News

 

ARCHBISHOP MOELLER: Moeller’s impressive tournament run continued in regionals with back-to-back shutouts, blanking Grove City 8-0 and top-ranked Centerville 7-0. Nathan McDowell, who is 10-0 with a 1.037 ERA, threw a six-hitter with nine strikeouts to beat Grove City, and Matt Ponatoski, a two-sport commit to Kentucky, and Jake Gaerke combined on a two-hit shutout against Centerville, sending Moeller to state for the 14th time. Louisville recruit Reggie Watson and Teagan Cumberland each had two hits in the regional semis while Watson went 3-3 and scored two runs in the finals. McDowell, a Notre Dame recruit, threw a no-hitter against Middletown in districts for the nine-time state champions, ranked fourth by Prep Baseball and fifth by the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association. Kent State commit Connor Cuozzo now has 103 career RBIs, breaking the previous mark of 88 set 21 years ago. Ponatoski holds the career walk record with 66. Watson is 8-11 in the tourney with five runs and seven RBIs while Cumberland and Connor Maupin are both 4-10 with four RBIs. 

 

PERRYSBURG: Andrew Charpie, a Heidelberg signee, threw a six-hit shutout to lead Perrysburg past Massillon Jackson 1-0 and with it a third consecutive trip to state. The Yellow Jackets, winners of 11 in a row, rallied from a 6-2 deficit with one in the bottom of the sixth and three in the last of the seventh to send the regional semifinal game with Strongsville into extra innings and Perrysburg won in 11 on a two-out walkoff RBI double from Asher Lattimore that plated Taylor commit JD Zeeb, who had tied the game with a two-out run-scoring single in the seventh. Preston Faris threw 5.2 shutout innings of relief for the victory. Ryan Rettig has seven hits in the tournament for Perrysburg, the seventh-ranked team in the state by Prep Baseball and eighth by the OHSBCA, which scored three in the bottom of the sixth to defeat Midpark 4-1 in the district semis. Findlay commit Tyler Palmer holds the career record at Perrysburg for wins and strikeouts. This marks the fifth year in a row the Northern Lakes League has had a team in the Division I Final Four, Northview winning state in 2022, Anthony Wayne losing in the semifinals in 2023 and Perrysburg, falling to Springboro 5-1 in last year’s state semifinals after losing to eventual state champion Mason 1-0 in the 2024 state semis. 

 

ST. XAVIER: St. Xavier scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to come from behind to beat Oak Hills 6-5 and earn a state berth for the third time in school history. Jack Ryan tossed a no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Elder in the regional semifinals to give the Bombers a 1-0 victory over a team that had beaten them two of three during the regular season. St. Xavier, which has now won 18 out of its last 19, defeated Walnut Hills 5-2 and Lakota West 8-3 in districts. Ryan is 6-10 with three walks, a sac fly, six RBIs and four runs in four tourney games for the third-ranked team in the state by Prep Baseball and seventh by the OHSBCA. The Boston College commit has set career records at the school for hits (125), as well as wins (21), innings pitched (197.2) and strikeouts (222). Dillon Brus has established a new season mark for stolen bases with 36 and Sam Vovak has an all-time best eight saves. The team has also set a record for steals in a season with 125. The last time St. X made it to state was 2003 when the Bombers were Division I state champions.  

 

OLENTANGY ORANGE: Jake Luling drove in five with a single, double and home run to lead Olentangy Orange to state for the third time in school history with a 12-4 win over Newark. Orange knocked off defending state champion Olentangy 3-2 in the semis, winning on a Maverick Scholvin walk-off single in the last of the seventh. The Pioneers, winners of 15 straight, did not give up a run in the tournament until regionals, beating Groveport-Madison 20-0 and Pickerington Central 5-0. Reid Hemrick, the winning pitcher against Newark who holds the single-season strikeout record at the school with 100, fanned 15 in a two-hitter versus Central with Nick Vicars hitting three singles and Luling a single and double for the second-ranked team in Ohio by Prep Baseball and third by the OHSBCA. Orange, which has no state titles with the best finish runners-up in 2023, has had 45 college players in 16 seasons with eight more committed in the 2026 class. 

