Beth Hoffman: A Triple Threat for the Lady Bulldogs

Three sport varsity athlete for Defiance, Beth Hoffman, reflects on her time as a Bulldog athlete, thus far. With her freshman year coming to an abrupt end, the future of sports was unknown. With the unknowns of the pandemic, Beth continued to work hard and stay positive, in hopes to have a season the following fall. Beth’s downtime as an athlete was unheard of thus far in her career, as she is used to bouncing from practice to practice, game to game and season to season. Hoffman elaborates saying, “the break was nice, but I was ready to get back on the court (and field). It was weird having so much free time, but it was a time where I was able to improve and become better as an athlete.” 

When asked who her biggest influence is, she said, “my dad, he has always been my biggest supporter and pushes me to be my best. Without his support I would not be where I am today.”

As a sophomore, Beth says that her biggest accomplishment has been, “being a 3 sport varsity athlete, while maintaining a 4.1 GPA.” When she’s not on the court or studying, you can find her sleeping or hanging out with friends. Her favorite memory as a Bulldog was from this season, when the softball team went into extra innings and they ended up winning the game by one run versus Napoleon. With a bright future ahead, Beth looks forward to continuing her success on and off the court for the Bulldogs in the coming years. 

                                                                                     

   

Pictures taken by Jerry Latta

A Word from the Voice of the Bulldogs - Nate Marroquin

 

The Voice of the Bulldogs 

With high school baseball in full swing, I decided to interview the "Voice of Bulldog Baseball"... Nate Marroquin. Nate has been the PA announcer for the Bulldogs for almost 30 years! His dedication and passion for Defiance Baseball is immeasurable. Nate has seen a lot of great athletes and teams come through the Defiance High School Baseball Program. 

While talking with Nate, I asked him a few questions....

Luke: "Define the "Defi-Dynasty" and how has the Defiance Baseball culture brought so much historical success to the program and community." 

Nate: "The "Defi-Dynasty" has a lot to do with the kids in our program and quite honestly, if you don't have the great kids that we have had, you don't have a great program. So, to me it starts with our student athletes."

Luke: "Because of this historical success, what has been the most rewarding part of being a part of it."

Nate: "This is my 28th year with Defiance Baseball and I have been the PA announcer for three state Championship teams (2013, 2015, and 2016), that's the most rewarding part of doing this."

Luke: "I have noticed that there are several notable alumni who have successful careers beyond high school. Are there any experiences that stand out to you while watching these players grow?"

Nate: "I can't really point out one experience. Just seeing these young men deciding to play college and/or pro baseball, it's just amazing to me and it shows how much they love the game."

Luke: "To finish up the interview, overall, how has Bulldog Baseball impacted you?"

Nate: "Bulldogs Baseball has caused me to fall in love with the sport even more. It's educated me more than I already knew about the game of baseball."

It was a pleasure to speak with Nate to discuss his experiences and history with such an elite program.

You now know the personality behind the Voice of the Bulldogs, Nate Marroquin! Come out to the next Defiance Baseball home game Friday, April 30th against Celina to hear Nate in action!

By: Luke

Player of the Week: Jacob Howard⚾️

 This week’s player of the week is... JACOB HOWARD!⚾️ Jacob has batted .571 while contributing 4 hits, 2 RBIs, and a walk with 3 putouts on defense this week. Howard produced at the plate for the bulldogs when they needed it the most, in a close game against Elida, Jacob had a huge RBI hit to help the Bulldogs solidify the victory. The baseball team is now 10-3 overall and 5-0 in the WBL. The team is back in action TONIGHT at Bath (away) @ 5pm! 🔵GO DAWGS!!!!🔵 

Make sure to keep up on all the Bulldog Baseball action https://www.defiancecityschools.org/2021VarsitySchedule.aspx

Picture from: https://www.defiancecityschools.org/jacobhoward.aspx

Baseball Team Dominating in League Play

 The baseball team has had a great start this season in league play opening up the season with a 5-0 record against league opponents this season. Many players up to this point have contributed to this great start for the team. One of those players is standout Jacob Howard. Jacob has been playing decent in the field lately by having a respectable fielding percentage of .864%, but that isn't where he is doing his real damage. His real damage is coming when he is batting. He is batting at a .400 average. He is also leading the team in hits and runs while also being second in the RBI category. 

