingering pain, he’s ready to take the mound again for the first time in two years.

“They kind of told me that there’s going to be pain there for a little while. I notice sometimes just around the infield, but pitching-wise, I feel like I’m starting to find myself again. Changed the way I throw a little bit. Hitting, I feel really good. Overall, I feel a lot better than I was before the surgery with a messed up shoulder.”

RAIDERS RELOAD FOR 2024

With the graduation of ace Billy Skripac, South Range will rely on the pitching of Gehring, as well as the likes of fellow senior Konnor Brogan and junior Tyson Tarajack to return to the regional tournament.

Both Brogan and Tarajack pitched more than 36 innings last season, with Brogan making a team-high 14 appearances, nine of which were starts. Tarajack went 4-1 in his seven starts in 2023, finishing the year with a 1.02 ERA. At the plate, Tarajack batted .391 and led the team in doubles (11) and RBI (32).

Replacing Skripac, Shane Lindstrom and Nick Plunkett, some of the Raiders’ best hitters, will not be an easy task. However, with Tarajack returning, the potential of sophomore Julian Tranovich, who missed last season due to a fractured pelvis, as well as the wealth of experience Baxter, Wardle and juniors Gaven Nagy and Dylan Smesko bring, South Range should remain a formidable opponent for any team in the area.

EYES ON THE PRIZE

For any team, but especially one with postseason ambitions like the Raiders, it’s important to not think too far ahead. So that’s why head coach Jim Hanek wants his team to remain grounded and focused on the present.

“We kind of try to worry about the now,” Hanek said. “Each day, we want to play well, and what we do well, we want to keep doing. And what we’re not doing well, we want to go to work and improve on. You’re looking to try to improve one game at a time.”

Of course, Hanek isn’t oblivious to what could lie ahead. A fourth consecutive district title hangs in the balance, and if South Range can achieve that, it will be another chance to clear the obstacles that have befallen them in the regional tournament the past three years.

“I think you have to have goals set. You got to focus on the now, but at the same time, you got to be able to look down the road and say, ‘This is where we want to go,’ but then adjust focus back to now and say, ‘Okay, what do we need to do now? What is it going to take day in and day out to be able to get to the end goal?'” Hanek said.

With South Range’s Saturday season opener against Austintown Fitch canceled, the Raiders are now scheduled to begin the season at home Monday against Canfield.

Have an interesting story? Contact Preston Byers by email at pbyers@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @PresByers.