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Ohio Diamond Notes: May 11-17

May 19, 2026
Bruce Hefflinger
Prep Baseball Ohio Senior Writer

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Previous Diamond Notes:

Ohio Diamond Notes: May 11-17

A number of players had their hitting shoes on to highlight this past week’s action.

Carsen Lemons was on base 16 times in 19 plate appearances for Swanton, going 11-14 with five walks, three triples, two doubles and a home run, scoring nine runs and driving home 10. The 113th-rated senior outfielder in the state has a .466 average on the season with 31 RBIs, 25 runs, eight doubles, five triples, two home runs and 14 walks for the No. 21 Division V Bulldogs.

Brooks Marple was 14-18 with eight RBIs and eight runs scored for Dublin Scioto. The 27th-ranked junior shortstop in Ohio had a double, two walks and six stolen bases and is now hitting .430 with 27 runs and 27 steals on the year.

And then there was Leland Vargo, who did it both at the plate and on the mound for Newton Falls. The 75th-ranked 2027 RHP in the state won two games with 19 Ks in nine innings, allowing two runs on six hits to push his season totals to 4-2 with a 0.88 ERA, fanning 85 in 47.2 frames. But it was at the dish where the junior really excelled last week, going 12-20 with 13 stolen bases. Vargo had nine runs, four RBIs and two walks with a double and home run and is now hitting .486 with 37 steals and 27 runs while striking out just once.

HOT STICKS

All Zach Elchert did was hit four home runs with 13 RBIs and eight runs scored for Liberty-Benton.

The 291st-rated 2026 in the state, a corner infielder, was hit by three pitches and swiped four bags in a 6-8 week, upping impressive senior season stats to 28 runs, 27 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, 16 HBP, eight walks and five home runs with a .388 batting average for the Division V No. 10 Eagles.

- Owen Zimmerman of St. Henry was on base 15 times in 22 plate appearances, scoring 11 runs and driving home nine. The 14th-rated senior third baseman in the state was 10-17 with four doubles, a home run, four HBP and a walk, while also sealing two bags. The Indiana Tech commit has scored 37 times this season with 30 RBIs, 13 steals, 10 HBP and six walks, while carrying a .474 batting mark with 10 doubles for the No. 4 team in Division VI.

- Luke Starr carries a 4.0 GPA and is headed to Marietta to play football, but the senior right fielder for Triway is also doing quite well on the ball diamond. This week Starr started a seventh-inning rally in a walkoff win against Hillsdale and hit a home run versus Fairless before being recognized after the game as the class valedictorian. For the week, he was 6-11 with five runs and four RBIs, hitting a double, triple and home run, and overall has 26 runs, 19 RBIs, 13 steals, 12 walks and two bombs with a .400 batting mark and .494 OBP for the No. 15 D-V team in the state.

- Navy commit Keaton Bowers has now hit eight two-baggers and four long balls after a 5-8 week that included a double and home run, four RBIs, two runs and two stolen bases for Hilliard Bradley. The second-ranked senior catcher in Ohio has a .470 batting average with 18 RBIs, 16 runs, 10 steals and eight walks.

- Three doubles pushed the season total to 10 for Eli Beck of Madeira, who went 6-12 on the week with six RBIs and two stolen bases. On the season, the seventh-rated junior second baseman in Ohio has a slash of 406/547/797 with 27 runs, 26 RBIs, 16 stolen bases and five home runs for the 11th-rated D-V squad.

- Riley Miller stole five bases, drove in four and scored three runs going 7-13 with two doubles, a triple and three walks. The Lima Senior junior catcher also stood out behind the plate, throwing out four base runners in 20 innings catching. On the season, Miller is hitting .413 with 30 runs and 24 steals. 

- Mason Quatman has 19 RBIs on the year after driving in six this past week for Olentangy Berlin. The senior catcher for the No. 7 D-I team in the state went 6-8 with a double and home run and is batting .351 overall with six two-base hits.

- Lincoln Mackie drove home eight runs in a 6-7 week that included a double, home run and two runs scored for (Hamilton) Ross. The senior first baseman has a .421 average on the  year with five doubles and a dozen RBIs.

- Zavier Perry had five doubles in eight at-bats, Kade Swiger was 3-7 with four runs, Drew Ferguson went 2-4 with a triple and two runs and Keegan Conly was 3-8 with a double and four RBIs for Sidney this week.

- Four RBIs was part of a 5-9 week for Jate Hoovler of New Albany. The senior catcher for the No. 8 team in Division II scored three runs and had a double helping the Eagles improve to 19-6 entering this week’s play.

- Four singles, two doubles and a triple were part of a 7-12 week for Teays Valley’s Jayden Morrison, who had five RBIs and scored a run with a 1.532 OPS for the No. 25 D-II team. Morrison is the 68th-rated 2027 outfielder in the state.

TOUGH TO HIT

Carter Elliott pitched Olentangy Berlin to a share of the OCC title with a two-hitter against defending Division I state champion Olentangy. The 90th-rated senior right-handed pitcher in the state fanned four.

