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Ohio Diamond Notes: May 4-10

May 13, 2026
Bruce Hefflinger
Prep Baseball Ohio Senior Writer

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Ohio Diamond Notes: May 4-10

Lakewood is the only undefeated team left in the state after Mechanicsburg lost to West Jefferson on Monday.

Now 21-0 on the season after beating North Olmsted on Monday, Lakewood has been impressive to the next level and is now the No. 1 team in Ohio in Division II. There are numerous reasons why, but three of them are worth pointing out after outstanding performances this past week.

It starts with a feat that may have never been done in the history of high school baseball in the state. Cooper Russell hit TWO grand slams in the SAME inning on Saturday against Bay Village.

For the week, Russell went 3-8 with five walks while not striking out. The Brown University recruit had eight RBIs and scored six runs with a 1.768 OPS and 1.125 slugging percentage. On the year, the 15th-rated senior shortstop in the state has scored 34 runs and driven in 23 with five homers, 15 walks and 14 steals with a 1.298 OPS.

Another college commit for Lakewood is Drew Jones. The Bowling Green signee went 7-10 with two home runs, a double and triple while also walking three times. The third-rated 2026 third baseman in the state scored nine and brought in six along with four stolen bases. It has been a remarkable season to date for the 44th-ranked senior in Ohio, who has a .556 batting average, 1.729 OPS and 1.079 SLG with eight doubles, two triples and seven home runs, scoring 46 and driving home 24 to go with 21-21 on steals. On the mound, Jones is 5-0 with a 1.31 ERA and 0.900 WHIP, fanning 41 in 26.2 frames.

The two senior standouts have been aided by junior Riley Verderber, the 11th-rated 2027 RHP in the state who this past week had a win and a save, giving up no runs on one hit with 13 Ks and just two walks in nine innings. At the plate, the left-handed hitter was 4-8 with a double and his fifth home run of the season, scoring four with five RBIs. Overall, the No. 29 junior in Ohio has not given up an earned run in 31 innings, standing 5-0 with two saves, a 57-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 0.613 ERA. Hittingwise, Verderber has 28 runs, 26 RBIs and 23 walks with a 1.412 OPS and .388 average.

MOWING THEM DOWN

Mack Hieber continues to dominate opposing batters for Patrick Henry, the No. 9 team in Division VI.

The ninth-rated senior right-handed pitcher in Ohio threw two shutouts against state-ranked teams this past week, one for a league title, and also went over 300 strikeouts for his career while tying the school career win record. The Ohio State commit fired a three-hitter with 13 Ks and no walks against Swanton (No. 18 in Division V) and a two-hitter with 12 Ks and no walks versus Liberty Center (No. 24 in D-V last week) for the NWOAL championship, a game that was a continuation of a contest that began in the third inning.

The No. 19 2026 in the state threw 66 of 92 pitches for strikes against Swanton and 68 of 94 in the Liberty Center contest. 

With 25 strikeouts on the week, the 6-6 205-pound RHP now has 319 for his career while also reaching win total number 23 in his time at PH.

- Bryson Gittins has had an awesome season to date for New Albany and this week was no different. The 24th-rated 2027 left-handed pitcher in Ohio tossed 6.2 innings of six-hit shutout ball to defeat Pickerington North, the No. 11 team in the state in Division I. The southpaw struck out three and walked three and now has 41 Ks and 11 walks in 32.1 frames for the eighth-ranked team in Division II, winning all six starts with a 0.866 ERA.

- Senior right-hander Sam Wendel earned his first win of the season for Hilliard Bradley, permitting one earned run with 10 strikeouts and one walk in a seven-inning six-hitter. The Cuyahoga CC recruit has 38 Ks in 28.2 frames for the season while allowing 10 free passes.

- Evan Fuller threw six innings of two-hit shutout ball to beat Uniontown Green. The 22nd-ranked senior RHP in the state fanned seven and walked just one for North Canton Hoover, the No. 4 team in Division II. The Youngstown State commit is 2-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 1.02 WHIP on the season with 39 strikeouts in 34 innings, limiting opponents to a .186 batting average.

- Brady Haught fired a one-hitter, giving up one run and one walk with four strikeouts leading Richmond Edison, the 20th-ranked team in Division IV, past Lake Center Christian, the No. 7 D-VI squad. The West Liberty signee, a senior right-hander, has a 5-1 record on the year with a 2.12 ERA, fanning 28 in 32 innings.  

