Treston Nemeth does it all as Harrison Central baseball beats Heath 2-1 in OHSAA Division III state semifinals

AKRON, Ohio – Treston Nemeth was determined to give it everything he had to keep Harrison Central’s baseball season alive on Friday night in the OHSAA Division III state semifinals.

The University of Dayton commit did just that, delivering a four-hitter and driving in Harrison Central’s only two runs of the game in a 2-1 win over Heath at Canal Park.

“I have said it now for three years, he's the best player in the state of Ohio,” Harrison Central head coach Mike Valesko said of Nemeth. “So for him in this environment to be able to showcase it, just so happy for him.”

At the plate, Nemeth was his own best friend, picking up two of Harrison Central’s four hits in the game off Heath pitcher Tannar Patterson with the most important one being in his second at-bat.

In the top of the third inning, Kaden Jurosko and Leland Lopez both drew one-out walks to set the table for Nemeth. The 6-foot-2 righty came through by hammering a two-run triple to right center that scored both runners.

“In my first at-bat, he gave me about four curveballs and a fastball, and I was on it,” Nemeth said. “Going into that second at-bat, I was just sitting curveball the whole time and he kind of hung it on the outside part of the plate so I drove it into right field and scored a couple runs out of it.”

And then on the mound, Nemeth faced the minimum through three innings by getting out of the first and second innings with a double play and setting the side down in order in the third.

When he faced a little adversity on the fourth with runners on first and second and two outs, he responded by striking out Jaiden Dansby on four pitches to end the inning.

Heath got to Nemeth for a run in the sixth inning on a one-out RBI single by Tannar Patterson, but he settled down and got the next hitter to fly out to right field before issuing an intentional walk with first base open after Patterson stole second.

But Nemeth picked off Patterson to end the threat when the runner tried to time his jump on the pitcher’s delivery, keeping the Huskies ahead 2-1.

“When I lifted my leg up to head home, I was staring right at him and he just broke,” Nemeth said. “So I did what any smart baseball player would do and threw the ball over and he hung himself up.”

He finished the day with four walks and three strikeouts and tossed the complete game on just 91 pitches.

“I really wasn't trying to do too much,” Nemeth said. “Every time I go out there I just try to compete and hope that my guys behind me can do their best and they played a great game today.”

Harrison Central will look to win its first state title as the Huskies take on defending Division III state champion Waynedale in the state championship game on Saturday evening at 7 pm.

“You're thinking about this since you were a little kid you know,” Valesko said. “As a coach, I am so happy for these guys get to get that opportunity.”