Norwalk's Schmidt among area Cooperstown champs

Three area boys played on a T3 Warhawks team that won a prestigious 12U baseball tournament in Cooperstown, N.Y., in early July. Owen Fahr and Luca Cashbaugh from Sandusky and Eli Schmidt from Norwalk were integral parts of the Warhawks team that went 11-0 at Cooperstown All-Star Village against opponents from around the country. The Warhawks team was coached by Chuck Lombardy, who lives in Avon. The Lorain County-based squad won the 82-team Week 7 tournament, defeating a team from Jacksonville, Florida, 14-4 in the championship game. "The raw emotion of tears of joy and relief that poured out of the kids after the game is something I will never ever forget!" Lombardy posted on X after his team won a rare title for a team from the North. Cooperstown hosts top travel teams throughout the summer. The destination has become more popular in recent years as Little League Baseball loses traction as athletes opt for travel ball, which many see as a more competitive brand of baseball. Fahr was one of the Warhawks' primary pitchers and threw a no-hitter in the first game of the tourney, an 11-0 win against a team from Los Angeles. He also was a catcher, outfielder and first baseman. Cashbaugh played shortstop, second base and outfield while Schmidt was a pitcher, first baseman and outfielder. In addition to the local players, the Warhawks had players from Avon, Brecksville, Hilliard and Amherst. The Warhawks, in an unusual move, batted their entire roster of 12 players at Cooperstown while outscoring their 11 opponents 122-47. Four of the Warhawks' 11 games were decided by two or fewer runs. They scored a 10-9 walk-off win against Dirty South Dozen from Georgia in the semifinals. At the time of their tourney victory, the Warhawks team was the only Cooperstown champion from above the Mason-Dixon Line. Their overall summer record was 46-8. The Sandusky Bay Scrappers 12U team won a tournament at Cooperstown in 2024.