With an 11-game winning streak, the Bishop O’Connell Knights baseball team finished the regular season very strong.
Now the postseason begins for the 20-4 high-school team as the No. 2 seed in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tournament, followed by the Division I private-school state tourney.
During O’Connell’s winning streak, the Knights finished 5-0 to win the South Atlantic Bank Invitational spring-break tournament in Myrtle Beach and snapped a string of losses to WCAC rival Gonzaga. The Knights also had a 4-3 walkoff victory over visiting Good Counsel in their final regular-season game.
In Myrtle Beach, O’Connell finished 5-0, defeating the Audubon Green Wave of New Jersey, 9-5, in the championship game at Myrtle Beach High School. O’Connell scored 67 runs in the tournament and allowed 34.
“Our hitters were alive, that’s for sure, and we faced some good pitching,” first-year O’Connell coach Chris Berset told ARLnow. “The guys have bought into what we want them to do at the plate — they are having fun and knocking the cover off the ball.”
Truman Leckey, who will play college baseball at Eastern Connecticut State University, was a top hitter for O’Connell in the tournament and was chosen as the Most Valuable Player. He was 8 for 15 in the five games with 10 RBI, a home run, two doubles, four stolen bases and seven runs scored.
Noah Haught was another top hitter. He was 12 for 19 with six RBI. He scored nine runs, had three doubles and one triple and stole a base. He also got a win on the mound, striking out nine in five innings and not walking a batter. Haught will play at the University of Richmond.
“Both Truman and Noah were worthy of being MVP,” Berset said.
O’Connell catcher Jack Woda, East Carolina University bound, also swung a hot bat, with six hits and eight RBI.
In the championship game, Haught had a hit (double) and one RBI, as did Chris Connolly and Leckey (double). Walker Mcelwain (double) and Chaz Walker each had a hit and two RBI, Woda and Nick Ferrara each had a hit. James Robinson had two hits (homer) and one RBI. Owen Spera had an RBI.
The Knights scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning and had nine hits. Drew Markey (5-0) pitched a seven-inning complete game. He scattered 10 hits, struck out six, allowed three earned runs, did not walk a batter and threw 108 pitches.
O’Connell has been without injured seniors Aidan Kim and Karari Chisolm, who will play at Hood College, for a few games, but have continued to win.
“The players know their roles now very well,” Berset said.
In O’Connell’s other games in Myrtle Beach, the Knights defeated Waccamaw, 21-15, Socastee, 15-4, St. James, 10-2, and Georgetown, 12-8.
In the win over Good Counsel, Woda belted a winning walkoff three-run homer in the last of the seventh inning. He doubled and had four RBI in the win. Connolly also had two hits.
Junior right-hander Shota Fogus got the win in relief, pitching two shutout and hitless inning with four strikeouts.
NOTE: The 20 wins in a season are O’Connell’s most since finishing 20-10 in 2022.