The Ohio Dominican commit threw eight innings during the week, giving up one earned run, one walk and two hits with six strikeouts.

For the season, Elliott is 4-2 with 54 Ks and 15 walks with a 2.252 ERA for the No. 11 team in the Power 25 rankings. 

- Kyle Long threw a no-hitter at River View, beat Steubenville and had a save against Indian Creek (No. 13 D-III) in three one-run wins for Richmond Edison, the 15th-ranked team in Division IV. The West Liberty signee, who is batting .408 with 22 runs and 21 RBIs, is now 5-1 overall with a 1.23 ERA.

- The fifth complete game of the season evened the season record of Jordan Shipe to 4-4. The Sidney senior fanned eight in the six-hitter and now has 37 Ks on the year with a 2.17 ERA and 1.26 WHIP.

- Senior right-hander Lucas Bialy did not permit a run in eight innings, earning a win and a save with 10 strikeouts for Logan Elm. 

- Reid Hemrick now owns the Olentangy Orange record for career strikeouts with 170. The Eastern Michigan commit is the 18th-rated senior RHP in the state. 

TWO-WAY LEADERS

With no earned runs permitted in 31 innings, Riley Verderber has been outstanding on the hill for unbeaten Lakewood, striking out 57 with a 5-1 record and 0.613 WHIP.  But the 11th-rated junior RHP in the state isn’t too bad at the plate.

This past week, the left-handed hitter went 5-7 with two home runs and a double to go with three RBIs and three runs. His season stats are: .429 batting average with a .598 OBP, 1.544 OPS and .946 SLG, pounding out seven bombs with 31 runs, 29 RBIs and 24 free passes.

- Xavier Aguila hit a two-run homer in the first inning and gave up one earned run in five innings to pick up the win as Olentangy Orange knocked Olentangy Liberty from the No. 1 ranking in the state. The senior for the third-ranked Power 25 squad was 4-9 for the week with a double, home run and three RBIs and now has driven in 19 for the year while winning all three decisions on the mound.

- A no-hitter was part of a huge week by Nick Holland, who struck out 17 in 7.1 innings to pick up a win and a save, giving up one hit and one earned run for Amanda Clearcreek. The 34th-rated 2027 shortstop in Ohio also had six RBIs in a 6-12 week that included a triple and four stolen bases and the junior is now batting .458 with 30 runs, 26 steals, 10 doubles and three triples.

PROMISING TALENT

While West Union has struggled to a 2-16 record, Thomas Barnhart has put up record-breaking numbers at the school.

The 11th-rated sophomore catcher in the state went 3-3 with a double, five walks, four runs, an RBI and three stolen bases last week. For the season, Barnhart is batting .588 with a .706 OBP and 1.176 SLG, hitting three doubles, four triples and three homers with 17 runs, 15 walks, 12 steals and nine RBIs. 

The 46th-ranked 2028 in Ohio also tossed his second no-hitter of the season, striking out 17 and walking one, setting a school record for single-season strikeouts with 113, while tying his own record of 17 in one game. Barnhart, who has not committed an error in 70 chances, carries a 0.41 ERA and 0.67 WHIP with opponents batting .080.

- A 1.370 OPS for the week was just a sample of the solid week Padua Franciscan received from freshman third baseman Michael Cangelosi Jr. The 12th-rated 2029 in Ohio went 6-11 with a pair of doubles, three walks, three RBIs, five runs and six stolen bases. The 15-year-old is hitting .388 on the season with a 1.052 OPS, driving home 22 runs with nine doubles, nine walks, nine steals and 11 runs scored for the No. 3 team in Division III.

- Maximus Lewis delivered the game-winning hit in the top of the 7th inning against rival Brunswick, hitting an 0-2 pitch for a bases-loaded three-run double and Medina went on to beat Brunswick 3-2 to secure a share of a conference title. For the week, the sophomore OF/1B was 3-5 with two doubles, three RBIs, a run and walk to up his batting average to .375 with five two-baggers playing for the fifth-ranked team in Division I.

- While the future for Kole Jehnzen could be at pitcher, the 13th-ranked sophomore RHP in the state is also showing his abilities with the bat. The Olentangy Berlin third baseman had five RBIs, three singles and a double in 10 at-bats and has now scored 25 runs and driven in 19 for the season with eight doubles and three homers.

- Jacobie Balo had nine hits and scored seven runs for No. 17 D-VII Bishop Rosecrans. The eighth-ranked sophomore shortstop in Ohio hit a double, walked, drove in three and stole two bases while going 9-12 and is now batting .660 with a 1.300 OPS, 26 RBIs, 20 runs, 15 steals and nine walks. Balo also had a save with eight Ks in eight innings and is 3-2 overall with a 1.53 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 32 frames.

SCOUTING THOUGHTS

Kyle Weldon:

Committed player: Keaton Bowers, Hilliard Bradley. Polished, advanced, and productive senior catcher with the receiving foundation, arm, and bat to be an impact player in a high school lineup and a college contributor at Navy. Current numbers: .470 with 8 doubles, 4 home runs, and 10 stolen bases in 31-of-66 plate appearances to support this ranking. Not a tools monster you talk yourself into, but a polished, well-rounded backstop who has done everything well for three years. Safe profile, a ready-now player.

