Ohio Diamond Notes: March 27-April 5
April 7, 2026
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Ohio Diamond Notes: March 27-April 5
It was a great start to the season for Lynchburg-Clay sophomore Quin Wells.
The 40th-rated 2028 shortstop in Ohio batted .842 on the week, going 10-12 with a double, triple and home run. Wells, who as a freshman scored the only run for Lynchburg-Clay in a 4-1 loss to Graham in the Division V state semifinals last season, drove in nine, stole nine bases and walked three times.
If that wasn’t enough, the 194th-ranked sophomore in the state tossed a perfect game in a five-inning win over Fairfield Leesburg for the Prep Baseball 10th-ranked D-V team. Wells fanned 10 and threw 71 percent of his pitches for strikes.
YOUTH SHINES
Wells wasn’t the only standout sophomore in the state last week with a number of others coming up big. Three that stood out were Jakob Groeschel of Kenton Ridge, Brody Conyers of Doylestown Chippewa and Braylen Miller of Triway.
With 13 RBIs and 10 runs scored on the season, Groeschel is certainly off to an impressive beginning to 2026. The 12th-ranked 2028 outfielder in the country hit three home runs, a double and a single with 10 hits in 19 official ABs. The third-rated sophomore in Ohio also swiped five bases for the No. 13 squad in D-III.
Conyers drove in seven runs and scored seven times in a 10-17 performance for the No. 19 team in D-VI. The left-handed hitting outfielder had five doubles, walked twice and stole four bases. In addition, the southpaw struck out 12 in 8.1 innings, picking up a win while allowing eight hits, five walks and three earned runs.
Miller fired a no-hitter at conference rival Northwest, striking out 11 and walking three in a seven-inning 8-0 victory. The 20th-ranked 2028 shortstop in Ohio also went 6-10 at the plate with four RBIs, three runs, a double and a stolen base for Triway, ranked 11th in D-V.
- Parker Alix, the sixth-rated sophomore catcher in the state, brought home eight runs and touched the plate five times on the week. The Dublin Jerome standout was 6-10 with four walks and three doubles.
- North Canton Hoover sophomore Mason Groninger is off to a 2-0 start on the mound with 18 strikeouts in nine innings. The 10th-ranked 2028 RHP in Ohio has not given up an earned run while allowing four hits and two walks for the 10th-ranked D-II Vikings. Opponents are batting just .125 against him.
- Troy McDonald put up big numbers at the plate in helping D-VI No. 21 Huntington Local get off to a 3-0 start on the season with a .727 OBP, .800 slugging percentage and 1.527 OPS. The sophomore center fielder/pitcher was 7-11 with a double, scoring six times and driving in two while also going a perfect 7-7 on steals.
- Miami Trace 10th-grader Gage Bowers had a 1.125 slugging percentage in two games played. The sophomore shortstop was 6-8 with three two-base hits and nine RBIs, scoring three runs, stealing three bases and walking once for the No. 20 D-III Panthers.
- Jaxon Snipes got it done on the mound and at the dish for Indian Lake. The 22nd-rated 2028 RHP in Ohio went four innings with three Ks to beat Springfield Shawnee. The sophomore was also 6-13 with three doubles and a home run, driving in five and scoring four times.
- Another sophomore standout from the southwest part of the state is BJ Potter of Urbana. The 77th-ranked 2028 in the state was 5-11 with two home runs and a double, scoring four runs, walking twice and stealing a base while driving in seven runs.
- Potter’s teammate Carter Houseman is off to a big start to his high school career with the 45th-rated 2029 shortstop in the nation carrying a .500 batting average. This past week the Urbana freshman was 5-11 with a pair of doubles, two walks and two stolen bases. The second-ranked ninth grader in Ohio had three RBIs and scored five runs.
HOT STICKS
Seneca East has won all four games to date and the sparkplug has been Colton Ehresman.
A catcher/3B, the junior went 10-14 with two doubles, a triple and a home run, driving in seven and scoring five times while also stealing two bases. The 6-1 150-pounder right-handed hitter has an astounding 1.920 OPS.
Still, the numbers could have been even better since a suspended game has not yet been added into the totals. In that contest, Ehresman is 3-5 with two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base.
