Ellington Whippets claim state baseball championship

O’FALLON, Mo. — “Sup, State Champ?”

That was the phrase Ellington coach Jake Hime greeted each of his players with as they made their way off the field after Friday’s MSHSAA Class 2 championship.

The players earned the title, playing a nearly perfect game and shutting out Seymour 9-0 to win their first-ever state championship.

“That’s been the goal. That’s been the goal. I knew we had the talent to get the job done, and I knew if we just focused and grinded every day and played our brand, I knew it was a possible outcome. And kudos to them,” said Hime, who finished his eighth season as the team’s head coach.

With the game well in hand and Seymour (21-8) down to its last out, catcher Cameron Brewer took a mound visit and spoke with fellow senior Kaleb Richards as the two shared one last moment together on the field.

“It really meant a lot. I wanted to stop, you know, we’re pretty close and always have been,” Brewer said. “I just walked out and said, ‘Hey, this is what you live for. One more out and we’re state champs.’ It’s the dream, and we did it. It really meant a lot. Words can’t describe it.”

Added Richards, “He came out and said, ‘One more out and we’re state champions.’ And then it sunk in. I looked at the fans, and it was great.”

Richards, who had tears in his eyes from the time the final out was recorded until after the team took its photos, played as well as he could’ve hoped as he finished his season with an 11-1 record. He pitched a complete game and allowed four hits, striking out seven with no walks.

“A lot of happiness and a little sadness,” said Richards of his emotions after the game. “It’s over but that’s the way to go out right there.”

Ellington had as good of a start as it could’ve hoped for. Will Copeland hit a leadoff ground-rule double and scored the game’s first run when Brewer drew a bases-loaded walk.

After that, both teams went scoreless until the fifth. Copeland again got things started with a leadoff single. Nolan Heady followed with a single, and Richards drove in Copeland for one of his two RBIs.

With the bases loaded, Dilon Buckner came through with a two-run double into center field, effectively blowing the game open.

Buckner was huge for the Whippets in their win. After dealing with a few errors in the semifinals, the defense settled in and played error-free baseball with the help of six assists from Buckner, who fielded everything that came his way, including the game-ending grounder.

“It was crazy. I seen it took a bad hop. I was like, ‘Man, that’s going to be a tough one.’ I charged in on it, fielded it and threw it, and it was just an overwhelming emotion running through me and everybody else,” Buckner said.

In the sixth inning, Ellington scored three more runs, and a state championship seemed like an inevitability. The fans began doing the wave as they waited for the Whippets to secure the win. The players, coaches and fans all got their wish.

“For the community, I can’t speak to it enough, you know. They’ve supported us every step of the way,” Hime said. “They’ve been huge. Our crowd was nuts today. It got loud.”

Once Buckner threw the ball to Ely Crocker for the final put-out of the game, the Whippets rushed to the dugout for a dogpile to celebrate their history-making moment. Ellington finishes the season at 29-1.