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Ohio Diamond Notes: April 27-May 3

May 5, 2026
Bruce Hefflinger
Prep Baseball Ohio Senior Writer

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Ohio Diamond Notes: April 27-May 3

There are good weeks … and then there are GOOD weeks.

It was the latter for Reid Hemrick of Olentangy Orange.

The 18th-rated 2026 right-handed pitcher in Ohio not only beat one top-ranked team in the state this past week, but the Eastern Michigan commit defeated a pair of them. The 40th-ranked senior in the Buckeye state topped Olentangy Liberty and Butler to improve to 4-0 on the season.

Hemrick struck out 21 in 14 innings, giving up five hits, two walks and no earned runs against the No. 1 squads in Ohio last week, Liberty in Division I and Butler in Division II. 

The hard-throwing righty now has sat down 60 batters on strikes in 37 innings for the season and carries a 1.14 ERA for the fifth-rated squad in the state in D-I. 

TWO-WAY PERFORMERS

Luke Applegate put up some huge numbers at the plate as well as on the mound for Manchester, which won three of four games during the week to improve to 8-6.

The 13th-rated 2026 outfielder in Ohio was 7-10 with three doubles and a home run, walking four times while scoring seven runs, driving home six and swiping a pair of bases.

For the year, the Shawnee State recruit is batting .400 with a .556 OBP, .650 slugging percentage and 1.381 OPS, scoring 17 runs, walking 11 times and stealing 10 bags.

The No. 70 senior in the state is also performing well on the hill, striking out 23 in 10 innings during the week in picking up one win. Applegate gave up three hits, seven base on balls and one earned run.

A shortstop and OF when not hurling, the 18-year-old has now fanned 60 in 30 innings with a 0.93 ERA and 0.87 WHIP while limiting opponents to a .094 batting average. 

- Lake Center Christian’s Grant Coblentz did not permit a run in six innings against a pair of ranked teams. The junior southpaw struck out the side in one inning against Warren JFK, which was rated 15th in Division VII last week, then threw five solid innings versus D-V top-ranked Waynedale, fanning 10 in five shutout frames. The 11th-ranked 2027 outfielder in Ohio also drove in three runs and scored three during the week, going 5-11 with a double and triple. The left-handed hitting junior is batting .386 on the year with four doubles, five triples, 21 runs, 12 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. Coblentz has 39 Ks and walked only five in 22.1 innings on the hill for the season with a 0.627 ERA for the No. 5 Division VI Tigers.

- A complete-game win over Hawken moved West Geauga’s Tyler Fink to 4-0 on the season. The Otterbein commit fanned seven and allowed two earned runs in the 6-3 victory and now has 38 Ks in 26 innings with a 1.89 ERA for the No. 14 team in Division IV. The 49th-ranked senior catcher in Ohio went 7-12 at the plate for the week with two doubles and a triple and is hitting .518 overall with 19 runs, 11 stolen bases, 10 RBIs, 10 walks and seven extra-base hits.

- Three intentional walks were part of a five-walk week for Jack Andes, who finished 3-4 at the plate with four runs, an RBI and five stolen bases. The third-rated 2026 outfielder in Ohio is hitting .404 with three triples and four home runs to go along with 17 RBIs, 17 runs, 14 walks, two HBP and 21 steals. The Bowling Green recruit also struck out three in two innings and has 25 Ks in 16 frames with four saves and a 2-0 record. The North Canton Hoover senior has a 0.438 ERA and 0.562 WHIP, with opponents batting just .061.

- Roman Geiselman is another reason North Canton Hoover is the fourth-rated Division II squad in Ohio. The junior RHP did not allow a run in three one-hit innings for a save, walking one and fanning five. A right fielder when not pitching, Geiselman was 4-7 with a double, two RBIs and three stolen bases for the week and is hitting .426 overall with 15 runs, 13 RBIs and 11 steals.

- Isaac Sertell earned his fourth victory of the year in four decisions with three innings of shutout pitching, fanning four and now has 17 Ks in 15 frames. The 47th-ranked 2026 shortstop in the state had a 5-10 week batting with a triple, five runs and five walks while driving in three and swiping six bags. The West Liberty-Salem senior has a .459 average, .614 OBP and .857 slugging percentage with 20 runs, 19 base on balls and 17 stolen bases.

- The pitching record is now at 4-1 and the batting average at .382 for Swanton’s Carson Bond. The 6-5 180-pound uncommitted junior struck out two in 2.1 innings of no-hit ball for a win over state-ranked Ottawa Hills and now has 27 Ks in 20.2 frames, giving up eight hits and seven earned runs for the year. The 73rd-ranked 2027 RHP in the state also had six hits and six RBIs, going 6-13 with three doubles, a triple and a walk for the No. 11 D-V Bulldogs.

