'One of the best that’s ever been here.' Mason's Jacob Hanley leads Comets baseball

When Jacob Hanley saw his younger brother, Ben, get in trouble on the mound during a key postseason game, he became a little worried.

He still had confidence Ben would get out of that trouble Tuesday night during a 4-1 victory by their Mason baseball team over St. Xavier in the Division I district semifinals.

Ben, a sophomore, came on in relief of senior starter Michael Bilo, and Mason having a 3-1 lead.

Ben put the first two batters on with a hit batter and a walk. Then he struck out the next two batters before walking another Bomber to load the bases. Ben Hanley then struck out his third batter of the inning to end the threat.

Jacob Hanley, who played first base, was with his brother all the way.

“My brother scared the crap out of me a little bit,” he said with a laugh. “He’s a pretty smart kid. He knows what he’s doing, but I wanted to walk over to him and calm him down a little.”

Jacob Hanley has known what he’s been doing for four years for the Comets, who are 23-6 entering Thursday’s district championship game against Troy (22-6) at Centerville High School.

Hanley, who has signed with Indiana University of the Big Ten Conference, has been one of Southwest Ohio’s top overall players for the Comets, who are ranked seventh in the Division I state coaches poll.

Hanley delivered one of the biggest hits of his career against St. X when he plated Alex Koelling with the long ball in the first inning to give the Comets a quick 2-0 lead over St. Xavier. He did that against St. Xavier ace Jack Ryan, a sophomore.

“We’re taking it one game at a time,” Hanley said. “We’re trying to get those next few days that come after each win, so we’re just playing as a team and staying focused on one game at a time. It’s been a great season so far. We’re at the point where it’s all starting to come together. The last 11 months we’ve been working for this, and it’s starting to pay off.”

Hanley is hitting .372 this season with 32 hits, 13 for extra bases including six doubles, four triples and three homers. He has 27 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

He enters the district final with 135 career hits, an all-time Mason Comets record. He has seven career homers and 96 RBIs, with a career batting average of .384. Those numbers are the product of four consistently productive seasons.

“I feel good,” Hanley said. “My teammates have a lot of confidence in me to get those hits. We’ve been doing a lot of good work. I feel really prepared right now and looking forward to what’s ahead.”

On the mound, he is one of Mason’s aces, posting a 6-1 record and a 2.58 earned-run average. He has 59 strikeouts in 38 innings, and two complete-game shutouts. His best game was a one-hit shutout against Fairfield with 13 strikeouts. He was 5-0 in Greater Miami Conference play.

Hanley has 13 career wins after going 7-1 last year with a 0.98 ERA.

“He’s a legacy player for us,” Mason head coach Curt Bly said. “A four-year guy. One of the best that’s ever been here. Our cowbell. Jake brought it today, and we’ll need him to bring it Thursday, too.”

Hanley is part of a deep and experienced Comets team that has 17 seniors, who all played their final game on their home field against St. Xavier.

“We ended on a win,” Hanley said. “It’s been a long time here. It’s special to be able to play here one more time. We just got to get the big one now.

Michael Bilo is 3-2 with a 1.37 ERA. Bryce Brannon is 5-1, 2.86. Senior Eric Schmulewitz is 3-0, 1.97. Ben Hanley is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA in 27 innings with 40 strikeouts.

Koelling, a senior and the leadoff hitter, hits. 352 with 22 stolen bases and 29 runs scored. Senior Drew Stevens bats .377 with 16 RBIs.

With a win, Mason would play either Elder or Centerville in next week’s regional semifinals at Miami University, four wins away from a state championship for the 45040.

Hanley and several other seniors played for the Comets team that reached the state semifinals in 2022. Mason also lost in the state semis in 2018 and the state championship game in 1987.

“It’s a big town, a lot of people,” Hanley said. “We’re representing a lot of people. The Mason on my chest means a lot to me. I’ve lived here my whole life, so being able to represent something more than myself is really important.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Mason senior Jacob Hanley leads experienced Comets on postseason run