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2026 OHSAA Final Four Wrap-up: A Perfect Finish To The 2026 Season

AKRON - Another state tournament is in the books.

Memories were made by so many. Hearing players say they never cried like that before just shows how much this game can mean for a teenager soon to go out into the world of adulthood.

Let’s take a moment to salute the state champions for the first time - Perkins, Lake Center Christian and Delphos St. John’s.

Recognition should also go out to the two best programs in the state over the past five seasons - Waynedale and Hiland. The Golden Bears won a championship for the fourth time in five years while the Hawks of Hiland fell just short in its quest to become the first to ever win four straight titles. Win or lose, each deserves to be commended for what they have done. Very impressive.

And finally, acknowledgement needs to go out to two programs that have come up short in their pursuit of a state crown. For the fourth time in five years, Calvert was beaten in the state semifinals, this time the Senecas losing to eventual state champion Delphos St. John’s in a matchup of the best two Division VII teams in the state. While the loss stings, just know that getting to state once is hard enough. To do it four times in five seasons is something few have done. Kudos to Matt Coleman for what he has accomplished and still has going at Calvert.

Meanwhile, for the third year in a row, Perrysburg was unable to come out on top in its Division I semifinal contest, falling to Moeller. The Yellow Jackets, which lost to Springboro and Mason in their previous two trips to Akron, are the epitome of high school athletics. While talented, Perrysburg is not loaded with Division I college prospects like many of the teams they meet up with in the Final Four, or even in regionals. But what Dave Hall brings to state is a group of players that believe in themselves. They are on a mission. And they play with passion and confidence while doing it in a program that does it the right way. Compliments go out to the Jackets and coach Hall. You deserve all the respect in the world.

Praise also goes out to the OHSAA and the staff at 7 17 Credit Union Park where Prep Baseball called home for four days. You made it another enjoyable time.

Here is more on the 98th annual Ohio High School State Baseball Tournament as we look forward to the 2027 season.

Top Five Games

1. Hiland vs. Lake Center Christian

2. Walsh Jesuit vs. North Canton Hoover

3. St. Xavier vs. Moeller

4. Badin vs. Padua Franciscan

5. Moeller vs. Perrysburg

Top Five Teams

1. St. Xavier

2. Moeller

3. Badin

4. New Albany

5. Perkins

Top Five Players

1. Reggie Watson (Moeller)

2. Chandler Taylor (Badin)

3. Matt Ponatoski (Moeller)

4. Carter Shouse (Fenwick)

5. Jack Ryan (St. Xavier)

Another Top Five (or seven) Players

1. Jack Andes (North Canton Hoover)

2. Grant Coblentz (Lake Center Christian)

3. Matthew Mansbury (Walsh Jesuit)

4. Caleb Driessen (Badin) 

5. Grady-Gerut-Griffin Monigold (Hiland)

Top Five Favorite Players I Enjoyed Watching (Not listed above)

1. Talon Walton (Perkins)

2. Derek Ogden (Badin)

3. Dominic Dunkle (Columbus Academy)

4. Tyce McClain (Delphos St. John’s)

5. Caden Kistner (New Albany)

Another Top Five Favorite Players I Enjoyed Watching (Remember I was only in Akron)

1. Hudson Barkman (Waynedale)

2. Dominic Dials (St. Xavier)

3. Grady Monigold (Hiland)

4. Luke Heckert (Lake Center Christian)

5. Andre Yoder (Hiland)

Top Five Moments

1. Inside-the-park home run in 10th inning by Colin Locigno to put Walsh Jesuit ahead of North Canton Hoover  

2. Dominic Dials hitting two home runs in the same game for St. Xavier

3. Leipsic seventh-inning two-out rally to beat South Webster in D-VII semifinals

4. Badin’s Caleb Driessen strikeout with bases loaded in bottom of seventh to hold off Padua

5. Fenwick catcher Jude McCullough with the play of the tournament, making diving catch in foul territory, then getting to his feet to double up runner at second base

