Dayton Christian Baseball Finds Formula For Historic Postseason Run
The losses came early and often. Dayton Christian was adjusting to a new coaching staff, a new league and a new way of doing things.
The Warriors were getting run-ruled. They were learning difficult lessons against larger schools in the Southwestern Buckeye League. Some nights left first-year coach Marty Orwick wondering how long it would take for the breakthrough to arrive.
He believed it would come. The Warriors did, too.
Now, Dayton Christian is inching closer to a state tournament berth after ending a 56-year wait for a district championship.
The Warriors (15-11) will carry a seven-game winning streak into Tuesday's Division VI regional semifinal against Galion Northmor at Newton High School after winning 11 of their last 13 games and capturing the program's first district title since 1970.
"Our young men have worked their tails off," Orwick said. "While they don't look for it, they do believe they deserve to be recognized for the work they're putting in."
The turnaround is even more remarkable considering where Dayton Christian started.
Orwick inherited a program built by longtime coach Doug Adams, the winningest baseball coach in school history and architect of eight consecutive Metro Buckeye Conference championships.
Rather than trying to duplicate Adams' success, Orwick chose honesty.
"When I originally introduced myself, I told them, 'I'm not Doug Adams. I can't do what he does the way he does it because I don't know if any humans can,'" Orwick said. "Baseball is his thing. But what I can do is put faith in God and let Him lead us the way we're supposed to go. If you're willing and able to buy in, incredible things can happen."
Orwick assembled a coaching staff that included assistant Xavier Turner and returning assistant Keith Schraffenberger, whom he credits heavily for the team's development.
"I brought on Xavier Turner as an assistant coach. Keith Schraffenberger was already there, and he's amazing," Orwick said. "Xavier is second to none. I credit him with the vast majority of what these young men are able to put on a field.
"Then I just yell and tell jokes."
The challenges awaiting the Warriors were substantial. Dayton Christian entered the SWBL, a significant jump in competition for a Division VI program accustomed to conference dominance.
"It was definitely a learning experience because this is my first year in high school baseball and my first year at the helm of this school," Orwick said. "It was a daunting task to take over an already amazing program, go into the SWBL, which was a huge jump for us as a Division VI school, and not only exist but compete and excel in such short fashion."
The growing pains were predictable.
"We were rocky in the beginning because we were learning," Orwick said.
Before the season began, Orwick warned administrators and parents that success would not happen overnight.
"I told the athletic director before we got started, 'Are you prepared to go .500?'" Orwick said. "I believe that in my sports experience, in order for a reset to take place and for us to make this change happen, it's going to take half of the year to figure out how to grow into it. Then you're going to see a switch flip, and that's when you're going to see the team this team can become if they buy in."
The Warriors endured several lopsided defeats.
"One hundred and ten percent. We used it the SWBL to our benefit," Orwick said. "I told them, if you don't bring your very best in this league, you're not going to get beat — you're going to get run-ruled — which we did early in the season about four or five times."
"It had to get to a point where they weren't willing to accept that anymore for them to be able to go to the next level."
The foundation for that growth was established before Opening Day.
Orwick selected five players — seniors Gabe Knopp, Chris Hodge and Titus Riddell, along with juniors Daniel Thoma and Brody Schmidt — to become the team's leadership group.
"I named my three seniors and my two leading producers from the junior class at the very beginning of the year," Orwick said. "I brought them into a room and said, 'Gentlemen, here's what you need to understand. As much as I love baseball and as much as other people might tell you I can play it, if I step on the other side of that chalk once the game starts, we get in trouble. So it's not going to come from me. It has to come from you all.'"
"They had to learn how to lead. It was fun to watch them grow in that because they'd never really been asked to do that before."
One moment in particular changed everything.
Following a frustrating loss to Greeneview, Schmidt finally reached his breaking point.
"Brody went out there after one of the games. He was absolutely beside himself," Orwick said. "I asked him how he was feeling and he said, 'I hate this.' I told him, 'Go tell your team.'"
Schmidt addressed the team in the postgame huddle.
"He said, 'I can't do this anymore. We have to be better,'" Orwick recalled. "That was a turning point for them because they rallied around each other. That's when it really started to turn."
The Warriors soon began proving they belonged.
A pair of competitive battles against Madison gave them confidence.
"Madison was when they figured out they could play with people," Orwick said.
A disappointing loss at Carlisle followed before Dayton Christian rallied from a five-run first-inning deficit in the rematch to earn a dramatic victory.
"That was when they realized that if they make the first thing first, and if ego falls below discipline and fear falls below faith, that's when special stuff starts to happen," Orwick said.
The improvement became increasingly visible throughout the second half of the season.
Riddell emerged as one of the league's top offensive players, leading the SWBL with a .486 batting average. Knopp developed into a dependable ace on the mound after battling through early-season struggles.
"We've had great control on the mound," Orwick said. "Gabe Knopp, one of my seniors, threw in the district final against Dixie. He hit a rough patch early in the year, but when he figured that out, he's been incredible."
The youth movement has been impossible to ignore. Logan Orwick, a freshman pitcher and Marty's son, finished 4-1 in conference play, highlighting the team's promising future.
"I start two freshmen and three sophomores," Orwick said. "One hundred percent we're a very young team."
The Warriors' development wasn't limited to statistics. Orwick emphasized baseball intelligence and adaptability, teaching players to understand situations rather than simply react to them.
"What we tried to teach them from Day 1 was intuitive baseball," Orwick said. "I want them to have the fundamentals and understand what it means to play at a high level, but I need them to be intuitive."
That approach paid dividends on the bases.
"We had an incredible year on the bases," Orwick said. "I believe we led the conference by a good amount."
