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Ohio Diamond Notes: May 12-18

May 20, 2025
Bruce Hefflinger
Ohio Senior Writer

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Diamond Notes:

Ohio Diamond Notes: May 12-18

Four home runs is a nice total for a season, but Brady Kaufman did it in one week.

The 97th-ranked senior in Ohio went 8-12 with a double and four homers during a 4-0 week by Tri-Valley, the No. 10 Division III team. Kaufman also drove in nine runs and now has an astounding 13 home runs and 50 RBIs on the year to go along with 52 runs, nine doubles, 19 walks, a dozen stolen bases and a .524 batting average. 

Not enough?

The 34th-rated 2025 right-handed pitcher in the state picked up his sixth pitching victory of the season in a win over Olentangy Berlin, the No. 9 D-I team in Ohio. The Princeton commit, who has a 3.95 unweighted GPA, is now 6-1 on the year with a 1.28 ERA, striking out 64 and walking just seven in 43.2 innings.

So who else had impressive weeks? Read on… 

TWO-WAY STANDOUTS

Hayden Frey of Troy and Peyton Tengesdahl of Wayne pitched and hit their teams to victories this week.

Frey belted a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Troy a 4-0 win over Walsh Jesuit in the Prep Baseball Classic at Thurman Munson Stadium.

The 10th-rated senior left-handed pitcher in Ohio, a Toledo commit, also blanked the No. 10 D-II team on four hits and no walks over 6.2 frames, striking out 10 for the ninth-ranked Division II Trojans.

While not as dramatic, Tengesdahl had a two-run homer while also taking a perfect game into the final inning before a walk left the Wright State commit with “just” a no-hitter in a 10-0 six-inning win over Greenville. The 11th-rated junior RHP in Ohio struck out 12. 

There were other players also worth noting that came up big at the dish as well as pitching this week…

- Cayden McKinney surrendered only one run on six hits and two walks over 6.1 innings of a win over Huber Heights Wayne, striking out nine for his seventh win in eight decisions. The 68th-rated junior RHP in Ohio has a 0.887 ERA. A first baseman when not pitching for Tippecanoe, McKinney now has 33 RBIs on the year after driving in eight during a 5-9 week that included a double, home run and three runs.

- Zach Church also had a 5-9 week for Marengo Highland, scoring five times, hitting a home run and reaching on five walks and one HBP. The fourth-ranked junior catcher in Ohio, who has a .557 OBP on the season, also improved to 5-0 pitching with 4.1 innings of no earned run ball against Ontario, fanning 10. Church has a 0.656 ERA for the No. 11 D-IV team, holding opponents to a .139 batting average.

- Grant Lashutka was the winning pitcher against Waynedale, the top-ranked Division V team in Ohio, while also reaching base 10 of 16 plate appearances on the week. The No. 9 2026 RHP in Ohio went 6-12 with three doubles, three walks and a HBP, scoring five times and driving in five. The St. Edward junior is a Wright State recruit.

- Claymont junior Nolan McMorrow was the star of a win over Ridgewood, earning his second save of the season with three Ks in three innings while also going 3-4 at the plate with a home run and double. McMorrow, who has fanned 43 in 36.1 innings this year, now has 19 runs scored after touching home four times during a 4-9 week.

- Seven strikeouts in three three-hit innings of relief in a win over Olentangy Berlin was just part of what Gavin Harrold did this week for Tri-Valley. The 17th-ranked 2025 third baseman in Ohio went 8-17 with three doubles and a triple while bringing in four runs. Harrold is 7-1 overall with 72 Ks in 41.2 frames while hitting .369 with 29 RBIs for the No. 10 D-III team.

- Hayden Perdue picked up his third win of the season with one inning of shutout ball while also going 2-3 with a double, triple and two runs scored for Bishop Rosecrans. The left-handed hitting junior southpaw is batting .481 on the year while striking out 57 in 35 innings.

HOT STICKS

In addition to Frey’s walk-off for Troy, there were a number of other grand slams reported with Landon Wolf of Amherst Steele, Zeylen Yanmaz of Medina and Kenyon Oakes of Massillon Jackson all going long with the bases loaded.