 

 

 

NEW ALBANY: New Albany will be back to the Final Four for the second year in a row after topping Big Walnut 5-1 in the regional finals. The Eagles edged Westerville South 2-1 in the semis with Bryson Gittins allowing three hits in six innings. Gittins, who is 9-0 on the season with a 0.834 ERA, threw four no-hit frames and Mason Ackermann went 2-2 with six RBIs in leading the No. 6 team in D-II by Newark Licking Valley 11-0 in the district title game. The Eagles pounded Walnut Ridge 22-0 in the semis. State champions in 2004 and 2021 in the first two state appearances by New Albany, the Eagles fell to Amherst Steele 3-2 in last year’s state semifinals.  

 

HARRISON: A five-run fifth inning propelled Harrison to a 6-3 win over Anderson and a trip to state for the first time ever. The Wildcats scored one in the sixth and one in the seventh to rally past Loveland 2-1 in the semis, with Ryan Stigler going 4-4. Harrison, which entered tournament play with a 10-10 record, pushed across three runs in the top of the 10th to stun Edgewood 7-4 in the district finals, advancing to regionals for the initial time since 2009. Drew Baker had a two-out RBI single and David Baldock added a two-run double. Preston Flick threw six shutout innings in relief and Baldock came in for four scoreless frames to pick up the win. After Northmont scored seven in the bottom of the sixth to tie up the game, Harrison tallied seven in the top of the seventh and went on to a 14-10 semifinal victory. Stigler drove in six with two singles and a double and Kyle Davidson was 3-4 with three runs. Stigler has a slash line of .600/.647/.667 in tourney action with eight RBIs and a 1.314 OPS. The Wildcats have had nine players with multiple hits in the tournament and a dozen have scored. 

 

NORTH CANTON HOOVER: North Canton Hoover is returning to the state tournament for the first time since 1999 after knocking off Brecksville Broadview-Heights 6-4. Evan Fuller, a Youngstown State signee, threw a one-hitter at Hudson in a 4-0 regional semifinal victory. Roman Geiselman was 2-3 in both regional contests. The Vikings were at regionals for the fourth time in five years after beating Green for the third time this season, winning 3-2 in eight innings on a walk-off error. Nolan Pellegrino and Preston Lee gave up five hits in a 3-0 shutout of Valley Forge in the district semifinals. Jack Andes, the Federal League POY, has 120 career stolen bases to stand 13th all-time in the OHSAA. The 43 steals from the Bowling Green commit are a school record while Andes also has the record with 10 career triples, 89 career runs, 48 pitching appearances and 16 career saves. Andes and Jack Ziarka have four home runs apiece. The fourth-ranked team in D-II has set school records for stolen bases (129) and home runs in the BBCOR era (11). The Federal League champions have tied the school record for wins in a season with 25. In 73 seasons, North Canton Hoover has a record of 1,164-655. 

 

WALSH JESUIT: Walsh Jesuit entered tournament play with a 10-12 record, but the Warriors are now headed to state following an 8-4 regional championship game win over Shaker Heights. Tanner Fitzwater was 3-4 to lead an 11-hit attack after beating Highland 2-0 in the semifinals behind a two-hit 11-strikeout shutout from Tennessee commit Shawn Sullivan. Matthew Mansbery was 4-4 for the Warriors, which avenged a 3-2 regular-season defeat to Mayfield with a 7-3 district final win. Mount Union commit Anthony D’Angelo threw a five-inning no-hitter in the semifinal 20-0 win over Euclid. Colin Locigno drove in four and scored three runs, Mansbery had a single and double with three runs and Mount Union signee Rylan Batley hit a homer. Mansbery, a Michigan recruit, is 11-14 with 10 runs scored in the tournament, hitting three triples and two doubles while stealing three bases. Fitzwater is 6-11 with 11 runs while Batley has hit a single, double and home run while walking five times. Sullivan has 21 Ks in 12.1 innings in tourney play and fanned 78 in 40.2 frames overall with a 0.861 ERA. Walsh Jesuit has won four state championships (2008, 2006, 2004 and 1999) and finished second twice (2010 and 2009). This is the fourth state appearance in six years. 