Uncommitted player: Riley Verderber, Lakewood. A big, physical, two-way 2027 prospect whose fastball already touches 91 mph and whose bat produces in games. Power profiles best at 1B given the size. The pitcher/hitter question will likely settle itself as velocity continues to climb, but right now you’re getting a uniquely projectable body with two legitimate tools, a multi-sport athlete’s competitiveness, and a strong follow

Name To Know: Kole Jehnzen, Olentangy Berlin. Berlin’s likely next-wave bat - an underclassman driving in runs and scoring runs at one of the top D-I programs in the state, with the program development to project forward. The track record at Berlin confirms that his in-game performance against quality pitching is real, making the production line a more meaningful data point. One to monitor heavily through summer ball.

Dylan Hefflinger:

Committed player: Reid Hemrick, RHP, Olentangy Orange, 2026 (Eastern Michigan commit). Another impressive outing for the future Eastern Michigan pitcher. Fastball and slider combo from the same tunnel makes it exceptionally hard on hitters to barrel up  FB: 87-90,T91 mph SL: 76-78 CH: 78-79. 

Uncommitted player: Collin Short, OF, Archbold, 2028. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound right-handed hitting outfielder belted a three-run shot in the first inning, punishing a hanging breaking ball in a recent outing. The No. 147-ranked prospect in the 2028 class is a name to keep an eye on. 

Name to know: Anthony Singer, RHP/3B, Fairview, 2028. The 6-1, 245-pound two-way did his thing on the mound and at the plate in a huge conference battle with Wayne Trace. The sophomore went the distance on the mound, striking out five and walking just one throwing 72/100 for strikes. Confidence to throw any pitch in any count. Velo maintained throughout, with the second-to-last fastball of the game coming in at 82.3 mph. A good-looking stroke at the plate while going 1-2 with a walk, hitting out of the cleanup spot. The 179th-ranked prospect in the 2028 class was named Green Meadows Conference Player of the Year and is a name to note.

Pete Whitmer:

Committed player: Nathan McDowell, RHP, Moeller, 2027. A former Future Games Team Ohio member put on a show versus Centerville, pitching seven innings and recording 10 strikeouts with one run allowed. The fastball was 89-91 mph and he really exposed hitters with the slider up to 81.8 mph.

Uncommitted player: Noah Bauman, LHP, Dublin Jerome, 2027. Uncommitted southpaw that lives in the zone. Three-pitch mix with a lethal slider. Doesn’t get to throw it as much because of the volume of RHH vs LHH, but an out pitch at the next level for sure. Stats vs Fenwick: 5.2 IP | 5 H | 1 ER | 3 K | 4 BB. 

Name to know: Teddy Porter, RHP, Olentangy Berlin, 2028. Went six strong vs Indian Hill, striking out nine and allowing just one unearned run on the day. Added a go-ahead RBI on offense as well. Fastball was up to 89 mph on this day. 

TEAM NEWS

What a spectacular week it was for Olentangy Berlin, which clinched a share of the OCC title with a victory over D-I 24th-ranked Olentangy. There were also wins against Grove City (D-I N10) and Indian Hill (D-IV No. 3).

Making the week more impressive, were the pitchers that Berlin faced in picking up victories. The No. 7 Division I team in the state beat Olentangy’s Rocco Bucci, a Virginia Tech commit ranked seventh in the 2027 class, and also the Indian Hill pitching combo of Mississippi State recruit Devlin Daniel, the top-rated junior in Ohio, and Jim Liebel, the No. 48 senior RHP in the state who is signed with the University of Chicago. 

- Olentangy Orange now owns two wins over Olentangy Liberty. It was the highlight of a 3-0 week that included wins over Harrison Central and Steubenville. The second-ranked team in Division I has now won 15 of its last 16 games to stand at 18-5, with all the losses coming by one run.

- Two teams on the rise are Dublin Scioto and Amanda-Clearcreek. Scioto is riding a seven-game winning streak, including a 4-1 win over D-II No. 15 Big Walnut, to improve to 14-12 on the season. Clearcreek, which was hurt by injuries the first part of the season, had a 3-0 week and is now 10-10 overall.

- The game between D-V No. 13 Anna and D-VI No. 4 St. Henry was suspended in the seventh inning back on March 31 but was finally resumed and the end came quickly as Anna hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the frame for the victory. However, St. Henry rebounded very well with a 12-1 five-inning win right after. It was part of a 5-1 week in which the Redskins outscored the opposition 72-10 in the five victories.

- A 2-0 win over state-ranked Padua and two run-rule victories over North Olmsted has Lakewood still unbeaten through 23 games with the top-ranked team in Division II 14-0 in the CWC.

- In a potential regional semifinal preview, Summit Country Day outlasted Madeira 7-6 in 11 innings in a game played at Great America Ballpark that lasted nearly 31/2 hours. Madeira is ranked 11th and Summit Country Day 12th in Division V.

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