- In earning win number eight on the season, Pierce Manson also struck out his 100th batter for Zane Trace. The 15th-rated 2027 RHP in Ohio fanned 14 to beat Piketon and is now 8-1 on the year with a 1.65 ERA and 0.75 WHIP, giving up 11 walks in 57 frames for the 21st-ranked D-V team, his only loss 3-2 against Division I No. 19 Delaware Hayes.

- Griffin Klausing fired a one-hit shutout to lead Kalida past Allen East in a battle of state-ranked teams. The 111th-rated 2026 right-handed pitcher in Ohio had 11 Ks and just one walk in pitching the No. 9 Division VII Wildcats by the No. 17 D-VI Mustangs. The uncommitted Klausing is 3-1 on the year with 37 Ks in 28 innings and a 1.50 ERA.

HOT AT THE PLATE

Olentangy Orange and St. Xavier are two of the hottest teams in the state and Jake Luling and Logan Von Holle have been key players.

Luling, the 14th-ranked junior outfielder in Ohio, had a pair of bombs to go along with a double and triple for Olentangy Orange, driving in seven while reaching base 11 of 16 plate appearances with two walks and three HBP. On the season, Luling has 22 runs, 20 RBIs and four home runs for the third-rated team in Division I, which went 4-0 on the week.

Van Holle had an OPS of 2.188 and OBP of .733 in helping St. Xavier to a pair of wins over Moeller along with a victory over Oak Hills. The left-handed hitting 2027 outfielder for the No. 4 team in Division I was 7-11 with two doubles, two triples and a home run while walking four times. The junior center fielder had seven RBIs and five runs scored and now has a dozen extra-base hits with 21 RBIs and 16 runs for the season. 

- Two wins over Elyria Catholic along with victories against Saint Ignatius and NDCL has Padua Franciscan up to third in Division III and Michael Reis has certainly done his part. The 45th-rated 2027 shortstop in the state had a .722 OBP for the week going 6-11 with seven walks and a double, swiping three bags, scoring three runs and bringing in two. The left-handed hitting junior has 19 runs, 16 walks and 16 stolen bases for the season with a .370 batting average.

- Ryken Zeigler tied the school record with five hits in a game to lead Elmwood past Arlington. The junior outfielder drove in nine for the week, going 10-15 with a double, triple, home run, HBP and two walks, scoring eight runs while stealing three bases. On the year, Zeigler has 19 runs, 19 RBIs, 16 steals, four doubles, three triples and a .462 batting mark.

- Jake Schwieterman drove in six runs with a double and a home run in a 4-7 week that included three runs scored by the first baseman for St. Henry. The senior now has 28 RBIs and 14 runs for the No. 4 team in Division VI, hitting four two-base knocks and three homers to go with a .373 batting average.

- A 5-0 week moved Medina to 16-3 entering this week’s play and Alex Rossetti has been a huge part of the success. The eighth-rated senior shortstop in Ohio was 9-17 with a 1.579 OPS, belting three doubles, a triple and a home run with five RBIs and five runs scored. The Akron commit also walked twice and stole a base while not striking out in 19 plate appearances for the No. 5 team in Division I.

- Keaton Bowers was on base nine out of 11 at-bats for Hilliard Bradley with two doubles, a home run, three walks and a pair of HBP. The second-rated 2026 catcher in the state had a 2.308 OPS for the week to improve to 1.231 for the season. The Navy signee has a .448 average on the year with 14 runs, 14 RBIs, seven doubles, three home runs and eight walks along with nine stolen bases.

- It was a nice week for seniors Brandon Toot and Hayden Newton, who are both batting better than .400 for Lakeview. Toot went 7-10 with five runs, four RBIs, four doubles and two steals while Newton drove in six going 4-9 with a home run and double, four runs and a walk. Overall, Toot is hitting .410 with 10 doubles, 18 runs and 17 RBIs while Newton is carrying a .431 average with 21 runs, 19 RBIs and nine steals.

- Hayden Perdue, the 52nd-ranked senior in Ohio, brought in 10 runs with two bombs and a triple for Bishop Rosecrans, going 6-8 with a walk and HBP while scoring four times and stealing a bag. The Muskingum signee, who plays first base and pitches for the No. 16 team in Division VII, has a .404 average with a 1.104 OPS on the year with 29 RBIs and 12 runs.

TWO-WAY PERFORMERS

Glavine Bigam continues to hit at a better than .500 clip after an 8-15 week that included a pair of doubles, a home run and two RBIs with six runs scored and seven stolen bases.

The left-handed hitting shortstop for Circleville has a season average of .531 with a .620 OBP, 23 runs and 16 steals.