Wolf had a pair of doubles and a triple in addition to his second grand slam of the season, going 5-9 with five runs, five walks, two HBP and 13 RBIs. The top-ranked 2026 first baseman in Ohio now has 40 RBIs to go along with six doubles, three HRs and two triples, walking 24 times and reaching on a HBP seven times. The 40th-rated junior in the state has a .362 average, .571 OBP, .690 SLG and a 1.261 OPS for the No. 1 Division II team.

Yanmaz, the 207th-rated senior in Ohio, had three doubles and a single in 11 at-bats for the week, highlighted by the grand slam. An outfielder for the No. 6 D-I squad, the Tiffin signee is batting .333 with 15 RBIs and 14 runs scored.

Oakes also hit three doubles while batting .375 for the week with five RBIs, five runs and six stolen bases for the third-rated Division I team. The 33rd-ranked junior in the state is batting .357 overall with a 1.009 OPS.  

There were other standouts with the bat worth mentioning…

- Frey’s walk-off wasn’t the only one that happened with the bases loaded during Prep Baseball Classic action on Saturday. Landon Holt drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh helping No. 10 Lakota West rally past No. 18 Perrysburg 10-9 at Defiance in a battle of Division I state-ranked teams. The second-ranked 2025 first baseman is an Olivet Nazarene signee.

- Defiance is the top-ranked team in Ohio and Noah Gomez has had a big part of the success. The uncommitted senior second baseman, who bats cleanup, was 9-17 with a double and two walks this past week, scoring five runs, driving in five and stealing five bases. The ninth-ranked senior 2B in the state has a .420 average on the year with six doubles, three triples, 21 runs, 22 RBIs, seven walks, 3 HBP and 12 stolen bases.  

- At 18-9, Princeton has its best record in 20 years and Wyatt Shaw is a major reason why. The fifth-rated senior catcher in Ohio is batting .410 with a .520 OBP, 1.255 OPS and .735 SLG. The Valparaiso commit has nine doubles, three triples, four home runs, 26 RBIs and 30 runs to go along with 16 walks and 14 stolen bases.

- Ben Voegele continued his hot hitting with the game-winning RBI in the bottom of the eighth inning of a 1-0 win over Monroe, earning Ross a conference title share. The fourth-ranked senior shortstop in Ohio went 5-10 on the week with a home run and double, scoring three runs. For the season, the Cincinnati signee has scored 25 runs, hit three homers and eight two-base knocks and stolen 19 bases with a .431 average and .554 OBP. 

- Kenton Ridge beat Piqua and Centerville behind the hitting of Nic Stumpf. The 13th-rated 2026 third baseman in the state, who plays first for the No. 6 D-III team in Ohio, was 5-7 with a double, RBI and three runs scored. Stumpf, who also fanned three in 1.2 scoreless innings, is hitting .464 on the year with a .584 OBP, 26 runs and 17 steals.

- Reaching base on nine of 11 plate appearances, Grant Schag went 5-7 with a double, three walks, a HBP, five runs scored and seven stolen bases for Triway. The 134th-rated senior in Ohio, a Walsh commit, has a .395 average and .510 OBP with 32 runs, 20 steals and nine doubles while the shortstop for the 11th-ranked D-V team has just three errors in 82 chances.

- Brunswick catcher Connor Adams scored six runs and drove in five during a 6-12 week that included five walks, three stolen bases and a double. The 29th-ranked senior catcher now has 21 RBIs, 18 runs and 17 free passes while batting .373.

- Conner Eyink of Mechanicsburg was on base seven out of 11 times at the dish, with two doubles, a triple, two HBPs and a pair of walks. The catcher for the No. 8 Division VI team drove in three and scored three runs to up the season totals to 25 RBIs and 21 runs scored. The junior,  who also plays OF and pitches, is averaging .517 with nine doubles, 11 walks and six HBP while swiping 16 bases.    

