Sherwood High senior baseball player Ben Berger has been splendid throughout the spring and the lefthander delivered yet another gem to lead the Warriors back to the Maryland 4A quarterfinals.
Berger pitched a complete game three-hitter, striking out 13 batters without a walk as the two-time defending state champions beat Blake, 5-0, in the Maryland 4A North Region final.
“He’s a strike thrower, his walk to strikeout ratio is awesome,” Sherwood Coach Sean Davis said. “He throws two breaking balls and a slider. He’s really tough. He has a great move to first base and shuts down the running game. You’ve got to hit your way around the bases.”
For his efforts, Berger was named the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame High School Athlete of the Week.
Each week throughout the school year, the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame is partnering with Montgomery Community Media to honor an Athlete of the Week from the county’s more than 40 public and private high schools.
The fall Athletes of the Week were presented with a commemorative hat and certificate at the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 induction ceremony in December.
Berger, who was named the Montgomery 4A East Division Pitcher of the Year, is 6-0 this season with a 0.35 earned run average. He has struck out a whopping 59 batters with only six walks in 40 innings, holding opponents to a .179 batting average. Berger, who will play at Frostburg State University next year, usually plays first base or outfield when he doesn’t pitch.
Sherwood (20-3) advanced to host Saturday’s Maryland 4A quarterfinal against Perry Hall, now three wins away from becoming the second team in Maryland high school baseball history to win three consecutive state championships. Brunswick of Frederick County accomplished the feat, winning the Maryland 1A title in 1990, 1991 and 1992.
“Pressure is a privilege,” Davis said. “I told the team, ‘You have the stresses of trying to win a third state championship in a row, not a lot of people have felt that. At this point, you’ve won the region, enjoy the ride, play good baseball and see what happens.’ ”