 

 

 

BADIN: This will be state tournament appearance number 17 for Badin, which has outscored the opposition 55-1 in the tournament to date. A three-hit shutout with nine strikeouts from Miami of Ohio commit Caleb Driessen gave the Rams the regional crown with a 5-0 blanking of Butler. Alabama commit Chandler Taylor was 3-4 for the top-ranked team in Ohio, which run-ruled Tippecanoe 10-0 in the regional semis with Brooks Treadway throwing a no-hitter, Derek Ogden going 4-4 and Thomas More recruit Eli Wolpert 3-3. It was the fourth run-rule of the tournament for Badin, which defeated Mt Healthy 18-0, Talawanda 10-0 and Chaminade-Julienne 12-1. The team ERA in the tourney is 0.250, with Badin pitchers giving up seven total hits in 28 innings. Taylor, who has established the career RBI record at Badin with 112, is 9-15 with eight RBIs in the tourney. Three others are hitting .500 or better in the tournament, Ogden .700, Vince Laugle .556 and Wolpert .500. Badin has been to five of the last six Final Fours.  

 

PADUA FRANCISCAN: Padua scored four runs in the top of the sixth to rally from a 4-0 deficit, then scored two in the seventh after University School had gone in front 5-4 and the Bruins held on for a 6-5 regional final victory. The University School had eliminated Padua 8-5 in eight innings in last year’s regional semifinal. Ben Thomas was the winning pitcher, throwing 1.2 innings of shutout relief, getting out of a two-on and two-out jam in the last of the seventh. Reed Cervenka drove in Patrick Loftus with what proved to be the winning run after Jacob Rhivalsky had brought home Chase Martin to tie the game. Rhivalsky had three hits and three RBIs for the third-ranked team in D-III by Prep Baseball and 10th by the OHSBCA, which beat Southview 3-2 in the regional semifinals. Prior to regionals, Padua had not been scored on in the tournament, beating Cleveland JFK 19-0, Copley 10-0 and Alliance 5-0. Chase Bart and Brandon Tillman did not allow a hit in the JFK game, Martin surrendered one versus Copley and Otterbein commit Jack DeGetter had a five-hitter against Alliance. The lineup for the Bruins features eight starting underclassmen. This is the fifth state appearance for Padua, which has never won a championship, reaching the finals once, losing to Cincinnati Western Hills 11-4 in the 1977 AAA finals. The last state appearance came two years ago when the Bruins fell to Badin 5-0 in the Division II semifinals. 

 

CUYAHOGA VALLEY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY: Jacob Lancy scored on a walk-off single by Alex Mammone sending CVCA to the state tournament with a 3-2 win over Hoban. Mammone was the winning pitcher with two innings of shutout relief of Peyton Drabick, who had two hits and an RBI. Connor McGough had a home run for the 17th-ranked team by Prep Baseball and unranked by the OHSBCA. Mammone also got the final out in a 2-0 win over Chardon in the regional semis, coming in for Kyle Shaw with two on and two away in the top of the seventh. Shaw, a Baldwin-Wallace signee, gave up one hit and four walks in 6.1 innings. Three unearned runs in the top of the 10th lifted CVCA past Uniontown Lake 7-4 in the district finals with Drabick producing four hits for the Royals, which won its two previous tourney games by a combined 29-0. This will be the first trip to state for CVCA, which has been to regionals three consecutive seasons. Drabick is batting .588 with five RBIs in the tournament while Mammone is 2-0 with a save, striking out 14 in 7.2 frames while not allowing a run. Shaw has also not given up an earned run while surrendering just four hits in 10.2 innings. McGough has set the school season record for runs with 49. The team has established a record for base on balls in a season with 175.  

