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OFA’s Baldwin completes what is possibly most dominant pitching season ever in Section 10

Posted 5/25/19

North Country This Week OGDENSBURG – Ethan Baldwin of Ogdensburg Free Academy completed what is likely the most dominant regular season a pitcher has ever had in Section 10. In five games against …

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OFA’s Baldwin completes what is possibly most dominant pitching season ever in Section 10

Posted

North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ethan Baldwin of Ogdensburg Free Academy completed what is likely the most dominant regular season a pitcher has ever had in Section 10.

In five games against Central Division opponents, Baldwin has a 5-0 record, which includes two perfect games, a no-hitter, a one-hitter and a two-hitter. To top it off, he hasn’t given up a single earned run against Section 10 opponents.

His most recent perfect game came recently against the previously unbeaten Massena Red Raiders.

“He’s a great kid to have,” OFA Baseball Head Coach Larry Mehaffy said. “He’s the first one on the field and the last one to leave. The younger kids look up to him and he’s always looking to improve his game on the field.”

Mehaffy said that local high school sports buffs do not recall any Section 10 player ever pitching a perfect game, let alone two.

The only name to come up who may have tossed a perfect game in the North Country is former Major League Baseball pitcher Tom Browning, who pitched for Malone in the 1970s. He went on to play for the Cincinnati Reds for a decade and the Kansas City Royals for a year. Browning threw the 12th no-hitter in MLB history on Sept. 16, 1988.

As hard as it is to top a pair of perfect games, having an earned-run-average (ERA) of 0.00 is almost unheard of. Mehaffy again noted that no North Country sports buff is able recall a local pitcher having accomplished this feat.

Mehaffy said Baldwin throws in the upper 80s and mixes in a change-up and cutter to keep hitters off-balance. “He has four or five pitches,” Mehaffy said.

“He’s always working on his grips … for his four-seam and two-seam fastballs,” Mehaffy said.

The 6’1” star has reportedly been recruited by LeMoyne and Bryant College, but Coach Mehaffy believes Baldwin intends to play locally for St. Lawrence University.

Baldwin, who transferred to OFA from Morristown Central in 7th grade, has played varsity for over four years compiling more than 20 wins, including a 5-0 campaigns this year and last year.

When not on the mound, Baldwin plays shortstop, a position generally played by a player with the strongest throwing arm.

Baldwin is to a degree following in his older brothers footsteps. His older brother Jeff was a good pitcher for Morristown not too long ago, Mehaffy said. However, the success Ethan has had this year is in a league of its own.

“He’s just a kid that loves baseball,” Mehaffy said.

As dominant as Baldwin is on the mound, he can hold his own at the plate as well. He has a .326 batting average this season.

The only pitching blemish of the year for Baldwin came in the first game of the season. It was a non-league contest against Watertown in which he gave up a solo home run. OFA, and Baldwin still won the game.

The Blue Devils will look to win the Class B Championship next week as they take on the winner of the 4th and 5th-seed games on May 29 at OFA. If they win there, they are expected to play that weekend in the finals at a neutral site, likely at Clarkson or St. Lawrence University.

Mehaffy plans to save Baldwin’s arm for the championship matchup.