The majority of the very talented 18u Flash squad is college bound. The team members are, front row from left, Tyler Spitznagel, Seth Daly, Tory Bauer, and Mike Carraher; row two, Jon Walker, Ryan Houser, Jack Gustafson, Mitch Hamblen, and Anthony Clark. Not pictured, Kevin Chaffin, Jesse Mehring, and Ryan Mummert.

The majority of the very talented 18u Flash squad is college bound. The team members are, front row from left, Tyler Spitznagel, Seth Daly, Tory Bauer, and Mike Carraher; row two, Jon Walker, Ryan Houser, Jack Gustafson, Mitch Hamblen, and Anthony Clark. Not pictured, Kevin Chaffin, Jesse Mehring, and Ryan Mummert.
The Flash Baseball program has been very successful in the six years it has been situated on what is now an exquisite eight-field complex located just west of Hamersville in Brown County at 1426 state Route 125. Five of the fields are lighted and all eight are professionally maintained with grass surfaces.

Michael Daly, owner of the Flash organization, said, “The mission of the Flash Baseball Organization is to ‘train young men to be the best players possible for their local high schools and to get them ready for college and college baseball.’”

The Flash teams include team members that come from areas that includes a wide expanse of surrounding communities.

Work is constantly ongoing to improve that program in every facet.

In just the past year the playing fields complex has been expanded from five fields to eight fields. There are nine Flash teams and the organization is seeking to expand.

The Flash organization is a member of the Southwest Ohio League.

“We’re currently pulling kids from Milford, Amelia, Bethel, Goshen, Glen Este, Hillsboro, Ripley, and Anderson Township,” said Junior Atkins of Bethel, who in the Flash organization is the manager of he various Flash organizations and oversees tournaments and works on the scheduling. He has been a leader in adding players that come from far distances to play. He said if anyone is interested in more information about the Flash organization, or to join in, to contact Flash Baseball.org.

Daly pointed out the Flash is likely to expand to 12 teams for next year and each team will play 40 to 70 games.

Each squad will be conducting its own respective tryouts for the future. For information about each respective squad, 10u: contact Ron Lind 513-309-8538 or ttrlind@fuse.net; 12u Blue: Shannon Smith 513-518-6908 or shanmich03@hotmail.com; 12u Gold: Troy Bach 513-470-0983 or troybach@fuse.net; 13u: Chad Ward 513-748-2074 or wardsluvfootball@roadrunner.com; 14u: Craig Simpson 513-200-5637 or caramsimpson@aol.com; 15u: Michael Daly 937-379-2032 or flashbc@flashbaseball.org; 16u: Junior Atkins 513-827-0057 or jatkins@flashbaseball.org; 17u: Tommie Anderson 513-288-3235 or tommie.anderson@fuse.net; 18u: Michael Daly 937-379-2032 or flashbc@flashbaseball.org.

Daly said, “The Flash began nine years ago or something. Now we’re getting barraged with teams wanting to join our organization. One particular team, the 16u is looking for players.

“Our 18u players already have college plans and this one is the first graduating team to have played all the way through our organization.”

The members of this tradition-establishing and precedent-setting squad includes as its team members: Jack Gustafson, 6-foot, 200-pound right hand pitcher and first baseman from Summit Country Day School (Greater Cincinnati home run leader); Tyler Spitznagel, 5-10, 140, right hand pitcher and outfielder from Western Brown High School; Anthony Clark, 5-10, 141, outfielder and shortstop from Glen Este High School; Jon Walker, 6-2, 180, shortstop, third baseman, and right hand pitcher from Western Brown High School; Jason Zavislak, 6-2, 175, outfielder, shortstop, and right hand pitcher from Williamsburg High School; Seth Daly, 5-9, 125, outfielder and second baseman from College of the Canyons; Jesse Mehring, 6-3, 170, second baseman, shortstop, and right hand pitcher from McNicholas High School; Ryan Houser, 6-0, 145, left hand pitcher and outfielder from Milford High School; Mitch Hamblen, 5-11, 150, right hand pitcher, catcher, and outfielder, from Western Brown High School; Tory Bauer, 5-4, 140, outfielder, shortstop, second baseman, and right hand pitcher from Western Brown High School; Brad Barger, 6-0, 195, first baseman and right hand pitcher from Lynchburg-Clay High School; Ryan Mummert, 6-3, 185, third baseman, first baseman, and right hand pitcher from Clermont Northeastern High School (Southern Buckeye Conference Player of the Year); Mike Carraher, 5-10, 165, outfielder, third baseman, and right hand pitcher from White Oak High School; and Kevin Chaffin, 5-11, 195, catcher, right hand pitcher, and third baseman from Milford High School.

The 18u is currently 9-1 in their league race and and 21-10 overall.