April 5, 2023

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The Olivet College Comets visited the Muskingum University Fighting Muskies in an NCAA Division III battle that had Olivet looking for their first win of the season March 17, after beginning the year 0-12.

Muskingum features two Canadian players, RHP Sheadon Sullivan (Elora, Ont.) and RHP Liam Carey (Georgetown, Ont.), with this being Sullivan’s first year at the New Concord, Ohio program while this is Carey’s junior campaign.

Since his time with the Ontario Terriers, Carey has amassed a 4.94 ERA through 20 relief appearances with the Fighting Muskies through the two seasons, amassing a 7.9 K/9 through 27 1/3 innings with a 3.0 BB/9 heading into his third year.

Olivet earned its first win of the season, besting the Muskies 8-6, holding off Muskingum’s late rally in the ninth. Carey made an appearance midway through the game, allowing three earned runs off five hits in 2/3 of an inning, which ultimately helped Olivet to its first win on the year.

After the game, an Olivet player returned to the visitor’s dugout at Mose Morehead Field to pick up something he had left behind. He was confronted by an armed gunman, who proceeded to shoot the player three times, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries.

Franklin J. Grayson of Jacksonville, Fla., a 2021 graduate of Olivet, was arrested and charged with one count of attempted murder with a firearm and one count of felonious assault with a firearm. The attack appears to be random at this time.

Olivet College athletics tweeted the night of the shooting that the team will not play games scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in Ohio. Muskingum said all athletic events on that weekend were canceled.

Olivet returned to Michigan to face Grace Christian while Muskingum had five more home games on the schedule to round out March.

Despite the scary circumstances that occurred at Morehead Field, the Fighting Muskies went on a three-game winning streak, including a Sunday doubleheader against the Wilmington (Ohio) Quakers that ended with an 11-1 drubbing that ended via the mercy rule in the eighth inning.

After the shooting, Muskingum won four of five to finish out March and posted a 37-19 run differential.

While Sullivan has not appeared in a game for Muskingum this season, since the shooting, Carey has made one relief appearance against John Carroll University, allowing four hits and one walk to the tune of three earned runs in the eighth inning while striking out two batters.

On the season, the former Terrier has a 14.85 ERA through 6 2/3 innings and seven appearances, allowing 17 hits and 13 earned runs compared to six strikeouts.

Olivet has mustered one more win on its way to a 2-15 record, Muskingum currently owns a 12-6 record and a 2-2 record within the Ohio Athletic Conference.