‘Baseball at Badin is different’ — Rams seeking first state title since 1996

HAMILTON — June baseball is never guaranteed.

The school year has ended. Summer has arrived. Hundreds of young campers are expected to fill Badin’s baseball diamond this week.

Yet the Rams are still practicing.

The sounds of success continue to echo across Alumni Field, and nobody inside the program is taking that opportunity for granted.

“It’s a privilege to be able to have meaningful practice and be with the guys this week,” Badin coach Brion Treadway said. “We don’t take that lightly. We always want to extend our season as long as possible and be able to practice here at Alumni as many days as possible.”

The extra practices mean only one thing. Top-ranked Badin (27-3) is riding a 23-game winning streak and headed back to the state tournament.

The Rams will face Parma Padua Franciscan (25-4) in a Division III state semifinal at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 11, at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton — seeking the program’s first state championship since 1996.

A school with one of Ohio’s richest baseball traditions now sits two victories from ending a 30-year wait.

Nobody on the roster understands that significance more than senior ace Caleb Driessen.

“It’s been exactly 30 years since Badin won its last state title,” Driessen said. “I’ve had that number in the back of my head since the day I got here sophomore year.”

The Miami University signee often finds himself glancing toward the fence at Alumni Field, where the program’s state tournament appearances serve as a reminder of both success and unfinished business.

“You’ve got to think that it’s been a minute,” Driessen said. “You have to keep saying, ‘Why haven’t we been able to do it again?'”

Recent history — now five state appearances in the last six seasons — has only added motivation.

Badin reached the state finals in 2024 before surrendering a late lead and falling one short. Last season’s state tournament trip ended in disappointment as well.

Those experiences have shaped the Rams’ approach this week.

“Well, reflecting on the last couple years, I’m not sure that we have attacked this week like we needed to,” Treadway said. “That’s been the message to the guys. This is going to be the best week of practice of the entire season. We’re not just going to go through the motions. We’re going to be very purposeful about our time together.”

Driessen believes the difference between heartbreak and a championship may come down to maintaining the mindset that carried the Rams here.

“Two years ago we had it in our grasp and we let off the pedal,” Driessen said. “Last year, there was no juice in our dugout. You look back and watch film and you don’t hear what you’ve heard recently in the regionals. If we bring the juice and we play how we’re supposed to play, then we get over that hump.”

Energy has become the identity of this team.

Driessen makes sure of it.

“You’ve just got to wake up every morning with a positive mindset,” he said. “If you wake up in the morning with a positive mindset and thank God for another day on earth, you can get after it that day.”

Energy, effort and brotherhood

Brotherhood has fueled the journey.

Chandler Taylor has witnessed it develop over four years.

The Alabama signee and Badin’s senior center fielder has shared fields, dugouts and countless memories with many of the same teammates since childhood. Now they stand on the doorstep of history together.

“It’s been a journey — four years of greatness,” Taylor said. “I’ve been coached by one of the greatest coaching staffs in the state. I’ve been playing with a bunch of kids that I’ve been playing with and against my whole life. Being able to say that I won my last game with all my boys would be amazing.”

Taylor serves as the voice of the outfield, helping direct positioning and keeping teammates focused pitch by pitch.

Even so, he admits one player often sets the emotional tone.

“Everybody feeds off Driessen’s energy,” Taylor said.

That influence extends far beyond the mound.

“Each one of your boys, you form a special connection with,” Driessen said. “I’ve got a nickname for every guy in here. We all feed off each other.”

The dugout rarely stays quiet.

“When Brooks (Treadway) is doing K Time, I’ll try to one up him,” Driessen said. “Then somebody tries to one up me. There are just levels to it. I feel like we’ve done such a good job of finding that next level every game.”

Opponents hear it.

“If you get in the box or on the mound and you hear us over there, you’re probably screwed,” Driessen said with a grin. “If I got into the box and heard that K Time chant, I would be quivering.”

Badin’s rapid-fire pregame infield routine is eye-opening to watch — and it has become one of the program’s trademarks.

Treadway originally designed it to maximize repetitions, but it evolved into a reflection of the team’s personality.

“A key tenet of our program is energy and attacking everything that we do with the best energy possible and making that energy infectious,” Treadway said.

Players sprint from station to station. Ground balls fly around the diamond. Coaches and teammates constantly communicate.

“Nobody’s in the dugout,” Treadway said. “Everybody’s going. You’re getting every play that you’re possibly going to see in a game.

“The expectation is that you’re bringing the juice there in that infield. Whether you’re taking reps, feeding a hitter or just cheering everybody on.”

Taylor sees that same commitment every day.

“If you come watch us play or come to practice, you’re going to see that we’re the greatest group of guys,” Taylor said. “We’re going to go seven days a week. We don’t ever ask for a day off. We just go until coach says we can have one.”

Treadway appreciates the buy-in.

“These guys have been awesome to coach,” the coach said. “They’ve accepted being coached hard and they’ve accepted their roles on the team. We haven’t had any issues this year. It’s been fun.”

A roster featuring 21 seniors and a long list of college commitments has become far more than a collection of talented players. The Rams have become a family.

“You still have to remember how good your boys are,” Driessen said. “We’ve got 21 seniors, 14 already committed and two that are going to commit really soon. You look at this team from afar and you’re like, ‘Holy crap. They’re really good.'”

Playing for something bigger

Tradition surrounds every practice, every game and every player who wears the Badin uniform.

Generations of Rams have helped build one of Ohio’s most respected baseball programs.

That history remains impossible to ignore.

“There’s a lot of pride for our program, for our players, but especially our alumni,” Treadway said. “Those are the most meaningful texts that I receive.”

Former players continue to follow every postseason run.

Many remain deeply connected to the program years after graduation.

“Baseball at Badin is different,” Treadway said. “Guys graduate and move on in life, which is great, but they are invested in our program and want to see continued success.”

The connection is represented by a single letter stitched across every jersey.

“What’s the B stand for?” Treadway said. “I believe our B represents a very high standard of baseball. It’s respected across the state.”

Driessen has come to understand that responsibility.

“There is so much more that I’m continuing to find out about the lore of this Badin baseball program,” he said. “Anytime we put on this B, it means way much more than it means to everybody in the dugout and in the stands.”

Winning a state championship would mean everything to the senior right-hander.

The deeper meaning, however, isn’t just for personal accomplishment.

“Winning this state championship means everything for me,” Driessen said. “But I think it means more for this program. We’re doing it not only for us but for everybody else who couldn’t do it.”

Treadway nodded when hearing those words.

“Caleb nailed it,” Treadway added. “We’re not just playing this week for us. We’re also playing for all the other teams that couldn’t do it in the Badin community.”

The message resonates throughout the roster.

More than 200 campers will walk through Badin’s baseball facilities this week. Alumni will follow scores from around the state. Families and former players will fill the stands hoping to witness something special.

“It shows all the hard work we’ve put in all year,” Taylor said. “We’ve got this far for a reason and now we’ve got to finish it.”

Only two games remain between the Rams and a championship that has eluded the program for three decades. Badin hopes the final chapter becomes the one future generations point to when they talk about what it means to wear the B.

“Every day has been joyful,” Treadway said. “We haven’t had bad days down here. These guys look forward to being here. Every day, every second has been fun. And that’s just one reason why we’re at this point right now.”