Baseball - Varsity
Saint Xavier High School Varsity Baseball Team
Schedule
Roster
2026 Varsity Baseball Roster
NUMBER | NAME | GRADE | POSITION | HEIGHT | WEIGHT |
| 1 | Jaxon Coomer | 12 | INF | 5'11" | 165 |
| 2 | Jakob Reed | 11 | RHP | 5'8" | 160 |
| 3 | Oakley Clevenger | 12 | OF | 6'0" | 175 |
| 4 | Tighe Brown | 10 | RHP,OF,INF | 6'0" | 160 |
| 5 | Ryan Holmes | 12 | RHP | 5'8" | 160 |
| 6 | Brilyn Hagan | 11 | RHP,OF,LB | 6'1" | 200 |
| 7 | Max Heitkamper | 11 | RH,INF | 6'0" | 180 |
| 8 | Brody Gaddie | 11 | LHP,OF | 5'9" | 160 |
| 9 | Chris Smith | 11 | C | 5'9" | 165 |
| 10 | Wyatt Graven | 12 | OF | 6'0" | 180 |
| 11 | Mason Akers | 10 | INF,C | 5'10" | 180 |
| 12 | Colton Zuege | 12 | LHP,1B | 6'0" | 180 |
| 13 | Austin Schetler | 11 | RHP | 6'2" | 210 |
| 14 | Carson Vavro | 11 | OF | 5'10" | 160 |
| 15 | Mason Nett | 12 | RHP,C | 6'0" | 190 |
| 16 | Nolan White | 10 | RHP,INF | 5'9" | 155 |
| 21 | Brodie Benefield | 12 | RHP,INF | 6'3" | 215 |
| 23 | Kayden Jones | 11 | RHP | 6'0" | 175 |
| MGR | Everett Jennings | 11 | Manager |
No players were found for this team
Coaches
Andy Porta '85 - Head Coach
Coach Porta is a 1985 graduate from
Saint Xavier High School where he played four years of baseball and basketball.
He earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Murray State
University.
Tighe Brown '95 - Assistant Coach
Coach Tighe Brown enters his second season on the St. X Baseball coaching staff as the Varsity pitching coach. Tighe is a 1995 graduate from Saint Xavier High School, where he played four years of baseball, football and basketball, earning ten varsity letters. He was selected as a Mizuno High School All-American in 1994 for baseball. He was drafted out of St. X in the 1995 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox (1995-1999). In 2000 he signed with the Cincinnati Reds and ended his career playing for the Atlantic City Surf. Tighe also was an All-State Punter in football, which led him to the University of Louisville for the 1995 season. He then went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville in Physical Education and Health. Tighe is currently a teacher at St. X. Tighe was inducted into the Saint Xavier Hall of Honors in 2010. Tighe has coached football at St. X for the past ten years working with the kickers. He has also coached travel baseball for the past 13 years. Tighe comes from a long legacy of baseball players: grandfather (Motts Minogue - played with Philadelphia and Detroit organizations), father (Terry Brown - St. X c/o 1961, played with Baltimore organization), and older brother (Tab Brown - St. X c/o 1989 and played with the Atlanta Braves organization). Tighe and his wife Leslie have four children: And
y (2004 – 2012), Tighe III (14) and twins Taber and Tinsley (10), who attend St. Patrick Catholic School.
Chad Lyons - Assistant Coach
Chad Lyons, brings three decades of coaching experience in Kentucky and Georgia to theTigers. A 1992 graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College, Lyons earned a B.S. in chemistry andwas a two-time All-American in football during his collegiate career. He was inducted into theKentucky Wesleyan College Hall of Fame in 2014 in recognition of his accomplishments. Chadis married to the former Melissa Evans of Terre Haute, Indiana, and they have two children, Aric(Saint Xavier class of 2019) and Amora.
