Cedarville University is located just outside of Dayton, and has plenty of Orrville connections. All-Ohioan Calvin Speicher ‘23, and our athletic trainer Ms. Katie Hall, both proudly call themselves Yellow Jackets, and the newest Orrville-Cedarville connection, Caleb Carter, shined tonight as his 3 hits and 3 runs scored propelled Orrville to a win in their home opener. Carter’s hitting, baserunning, and baseball IQ were all on display today in a career outing for the senior, while his hits were cashed in for 2 RBIs by the return of junior catcher, and sectional champ golfer, Jacob Ott, to the lineup. One of the team captains, Ott has made a difference this season, and throughout his career, as a defensive stalwart. Tonight though, it was his bat that proved crucial to the Red Rider victory. Jacob’s contributions came in the form of 2 RBIs, highlighted by a 2 out RBI single in the 2nd inning that gave the Riders an early 2-0 lead. His plating of Carter in the 4th also allowed the Riders to retake the lead after the Panthers had leveled the ballgame at 2-2. Not to be lost in the show was Alex Smith’s continued excellence defensively at 1st base, highlighted by a jumping play that kept a foul ball from getting out of play over the fence. The junior’s defense has been essential to the team’s early season success. Cam Kraft’s complete game saw him only surrender 2 earned runs, while allowing only 2 hits. His timely pitching after the Panthers equaled the game at 3-3 shut the door on any possible lead change. That, and Carter’s timely baserunning in the 6th, proved to be just what Orrville needed to complete the sweep of Manchester. This is the 1st season sweep of the Panthers by the Red Riders since their days as rivals in the old All-Ohio Conference from 1976-1988. The win that continues what has been a fun start to the 2026 season for the team. What’s next for the Red Riders is a weekend back to back that begins Friday against the Huskies of Northwestern at Brenneman Field. After that, the team will travel to Loudonville on Saturday for a JV/Varsity Doubleheader beginning at 11am with JV kicking things off against the Redbirds. Hope to see you out to support at a game here soon!