- Hilliard Bradley won three of four games against out-of-state competition with Logan Minamyer coming through with a walkoff single to beat Downers Grove, Ill. Navy commit Keaton Bowers was the leader for Bradley with three doubles in a 6-11 week. The second-ranked senior catcher in Ohio had three doubles, two walks, scored a run, drove in five and stole a base.
- Amherst Steele is the top-ranked Division II team in Ohio and Cooper Bingham is a major reason why. The 50th-ranked junior in the state had two home runs, a triple and double while going 8-12 in the box, walking three times and driving in nine while also swiping a pair of bases.
- CVCA is off to a 4-0 start including three wins on a spring trip to Nashville and Connor McGough has been a big reason for the success. The 10th-rated senior shortstop in Ohio had five extra-base hits with three doubles, a triple and a home run, going 8-16 with nine RBIs and seven runs scored. The Davidson commit also swiped three bases for the No. 8 D-III Royals.
- Braylon McBride was a big run-producer in helping Division III 22nd-rated New Philadelphia get off to a 4-0 start on the season. The senior shortstop was 9-17 at the plate and drove in 10 runs, hitting a pair of doubles and two home runs. The 10th-ranked 2026 third baseman in Ohio, a Lake Erie College commit, also stole six bases and scored eight runs.
- Lukas Potkanowicz picked up where he left off at the state tournament in June. The Division II Player of the Game in the state finals after helping Anthony Wayne beat Amherst Steele 7-3 for the title, the 25th-ranked 2026 shortstop in the state went 8-18 to begin the year with two home runs, a pair of doubles, five RBIs and five runs scored.
- Seniors Zane Seimer and Camden Ebert are leading the cause for Logan Elm this season. Seimer, a third baseman and pitcher, went 8-12 with four RBIs, hitting a double and scoring once while also reaching base on an intentional walk. Ebert was 6-13 with four runs, two doubles and a pair of RBIs. The Wittenberg signee had a .680 slugging percentage for the week.
- Sylvania Northview won its first two games over St. John’s and Blissfield with Charlie Paulson playing a big role for the No. 15 team in D-II. The senior third baseman went 3-5 with a double and triple, plating two runs and scoring three.
- Three of the five hits by Field center fielder Caden Kolesar were for extra bases. The 101st-ranked senior outfielder in the state went 5-13 with a double, triple and home run, walking four times and scoring four while driving in five and stealing two bases for the 10th-rated Division IV team in Ohio.
- Muskingum signee Hayden Perdue drove in seven runs in a pair of wins by D-VII No. 8 Bishop Rosecrans, going 4-6 at the dish with two doubles, a walk and a HBP. Perdue is the 252nd-rated senior in the state.
- Jimmy Tolley brought home nine runs with two doubles and a home run, going 6-10 at the plate with a walk for Cloverleaf. The junior first baseman/right fielder also scored five runs.
- Cooper Waers was a double machine for Mount Vernon, pounding out four in a 5-8 week while also reaching on a pair of walks. The junior third baseman had six RBIs and three stolen bases.
- A pair of juniors had big weeks for Ross. Catcher Gavin Burns had a .643 OBP, going 7-12 with two doubles, two runs and seven RBIs. Outfielder Levi Smith was 6-13 with three doubles, four runs and four RBIs.
- Tate Boeckman was 7-9 with six runs scored for St. Henry, which is off to a 4-0 start with wins over D-VI Covington, D-III Lima Shawnee, and D-VII Franklin Monroe twice. A junior RF/LHP, Boeckman had a pair of two-base hits, a triple and two free passes to go along with three RBIs and two stolen bases for the No. 9 D-VI Redskins.
- Blake Carrigan belted three home runs and a double while going 7-11 for Lakeland. The 41st-rated senior outfielder in Ohio, a Northwood signee, also had seven RBIs while touching home plate five times.
- Junior Jack Egbert drove in 11 runs and scored nine times for Butler. A right fielder for the second-ranked Division III team in the state, Egbert was 9-13 with four two-base hits, a triple and three base on balls.