Damon Amlung ’03 - Assistant Coach
Damon Amlung is a proud 2003 graduate of Saint Xavier High School, where he played four years of baseball for the Tigers and earned 25th-District and 7th Region honors as a third baseman.Coach Amlung returns for his 23rd season coaching high school baseball in Kentucky and his 21st year with the Tigers. His primary responsibilities include infield instruction and hitter development. He has coached at every level of the program, including JV Head Coach in 2012. The majority of his tenure has been spent as a varsity assistant, including four state championship teams. In 2018, Damon was recognized as the 7th Region Baseball Assistant Coach of the Year.Off the field, Damon earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Louisville’s J.B. Speed School of Engineering and works in dam safety for the US Army Corps of Engineers. Damon and his wife Kim are the proud parents of three children.
No coaches were found for this team.
History
Baseball Through the Years
- In 1909 Coach Martin Musselman led Saint Xavier’s first team onto the field.
- James Hagan ’10 threw the first no-hitter in Tiger baseball history in 1910, a 3-1 victory over New Albany.
- Charles O’Laughlin ’15 hit two grand slam home runs in the same game in 1915.
- Saint Xavier’s home-game season passes sold for $1 in 1922, and the team won 20 games on the way to the city championship and a first non-sanctioned state title.
- In 1937 the Tigers won another title and finished the season a single loss away from perfection.
- The KHSAA sanctioned its first Baseball State Championship in 1940.
- A furious 7th-inning rally carried the Tigers to a victory over the Male Bulldogs and earned them a trip to Lexington for the 1942 KHSAA state tournament. At the state tournament, “Fireman”Jack Barrett ’43 earned all three pitching victories as the Tigers captured their first KHSAA baseball title. Joe Mannel ’43hit .539 for the season.
- Eddie Martin took over as coach from Brother Firmin in 1945, and the Tigers earned another KHSAA crown. Ed Kinberger ’45 hit .667, leading the Tiger hitters at the state tournament. George Silliman ’47, Leo Meyer ’45, and Skip Baas ’46 each earned victories on the mound.
- Coach “Red” Hagan and his surprising Tigers captured the 1949 regional crown, advancing to Parkway Field for the state tournament. After the Tigers defeated Ashland in the first round, Jim McIntyre ’49 pitched a masterful no-hitter to carry them to the final game. Bob Haner ’49 blasted a long home run in the title game, and the Tigers defeated Madisonville to win the KHSAA championship for the third time in eight years.
- The Tigers knocked off Manual in the 1951 regional final to advance to the state tournament. When they beat Mayfield, Madisonville, and St. Joe in succession, they won their fourth championship in a 10-year span. The semifinal matchup with Madisonville was a 5-4, 10-inning thriller.
- Frank Doninger ’69 fired consecutive no-hitters for Coach Leon Dunagan’s ’53 squad in 1969.
- The Tigers made back-to-back runs at the state title in 1972 and 1973. They completed the two seasons with a combined record of 57-6 under the direction of Coach Bill Glaser ’69. The ’72 squad finished 29-2 and advanced to the semifinal game, while the ’73 team was 28-4 after a frustrating 5-4 loss to Henry Clay in the championship game that began in a steady rain.
- Coach Al Burke ’68 led the Tigers to consecutive regional titles in 1975 and 1976.
- The first state title in 30 years was earned by outstanding pitching, solid defense, timely hitting, and great base running in 1981. The Tigers of Coach Dave Butler counted an incredible 11 shutouts among their wins, including four of their eight post-season games. Future Major League pitcher Jack Savage ’82 earned the victory in the final game.
- Coach Butler’s Tigers reached the 1986 final four and were led by St. X Hall of Famer Billy White ’86.
- The 30-win season in 1988 was a first for the Tiger Baseball team. The Tigers, under the direction of Coach Joe White, reached the final four for the second time in three seasons with a pitching staff that included future MLBâAll-Star Paul Byrd ’88 and St. X Hall of Famer Tab Brown ’89.
- A new standard was established as the Tigers captured the 1993 regional title and won a record of 32 games.
- Future Major Leaguer Chris Burke ’98 completed a stellar high school career in 1998, and the Tigers went 33-2, earning the state’s top ranking before a tough loss in the regional tournament ended their championship dream.
