GOSHEN − Despite their six runs scored in a Northern Lakes Conference (NLC) baseball victory vs. Mishawaka Monday, May 11, the Goshen RedHawks were defined by their defense against the Cavemen, as they so often are. Senior ace starting pitcher Ryen Diaz threw a complete game shutout on 84 pitches, only allowing two hits and three walks, but he also only struck out three batters.
Diaz doesn’t mind pitching to contact, because that contact more often than not fails to find gaps. Mishawaka hit the ball hard against Diaz, two of which resulted in base knocks, but all others resulted in putouts.
A sizzling line drive hit by senior Noah Deeds that was caught by sophomore left fielder Brycen Eaton. A scorching ground ball on which senior second baseman Jensen Meikle made a diving play to result in a groundout. A screamer by junior Alex Demaegd that hit Diaz square in the thigh but was then quickly fielded by the ace for the out.
The latter was most frustrating for the Cavemen and most emblematic of who the RedHawks are. Diaz said as soon as he got back to the Goshen dugout, he laid on the ground and tried to massage away the pain he felt in his leg.
It worked temporarily, as he returned to the game for his seventh and final inning of work in what likely should have been a one-two-three inning were it not for an error on a groundball to senior third baseman Bray Hoag, who pitched a no-hitter in the RedHawks’ first game against Mishawaka this season April 24.
That was the only error or misplayed ball of the game by Goshen’s defense, and sure enough, the very next ball was hit right back to Hoag, who fielded it cleanly, turned to throw a strike to Jensen Meikle at second base, who fired to Karter Marcum at first for a double play. Diaz was limping after the game, and he’ll surely find seams imprinted on his thigh for a few days, but he’ll bring the exact same approach the next time he toes the rubber.
“I knew I couldn’t throw hard and throw right past them, so I had to use my off-speed to get them out in front, roll over it and have the defense work for me,” Diaz said. “You just have to let them hit the ball, no matter where it goes. On the next pitch, every time, come back and compete.”
Head coach JJ DuBois has never seen Diaz phased by giving up contact. In fact, during the 2025 IHSAA Class 4A state tournament, Diaz’s mindset and the RedHawks’ rock solid defense behind him were integral to their run to the semi-state championship game.
“When the lights, figuratively, come on, Ryen shows up,” DuBois said. “He’s smart. He knows how to pitch to hitters. He knows how to mix all his pitches … He knows how to get guys out. He knows where to make plays, how to line up, what guys’ tendencies are. He’s always prepared.”
Mishawaka head coach John Huemmer doubled down on his NLC rival’s greatest strengths. He said the RedHawks don’t beat themselves, honing in on defense, base-running and small ball at the plate.
Goshen laid down four bunts Monday, three of which were successful sacrifices and the other was misplayed by the Cavemen’s third basemen which resulted in a single for senior Bryson Wilson in the sixth inning. That frame was Mishawaka’s undoing, already trailing 2-0 going into it but leaving it down 6-0.
The flood gates first opened when the Cavemen’s left fielder misplayed a well-hit fly ball from Goshen senior Braxton Cline, leading to an RBI triple. On the next at-bat, Meikle hit an RBI single. Before this inning, the RedHawks’ two runs were both on sacrifice flies.
Their last two runs in the sixth came via a throwing error and another sacrifice fly. Senior starting pitcher Drew Ginter was audibly frustrated after the inning, but his final stat line doesn’t fully reflect the quality of his outing.
Ginter pitched all six innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs and a walk while striking out four batters. He did it on just 76 pitches.
“He pitched too well for us to lose this game,” Huemmer said.
Even Diaz agreed, giving props to his adversary after the two proved why they’re two of the best pitchers in their conference.
“I love going against their best,” Diaz said. “It’s ace against ace, and I want to show them who’s the better one.”
After their second victory against the Cavemen this season, the RedHawks are 14-3 with a 9-1 NLC record. Mishawaka slipped to 13-4 with a 7-3 conference record.
Goshen leads the conference while Mishawaka is tied for second with the exact same record as Concord, which handed the RedHawks their lone league loss. Although his team is firmly in the driver’s seat for a conference title, DuBois said they are not going to approach the seven remaining regular season games and four remaining conference games chasing a magic number.
He is trusting in his nine-deep senior class to take care of business before aspiring to make another deep run in sectional play and beyond.
“They’re kids who have played together their whole lives; they’ve played a lot of baseball, and they’ve played a lot of it together,” DuBois said. “They can talk to each other and communicate. They know the right plays to make, when to make them, when to throw to certain bases, and that just comes with experience. That’s the beauty of having a team like this.”
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Ryen Diaz throws complete game shutout for Goshen baseball vs Mishawaka
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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