 

BISHOP WATTERSON: Ben Burleson tossed a two-hit shutout to lead Watterson to the state tournament with a 5-0 blanking of London. Burleson and Michael Mulligan drove in two runs each for the second-ranked Eagles, which used a five-run sixth to outlast Warren 9-5 in the regional semis. Caden Mangini had a single and triple with four RBIs. Burleson threw a six-hitter to send Watterson back to regionals for the 17th time with a 6-1 victory over Bloom Carroll in the districts. Mulligan, a Toledo commit, has six hits in the tournament for the Eagles, which broke a 3-3 tie with a four-run sixth to beat Bexley 7-3 in the district semis. Watterson, which starts seven seniors, has won 23 of its last 24 games. This will be the eighth state appearance and the first since 2015, with the Eagles winning it all in 1997, 1991 and 1988. 

 

 

 

SANDUSKY PERKINS: Carter Koch led off the eighth with a double and came home with what proved to be the winning run on a Braxden Martin sacrifice fly to send Perkins back to state with a 6-5 win over Highland. Trailing 5-4, Perkins tied the game on a Talon Walton triple and a Koch sac fly in the top of the fifth. Quentin Binette went 4-4 and Martin threw three shutout innings of relief in the win for the Pirates, which blanked Van Wert 3-0 in the regional semis on a Walton five-hitter. Bryce Davie hit a single and double for the fifth-ranked team by Prep Baseball and third by the OHSBCA, which shut out Clyde 8-0 and St. Mary’s 6-0 in districts. Kash Koch threw a no-hitter at St. Mary’s, while Walton and Josh Cummings teamed up on a two-hitter versus Clyde. Walton is 7-18 with seven runs and four RBIs in the tournament for the Pirates, which has never won a state crown, losing to Licking Valley 2-1 in the 2025 state finals. This will be the fourth state appearance for a school that has produced five MLB draft picks. 

 

CARDINAL MOONEY: Mooney scored four runs in the fourth and held on to beat Canton Central Catholic 5-4 in the regional finals, avenging a 10-9 loss three weeks prior. It has the second-rated team in D-IV heading to state for the first time. Johnny Brenner was 3-3 and winning pitcher Ford Stacy 2-2 with two RBIs for the Cardinals, which advanced to the finals with a 2-0 win over London on a four-hit, 10-strikeout performance from Ben Oddis. Mooney won a pair of 3-1 games in the districts against Holy Name and Field. Oddis threw a three-hitter versus Holy Name and Stacy a two-hitter against Field. Stacy and Will Petty teamed up for a no-hitter in the sectional 14-1 win over Niles McKinley. Kaden Reese, one of six starting juniors, has set the school record for stolen bases for the Cardinals.  

 

FAIRFIELD UNION: A pair of 5-2 regional victories has Fairfield Union off to state for the first time. The Falcons tallied two in the top of the seventh against Richmond Edison to even the game, then scored four in the 10th highlighted by a Dylan Chilcote two-run double. Elli Wolfe went the first nine innings on the mound for Fairfield Union, which got past Logan Elm in the semifinals with Cameron Silcott not allowing an earned run in 6.2 innings. Chilcote came through with a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth of a 2-1 district final victory over Gallia Academy. Joe Blankenship, who closed out both regional games, and Silcott combined to limit Gallia to four hits. Wolfe and Silcott pitched the Falcons by Circleville 3-2 in the semis.  

 

BISHOP FENWICK: Fenwick came back from a 4-3 deficit to edge Roger Bacon 5-4 in the regional title game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh on RBI singles from Jude McCullough and Boyd Westerfield. Carter Shouse went 3-3 and scored two runs for the 14th-ranked team in the state by Prep Baseball and unranked by the OHSBCA, which rolled over Newark Licking Valley 16-6 in the regional semis with Shouse going 2-4 with four RBIs and Jackson Kaufman 2-2 with three runs and three RBIs. The Falcons tallied five runs in the top of the seventh to shock Urbana 5-2 in the district finals, giving Fenwick its first 20-win season since 2018. Kauffman had a one-out two-run double to put the Falcons on top. Shouse fanned 16 and permitted two hits in helping Fenwick reach the regionals for the second year in a row. Anthony Snyder pitched a two-hit shutout in a 10-0 win over Clinton-Massie in the district semis.  