- The 2006 Tigers won 16 of their final 18 games on their way to the KHSAA semifinals in what would be Coach Joe White’s final season at the helm of the program.
- In 2007 Project X brought the opening of Carl ’45 and Rosemary Mueller Field, the new home for Tiger Baseball. The Tigers defeated Meade County 10-0 in the first game played in the new facility.
- Ian Tompkins ’11 fired a no-hitter against Trinity in 2010 as the Tigers defeated the Rocks in their annual showdown at Slugger Field.
- In Coach John Jefferson’s ’85 final season, the Tigers advanced to the 2011 Final Four in Lexington. Matt Spalding ’11 was drafted by the Boston Red Sox.
- In 2012, Coach Andy Porta ’85 and the Tigers won 30 games and advanced to the state tournament for the second consecutive season. The pitching staff matched the 1981 squad by tossing 11 shutouts.
- Austin Clemons ’14 led the 2013 Tigers with a .510 batting average as they advanced to the state tournament by winning their third consecutive 7thRegion crown and established a new record for wins in a season at 34.
- In 2014 the Tigers compiled a 30-10 record, won the 7th Region for the fourth-straight year, and returned to Whitaker Bank Park for another shot at a state championship. In the tournament, Andrew McCormick ’14 led the 2014 Tigers to Saint Xavier’s sixth Baseball State Championship and earned the Most Valuable Player Award.
- The 2016 team complied a 29-12 record and won the tough 7th Region championship to advance to the state tournament. Led by seniors Adam Elliott, Daniel Fischer, Dalton Dedas, Nick Nelson, Brian O’Neil and Sam Porta, the Tigers captured their second state championship in three years and seventh overall – the most in Kentucky history.
- Connor Holden ’17 pitched a three-hit shutout in the 2016 championship game and was named to the All-Tournament team with Daniel Fisher ’16 and Adam Elliott ’16. Elliott was named tournament Most Valuable Player. Head Coach Andy Porta was named Kentucky Baseball Coach of the Year by USA Today High School Sports.
- In 2018 the Tiger Baseball program spent most of the year ranked number one in the state. It ended the season with a program-best 37-2 record and its third state title in the past five years. Ryan Nicholson ’19 was named the state tournament Most Valuable Player. St. X fared well in a variety of 2018 National Baseball Rankings. The Tigers finished 3rd in the Max Preps Composite ranking and 10th in the Baseball America ranking.
- The 2019 Tigers went 26-6 in the regular season, and won the 26th District Championship before falling in the 7th Region Championship.
- The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The 2021 Tigers finished the season 28-11, defeated Male in the 26th District Championship, and advanced to the 7th Region Championship before falling in a 3-2 heartbreaker. Senior Sam Thompson was named 2nd team all-state by the KHSBCA and senior OF/P Parker Guillaume was named all-region by the coaches. Trey Sweeney '18 was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the New York Yankees.
- The Tigers run-ruled Trinity in the 2022 7th Region Championship game, 11-0 in 5 innings, advancing to the state championship tournament. Senior catcher Jake Bennett was named the 7th Region Player of the Year, and was also named a 1st team all-state selection by the KHSBCA, after hitting 14 HR's and leading the state in RBI's with 67. Connor Holden '17 signs with the Detroit Tigers.
- The Tigers defeated Russell Co. in the 2022 KHSAA State Championship game, 11-1, to claim the 9th state title in program history. Junior 3B Cooper Smith was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, after hitting .571, and becoming the first player in KHSAA history to record at least three triples in a single state tournament (4). Senior catcher Jake Bennett and senior pitcher Ben Tedesco were also named to the all-tournament team.
- The Tigers finished the 2023 season with a 31-9 overall record, collecting a 26th District Championship and advancing to the Region 7 championship game. Saint Xavier became the first Kentucky high school baseball ever selected to play in the prestigious USA Baseball National High School Invitational Tournament in Cary, NC. Cooper Smith and Jake Gregor were named First Team-All State while Landon Akers made the Honorable Mention list.