High School Baseball: Tait, Super shine for Sage Hill
Cole Tait missed the first 13 games of the Sage Hill School baseball season. Coach Dominic Campeau didn’t even let the transfer from Servite dress up for any of the games.
Tait found another way to contribute during home games while he sat out the first 30 days of the season because of the transfer rule. He was the team’s PA announcer.
Someone else at the private school finally introduced Tait to the home crowd.
In his varsity debut, Tait made his presence felt right away. He ripped a double toward the left-field line, driving in the game’s first run in the first inning. The runner he brought home was Brett Super, the starting pitcher.
One run was all Super really needed against Oxford Academy, but Sage Hill gave the right-hander another run in the fourth, before Super tossed a two-hitter in a 2-0 win on Tuesday.
Sage Hill, ranked No. 5 in the CIF Southern Section Division 6 poll, improved to 3-0 in Academy League play. Two of those wins have a lot to do with Super (3-0), who struck out seven, walked none and threw 85 pitches to blank No. 9 Oxford Academy (7-11, 1-2 in league).
“If there’s a better pitcher in Division 6 baseball, I don’t want to face him,” Campeau said of Super, who has struck out 49, walked 10 and allowed two earned runs in 31 innings. “That’s two hits [he’s given up] in two league outings. Two complete games [in league] and he hasn’t given up a run yet.”
Super has scored more runs (11) than he’s allowed all season. The sophomore, who usually bats down in the order, found himself in the No. 2 hole because he has been getting on base lately.
Super, a left-handed batter, got onboard in the first, recording the first hit for the Lightning with a single to right field. Next up was Tait, and in his first at-bat, he made it 1-0 Sage Hill by knocking Ryan Lindner’s hanging curveball for an extra-base hit.
Without having played a game, Campeau didn’t hesitate hitting Tait third. Campeau likes Tait’s ability to use the entire field. He displayed his speed as well, swiping third with two outs. Sage Hill stranded Tait when Lindner struck out Parker Reposa looking.
It wasn’t the last time Lindner fanned Reposa. The senior, who pitched well during his six innings, mowed down Sage Hill’s Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters, Tait, Conner Bock and Reposa, with the bases loaded in the third inning. Sage Hill failed to take advantage of Jack Pelc and Super drawing walks and Kellen Ochi getting on after Lindner hit him.
“My big boys aren’t hitting right now,” said Campeau, whose team only managed three hits and struck six times against Lindner. “When Ochi, Reposa and Bock start hitting, it’s going to be scary.”
Having Tait in the lineup should bolster Sage Hill’s offense.
The lack of hitting against Oxford Academy could be because Sage Hill, which is 8-6 overall, played for the first time since March 27, when it beat Brethren Christian, 9-2, at home.
Campeau gave the team most of spring break off, holding only three practices last week. While Tait was unable to play for Sage Hill, he did practice with the team. Keeping him away wasn’t easy.
“I told him I didn’t want anyone to believe he was activated before April 6,” Campeau said. “He’s just a gamer and has trouble sitting down and [letting] go of a bat or a ball. He was so eager to play. It was not relaxing having him around us when he couldn’t play. That’s why I told him to wear shorts [and] a polo shirt, and go handle the scoreboard or announce players during our games until today.”
When Tait got his chance, he said all he felt was adrenaline. He was aggressive, swinging at three of the first four pitches he saw.
One game with the Lightning and Tait already has high expectations for a team that finished third in league last year.
“I expect to win league this year,” said Tait, knowing league goes through Crean Lutheran (14-5, 4-0), which placed first in league and reached the CIF Southern Section Division 6 semifinals last year.
Tait, a former JV player at Servite, said he transferred to Sage Hill because of its strong academics. Campeau said Tait grades well on the baseball field.
“Defensively, he’s probably our best defensive player no matter where I put him,” said Campeau, who played Tait at second base. “I can put him in center field. I can put him at short, second and third. He can play anywhere.”
Tait has shown he’s better at playing baseball than announcing the next batter.
“Everybody went up to bat with a smile on their face,” Super said whenever Tait played PA announcer.
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Academy League
Sage Hill 2, Oxford Academy 0
SCORE BY INNINGS
Oxford 000 000 0 – 0 2 2
Sage Hill 100 100 x – 2 3 0
Lindner and Laseria; Super and Bush. W – Super, 3-0. L – Lindner. 2B – Lindner (OA), Tait (SH).