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2025 OHSAA Tournament: Division III State Final - #16 Licking Valley vs #9 University School

AKRON - Evan Roberts tossed a three-hit shutout and Licking Valley made the play of the game in the top of the sixth to beat University School 1-0 in the Division III state championship game on Saturday at Canal Park.

With a University School runner on third and two down in the sixth, a throw back to Roberts from catcher Cayden Zelenak got away and pinch runner Sal Prolizo raced home with the potential tying run. However, an alert Licking Valley shortstop Brody Roberts picked up the ball behind the mound and threw home as the runner slid in on a bang-bang play at the plate for the third out of the inning.

“We talk about it at practice all the time,” Roberts related. “Backing up the pitcher, that’s a big thing. They can always score on that. We harp on that big time. When that happened I came up and barehanded it and threw it home on a perfect line and got him tagged out right there.”

Head coach Adam Arcuri was not surprised by the play from his sophomore shortstop.

“That was a heads-up play for Brody to be aware,” Arcuri said about the three-sport athlete who plays quarterback in football and point guard in basketball. “There’s a reason that he is who he is. He’s a gifted athlete. He’s only a sophomore, obviously he has a huge future ahead of him. The play of the year right there.”

It preserved a shutout for Roberts, who struck out eight and walked just one.

“I feel like we have two of the best pitchers in the state of Ohio regardless of division,” Arcuri said in reference to Evan Lichtenauer, the Ohio University signee who started the semifinals in a nine-inning 2-1 win over Badin, and Roberts. “They both pitch their butt off every time they tow. There’s a reason one ended up 10-0 and the other 10-2. Both ERAs are unreal. We expect nothing less.”

The lone run of the game came on a University School error when Adam West singled, went to second on a wild pitch and scored when a ball was bobbled at first and the throw to pitcher Crew Bellan was off the mark allowing West to touch home with what proved to be the only run.

Roberts permitted a one-out single in the seventh to Deacon Nelson, the Virginia commit who had two of the three University School hits in the game, but retired the final two batters to give the Panthers their first state title in school history.

“We all play from the bottom of our hearts,” Rodgers said. “We all stick together as a team and you see what happens.”

HOT TAKES

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Roberts was fantastic in the shutout, throwing 54 of 85 pitches for strikes. It came off of the semifinals against Badin when the senior right-hander retired the final batter with a strikeout with the potential go-ahead run at second base in the top of the ninth.

D-III TOURNEY MVP: Rodgers was spectacular in the field and at the plate in both state games. In addition to making every play that came his way - in particular the “play of the year” - the sophomore had two singles and was hit by a pitch in three plate appearances, stealing a pair of bases in the title game. In the semis, Rodgers had a double and scored a run in the 2-1 victory.

MOTIVATION: Arcuri pointed to Prep Baseball as motivation for his team. “PBR ran a (fan) poll and we were at zero percent. We’ve been telling ourselves we have to ignore what everyone else is saying, be true to ourselves and play our game and at the end of the day be there for as many outs as it takes.”

STRONG IN DEFEAT: Bellan did not give up an earned run in a four-hitter for the ninth-ranked D-III team in the state. The junior right-hander fanned seven and did not walk a batter in the hard-luck defeat.

WHAT’S NEXT?: Deacon Nelson gives University School a standout to build around in a lineup featuring three juniors and two sophomores in the starting lineup. Add in Bellan as the pitching ace and the future looks bright for head coach Rob McNerney and the Preppers. … The top five in the batting order along with the nine-hole hitter are back for  Licking Valley, the second smallest school in Division III. Finding pitchers to replace Lichtenauer and Roberts will be the key.  

LINESCORE

University School  000  000  0  -  0  3  1
Licking Valley        000  100  0  -  1  4  0

Records: Licking Valley 26-6, University School 26-7.

Winning Pitcher: Evan Roberts (7 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 8 strikeouts, 1 walk).

Losing Pitcher: Crew Bellan (6 innings, 1 run, 0 earned runs, 4 hits, 7 strikeouts, 0 walks).

Leading Hitters: (University School) - Deacon Nelson 2 singles; Cayden Zelenak single. (Licking Valley) - Brody Rodgers two singles; Adam West single, run; Zane Hancock single.

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