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Ohio Diamond Notes: March 28-April 6

April 10, 2025
Bruce Hefflinger and Prep Baseball Ohio Staff
Ohio Senior Writer

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Ohio Diamond Notes: March 28-April 6

While the weather has been far from hot, the performances across the state in the beginning of the season have really heated up.

Where to begin?

No place better than on the mound with Centerburg senior Daniel Lemaster. The Mount Union commit recorded his second straight impressive outing of the young campaign with a 20-strikeout one-hitter. The 5-10 150-pounder walked three in a 2-0 win over Northmor, his second victory of the young season. Lemaster now has 37 strikeouts in 13.1 innings, giving up one earned run on two hits with five free passes.

ON THE MOUND

There were additional standout pitchers setting the tone for the 2025 campaign so let’s take a look at some.

- Rocky River’s Michael Perry came two strikeouts short of Lemaster, with an 18-K performance for the state’s 16th-rated Division III team. The senior right-hander, who will play next year at John Carroll, went nine innings giving up just one earned run on one hit and three walks. 

- Revere junior Chase Clifford is back from an arm injury in a big way. The right-hander threw three innings and did not permit a run on one hit and three walks with four Ks in his first outing, then came back this past week with a six-inning one-hit performance, striking out seven and not walking a batter in a 1-0 win over Aurora.

- Kasey Gross of St. Mary’s picked up a save with one no-hit inning against Indian Lake, then followed it up with a no-hitter against Lima CC. The junior struck out six and gave up one free pass against the T-Birds.

- Licking Valley’s Evan Lichtenauer fired a one-hitter in living up to his billing as second team all-state on Prep Baseball’s Division III preseason team. An Ohio University commit, the 17th-rated senior left-handed pitcher in the state put 11 hitters down on strikes while walking just one.

- After throwing a three-hit shutout with nine Ks in his first outing of the year against Wynford, Marion Harding senior right-hander Gavyn Baumgartner did not allow an earned run in game two with a four-hit five-strikeout performance in a 5-1 victory over Shelby.

TWO-WAY STANDOUTS

What a start of the season it has been for a number of two-way players that not only shined on the mound, but also at the plate. Here are a few that made a quick impression to begin the 2025 season.

- Lake Center Christian, the top-rated Division VI team in the state, is off to a 5-0 start and Luke Heckert is a big reason why. The 11th-rated junior outfielder in the state belted three home runs, scored nine times and drove in seven on the week, with the speedy center fielder also stealing three bases and producing a pair of doubles. On the hill, Heckert did not give up a run on just one hit and one walk in 4-plus innings, striking out seven.

- Daniel Lowe had eight hits while also pitching eight innings for North Ridgeville. The senior RHP/3B hit three doubles, scored six runs and had four RBIs while going 8-13 at the dish, also picking up a win with 10 Ks on the mound while giving up one earned run.

- Shane Jones of New Riegel did not get to a three-ball count in a seven-inning perfect game against Danbury. The senior RHP/SS was also 5-7 at the plate with a double and triple, stealing two bases and scoring four runs.

- Caden Coblentz is expected to be one of the leaders for defending state champ Berlin Hiland and the senior did not disappoint to begin the year. Coblentz went 5-8 with two home runs and a double, scoring five runs and driving in five while also walking twice. Pitching wise, the Malone senior commit did not give up an earned run, surrendering just one hit and four walks while striking out eight for the top-rated D-VII team in Ohio.

- Zach Tipps of Carroll gave up just one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts in 4.1 innings against unbeaten Division I foe Beavercreek. The 6-5 240-pound uncommitted senior southpaw, who also plays first base, added four hits on the week.

- Landon Snow of Elmwood was dominant in five innings on the mound, with a 12-strikeout no-hit outing. The senior also batted .750 with five RBIs, a pair of doubles and three stolen bases. 

- Luke Pappano, the top-rated uncommitted senior in Ohio, fired a no-hitter in his first pitching performance of the year with the Moeller preseason first-team all-state two-way player also going 4-8 at the dish with two doubles and five runs scored.

- Fairfield Christian right-hander AJ Holbrook struck out 13 and did not walk a batter in a one-hit shutout. The junior center fielder was also 3-6 with three runs and three stolen bases.

- Lynchburg Clay’s Cole Wells belted a pair of home runs to push his season total to four. On the week the senior was 6-8 with six RBIs and six runs scored. The 101st-rated 2025 RHP in Ohio, a Thomas More recruit, also picked up a win with four innings of two-hit, no-walk pitching, striking out six and not permitting an earned run.