- Ryan Lamonica hit two home runs against Olentangy Berlin to highlight a 5-12 week that included five RBIs and a stolen base helping Tri-Valley to a 4-0 record. The 2026 center fielder for Tri-Valley, the 10th-rated D-III squad, has 25 runs, 22 RBIs and a .354 batting mark.

- Swanton third baseman Carsen Lemons drove in a dozen runs with four singles and three triples in 11 ABs, scoring three times. The junior, who is also 5-1 pitching with 48 Ks in 27 innings, has 33 RBIs on the season with 24 runs, six triples and a .416 average.

- Twinsburg senior Bobby Lemieux scored nine runs in an 8-18 week that included a double and home run, driving in five and swiping four bases. The center fielder for the No. 11 Division III team in Ohio has 20 runs and 16 stolen bases on the season.

- Tallmadge senior center fielder Brady Headrick batted .500 on the week, going 7-14 with four runs, two doubles and two runs batted in.

STRONG PITCHING

Logan Ellis picked up a pair of wins for Lakewood during the week while Reid Hemrick had a win and a save in two impressive victories for Olentangy Orange.

A Mount Union signee, Ellis secured a win over North Olmsted on Senior Night and followed it up with a shutout of Buckeye. In nine three-hit innings, the senior right-hander did not give up a run while walking two and striking out five, with a 0.556 WHIP and .094 BAA. Ellis is 5-1 overall with a 1.12 ERA, 0.937 WHIP and .174 batting average against while pitching for the No. 4 Division II team in Ohio.

Hemrick threw a complete game in a 5-2 win over Saint Ignatius and added a two-inning save in a 2-0 win over Olentangy Liberty. The 32nd-rated 2026 right-handed pitcher in Ohio fanned 10 and gave up just one earned run in nine innings pitching against the No. 20 and No. 7 teams in the Upper Division Power 25 Ratings.

The uncommitted junior for the No. 2 Division I team in the state is now 5-2 with a 1.80 ERA, retiring 53 on strikes in 42 innings while limiting the opposition to a .176 batting average. 

There were more good pitching outings reported on the hill…

- Marengo Highland’s Kort Sears no-hit Ontario with nine Ks and one walk. The junior right-hander for the 11th-ranked Division IV team in Ohio is 7-1 on the year with a 1.32 ERA, fanning 56 in 42.1 frames while holding opponents to a .165 batting average.

- Mason Stewart was impressive pitching for Stow Munroe Falls at the Prep Baseball Classic at Thurman Munson Stadium. The junior left-hander shut out Hubbard, the No. 14 Division IV team in Ohio, tossing a two-hitter with one walk and nine strikeouts.

- Brock Polilli is the 42nd-ranked senior catcher in Ohio, but the Tiffin commit is getting it done on the mound for Massillon Washington. Pollili held Massillon Jackson to two earned runs in seven innings before leaving with the game tied at 2-2. Pollili, who went 5-14 on the week and is batting .311 overall, has a 0.492 ERA in 29 innings.

YOUTH SHINES

The numbers just keep getting better for Crestline sophomore Quentin Kapp.

A shortstop and pitcher for a 2-18 squad, Kapp struck out 19 in nine innings this week to pick up a win, giving up two hits and three walks while not allowing an earned run.

At the plate, Kapp was 5-11 with a double, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while driving in one and walking once.

For the season, the 2027 for Crestline has a .388 batting average with 22 runs, 12 doubles and 15 stolen bases. Pitching-wise, Kapp has given up 33 hits in 39 innings with 77 strikeouts, 

There were other sophomores that came up huge this week…

- Conner Draper is now batting .390 on the season after the Northview shortstop went 11-19 with two doubles, six RBIs, five runs and four stolen bases. The left-handed hitting sophomore has 17 RBIs and 14 runs scored for the year.

- Elijah Bland hit his fourth home run of the season while also pounding out a pair of doubles for Utica, driving home five and scoring five while walking three times. The sophomore third baseman has 22 RBIs, 19 runs, eight walks and six doubles for the year.

