Cincinnati Reds' Jake Fraley, left, poses with Elly De La Cruz after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies in Cincinnati, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)

Entering the 2023 NCAA Division III Super Regionals against visiting Misericordia, Marietta College baseball coach Brian Brewer noted that the Cougars played a similar style of baseball as the Pioneers.

“They bunt, steal and try to wreak a lot of havoc on the bases, which we try to do as well,” Brewer said.

Those aggressive philosophies helped the Etta Express become one of the premiere D3 baseball programs in the country, and fueled their World Series run a year ago.

Funny enough, there’s another baseball team in Ohio playing a similar brand of baseball and having success — the Cincinnati Reds.

In a league where swinging for the fences has become the most popular strategy, the Reds have built a team that will wear down its opposition on the basepaths.

Cincinnati is second in Major League Baseball in stolen bases this season, behind only the Tampa Bay Rays. But it’s not just one guy racking up steals and skewing the numbers — nine Reds have swiped at least four bases, with Jonathan India and Jake Fraley leading the way at 12 apiece. Up and down Cincinnati’s lineup, guys are getting on base ready to run.

Prior to the 2023 season, MLB announced it would increase the size of its bases from 15 inches square to 18, mostly to add safety but in part to make it more enticing for teams to try and run. Nobody has taken advantage of the change more than the Reds, a team that was just 25th in stolen bases in 2022.

It’s not just the base-stealing, though.

The Reds take extra bases as well as anybody, routinely going first to third and second to home on base hits. That fearlessness on the basepaths has helped the Reds drastically alter the course of their season.

Cincinnati was 21-29 after a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on May 25, but has since won 19 of 25, including 11 straight as of Wednesday, to improve to 40-35 overall and take over first place in the National League Central Division.

The Reds received a major boost to their team speed on June 6, when they called up top prospect Elly De La Cruz. De La Cruz was lauded in the minor leagues for his impressive power, but his speed has been his biggest strength since coming to Cincinnati.

He’s a threat to reach base any time he puts the ball in play. Among De La Cruz’s base-running highlights through 15 games, he has singled on a sharp grounder to first, singled on a bouncer back to the pitcher, scored from third on a grounder right at a drawn in shortstop, and stolen six bases without being caught. During Tuesday’s 8-6 win over the Colorado Rockies, De La Cruz got all the way to second on an infield hit when the ball was thrown wildly to first. The fielder rushed the throw, knowing he had to hurry to get the speedy De La Cruz. Then, the pitcher fired an errant pickoff throw to second, allowing De La Cruz to get third. He causes absolute chaos on the bases.

There’s something about good base-running that makes a baseball team, whether it be the Cincinnati Reds or the Marietta College Pioneers, extremely exciting to watch.

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Speaking of Marietta College, ex-Pioneer Turner Hill has made his Minor League Baseball debut with the San Jose Giants.

Hill, a 2017 Marietta High graduate, is batting .232 with a .333 on-base percentage in 17 games with San Jose.

He’s scored 15 runs, driven in six and doubled five times. Typically hitting in the leadoff spot, Hill has walked 11 times, struck out 12 times and stolen eight bases in 10 attempts while playing strong defense in the outfield.

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Jordan Holland can be reached at jholland@mariettatimes.com.