With the 2020 high school spring sports season officially cancelled because of the coronavirus, one is left to wonder what might have transpired on the area baseball diamonds.
Based on past achievement and returning experience, here is a look at some of the top projected teams and athletes that seemed destined for solid spring performances.
In the baseball-rich Northern Lakes League, Bowling Green, Anthony Wayne, and Southview appeared to be top contenders.
Last season, Bowling Green (23-5 overall, 11-3 NLL) was ranked No. 2 in the final Division II state poll, won the NLL title, and lost to No. 3-ranked Van Wert, 1-0, in the regional semifinals.
Coach Jim Beaverson’s Bobcats were to return seven starters this spring, including All-Ohio infielder Kyle Jackson (.536 batting average, 27 RBI) and fellow senior Luke Roberts (pitcher-outfielder, 7-1 record, 1.04 ERA). Also back would have been seniors Micah Fry (third base-P, .370, 31 RBI, 2 home runs), Peyton Beaverson (second base, .320), and Nick Foster (outfield, .302).
“Our expectations were extremely high with the kids we had coming back and their experience and ability on the field,” coach Beaverson said. “We were expecting to win the NLL, and win the state championship in Division I. We were vastly improved over last year.”
Jackson has signed to play at Kent State.
Anthony Wayne (20-10, 9-5), after finishing as Division I state runner-up in 2018, coach Mark Nell’s Generals were hit hard by graduation and dropped a peg in 2019. But, AW, which had its 14th straight 20-win season a year ago, seemed ready for another upward swing this season with 11 seniors on the roster and six reliable pitchers on the mound.
The Generals were to be led by seniors Hogan Heck (OF, .330), Zac Szul (1B-P-3B, .301) and Jacob Potkanowicz (shortstop-P), and juniors Conner Holck (2B, .370) and Garret Pike (3B-P). Nell was also expecting strong contributions from seniors Zach Knapp (OF) and Shane Williams (catcher).
“We’ve had some really good teams here, and this team was right up there with any of them we’ve had,” Nell said. “We had five or six guys who could take the ball and pitch in a league game, which is kind of unheard of.
“Baseball’s a funny game. You never know what’s going to happen in one given game [in the tournament]. And, our league is competitive. But I thought this group could go out and play with any team in Ohio, and been competitive with a chance to win.”
Southview (17-13, 6-8), somewhat off the radar much of the regular season, caught fire in postseason play, and outscored its first four tournament foes 27-4 before falling to perennial power Cleveland St. Ignatius, 7-4, the Division I regional finals in 2019.
Back from that team were to be the Cougars’ top two pitchers – Purdue-bound senior Logan Danzeisen (P-OF, 5-3, 1.93 ERA pitching; .387, 26 RBI) and junior Cam Young (4-1, 3.05) – and senior Nick Rogenski (2B, .483, 29 RBI). Other starters that were expected to play key roles were seniors Michael Melville (3B-P, .321, 16 RBI, 3.10 ERA) and Dom Castaldi (OF-IF).
“We were certainly optimistic to build on last year’s success,” Cougars coach Kevin Danzeisen said. “But, it is what it is. These are things that everybody deals with in life, as far as adversity and things not working out. It’s about health and safety.”
Perrysburg (19-11, 10-4) was also seen as a top-half contender in the NLL, led by senior Luke Borer (SS-P, .408, 5 HR, 28 RBI), who will play at Ohio University, and senior teammates Devin Cavanagh (P), Bryan Mitchell (P), Cole Hamby (P-utility), and Drew Sims (3B-P).
In the Three Rivers Athletic Conference, the Clay Eagles (17-8, 8-6) of coach Jim Phillips were seeking the program’s first league title since 2009 in the City League.
With three battled-tested pitchers – seniors Derek Bolander and Ty Szymczak, and junior Trevor Jurski – and starters returning at nearly every field position, the Eagles were primed and ready to go after November-to-February batting and pitching workouts. They were set to begin play on their new synthetic turf infield.
Akron-bound center fielder Andrew Collins (.392) was to be an experienced team leader.
“To see the time they were putting in and the progress they were making, you knew that it was going to pay off,” Phillips said.”These guys had experience, and they had some success last year to build off of.”
Other likely TRAC contenders were defending co-champions St. John’s Jesuit and St. Francis de Sales, Central Catholic, and Findlay.
Coach Jason Wanner’s Start Spartans (18-8, 8-0) were heavily favored to win their eighth straight City League title with six starters returning.
That group included seniors Robbie Sapp (P-1B, .453, 4-2 record, 1.28 ERA), Jacob Zales (SS, .400, 30 runs), Dylan Morris (P-1B) and Camden Miller (OF), and juniors Bryce Sutton (C-IF) and Jeremiah Beringer (IF, .380).
Elsewhere, Elmwood (15-9, 8-4), Genoa (14-8, 7-6), Otsego (17-12, 6-7) and Eastwood (13-12, 6-8) figured to give defending champion Lake (27-1, 14-0) a run for the Northern Buckeye Conference title after the Flyers absorbed huge losses to graduation.
Ottawa Hills (10-15, 8-0) was to have had seven starters returning in its quest for a title repeat in the Toledo Area Athletic Conference, with Toledo Christian (12-5, 6-2) also a contender.
Bryan (17-11, 5-2) and defending champion Archbold (26-4, 7-0) were viewed as the top two teams to beat in the Northwest Ohio Athletic League. Archbold, which lost 10 seniors to graduation, would have been led by Ohio State-bound outfielder Kade Kern (.431, 32 RBI).
North of the border, Bedford (29-8, 14-1) was champion of the Southeastern Conference’s Red Division in 2019, and the Kicking Mules were poised for another solid run led by seniors Ryan Sullivan (P-1B), Derek Price (P, 5-0, 1.90 ERA), Eric Lucarelli (OF, .352, 29 RBI), Cole Mason (2B, .449), Jaden Bloomer (OF-P), Wes Matthews (C), Ethan Lajiness (utility), and juniors Connor Lynch (P-OF) and Joey Nagel (OF).
First Published April 23, 2020, 11:30 a.m.