- Connor Monk is batting .500 on the season at 10-20 with a double, triple, walk, five runs and seven RBIs. The senior outfielder for Franklin also has three stolen bases.
- Girard center fielder Joey Alejars scored six runs and stole four bases while finishing 9-16 at the plate with a triple and two RBIs.
- Senior shortstop Brendon Preisel was 3-3 with a pair of doubles, scoring once and driving in a run for D-IV No. 11 Holy Name.
- Crestline senior corner infielder Auston Henson went 4-8 on the week with a double, walk, RBI and three steals.
- Westerville South senior DH Alex Stein drove in seven runs and scored five while producing two home runs and a double out of his six hits.
- Braden Harrison is batting .700 with five singles, two doubles and two RBIs in 10 ABs to start the year. The second baseman for D-II No. 20 North Ridgeville is the 227th-ranked junior in Ohio.
- LaBrae won its first two games with Landon Brunstetter going 5-8 with a pair of doubles and a walk. The senior shortstop for the 17th-ranked D-VI team in Ohio scored five runs, had five RBIs and stole two bases.
TWO-WAY STANDOUTS
St. Mary’s Memorial looks like it will be a contender for the Western Buckeye League crown this season if the start to the 2026 campaign is any indication. The Roughriders are off to a 4-0 start with victories over Indian Lake, Parkway, Lima CC and Versailles.
Senior Kasey Gross was the leader for St. Mary’s, picking up pitching wins in two of those games, going 13 innings allowing two runs, eight hits and four walks while striking out 14 against Indian Lake and Versailles. Gross was also dominant at the plate with 10 hits in 14 at-bats, scoring eight runs and driving home two.
- The Westerville South junior duo of Adler Dietz and Chase Crawford both went 9-20 at the plate while also giving strong pitching performances. Dietz, the 19th-ranked 2027 first baseman in Ohio, hit four doubles, scored four runs, drove in three and stole a base. The lefty also struck out seven in 6.1 innings, giving up three earned runs in a loss to unbeaten Ockton, Va. Crawford fanned 11 in eight innings for the week, giving up two earned runs in picking up two wins. The South second baseman also scored five runs with three doubles, three RBIs, three walks and two steals.
- Isaac Sertell did it all for West Liberty Salem to begin the 2026 campaign. The 47th-rated senior shortstop in Ohio, who also catches and pitches, hit four doubles, a triple and a home run in a 6-10 week, scoring six runs while adding an RBI, sacrifice, walk and stolen base. A left-handed hitter, Sertell throws right-handed and picked up a win on the mound over Ben Logan, permitting four hits and one earned run in five innings with four Ks and two walks.
- North Canton Hoover has won four of five games with Jack Andes doing his part. The third-rated senior outfielder in Ohio went 5-11 with a double, triple and inside-the-park home run to go along with five walks and a HBP. The Bowling Green commit stole 10 bases, scored six runs and added four RBIs. The 31st-ranked 2026 in the state also pitched three no-hit shutout innings with seven strikeouts and two walks, earning a save.
- Grady Hesson garnered two wins on the hill for Division VI No. 8 Fort Frye, fanning 21 in 11 innings while not giving up an earned run. The junior right-hander surrendered just four hits and three base on balls. A second baseman when not on the mound, Hesson was 9-13 with 11 RBIs at the plate, belting two doubles and a home run while scoring six runs. Hesson also walked and stole a pair of bases.
- Gavin Quellhorst struck out 14 in 5.1 innings for two victories in helping New Bremen beat Mississinawa Valley and Waynesfield Goshen. The senior left-hander did not walk a batter while allowing just one hit. At the plate, the New Bremen center fielder was 6-10 with a double, triple, walk and stolen base, scoring five runs with six RBIs.
- Riley Verderber showed off his power with a double, triple and home run in a 3-7 week for Division II fourth-ranked Lakewood. The left-handed hitting junior corner infielder had a 1.786 OPS and 1.286 slugging percentage with five RBIs, four runs and two stolen bases. The 11th-rated 2027 right-handed pitcher in the state also had a save, retiring two batters on strikes in his one inning on the mound.
