Team History

History of Portage South Baseball

In 1995, a high school graduate with aspirations of trying out for his college baseball team had little opportunity to improve his skills playing on a local NEO Class A team. The teams that existed had very few openings and those athletes lucky enough to get on a roster found it difficult getting adequate playing time. In 1997, Bob Paradise, his son Robert, and Marc Korogi attempted to correct this situation by creating the Portage South baseball team. This team was made up of local players from southern Portage County.

1997 — Portage South started slow in its inaugural season, but came on strong near the end with victories over state runner-up Kent VFW and regular season league champion Wadsworth. They finished the season with an 11-15-3 record.

1998 — Portage South won 19 games and made their first Final Four appearance. They finished 19-14 and won their first Buckeye Division title.

1999 — Portage South was again able to win the Buckeye Division by one point over Alliance, but only went 17-15-3. They made it to the Regional final, losing to Manchester.

2000 — Rain played a big factor in the number of games Portage South was able to play in 2000. Despite this, PS managed to win 19 games for the second time in team history. Final record: 19-8.

2001 — Portage South won the Buckeye Division for the third time with a 15-9 regular season record. They went 2-2 in the AABC tournament. PS finished the season with a 17-13 record.

2002 — Portage South finished second in the Buckeye Division and fifth overall. They advanced to the Final Four for the third time in their six year history. PS finished with a 16-15 record.

2003 — Portage South finished fifth in the overall standings for the second straight year. PS had 5 All-Star, including two starters. PS finished the season at 15-10. This was their sixth straight season with a winning record.

2004 — The 2004 Portage South season definitely had its bright spot with the team finishing second in the overall standings and 43rd in the state rankings. Final record: 16-11-1.

2005 — PS had their best season in their 9-year history. They finished the regular season with 21 wins and won the league tournament. PS also made the NABF tournament. They finished the season with a 25-12-1 record.

2006 — Portage South’s 10th season was very successful. They finished the regular season with the 2nd best record and made it to the championship game of the league tournament. PS also won a bid the AABC tournament and won 3 of 4 games in Warren to advance to the Regional in Cincinnati. They finished the season with a 28-11-1 record.

2007 — PS enjoyed their most successful season to date. After finishing the regular season with a 22-4 mark (tied for the best record in the league), Portage South finished third in the league tournament. PS received a bid in the Buckeye Baseball 18+ State Tournament and went 3-0 in pool play earning the top seed in the tournament. They finished 4th in the State Tournament. Portage South ended the season 32-8.

2008 — In 2008, PS struggled to win games in the regular season. They finished the regular season 15-11-1, tied for first in the Suburban Division. Portage South won their first 3 games of the league tournament and earned a spot in the league championship game. They lost to the Akron Lasiks, but still received an invite to the Buckeye Baseball 18+ State Tournament. After going 2-1 in pool play, PS drew Sharon Cox Painting in the single elimination tournament. They lost and finished the season 20-15-1.

2009 — Portage South finished the regular season with a 13-14 record, which was good for third in the Suburban Division and 6th overall. Finishing sixth in the standings earned PS a bid to the NEO Wood Bat Classic Tournament. The Black Squirrels went 3-0 in pool play and received the #1 seed in the tournament. They made it to the Championship game, but lost 12-11 to the Hudson Explorers. The Black Squirrels were invited to a Labor Day Tournament in Pittsburgh, PA and went 5-2, losing the championship game 2-1. PS finished the season at 27-22.

2010 — The 2010 Portage South Black Squirrels finished the regular season with a 20-7 record and third place overall. They were able to reach the finals of the League Tournament for the 4th time in the last 6 seasons. With the second place finish in the AA League tournament, PS earned a AABC bid and NEO Wood Bat Classic invite. In the AABC Regional, Portage South lost a 3-game series to the Canton Stallions. PS would earn the #4 seed in the NEO Wood Bat tournament after going 1-0-2 in pool play. They would lose in the semifinals and finish the season with a 25-12-2 record.

2011 - After 15 years, Portage South was finally able to bring home a League Championship. The Black Squirrels finished the regular season 17-3, which was the best overall record. PS dropped the first 3 games of the season then won 17 straight to end the regular season and 18 straight overall. Portage South had to beat the rival, Akron Lasiks twice to win the title and did just that. They earned a NABF and Wood Bat Classic invite. The Black Squirrels lost 2 games in the NABF Youngstown Regional. In the Wood Bat Classic, PS would win all 3 pool games and received the #1 seed in the tournament. Portage South knocked off the Akron Horned Frogs 1-0 in the semifinal, but lost to the Hurricanes in the championship 5-2. They finished the season with a 25-7 record.

Web site hosting by Web.com