- Monroe Central sophomore first baseman Drew Landefeld upped his season batting average to .323 with an 8-17 week that included one double, one triple and one home run. Landefeld also had four RBIs, three runs scored and a pair of steals.

- Braden Wisecarver pushed his season total to 22 stolen bases after swiping five this week. The sophomore SS/RHP/C for Northwest went 5-11 with three doubles, four RBIs, three runs and two walks while also picking up his third win in four decisions on the mound with 14 Ks in six innings, giving up two free passes and one earned run.

TEAM NOTES

- Brunswick has now won 10 of 11 after victories over D-I No. 6 Medina, at Strongsville and at D-I No. 8 Saint Ignatius this week. The only loss in that span for Brunswick was a 5-4 extra-inning defeat at Division II seventh-ranked Hudson.

- Despite losing their best arm in the pen the first week of the season, Olentangy Orange has a sub-2.00 ERA. The second-ranked D-I team in Ohio made an impression this week beating the number one arms on D-I No. 4 Olentangy Liberty 2-0 and D-I No. 8 Saint Ignatius 5-2.

- Twinsburg went 5-0 this week, outscoring opponents 50-7. The 11th-ranked D-III team in Ohio, which has a 1.758 team ERA, has led in all but two games this season going into the sixth or seventh inning.

- Massillon Jackson is now 23-3 on the year after a 4-0 week that included 3-0 and 10-1 wins over Canton McKinley, a 9-7 eight-inning victory over Massillon Washington and a 3-1 triumph over Hoban.

- Triway finished 12-0 in the PAC-7 for the first time in school history. The 11th-rated Division V team in Ohio is riding a 14-game winning streak, another school record.

- Ross won a share of a league title by beating Monroe while also knocking off D-I Colerain and Fairfield in a 3-0 week for the Division III 14-8 squad.

- Tri-Valley’s 6-5 win over D-I No. 9 Olentangy Berlin highlighted a 4-0 week for the 10th-ranked Division III team, which outscored the opposition 41-9.

TOURNEY TIME

With the high school tournament ready to begin for the first time with seven divisions, let’s take a look at some of the possibilities with a few facts about each…

Division I

- Defending champion Mason went 0-3 this past week but the route to state appears a bit easier this season with top-ranked Moeller not in the same region like a year ago. Springboro, Centerville and Lebanon are among the stiffest foes Mason could face at regionals.

- As for the No. 1 team in D-I, if Moeller can get to the regional finals a team like third-rated Liberty, Lakota West, Princeton or St. Xavier, which dealt the Crusaders one of their three losses this season, could await.

- The road to state is not easy for second-ranked Orange, with a regional final matchup against Olentangy Berlin possible. Berlin won 5-0 over Orange in the regional semis a year ago.

- No. 3 Massillon Jackson and No. 7 Glen Oak split in the regular season and could meet in the regional finals. Medina, Strongsville, Saint Ignatius, Findlay, St. Ed’s and Mentor are some of the teams that could prevent it from happening as well as Perrysburg, which lost to Mason 1-0 in the state semis a year ago.

Division II

- There are no state-ranked Division II teams that made it to state last year. In fact, North Canton Hoover is the only ranked team in the division that made it to the regionals in 2024, Hoover losing in the D-I regional finals to Twinsburg. Massillon Washington, which lost in the D-II regional semis a year ago, was ranked 18th a week ago but is listed with the Next Up teams in the division ratings in the latest ratings.

- Top-ranked Amherst Steele owns two wins over third-rated North Ridgeville this season and a third matchup is possible in the regional semis.

- No. 2 Anthony Wayne was at state in 2023 and is one of the favorites to make it there this season with Troy, Edgewood, Teays Valley, Loveland and Harrison - all rated in the Top 13 in D-II - among those the Generals could face in regional action.

- Big Walnut has the best record of teams that are considered to have the best shot to make it to Grove City for regionals, but the competition is stiff with the likes of New Albany, Mt. Vernon, Westerville North and Westerville Central along with Worthington Kilbourne and Briggs. All are teams from the central part of the state with strong chances of reaching the Sweet 16 and beyond.