- Glavin Bigam struck out seven in 2.2 innings on the mound but it is at the plate where the Circleville junior really shined. The 2027 shortstop went 8-14 with a double, two walks and a HBP, scoring twice and driving in a pair with four stolen bases. For the year, Bigam is averaging .531 with a .641 OBP, 17 runs, nine walks and nine steals.

- Max Baker had an .800 slugging percentage for the week while also picking up a win on the mound for Lynchburg-Clay. The junior first baseman was 5-11 with a double, triple and walk, scoring twice while bringing in four runs and adding a steal. The right-hander also threw three innings to earn a victory against Fairfield (Leesburg).

BATS HEATING UP

A pair of junior catchers have proven to be major reasons why Butler and Padua Franciscan are having great seasons this year.

In addition to shutting down the run game of opponents this season, Jackson Schilling is getting it done at the plate for Butler, the No. 1 Division II team in Ohio. The top-ranked 2027 backstop in the state and the No. 39 junior catcher in the country went 6-12 with two doubles and seven RBIs this past week and the Ohio State commit is now hitting .418 with nine two-base hits and 31 runs driven in.

While not as well publicized as Schilling, Bryden Spellacy has been a key clog in helping Padua to the No. 4 spot in the Prep Baseball Division II rankings. The junior catcher reached base nine times in 14 plate appearances this week with three singles, a double, four walks and a HBP. Spellacy scored five runs as well and has now touched home a dozen times on the year with nine walks, five HBP, four doubles and a .410 batting average to go with a .566 OBP.

- Cooper Russell is showing that Brown University will have a good one next year. The Lakewood senior was 8-14 with a 1.524 OPS and .857 slugging percentage for the week, scoring eight and driving home five while hitting a home run and double and stealing a base. The 2026 shortstop was also perfect on 10 fielding changes, turning a double play. For the season, the 15th-ranked senior SS in Ohio is batting .371 with a .706 slugging percentage and 1.220 OPS, scoring 28 runs with three home runs, 15 RBIs, 10 walks, seven HBP and nine steals. In the field, Russell has just one error in 46 opportunities with three double plays and a .978 fielding percentage.

- Five extra-base knocks were part of a 10-17 performance in four games played by Matthew Glatz. The Dublin Jerome junior hit three doubles, a triple and home run with seven runs scored and six RBIs and the left-handed swinging outfielder is now batting .500 with 19 runs, 14 RBIs, 10 walks and five steals while striking out just twice.

- Avery Young broke the Columbiana all-time career stolen base mark with his 71st steal this week to push his season total to 21. The junior shortstop is hitting .540 on the year with 20 runs and 16 RBIs.

- Hunter Davanzo has been a big run producer for Columbiana in his senior season. The 2026 center fielder went 4-6 with two doubles and two walks this week, scoring twice, stealing two bags and driving home five. Davanzo now has 18 runs, 16 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and 11 walks.

- Nine putouts in right field added to the nice week for Jeremiah Johnson of West Liberty-Salem. The left-handed hitting senior was 6-11 with two doubles, a triple and a home run, driving home seven and scoring five runs while adding three walks, a sac fly and a stolen base for the 11-7 D-IV squad.

- Aric Slack scored seven runs in a 6-13 week helping Lynchburg-Clay to four wins. The junior utility player for the No. 17 team in Division V had four RBIs and swiped four bags while also walking once. For the season, Slack is hitting .492 with a .509 OBP, touching home 19 times while driving in 18. He has eight stolen bases and six free passes.  

- Jack Ziarko pushed his season RBI total to 14 with three during a 3-6 week that included two doubles, a walk, a HBP and a sac fly. The senior first baseman for North Canton Hoover scored twice and stole a base for the No. 14 Upper Division Power 25 Vikings.

- It was another productive week at the dish for New Albany’s Mason Ackermann. The junior outfielder for the eight-rated Division II team in Ohio drove in five with a home run, triple and walk in a 9-14 performance, scoring three runs. The right fielder for the Eagles has a .444 batting mark for the season and .516 OBP, with 17 runs scored and 17 RBIs.

- Nick Bernath had five hits in eight plate appearances with a double and walk, four runs scored, two RBIs and a pair of stolen bases for Bishop Rosecrans. The senior centerfielder for the 21st-rated Division VII squad is batting .478 with a 1.104 OPS, scoring 19 runs, bringing in 11 and stealing nine bases.

STANDOUTS ON THE HILL

Landon Green picked up two more complete-game wins for Delaware Hayes, which jumped to 23rd in the Division I state rankings.

The No. 59 senior right-handed pitcher in Ohio did not permit an earned run in 14 four-hit innings for the week, striking out 15.

The Clark State signee now has five complete games in a 5-0 start to the year with a save. In 36 innings, Green has given up just 16 hits with a 39-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 0.583 ERA to go along with a 0.667 WHIP. Opponents are hitting just .129 versus the 2026 RHP.