The junior also picked up a win with 4.2 innings on the hill allowing one earned run to move to 2-1 overall with a 0.636 ERA.

- Sean Pitrone was strong for Gilmour Academy with the ninth-rated senior third baseman in Ohio going 13-18 with a dozen runs batted in. The John Carroll commit had a pair of home runs and a double while also walking three times and stealing three bases. In a three-day stretch against Mentor, Brush and Beachwood, Pitrone was 9-12 with two bombs and nine RBIs. The 155th-rated 2026 in the state, who played error-free ball at third base during the week, also pitched twice giving up one hit and one run with two strikeouts in 1.1 innings.

- It was a four-win week for Lakeview with juniors Jacob Shaker and Nic Aho getting it done at the dish and on the mound. Shaker was 5-8 with three doubles, a home run, five RBIs and five runs while also winning a game with nine Ks and holding the opposition to a .154 batting average. Aho was 3-6 with a double and also earned a win with a six-K performance for his third victory in four decisions.

- Luke Heckert had nine hits and scored nine runs for Lake Center Christian during a 9-13 week that included a double and a walk, four RBIs and five stolen bases. The 16th-ranked 2026 outfielder in Ohio also pitched four innings for a win, giving up two hits and a walk with eight Ks. The Arizona Western JC signee has now struck out 19 in 11 frames with just one earned run, going 2-0 with a save. At the plate, the senior is batting .541 with a .592 OBP and .770 SLG, scoring 29 runs and driving in 21 with 10 extra-base hits, eight walks and 17 steals. 

- Senior southpaw Brody Weiler picked up two wins for Teays Valley, retiring 12 on strikes in 13 innings with a 1.615 ERA and 0.896 WHIP, while holding opponents to a .143 BAA. The Hillsdale commit also was on base eight of 16 plate appearances with four RBIs and four runs for the 21st-ranked team in Division II.

- Jacob Roth of Portsmouth showed off his speed with two triples and a pair of stolen bases, going 7-11 for the week with five runs and three RBIs. The senior shortstop and pitcher also threw four innings for a win, permitting one hit and no runs. For the season Roth is batting .568 with three doubles, six triples, 34 runs, 17 RBIs and 23 stolen bases, while winning all six decisions with a 1.382 ERA, fanning 31 in 25.1 innings for a 15-6 squad that won all three games played last week.

YOUNG PLAYERS SHINING

Gage Bowers has been stinging the baseball for Miami Trace and it continued this week. The sophomore shortstop for Miami Trace went 9-15 with two doubles, five stolen bases and seven runs scored.

The 10th-grader also had two saves in 2.2 innings helping the No. 19 team in Division III to a 4-0 week.

On the season, Bowers is batting .465 with 27 RBIs, 21 runs, nine doubles and three triples. 

- Sophomore Teddy Porter fired six innings of three-hit shutout ball with six Ks and one walk for Olentangy Berlin. The No. 20 2028 right-handed pitcher in Ohio now has an astounding 0.350 ERA and 0.675 WHIP, fanning 43 in 40 frames with just eight walks for the seventh-ranked D-I team in the state.

- Making the most of his four plate appearance for the week, Aidan Nofziger had a home run, double and two walks with three RBIs. The Shekinah Christian sophomore shortstop has now driven in 16 runs in 10 games with a .698 batting average to go along with four two-bases hits and three triples while swiping 14 bases.

- Brody Beck upped his season average to .406 by going 9-13 with a home run, five runs and five RBIs. The performance by the sophomore left fielder helped Northmor to a 4-0 week while jumping to 14th in Division VI with a 15-5 record.

- A one-hit outing with nine Ks and no walks moved Blake Swinning to 4-0 on the year for Lakeview. The freshman left-hander has a 20-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio with a 1.84 ERA and 0.956 WHIP.

SCOUTING THOUGHTS

Kyle Weldon:

Committed player: Braydon Johnson, C, Lakota West, 2026 (Dayton commit).  Following up a stellar junior campaign with another strong year. .440/.516/.760 slash line. 9 XBH on the year for Lakota West. Advanced athlete with a high motor. One of the top catch-and-throw guys in the class.

Committed player: Ben Hanley, RHP, Mason, 2026 (Kent State commit).  Explosive lower half. Generates above-average arm speed. Physical build capable of sustaining velocity into the later innings. Secondary mix featured a CB with two plane shape and bite as it finishes. FB: 93 avg, 96.1 max (15.8 iVB, 8.3 HB) CB: 80.4 avg (-6.8 iVB, -14.4 HB, 2917 RPM) CH: 83 avg (1.6 iVB, 13.3 HB, 2245 RPM).