Nowhere was Dayton Christian's growth more evident than during its district championship run.
The Warriors advanced by defeating Riverside in a tightly contested game against one of the area's premier pitchers.
"The Riverside game — that young man on the mound was an absolute stud," Orwick said. "He was incredible. Great command of his body, great command of his control. It was an amazing game to play and an amazing game to watch. We rose to the occasion."
Unable to rely solely on offense, Dayton Christian won through execution and baseball IQ.
"Our defense showed," Orwick said. "They had several occasions where they tried to mount a threat and we had two rundowns, two pickoffs. We did high-level things well to stop that momentum. That was what won that game."
The Warriors followed by defeating Dixie for the district championship, ending a drought that stretched back more than half a century.
"The postseason has been a lot like the second half of the season," Orwick said. "It's just been a continuation. They're so prepared. They're so focused. They're sold out on what they have to do."
The journey is not over.
Dayton Christian enters Tuesday's regional semifinal playing its best baseball of the season, fueled by faith, leadership and a belief forged through adversity.
"It's really just been next one up," Orwick said. "Give our best effort, focus on what we do and do what we do well."
After 56 years of waiting, the Warriors have already made history.
Now they're chasing even more.
Franklin Names Emily Briggs As Its Next Girls Basketball Coach
From Franklin Athletics
Coach Emily (Chapman) Briggs is returning to take over as head coach of the Lady Wildcats
basketball program pending Board approval. This past season, Briggs spent her time assisting the varsity team with Coach Rossi. Prior to Franklin, she was assistant coach and director of basketball operations at Wright State University, where former Wildcat Layne (Ferrell) Myers played for her for the 2023-2024 season. Briggs played 5 years of collegiate basketball — 4 years at Division 2 Cedarville University and 1 year at Division 1 Wright State University.
Over her collegiate career, she tallied 1,578 points, 499 rebounds, and 395 assists. At Cedarville, she was named a two-time First Team GMAC, NCCAA All-American Second Team, and NCCAA Midwest Region First Team.
She graduated from Wright State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and a Marketing minor. She spent her high school years at Fairland High School, which has made multiple state tournament appearances over the past years. Briggs played on the 2015 state tournament team her freshman year.
Over her 4 years at Fairland, she tallied 1,378 points and ranks 19th in the State of Ohio for career 3 pointers made at 270, 20th for 3 pointers made in a season at 98, and tied for 5th at most 3 pointers in a game with 10. She was 3 time All District 13 First Team, District 13 POY, All-Ohio First Team, Academic All-Ohio Division III, and a McDonald’s All-American Nominee. She also played 4 years of volleyball and 1 year of softball.
Outside of sports, Coach Briggs was recently married in August of 2025 and has 2 dogs and 2 cats with her husband, Alex. She enjoys coffee, being bad at golf, random art projects, and spending time with family and friends.
“I am so excited to be back at Franklin High School as the Head Coach. I can’t thank Coach
Rossi enough for bringing me to Franklin last year and making such a big impact on my life. I’d also like to thank Franklin AD Bob Knipper for believing in me to take on this role. It means a lot to have an athletic director and other staff members at Franklin who support me and are always there to help. Thank you to my husband, family, friends, and old high school coach Jon Buchanan for their support, guidance and love over the years. They all helped shape me into the player I was and the person and coach I am today. Most importantly, I would like to express my deepest appreciation for the student-athletes and their parents. From coming into Franklin as an outsider and only being involved for one year, they have all made me feel so welcomed, supported, and loved. It has truly been a blessing to get to coach the girls and get to know their parents. Those relationships are what matter to me. Along with that, I am so excited to bring my joy and passion for the game and my knowledge of the game to the Franklin girls basketball program. To be in a head coach position has always been a goal of mine, and to do it at Franklin High School with these people is something I am so grateful for and something that I feel the Lord is calling me to do. I am committed to not only building into these young student-athletes on the court but also off the court. I can’t wait to get in the gym this summer and continue building the foundation for the future. As always, Go Cats!"
Dayton Christian Names Caleb South As Its Next Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach
From Dayton Christian Athletics
Dayton Christian Athletics is pleased to announce the hiring of Caleb South as its next Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach. Coach South currently serves as the varsity assistant coach at Troy High School, where since 2024 he has helped lead daily operations and was named D9 assistant coach of the year. Prior to Troy, he served as the varsity head coach at Bethel High School from 2021 to 2023, where he led the girls basketball program to its first league title in 40 years. He also gained valuable experience as a varsity assistant coach at Tri-Village High School.
In addition to his high school coaching background, South brings extensive experience in player development. He is the founder of CPS Training and has trained more than 50 Division I and Division II athletes. His work spans multiple platforms, including coaching on both the Adidas and Under Armour AAU circuits, with experience in both boys and girls programs.
Coach South is deeply committed to developing student-athletes both on and off the court. His leadership, passion for the game, and dedication to excellence align with the mission and values of Dayton Christian Athletics.
“We are excited to welcome Caleb South to our coaching staff,” said Kristin Blatz, Interim Athletic Director. “His vision, energy, and commitment to building a Christ-centered program will be a great addition to Dayton Christian. We look forward to the positive direction he will provide for our players and program.”
Dayton Christian Athletics invites families, students, and supporters to a meet-and-greet on May 26 at 5 p.m. to welcome Coach South and begin building relationships ahead of the upcoming season.
Dick’s Sporting Goods recognizes the fine student-athletes of the SWBL. Congratulations to Carlisle’s Elijah Dobbins and Bellbrook’s Landon Vennettilli for being named SWBL Players of the Year. Edgewood senior Carson Downie (Southwestern) and Carlisle senior Isaiah Brady Buckeye) were named SWBL Pitchers of the Year.
