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2025 OHSAA Tournament: Division VII State Final - #1 Waynedale vs #24 Graham

AKRON - Waynedale is on top again.

State champions in 2022 and 2023, the year 2025 can be added to the list of years the Golden Bears won it all after beatingGraham 3-0 in the Division V finals on Sunday at Canal Park.

“It was a lot of hard work,” head coach Lucas Daugherty said. “These guys work hard throughout the entire year and put in extra hours. Beyond that, we demand a lot of little things. They probably get ignored at some of it, but it pays off when you’re on a stage like this. They can relax and trust themselves, especially on defense, and they were able to make special plays.”

Thanks to the pitching of Logan Troyer, only nine schools have now won more state titles than Waynedale. The sophomore left-hander tossed a five-hit shutout, allowing only two runners to reach second base in the game. 

“I had confidence I could get the job done,” Troyer said. “The mindset was to get ahead and let my defense make the plays. Everything was working, I kind of exceeded what I expected .”

Daugherty was more than pleased.

“I don’t think he gets too much better than that,” the successful mentor said. “He definitely exceeded my expectations. My expectations were pretty high but he even exceeded them.

“He’s been great all year. He’s super competitive, he pitches with confidence and has a great defense behind him.”

Clinging to a 1-0 lead courtesy of a Jayden Schlabach single, Josh Yoder double and a Graham error in the second inning, the Golden Bears scored two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth featuring a Brayden Steiner leadoff double, a Hudson Barkman RBI infield single and a run-scoring two-base hit from Shane Coblentz.

“We knew we had a target on our backs this year,”Coblentz said. “The team just battled. Tonight we had to battle for everything we got. To finish this season in this stadium with my brothers is more than I could ask for.”

The Falcons had their chances, especially in the fifth with Jack Traylor and Dylan LaFollette hitting singles to start the frame. But Waynedale catcher Tristan Franks made a perfect throw for a pickoff at second base and Troyer struck out the next two batters on called strikes.

“All instinct, I’m going to be honest,” the senior catcher said about the key play in the game. “Hayden Mobley (catching coach), he’s taught me well. That was one of those plays, Logan executed a good pitch, I made a good throw and Jordan had a good tag.”

Three championships in four years is amazing in the eyes of Daugherty.

“It’s a little surreal,” Daugherty explained. “Baseball is a tough game. Things can happen outside your control. But we always play hard and try to do the little things hard to give you the best chance every time. It’s definitely a surreal feeling, but definitely exciting.”

Coblentz, who didn’t attend Waynedale until high school, is pleased to be a part of it.

“The coaches put a lot of time into our players,” Coblentz concluded. “They’re great coaches that have helped me so much and the community is behind us. I couldn’t ask for a better community to have behind us.” 

HOT TAKES

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Troyer was impressive from the start, walking just one batter while fanning six, five over the last three innings. The 10th grade southpaw threw an astounding 53 of 72 pitches for strikes in pitching the top-ranked team in D-V to a state crown.

D-V TOURNEY MVP: Coblentz came through with a run-scoring double in the sixth to cap off a high school career that now heads to Malone. The Waynedale senior fired a two-hitter in the semifinals, striking out eight in a 2-1 win over Coldwater while also producing two hits and scoring a run.

STRONG IN DEFEAT: There was a lot of good that happened on the losing side of the finals. Hayden Van Hoose did not permit an earned run in four three-hit innings. Defensively, center fielder Owen Powell made a great diving catch in the second inning off the bat of Steiner, preventing a potential big frame by the Bears. The following frame, right fielder Brody Jenkins had a nice sliding catch to rob Jordan Miller of a base hit, again keeping Waynedale scoreless in the inning.

WHAT’S NEXT?: Spencer Mitchell took Graham to state in just his fourth year at the helm and did it with an upperclass-dominated squad of 10 seniors, eight that started. Second baseman Jack Traylor and right fielder Jenkins are the only returning regulars back for a team that made it to state for the first time in school history. … Coblentz leaves a huge hole to fill as the team ace and leadoff batter for Waynedale, but the Malone commit is one of just four starters that won’t return. Troyer along with corner outfielders Cameron Miller and Barkman as well as shortstop Jordan Miller and third baseman Steiner bring hope the program has another shot at making it back to Akron, something done five times the past decade.

LINESCORE

Graham        000  000  0 -  0  5  3
Waynedale    010  002  x  - 3  6  0

Records: Waynedale 30-3, Graham 20-11.

Winning Pitcher: Logan Troyer (7 innings, 0 runs, 5 hits, 6 strikeouts, 1 walk).

Losing Pitcher: Hayden Van Hoose (4 innings, 1 run, 0 earned runs; 3 hits, 3 strikeouts, 1 walk). Other: Breyton Reisinger.

Leading Hitters: (Graham) - Owen Powell single; Zach Wheeland single; Holden Dunham single; Jack Traylor single; Dylan LaFollette single. (Waynedale) - Shane Coblentz double, RBI; Jayden Schlabach 2 singles, run; Brayden Steiner double; Kameron Mast run; Josh Yoder double, run; HudsonBarkman single, RBI.

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