- Amherst Steele is ranked second in the Upper Division Power 25 and Harrison Schneider is one of the reasons the Comets are off to a 14-1 start to the campaign. The No. 11 2026 RHP in the state threw six shutout innings in a win over Avon, giving up one hit and one walk while striking out 10. The Bowling Green commit, who is also hitting .415 with 21 RBIs and 14 runs scored, is 5-0 overall and has yet to permit an earned run in 24.2 innings, retiring 36 on strikes with opposing hitters are averaging just .083.

- Max Delzeith threw 12 shutout innings for the week in helping St. Henry move to 14-2 for the season. The senior right-hander struck out 13, walked five and allowed six hits in five shutout frames versus Marion Local and a blanking of Fort Loramie. Delzeith is now 5-1 on the year with 47 Ks and 10 walks in 44.3 innings on the mound. The 2026 RHP has given up 25 hits and has a 1.421 ERA and 0.789 WHIP for the sixth-ranked team in Division VI.

- Noah Bauman threw a no-hitter in handing West Jefferson, the top-rated team in Division VI, its first loss of the season. The ninth-ranked junior left-handed pitcher in the state struck out eight and walked four in a 13-0 win by Dublin Jerome.

- Connor Welling had 13 Ks in tossing a five-hitter for Ravenna. The senior RHP surrendered two earned runs to Akron Springfield. 

BETTER THAN THEIR AGE

After defeating Scott, the third-ranked team in West Virginia, on April 25, Dustin Parker followed it up with a no-hitter five days later against Mt. Gilead.

The 14-year-old right-handed pitcher for Centerburg struck out 11 in 11 innings on the hill in those two games, giving up two hits and a pair of walks to improve to 5-0 on the season.

The freshman RHP, who also plays shortstop for the Trojans, also hit well during the week going 8-16 with nine RBIs. Parker had a double and HBP, stealing two bases while scoring seven runs. 

- Seven was a big number for Quin Wells, who continues to put up numbers like few others. The 40th-rated 2028 shortstop in Ohio was 7-12 with seven runs and seven RBIs while also pitching seven innings to beat county-rival Whiteoak. The Lynchburg-Clay sophomore had nine stolen bases, a triple and a walk at the plate while also throwing a four-hitter with 10 Ks and no free passes for pitching win number five. On the season, the 194th-ranked 10th-grader in the state is 5-0 with a 0.768 ERA and 0.695 WHIP, fanning 41, walking just five and allowing 14 hits in 27.1 innings. The sophomore has a .643 batting average, .697 OBP and .911 slugging mark with 31 runs, 29 RBIs and 30 stolen bases.

- Brookside sophomore Matthew Mahnke scored five runs and drove in four while also earning a win on the mound. A right fielder and pitcher, Mahnke was huge in a 4-0 week for Brookside, which moved over the .500 mark at 6-5-1. The right-hander fanned two in two innings while not allowing an earned run, hit or walk in his first game back on the mound in a month following an injury. The 10th-grader was also 5-7 at the plate with a double and two walks while stealing a base. Mahnke is now hitting .455.

- AJ Yoder retired 17 on strikes in a two-hitter for Shekinah Christian. The sophomore left-hander allowed one run and two walks in seven innings on the mound.

TEAMS LOOKING STRONG

What a season it has been to date for Lakewood. 

The No. 4 team in the Upper Division Power 25 is 17-0 overall and 9-0 in the Cleveland West Conference after going 4-0 during the week, beating Westlake twice, topping Buckeye with a Baldwin-Wallace commit on the hill and knocking off St. Ed’s with a Wright State commit pitching.

Lakewood outpointed the opposition 44-11 and now has 185 runs on the season with 19 home runs among 58 extra-base hits. The second-rated team in Division II has a .377 team batting average and 1.085 team OPS to go with a pitching staff that has a 2.38 ERA while holding opponents to a .192 batting mark.

- In a matchup of teams that advanced to the state finals a year ago, Waynedale scored six in the top of the seventh to rally past Lake Center Christian 6-3. Waynedale is the defending Division V champions and rated No. 1 this year while LCC lost in the D-VI finals in 2025 and is currently ranked fifth in Division VI.

- Olentangy Orange is 11-5 on the season with all five defeats by one run. This past week the No. 7 team in the Upper Division Power 25 split with Olentangy Liberty, which was number one in the state a week ago, while beating Davidson and Butler, the top-ranked squad in D-II.

- St. Henry is 14-2 and rated 16th in the Lower Division Power 25 and now welcomes back DH Carter LaGuire. The senior for the Redskins missed all of the 2025 season and the first half of 2026 with two ACL injuries.

- Division II top-ranked Amherst Steele continues to dominate, moving to 14-1 with 10-0 and 9-1 wins over Avon this past week. The nine runs was only the third game this year that Amherst has not scored in double figures.

- North Canton Hoover has 76 stolen bases on the season in 92 attempts, a big reason the No. 4 team in Division II stands at 14-3.

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