Uncommitted player: Seth Maybury, RHP, Moeller, 2028. FB: 84-86, T87mph SL: 72-74 CH: 78-7.

Name to know: Rudy Glotfelty, LHP, Moeller, 2028. Intriguing LHP with some upside. 10 K in 6.1 IP for the Crusaders this spring. Overhead slot. Slower 12-6 CB that sets the FB up well. FB 85-87 T88 CB 66-69 CH 74-75.

Dylan Hefflinger:

Committed player: Draden Wardrop, SS, Toledo Central Catholic, 2026 (Oakland commit). 6-foot-3, 175-pound right-handed hitting shortstop with a lean, athletic frame and projectable build. Defensively, shows smooth, controlled actions with soft, reliable hands and fluid footwork. Arm strength is above-average for the position, clocked at 85 mph (2024 showcase in profile), with the ability to make plays from multiple angles. High-level athlete, evidenced by a 6.44 60-yard dash (2024 showcase), translating to rangy lateral mobility in the middle infield. Currently ranked No. 59 in the 2026 class, he’s putting together a strong spring campaign against high-end competition in the Detroit Catholic League. Season Stats: 14 GP, 22-45, .489 AVG, 1.229 OPS, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 R, 10 RBI, 5 BB, 11 SB.

Uncommitted player: Jonan Snyder, RHP, Elida, 2028. 6-foot-3, 195-pound right-handed pitching prospect made a strong first impression in our initial look this spring. Works with a quality three-pitch mix, showing feel and confidence to land the slider in any count. Competes with presence on the mound and consistently attacks hitters. Also contributes offensively as a middle-of-the-order bat, hitting out of the three-hole and producing consistently at the plate this spring. FB: 83-86, T86.9 SL: 72-74 CH: 77-79.

Name to know: Colt Ward, C, Defiance, 2028. 6-foot-3, 195-pound LHH 3-hole hitter is one of the top bats in the state. The lefty showcases an advanced swing with strength through contact and the ability to drive the baseball to all fields. Behind the plate shows athletic actions while receiving and blocking, handling balls in the dirt with ease. Has zero passed balls on the season. Solid arm strength with accurate throws to second base. The No. 27 ranked prospect in the 2028 class continues to establish himself as one of the top names to follow in the class.

Pete Whitmer:

Committed player: Nathan Kramer, RHP, McNicholas, 2027. 6-foot-6 200-pound frame with plenty of room to add. Effortless Arsenal with FB sitting 88-90mph, leaning on the CB as the breaking option.

Uncommitted player: Keegan Sawyer, C, Badin, 2028.  No. 1 catcher in the class, T300 prospect. The defense/receiving skillset is at an elite level. +Arm, Feel/IQ for the game are all there. Has shown ability to hit D-I arms. A must know name as the recruiting cycle gets closer to 2028s.

Name to know: Kohl Jehnzen, INF, Olentangy Berlin, 2028. Good looking athlete with some size and strength with long limbs. A name to know as Aug 1st approaches. 

TEAMS WARMING UP

It is hard to have a much better week than St. Xavier.

The Bombers beat Moeller 7-4 and followed it up three days later with a five-inning 10-0 win over the former top-rated squad in Ohio. St. Xaver also handled D-I No. 18 Oak Hills 11-1 in six innings to improve to 16-4 on the year, moving the Bombers to fourth in the Division I state rankings. 

- Olentangy Orange showed a lot of firepower with four wins last week, defeating D-I No. 23 Dublin Coffman 10-2, Upper Arlington 14-3, Hilliard Bradley 9-1 and D-I No. 17 Mason 9-8. Now 15-5 on the season (every loss by one run) and third in Division I, Orange already owned wins over Amherst Steele (No. 3 D-II), Olentangy Liberty (No. 1 D-I), Perrysburg (No. 21 D-I) and Butler (No.1 D-III)

- Padua Franciscan scored three in the top of the seventh and one in the eighth to knock off D-I Saint Ignatius 4-3, highlighting a 4-0 week that included two wins over D-IV No. 16 Elyria Catholic 6-5 and 9-0 and another over NDCL 2-0. Padua is 16-2 and ranked third in D-III.

- The pitching depth for St. Henry will be challenged this week with the No. 4 team in D-VI playing six games. It comes after two wins and two rainouts last week, the biggest victory a 10-5 triumph over D-VI No. 15 Fort Recovery which moved the Redskins to 16-2 overall.

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