 

 

 

LIBERTY-BENTON: The first trip to state is in the books for Liberty-Benton after two 3-1 wins at regionals. Kooper Leatherman threw a two-hitter against Amanda-Clearcreek in the finals after Jackson Knepper pitched a four-hitter versus Sherwood Fairview in the semifinal tilt. Reid Irwin went 3-4 in the finals while Leatherman was 3-3 in the semis. Leatherman ripped a bases-clearing three-run double in a four-run second and Liberty-Benton went on to beat Swanton 5-1 to earn its first trip to regionals since 1997. Knepper threw a five-hitter for the victory. Zach Elchert hit an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth to give the Eagles a 3-2 win over Paulding in the district semis. Leatherman struck out eight in five innings for the win, with Knepper earning the save with two no-hit frames. Knepper has established the school record for wins in a season with 11, Leatherman has set the mark for doubles in a campaign with 19 and RBIs with 34 while Elchert has set career records for runs (97) and HBP (40) and a season mark with 21 HBP. 

 

COLUMBUS ACADEMY: A six-game winning streak has Columbus Academy at 16-16 on the season and headed to state after defeating Versailles 3-2 in the regional finals. The Vikings scored three in the first inning and held on, getting out of a first-and-third jams in the sixth and seventh innings. Dominic Dunkle, a Denison commit, was the winning pitcher with Kevin Klingerman earning the save for Academy, which used an eight-run fourth to beat Arcanum 11-3 in the regional semis. Otterbein signee Cooper Leibus went the distance fanning 12 while Klingerman hit three singles. The Vikings beat three higher-seeded teams en route to its ninth trip to regionals, capped off with an 8-5 victory over Northridge. Dunkle, who is 12-17 in the tournament, had two singles, a double and three runs scored after producing a single, double and three runs in an 11-4 victory versus Fairbanks in the semis. Leibas was 3-5 and drove in three in the district semifinals while Dunkle was 4-4 with two runs and two RBIs in the sectionals versus Mt. Gilead.  

 

LUCASVILLE VALLEY: Lucasville Valley will be going to state for the sixth time following a 17-6 pounding of Harrison Central in the regional finals. Caysen Zieber was 3-3 to lead a 13-hit attack for the seventh-rated D-V team by Prep Baseball and 13th by the OHSBCA. Nolan Barnett, who drove in four and scored three against Harrison Central, went all nine innings of a 6-3 win over Minford in the semis. Valley scored three in the ninth with Gavin Hannah scoring on a wild pitch, Carson Powell touching home on a Barnett sac fly and Collin Greene hitting a run-scoring single to plate Nick Queen. The Indians won their fifth district title in a row, avenging a 4-3 regional semifinal loss to Lynchburg-Clay a year ago with a 9-3 district final victory. Queen was 3-3 with three runs scored and Barnett went the distance for Valley, which have just three senior starters. Barnett struck out 13 in 10 innings of the sectional finals and Gabe McNeil had the game-winning hit in the 11th to beat Dawson-Bryant 3-2. Powell, a Mount Vernon Nazarene commit who threw a no-hitter in the district finals last year, had three hits against D-B while McNeil produced three in a 6-1 win over Northwest in the district semis. Valley last made it to state in 2021, with the lone state championship coming in 1975.   

 

WAYNEDALE: Waynedale will be in search of its fourth state crown in a five-year period after winning regionals with a 5-1 victory over Poland Seminary. Brayden Steiner fanned 10 while not giving up an earned run. Jordan Miller struck out 13 in a three-hit shutout of Chagrin Falls in the semifinals, a 3-0 win fueled by two hits from Hudson Barkman. Getting to regionals was far from easy for Waynedale, which did the unthinkable with a four-run bottom of the seventh to stun Keystone 8-7 in the district finals. Steiner hit a two-run one-out double to send the defending D-V state champions, which also won state in 2022 and 2023, back to regionals. Miller struck out 11 in beating Northwestern 5-1 in the district semis, allowing three hits and no earned runs. Logan Troyer was 2-2 and Steiner scored two runs. This is the fifth straight trip to state. 