Division III

- No. 1 Defiance could see No. 9 Medina Highland in the regional semis but would first have to get past eighth-ranked Wapak in districts. The Bulldogs scored three unearned runs to win the regular-season game with their Western Buckeye League rivals, 3-1.

- Badin and Chaminade-Julienne split games this season and could meet again in the regional semis. Butler, a D-I regional participant a year ago whose only defeats this year are to the top two Division I teams Moeller and Orange, could await in the regional finals.

- Wooster was another D-I regional team a year ago and potentially might meet up with Twinsburg in the regionals again. Last year’s D-I state runners-up beat Wooster 5-0 in the 2024 tourney.

- Jackson, Circleville and Athens are the highest-ranked teams in the Chillicothe Region but are all in the same district.

Division IV

- Defending Division III state champ Heath and No. 1 Jonathan Alder could face off in the districts. Heath is ranked seventh in D-III.

- No. 9 Lake lost to Heath in the D-III finals a year ago but fifth-ranked Napoleon, which was defeated in the Division II regional finals last season, is in the same district as Lake this year.

- Four of the top eight teams in the ratings could comprise the Canton Regional. If so, it would be No. 6 Perry vs. No. 3 Lake Catholic and No. 2 Norton vs. No 8 Field.

- Indian Creek lost to West Branch in the Division II state semis in 2024 and could see 15th-rated Carrollton in the regional semis this year. The teams have split two games this season.

Division V

- No. 1 Waynedale is looking for its fourth consecutive appearance at state and the third-ranked team in the “Small Schools” Power 25 Ratings are the favorite on paper.

- Reaching the Elida Regional will be quite the challenge. No. 3 Coldwater, No.4 Milan Edison, No. 7 Liberty-Benton and No. 8 Oak Harbor are in the same districts. Same goes for second-ranked Ottawa Hills, sixth-rated Tinora and No. 13 Eastwood.

- St. Clairsville was in the D-II regionals a year ago and now looms as a team to watch in Division V. Lynchburg-Clay, Lucasville Valley, Wheelersburg and Harrison Central are ranked teams St. Clairsville could meet along the way.

- No. 9 Ironton and 10th-ranked Versailles are the highest-ranked teams that could meet up in the Mason Region. 

Division VI

- Hiland looks for a third straight state crown but as always must get by Toronto (or Caldwell) in districts. Four of the top 14 ranked teams in the division (West Jefferson, Mechanicsburg, Cardington-Lincoln and Madison Plains) are in the same districts as well leading up to the Lancaster Regional.

- Fort Recovery lost to Hiland in the D-IV state finals in 2024 but if another state appearance is ahead teams like No. 4 Fairview, No. 7 Lincolnview, No. 20 Wayne Trace and Summit Country Day are in the way. 

- Lake Center Christian lost to Hillsdale in the D-IV regional semis a year ago and could meet in the regional finals this season.

- The only Top 20 ranked teams in the Hamler Regional - Van Buren, Hopewell-Loudon and Elmwood - are in the same district.

Division VII

- After two consecutive state appearances, Calvert lost to Warren JFK 2-1 in the D-IV regionals a year ago. Those two teams could meet again in the Oberlin Regional final with No. 1 Calvert looking for revenge.

- Montpelier and Leipsic both lost in the regionals last season to eventual D-IV state runners-up Fort Recovery. This year teams like No. 2 Minster, No. 4 Miller City, No. 6 Hardin Northern, No. 13 Kalida and No. 19 Fort Jennings are potential regional foes.

- State champs in 2022, Russia has been knocked out by Hiland the past two years at state. The road to Akron this year could see the likes of No. 18 Tri-County North, No. 15 Fort Loramie and third-rated Mohawk.

- Could Newark Catholic make it 18 state appearances? The seventh-ranked team in the state can never be counted out. 

Midseason Player of the Year Watch (5/4/25)

CLICK HERE for 75+ names that are up for Player of the Year in their respective division. These names were provided to us by their coaches, or found on gamechanger/team websites. Obviously, there are many others having outstanding years that should be considered, but no stats were provided.

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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