MEDIAPOLIS — Braedon Oliver got off to an inauspicious start to his junior season for the Mediapolis High School baseball team.

So slow, in fact, that coach Rick Whitaker started using a designated hitter for his right fielder.

Oliver may have been disheartened by the slump, but he never gave up.

Instead, it drove Oliver to work even harder for his senior season.

And what a senior season Oliver is having.

Oliver helped Mediapolis reach the state tournament for the first time since 2015.

Fifth-ranked Mediapolis (27-2) plays fourth-ranked Unity Christian (26-9) in a Class 2A state quarterfinal game at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Merchants Park in Carroll.

When the first pitch is thrown, Oliver will be in his familiar role as the team’s No. 8 batter in the lineup and right fielder on defense.

It has been a long, hard road back for Oliver, but the destination was well worth the journey.

“Just putting in the work, hitting when I can. Just trying to figure out my swing,” Oliver said.

“He’s hit in the eight spot all year,” Whitaker said. “Last year he was our right fielder and I don’t think he got a hit in his first 20-some at bats and struck out 17 or 18 times. I had to DH for him after that.”

Oliver battled through his struggles at the plate last year, which took more of a toll on him mentally than physically.

“My junior year was rough,” Oliver said. “I kept working all year long. I’m happy I got back into it. It was very rough not going out. Now I’m happy I went out.”

Oliver bounced back in a big way this season. He earned All-SEI Super Conference South Division first team honors, hitting .391 with a .576 on-base percentage and a .438 slugging percentage. He is 25-for-64 at the plate with one double and one triple. He has scored 29 runs and driven in 20 runs and is 26-for-27 in stolen base attempts.

Oliver, as he was last year, has been flawless in the field. In 39 total chances, he has not committed an error while recording 36 putouts and throwing out three base runners.

In the Bulldogs’ 2-0 win over MFL MarMac in Tuesday’s Class 2A substate final at Solon, Oliver went 2-for-2 and drove in a run. He also had a putout.

Oliver made it through a dark time in his baseball career and came through the other side to play a vital role in the Bulldogs’ first trip to state in 10 years.

“Braedon is tremendous outfielder. I had to have him in the lineup for that. He’s always been good defensively. He’s fast and has a decent arm. He is a huge asset for us in the field,” Whitaker said. “He worked his butt off in the offseason. He’s been one of our better hitters all year. I’m superstitious, so I didn’t want to move him from that eight spot. You see a lot of fastballs down there and let those teams think, ‘Oh, eight, nine. Let’s go.’ A lot of times the bottom of the order has come through for us.”