 

 

 

LAKE CENTER CHRISTIAN: A four-hit shutout from Grant Coblentz has Lake Center Christian back at the state tournament. Coblentz struck out 15 and also hit a single and double in the 4-0 win over Chippewa by the fourth-ranked team in D-VI, state runners-up last season. The Tigers, which have outscored opponents 52-6 in the tournament, jumped to a 9-1 lead over LaBrae in the regional semifinals and held on for a 9-6 triumph. Nathan Bryant and Colton Smilek were both 3-4 for the Indians, which reached regionals for the fourth year in a row and fifth overall. Caleb Shelly fanned all 15 batters he faced in the sectionals and threw a two-hit shutout against Mogadore in the district semis while Coblentz fired a two-hitter versus Grand Valley in the district title game. Luke Heckert, Nathan Bryant and Brayden Myers are the lone senior starters for Lake Center, Heckert an Arizona Western JC commit and Bryant an Ohio State signee.  

 

NORTHMOR: Northmor scored six runs on six hits in the top of the seventh to get by Fort Recovery 8-2 in the regional finals and with it the second trip to state in school history. Brody Beck went all the way for the seventh-ranked D-VI team by Prep Baseball and eighth by the OHSBCA, not allowing an earned run while fanning seven. Jack Bowdre, Brady Chapman and Billy Bowlin had two hits apiece for the Knights, which scored eight in the top of the seventh in the regional semis en route to a 13-4 victory over Dayton Christian. Brady Carr had a pair of singles and a double. Beck threw a complete game and Northmor knocked off top-ranked West Jefferson 5-4 for a district championship after defeating Grandview Heights by an identical score in the district semis behind the strong pitching of senior Trevor Brubaker, who now has 27 career pitching wins, 282 Ks and a career ERA of 0.96. The only other trip to state for Northmor came in 1995. 

 

HILAND: Defending Division VI state champion Hiland will be making its fourth consecutive trip to state after a pair of 12-0 wins in regionals. Mike Miller threw five two-hit innings of a regional final win over Mechanicsburg, with Jonah Yoder going 3-4 and Gerut Monigold driving home four. Andre Yoder tossed a two-hitter in the semifinals versus Waterford with Gerut Monigold 4-4 with two doubles, a triple and five RBIs. The Hawks trailed 2-0 before rolling past Fort Frye 11-2 in the district finals for a trip to regionals for the 16th time. Grady Monigold was 2-2 with a home run and two RBIs and Griffin Monigold had a double and three RBIs in beating Buckeye Trail 6-1. Miller threw a four-hitter with 13 Ks after tossing a no-hitter in the sectionals in an 11-1 victory over Bridgeport. Grady Monigold, a Malone recruit, has set season records at the school for home runs with 11 and RBIs with 49 and career marks for homers with 20 and RBIs with 134. Hiland is making its eighth state appearance, winning it all the last three seasons as well as 2016, while finishing as runners-up three times. 

 

ST. HENRY: This will mark the seventh state appearance for St. Henry after the third-ranked team in D-VI rolled past Seneca East 11-6 in the regional finals. Drew Langenkamp was 3-5 for the Redskins, which produced 10 hits in beating Patrick Henry 6-5 in the semifinals, with Jake Schwieterman going 3-4. St. Henry advanced to regionals for the 26th time in school history by beating Colonel Crawford 7-4 with Schwieterman and Austin Kunk going 3-4. Max Delzeith fanned a dozen in an 8-0 two-hit blanking of Parkway in the district semis. Langenkamp went 3-3 while scoring four runs. Indiana Tech commit Owen Zimmerman had three base knocks as did Kunk and Hudson Schmitz in a 21-0 beatdown of Ada in sectionals. The team has set the school record for stolen bases with 123, surpassing the previous record of 120 set in 1999. St. Henry, 26-3 this season, is 1,428-596 all-time in baseball with the last trip to state coming in 2023. There have been three state championship squads, 1999, 2000 and 2003. Former MLB outfielder Wally Post was a member of the 1945 and 46 state teams and is the great grandfather of right fielder Tate Boeckman.    