    What also contributes to the Bulldog's great start is great pitching coming from the pitching staff this season. The pitching staff is averaging 1.47 ERA (earned runs average). The pitching staff is being led in this category by Brayden Shaw, who is hosting 0.027 ERA. Another great pitcher on the staff is Jayden Jerger. Jayden, who also has a low ERA at 1.00, is second in the category. Jayden has started 4 games this season and appeared in 5. This has allowed Jayden to rack up 5 wins this season with 0 losses on his record. While Brayden doesn't have as many winning decisions as Jayden, he still has zero losses on his record this season. Another standout on the pitching staff is Jacob Howard, who has an ERA of 2.02 and has 3 wins on the season. 

    The Bulldogs will be back in action Tuesday the 27th at  Bath High School down in Lima, Ohio. Then they will travel up to Toledo, Ohio, to play Toledo Central Catholic on Thursday the 29th. For up-to-date stats on the Bulldogs, you can check out the team's page on the High School's athletic site. You can also follow the link provided here https://www.defiancecityschools.org/Downloads/var2114.htm, and as always, join me in wishing the Bulldogs good luck in their upcoming contest.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

 

Photo from defiancecityschools.org

Grayce Jones - Softball 

    Your Bulldog Player of the Week #POTW for this week is Grayce Jones from the softball team. Grayce has been a hitter who many teams have been trying to pitch around. Her plate discipline and ability to slug the ball has left pitchers shaking on the mound every time she is in the box. Opposing fielders are constantly on their toes knowing Grayce's outstanding softball ability. 

    Through 14 games, Grayce has a slugging percentage of .532, batting average of .319, on base percentage of .928, and a fielding percentage of .319! 

    This is not a surprise given the amount of hard work, dedication, and effort Grayce has put in throughout the year. She is a natural leader and supportive teammate who brings a tremendous amount of energy to the team! 

    Do not forget to share this post and comment to Congratulate Grayce! 

    Stay tuned for our next Player of the Week. Check out our social media for the latest updates and information. 

Go Dawgs! 🔵

By: Luke

Player(s) of the Week: Boys track

 This past week we could not choose just one player of the week, so instead we are highlighting the outstanding performances from the boys track team! Congratulations to the boys track team for being the first Player(s) of the Week. Make sure to check out their schedule to keep up to date on all their upcoming events! 

The first place finishers from the Celina invite include:

Payton Switzer- 200m Dash

Eli Fortman- 400m Dash

Josh Horvath- 300m Hurdles

4x200m Relay Team

4x 800m Relay Team

Great job to ALL! 🔵GO BULLDOGS!!!!🔵

Photo taken by: Jerry Latta

BULLDOG BOYS BASKETBALL CAMP COMING UP

 

Register Today! 

    Looking for summer activities? 3rd through 8th graders: This week will be the highlight of the summer! Get hands on training from the Defiance High School Bulldog coaching staff and players at this years Bulldog Basketball Camp! 

    The camp is from Monday, June 28th through Thursday, July 1st. There will be several contests, 3 on 3 games, 5 on 5 games, and other ways to work on the fundamentals of basketball while having a load of fun competing with your friends! During the week, you will get the ultimate experience of what Defiance High School basketball is about! Interact and learn from some of the best high school players Northwest Ohio! 

    All campers will receive a DHS basketball t-shirt! Reminder that masks are required when you are not competing and bringing your own water bottle is recommended. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

For information about other camps CLICK HERE

Go Dawgs! 

By: Luke