- It was a near-perfect week for Lakota junior Jack Widman, who was 4-4 with a double and RBI at the plate while throwing a four-hit complete game against Gibsonburg, fanning three and allowing two runs.

- The top-ranked junior left-handed pitcher in Ohio, Bryson Wittmer of Milan Edison, showed why he is Prep Baseball’s preseason co-player of the year in Division V with a five-inning, 10-strikeout no-hitter against Clyde. The Louisville commit also went 6-12 and drove in three runs at the plate, hitting a double and a home run while scoring six times.

HOT STICKS

While there were numerous two-way standouts, others made a name at the plate and even in the field. Following are just a few.

- Lincolnview junior center fielder Holden Price was 5-5 with four runs scored, driving in three while hitting two doubles, walking twice and producing a pair of sacrifices.

- Lukas Oiler of Zane Trace hit .800 on the week with eight hits, six RBIs and four runs scored. The junior third baseman had a double and triple.

- Little Miami catcher Charlie Whitacre went 3-4 and drove in three runs in an 8-3 victory over Bishop Fenwick. The junior backstop also caught three runners trying to steal bases.

- Ben Rolfe reached base on eight of nine plate appearances. The junior right fielder for Madison Plains had two singles, six walks, four stolen bases and two runs scored.

- Strasburg-Franklin second baseman Caden Dugan scored eight runs and drove in five. The 238th-ranked junior in the state was 5-7 with two doubles, a triple, six walks and a stolen base.

YOUTH SPARKLES

Not to be outdone by juniors and seniors, a trio of others had memorable beginnings to the season.

- Zanesville freshman Caleb Hollins went 9-19 with nine runs scored. A 1B/OF, Hollins hit four doubles, walked twice, was hit by a pitch three times and drove in seven runs.

- Pickerington North left-handed hitting Jackson Turnbull belted two home runs in an 8-5 loss to Olentangy Orange. Turnbull is the third-rated sophomore outfielder in Ohio.

- Another Jackson also came up big with Vandalia-Butler’s Jackson Schilling driving in six runs. The second-rated 2027 catcher in the state was 5-7 with six walks, two doubles, two runs and a stolen base for the sixth-ranked Division III team in Ohio.

TOUCHING ON TEAMS

- Amherst Steele is off to a 4-0 start thanks to some impressive pitching. Starting pitchers have 32 strikeouts in the four games played by the number three rated Division II team in Ohio, giving up just two runs on four hits.

- In contrast, Lincolnview has scored 20 runs and produced 29 hits with nine stolen bases in the first two games of the season for the eighth-ranked Division VI team in the state. 

- Barnesville, the 18th-rated Division V team in Ohio which scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh in a 9-8 walkoff win over Union Local, is averaging 13 runs a game. Barnesville added a 21-4 win over Union Local and also scored nine in a 9-7 win over River.

- Just 11-13 last season, Lucasville Valley is off to a 4-0 start, including wins over fourth-rated D-V Portsmouth and ninth-ranked D-V Wheelersburg.

- Madison Plains has outscored the opposition 29-6 in winning its first three games of the year against Centerburg, Franklin Heights, Whitehall-Yearling.

- Fairfield Christian pitchers have only surrendered three total hits in two games to date, wins over Centerburg 8-2 and Miller 13-0.

- Pitching has also been the key for Norton, which has shut out Orange and Ravenna 5-0. Jordan Kievman fanned 12 in six innings of two-hit ball versus the sixth-ranked Division I team in Ohio before Jackson Lewis (5 innings, 10 Ks) and Caeden DeDomenic combined on a no-hitter in the next game for the fifth-ranked D-IV team in the state.

- Vandalia Butler picked up four wins in Myrtle Beach, beating three teams from Kentucky along with Bowling Green.

- Hoban, the fourth-rated D-III squad in the state, is also off to a 4-0 start, giving up just four runs combined in two wins each over St. John’s Jesuit and Wadsworth.

- Lakewood, the fifth-ranked D-II team in Ohio, is 3-1 with the lone defeat to D-I #4 Saint Ignatius, a game the Rangers led 5-4 in the fourth inning. Lakewood has beaten D-II #6 Avon, D-II #19 Avon Lake and Elyria.

A Look Back At The 2024 Season:

To view the 2024 Team Previews, click here.

To view the 2024 Ohio Spring HS Report, click here.

To view the OHSAA Baseball Tournament Roundup, click below.

To View the 2024 Prep Baseball All-State Teams, click here.

To view the 2024 Preseason All-State Teams, click below.

To view the Weekly Team Rankings, click below:

To view the 2024 Ohio Spring Scout Blog, click here.

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