 

 

 

TIFFIN CALVERT: Top-ranked Tiffin Calvert has dominated in tournament play, outscoring opponents 63-6. Calvert won regional games over Maplewood 16-5 in the semifinals and Central Christian 10-0 in the finals after beating Cardinal Stritch 17-0, Lakeside Danbury 11-0 and South Central 9-1 in the first three tourney contests. Logan Ritzler pitched a two-hit shutout versus Central Christian with Charlie Palm driving in three runs and scoring twice. Vincenzo Lyons was 3-3 with three runs and two RBIs versus Maplewood and AJ Shoemaker 2-2 with two runs and two RBIs. Lyons was also 3-3 in the district finals and Ritzler 2-2 with two runs and two RBIs versus Danbury. Lyons and Tucker King went 2-2 against Stritch. Ritzler has thrown 16 innings with 24 Ks while not permitting an earned run in the tourney. AJ Shoemaker, a Lorain County CC commit, now has 131 career hits. Charlie Palm has tied the school mark of 14 doubles in a season held by Nick Palm and now has the single-season stolen base record with 30. Cameron Moyer is the new career RBI leader with 125. This marks the fourth state trip in five years for Calvert, which lost in the semifinals the previous three appearances, including 6-4 to Newark Catholic last year. Calvert has scored 324 runs in 29 games with a .276 batting average and .499 OBP.  

 

DELPHOS ST. JOHN’S: Delphos St. John’s is two wins from duplicating the accomplishment of a state championship by the basketball team back in March. Andrew Elwer fired a six-hit shutout to beat Newton 3-0 after Cam Elwer, a Furman basketball commit, did not permit an earned run in an 8-1 victory over Fort Loramie in the regional semis. Cam Elwer was 3-4 and drove in two and Brayden Klaus threw out a runner at home plate in the first inning against Newton while Andrew Elwer had two doubles and scored three runs versus Fort Loramie. Andrew Elwer and Braden Lindeman teamed up for a two-hit shutout in a 9-0 blanking of Mohawk in the district title game. The Blue Jays, which have a tournament ERA of 0.677, have outscored the opposition 60-4 in the tourney, including wins over Lima Temple Christian 23-0 and Delphos Jefferson 17-3, and batted .412 with runners in scoring position in the regionals. For the tournament, the seventh-rated team by Prep Baseball and unranked by the OHSBCA is batting .415 with 60 runs in five games featuring 25 extra-base hits. This will be the second state appearance for DSJ, the other coming in 2011.   

 

LEIPSIC: Leipsic came through with two runs in the bottom of the sixth and three in the seventh to shock Montpelier 6-5 in the regional finals, earning a state berth for the second time ever. A two-run single from Colin Niese tied the game and John Dewar capped off the comeback by driving in Niese with the game-winning run. Leipsic trailed New Riegel 3-1 heading to the fifth before coming back to win 6-3 in the semis. Niese was 3-3 while Aaron Hazelton threw four innings of one-hit shutout relief for the victory. The Vikings beat state-ranked Putnam County League rival Kalida for the second time this year in the district semifinals and then romped over Edgerton 10-0 for a trip to regionals. Niese drove in two runs in the 4-3 win over Kalida while Hazelton threw a three-hit shutout and went 3-4 with two RBIs versus Edgerton. Dewar fanned 15 in a three-hitter to beat North Baltimore 7-1 in sectionals for head coach Darren Henry, who picked up his 400th coaching win this season. Leipsic’s lone previous state appearance came in 1976 when the Vikings beat Cuyahoga Heights 6-5 in the Class A championship game.  

 

SOUTH WEBSTER: South Webster pushed across the lone run of the game in the bottom of the 12th with consecutive two-out singles from Cole Bennett, Sam Murphy and Brayden Barnard to beat Strasburg-Franklin 1-0 in the regional finals. Freshman Easton Large struck out 11 in 11.1 innings. The Jeeps, in their fourth regional appearance since 2017 and third in the last four years, did not have a hit until the fifth inning but came back from a 2-0 hole to stun perennial state power Newark Catholic 4-2 in the regional semifinals. In winning districts with a 15-9 victory over Portsmouth Clay, Benaiah Andrews, Large, Pierce Kreischer and Bennett all had three hits for the Jeeps, which scored 11 runs in the fifth to capture back-to-back district titles for the first time ever. Ranked 18th by Prep Baseball and ninth by the OHSBCA, South Webster is one of four schools in the country with the "Jeep" mascot.