Top Five (or six) Catchers

1. Keegan Sawyer (Badin)

2. Donovan Glosser (Moeller)

3. Colby Luling (Olentangy Orange)

4. Drew Langenkamp (St. Henry)

5. Will Blueter (Walsh Jesuit) 

6. Ben Ulenhake (Watterson)

Best One-Two (or three) Pitching Combos

1. Shawn Sullivan-Caleb Mecurio (Walsh Jesuit)

2. Jack Ryan-Liam McGeady (St. Xavier)

3. Nathan McDowell-Matt Ponatoski-Jake Gaerke (Moeller)

4. Bryson Gittins-Aidan Wyche (New Albany) 

5. Grant Coblentz-Nathan Bryant-Caleb Shelly (Lake Center Christian)

6. Kash Koch-Talon Walton-Braxden Martin (Perkins) 

Six Underrated Seniors

1. Braden Bricking (St. Xavier)

2. Garrett Dilcher (Fairfield Union)

3. Jordan Miller (Waynedale)

4. Connor McGough (CVCA)

5. Gerut Monigold (Hiland)

6. Colin Locigno (Walsh Jesuit)

Six Underrated Juniors

1. Jake Luling (Olentangy Orange)

2. Tate Boeckman (St. Henry)

3. Hudson Kreke (Fenwick)

4. Kaden Reese (Mooney)

5. Colton Smilek (Lake Center Christian)

6. Bryce Davie (Perkins)

Lesser Known Sophomores To Know

1. Carter Koch (Perkins)

2. Braylon Benson/Chase Martin (Padua)

3. Remy Trautner (New Albany)

4. Kooper Leatherman (Liberty-Benton)

5. Max Steinbrunner (Watterson)

Are these seniors still uncommitted?

1. Dillon Brus (St. Xavier)

2. Jonny Brenner (Mooney)

3. Adam Maybury (Moeller)

4. Brayden Heitmeyer (Perrysburg)

5. Colin Locigno (Walsh Jesuit)

Best Interviews

1. Caden Kistner (New Albany)

2. Talon Walton (Perkins) 

3. Hudson Barkman (Waynedale)

4. Shane Byler (Lake Center Christian coach) 

5. Don DiGiacomo (St. Xavier coach)

Good Stuff

1. St. Xavier junior Cullen O’Brien went 2-2 pinch hitting, coming through once in each game

2. Badin head coach Brion Treadway watching son Brooks come through on the mound in the finals 

3. Lake Center Christian and Perkins going from state runners-up to champions

4. Family love. From the Monigold triplets at Hiland, to brothers Cam and Andrew Elwer with DSJ, Kash and Carter Koch at Perkins, Jake and Colby Luling at Olentangy Orange, Cam and Jordan Miller at Waynedale, Owen and Austin Zimmerman at St. Henry and any more I missed. Those are memories you will have for the rest of your life. 

5. A salute to Mother Nature after such a rough regular season

Bad Stuff

1. No TV viewing of games in Canton while in press box at Credit Union Park (it’s not 1980)

2. Two years in a row without seeing Shawn Sullivan pitch at state since neither game in Akron 

3. Questionable balk calls

4. Games with teams wearing uniforms that looked too much alike

5. Not getting to watch eight teams in person, the semifinal losers at Thurman Munson Stadium

Best shot to return to state in 2027

1. Waynedale (of course)

2. Hiland (of course)

3. Padua *

4. Calvert *

5. Lake Center Christian *

6. Fenwick *

7. Cardinal Mooney *

8. New Albany *

9. Moeller *

* No pressure coaches

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Past All-Tournament Team Selections

• To view the 2026 All-Tournament Team, click here.
• To view the 2025 All-Tournament Team, click here.
• To view the 2024 All-Tournament Team, click here.
• To view the 2023 All-Tournament Team, click here.
• To view the 2022 All-Tournament Team, click here.
  
• To view the 2021 All-Tournament Team, click here. 
• To view the 2019 All-Tournament Team, click here.
  
• To view the 2018 All-Tournament Team, click here. 
• To view the 2017 Top 22 All-Tournament Team, click here.
• To view the 2016 Top 22 All-Tournament Team, click here.
• To view the 2015 Top 22 All-Tournament Team, click here.
• To view the 2014 Top 22 All-Tournament Team, click here.
• To view the 2013 Top 22 All-Tournament Team, click here.
• To view the 2012 Top 22 All-Tournament Team, click here.

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