By Chris Chaney
Sun staff
A trio of Milford High School student athletes has made a commitment to continue their education and athletic careers at the next level, the school announced last week.
Baseball players Ty Helton and Andrew Minton signed National Letters of Intent while soccer player Logan Bartsch verbally committed to Cincinnati State and will make it official when the soccer signing period opens on Feb. 5, 2014.
Helton, a senior designated hitter and first baseman, inked his commitment to Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. to play for head coach Todd Reid. Helton was the fourth 2015 signee for the Tiger baseball team.
Over his first two years on varsity, Helton has compiled quite a list of accolades that include First Team All-Eastern Cincinnati Conference, All-Academic Team, Perfect Game USA Underclass All-American Honorable Mention as well as being voted Milford’s Offensive Player of the Year following his junior season.
During the year, Helton batted .375 with 12 doubles, two home runs and 19 runs batted in.
The Eagles finished the 2013 season as the ECC champions and advanced to the district final before falling to Mason.
Another member of the Eagles’ district runner-up team, Minton has signed to continue playing hardball at Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio under head coach Joe Wilkins.
Minton, a four-year varsity player for Tom Kilgore’s Eagles, has been a Second Team All-ECC selection each of the last two seasons.
Minton will enter his senior season with a career batting average of .303 coming off of a junior campaign that saw him bat .330 and get on base nearly 40 percent of the time.
Minton led the Eagles with 34 hits, scored 22 runs and knocked in 14 more.
Minton and Helton represent the second and third members of the Eagles’ 2014 squad to have sewn up college recruitment prior to the season beginning.
Finally, Bartsch, a senior forward and defensive back, gave his verbal commitment to Cincinnati State before the holiday break to play for head coach Mike Combs.
Bartsch led the Eagles in goals scored during his senior season as well as points and was named to a member of the First Team All-ECC as a result.
Bartsch led Milford to a 13-6-0 record during his senior campaign and a second-place finish in the league with a 4-2-0 mark. The Eagles would advance to the sectional final, but lose to eventual state champions Mason.
The three-year varsity player also plays club soccer for Cincinnati United Black and has played for the CSA and SCSA Fusion.
The senior is the first player from the 2013 squad to announce his plans to continue his career at the next level. He will make his commitment official in February when the national signing period opens for fall sports.