- Gage Baker struck out 14 and walked four in 11 innings. The Mount Gilead senior, who is 1-0 with a 2.54 ERA, also had three hits including a double, four RBIs, four walks, two HBP, three runs and three stolen bases. A shortstop/pitcher, Baker has a .600 OBP, 1.100 OPS and .500 slugging percentage.
- Urbana senior Kevin Endres struck out five in three one-hit frames pitching while also driving home four runs at the plate. The Cuyahoga CC commit was 4-10 with a double and home run, walking twice and scoring four times.
- Luka Pagura is a standout two-way for Medina and the 97th-rated senior in the state showed his stuff to begin the season.. At the plate the Ashland recruit was 5-9 with a .600 OBP and .778 slugging percentage, hitting two doubles and walking one time while scoring six runs and stealing three bases with four RBIs to top it off. The 18th-ranked 2026 outfielder in Ohio also picked up a win in a 3-2 victory over Pickerington North, fanning five and walking one in six innings.
- A dozen batters were sent down on strikes by Monroe RHP Dawson Watts, who did not permit an earned run in a five-inning two-hit outing. The senior outfielder was also 5-11 batting with five RBIs, scoring three, walking once and swiping a pair of bags for the Hornets, the No. 23 team in Division III.
- Avery Young had seven hits and six stolen bases for Columbiana while fanning six in 5.2 innings on the mound. The junior SS/RHP had four RBIs, two walks and two runs scored to go with a .996 OPS.
STRONG ON THE HILL
Barnesville won three games to start the season and Dylan Blon was a big part of it with a win and a save.
The Marietta commit also set the school’s all-time record for wins with 16 in a 9-0 blanking of St. Clairsville. The senior southpaw struck out seven and walked two in the shutout, two days after a one-pitch save against St. Clairsville.
- A bunt single was the lone hit allowed in five innings by Olentangy Orange’s Reid Hemrick. The 18th-rated senior RHP in Ohio fanned five in his time on the mound on the Orange spring trip, facing batters with commits to North Carolina State, Auburn, Clemson, College of Charleston and Sewanee. Orange is ranked fifth in Division I by Prep Baseball.
- Pierce Manson now has a 1.62 ERA and 0.77 WHIP for the season after two outings for Zane Trace. The 15th-ranked 2027 right-handed pitcher in the state struck out six and gave up one earned run in six innings of a 3-2 loss to D-I Delaware Hayes, then allowed two earned runs in a four-hitter with 15 Ks against Chillicothe, a 4-3 Zane Trace win.
- Ike Webb sat a dozen batters down on strikes in six innings of a Defiance win over Wauseon. The 23rd-rated junior right-handed pitcher in Ohio gave up six hits and two runs while not allowing a walk for the Bulldogs, rated fourth in Division III.
- Youngstown State commit Evan Fuller threw six one-hit shutout innings to lead North Canton Hoover past East Carter, Ky. The 22nd-ranked senior RHP in Ohio struck out 13 while giving up just one free pass.
- Junior righty Andrew Shackle won twice for Tuslaw, allowing one run on five hits in 6.2 innings of a victory over Dalton, striking out seven. There were nine more Ks from Shackle in a six-inning outing against Canton South.
- Andrew Kocher did not give up an earned run or a walk in 5.2 innings of two-hit pitching against 6-2 Bullitt East, Ky. The Hilliard Davidson senior left-hander, a Tiffin signee, struck out seven.
- Bryce Rogers did not allow a run in five innings with nine strikeouts for Division IV No. 6 Richmond Edison, which is off to a 3-0 start with two wins over East Liverpool and one over Beaver.
- North Ridgeville right-hander Jason Begalla fired a one-hit shutout at Avon, striking out 13. The senior is a Lake Eric commit.
- Senior left-hander Harrison Frank struck out 10 in 6.1 innings of one-hit pitching, not permitting an earned run while walking two for Holy Name.
2025 OHSAA Season Recap
2024 OHSAA Season Recap
2023 OHSAA Season Recap
2022 OHSAA Season Recap
2021 OHSAA Season Recap
2020 OHSAA Season Recap
- 2020 Preseason All-State Teams
Elite 25 | Division I | Division II | Division III | Division IV - No 'Last Dance' For High School Seniors
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