Baseball Previews: Morgan aims to defend MVL Small School title
McCONNELSVILLE — It was a banner year for Morgan, which finished 14-9 on its way to a Muskingum Valley League Small School Division crown.
Seth Brown, who enters his third season, will see if the Raiders can defend that title behind a strong core of veteran players.
The key losses include Levi Brown, Colin Janes, Brayden Shuster and Chase McGill, but senior Wade Pauley, the reigning Division Player of the Year, headlines the returning lettermen. He batted .470 with 31 hits and 27 RBIs and also went 3-2 with 29 strikeouts on the mound in making the East District First Team.
Seniors Carson Copeland (OF/P), Nate Silvus (IF/P) and Coleman Welsh (Utility) and juniors Carson Mummey (IF/P), Owen McCoy (1B), Kole Searl (C/OF) and Logan Niceswanger (OF) also return. Copeland, a East District second teamer, had a .299 average with 20 hits and 20 RBIs and was 1-2 with 21 strikeouts; Mummey hit .297 and was 2-1 with strikeouts; and McCoy had a .292 average last season.
There are several newcomers, seniors Jude Hager (P/Utility) and Seth Miller (DH) and sophomores Brylee Shannon (Utility) and Tavian Myers (OF), who are expected to see time.
"The Raiders have high expectations in 2023, and we look to be in the running for the MVL small school division title again," Brown said. "We hope to see improvement in all of our returning players with another year of growth, development, and experience. We are looking to hopefully make some noise in the postseason tournament this year."
Coshocton
Nathan Prati was pleased with the progress he saw with Coshocton baseball, which went 13-11 and claimed a sectional title.
As Prati enters his fourth season with the Red and Black, upperclassmen will have to step up to replace the production of last year's graduates, including Kobe Rust, Zach Jennings, Blake Alexander, Wes Prince and Judah Nelson.
"I was happy with the way we competed last season and took a step forward as a program," Prati said. "The seniors did a fantastic job leading the team. With the few we lost to graduation, a lot of our production and leadership went with it. We are going to have to find a way to have more complete and competitive at bats this season. We are also going to need our guys with multiple letters to step up and lead the team on the field."
Seniors Hudson Wesney, Travin Berry and Gavin Mathias, juniors Coby Moore and Gage Wright and sophomore Colton Conkle return for Coshocton and will be expected to carry the load.
Wesney, a first-team East District and Muskingum Valley League selection, will anchor the lineup and rotation. The senior middle infielder hit .467 with 22 RBIs, 10 doubles and a homer and was named the MVL Small School Pitcher of the Year after going 6-2 with 1.40 ERA.
Berry will play first base and catcher, while Mathias is a utility player, Moore, who went 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA, and Conkle will see time on the mound and in the infield, and Wright is back in the outfield.
The newcomers to the roster include senior Dalcin Smith (OF/P), juniors Bentley Cunningham (P/INF), Evan Unger (OF/P) and Riley Woodie (OF/P) and sophomore Jackson Smith (MIF/P).
Having Wesney and Moore headlining the pitching staff gives Prati confidence. He has also been pleased with the defense in the preseason, while the offense has shown some promise.
"I feel our pitching will be solid on both ends especially up front with Huddy and Coby returning, and defensively I liked what I have seen in our practices and split squad scrimmages," he said. "If we can limit free opportunities, I feel we can compete in the league and district, but it will be up to our leaders to be the driving force."
West Muskingum
Pat Reilly enters his second season with the Tornadoes and has an experienced roster looking to improve on a 4-22 campaign.
West M graduated four seniors, while seniors Nathan Davis, Dylan Padgett and Slater Sampsel, Landon McHorter (not a previous letter winner), juniors Alston Williamson and Camden Fowler and sophomores Jake Anton, Wes Houston and Kace Bowen provide varsity experience.
Newcomers to the squad include Sam Wiseman (3B/P), Ashton Ansel (P/IF) and Cale McGreevy (C).
"We have good leadership out of our four seniors, and we also return eight guys that played a lot of varsity baseball last year," Reilly said. "I have high expectations about our team. We hope to compete for a league title in my second year taking over the program."
Crooksville
Nathan Van Meter will have a lot of new faces in the varsity program as he starts his sixth year.
The Ceramics were 5-15 but beat Ironton in the sectional semifinals last season. They graduated four key players, including All-MVL and Southeast District players Ethan Sprankle and Austin Love, as well as Noah Dickerson and Sky Moore.
Van Meter has a slew of returning letter winners with seniors Trinton Cottrell (C) and Jacob Williamson (SS), juniors Brady Cottrell (2B) and Daniel Chapman (3B/P) and sophomores Jinson Harper (OF) and Bo White (Utility/P) all back.
Long-time head coach Shawn Chamberlin returns to the dugout to assist Van Meter, while senior Vaughn Childress (Utility/P), junior first baseman Ryan Taylor and freshmen Jace Thompson (1B/P), Gage Love (OF), Eli Sprankle (OF), Wyatt Hillis (P), Gavin Mount (Utility), Kale Dennis (Utility) and Kyson Riggs (INF).
"We're youthful. We have 13 in our freshman class and 29 total in the program, as 11 players of our 17 on our varsity roster have 0 innings of varsity experience," Van Meter said.
Rosecrans
A deeper roster has sixth-year coach Seth Thompson hopeful his Bishops can improve on a 13-6 campaign, including a 9-4 Mid-State League mark that landed them in third place.
Tommy Bernath, a four-year starter at shortstop and second, is the lone loss, while five upperclassmen highlight the returning letter winners. Senior Weston Hartman (P/C/SS), a district first-teamer, shined on the mound and at the plate, hitting .612 with 27 RBIs and 29 stolen bases, while senior classmate Malakai Clark (CF/P) hit .362, scored 29 runs and stole 16 bases.
Juniors Brendan Bernath (C/P/SS), Xander Daniels (1B/3B/P) and Mikey Burkhart (LF/2B/P) were also key contributors last season. Bernath had a .527 OBP with 25 runs scored and 17 stolen bases; Daniels went 4-0 with 2.44 ERA and hit .300 with 22 RBIs and Burkhart was 3-1 with a 3.66 ERA and batted .304 with 16 RBIs.
Seniors Skylar Hittle (OF/2B) and Nathan Hart (OF), juniors Drew Dollings (RF/DH), Eden Lynch (3B/OF), Maddux Burkhart (OF/C/1B) and Luke McKendry (OF) and sophomore Landon Hartman (2B/OF) are also back, while six freshmen, Nick Bernath (OF/P), Jordan Bonifield (3B/2B), Max Burkhart (C/1B), Coen Grandstaff (2B/SS/P), Hayden Omen (C/DH) and Hayden Perdue (P/1B/DH), join the roster.
Thompson noted Rosecrans beat Fisher Catholic and Berne Union for the first time since joining the league, while Fairfield Christian appears to be the favorite. He noted former college players Luke Hanson (Sheridan/Bluffton) and Andrew Church (Rosecrans/Hiram) have joined the staff and will help the players' development.
"With 19 players, competition for playing time will keep everyone on their toes. We have eight pitchers which willhelp if games get stacked up by rainouts and there's good possibility of adding some JV games," Thompson said. "Last season we beat Fisher Catholic and Berne Union for the first time and hope that that momentum will carry over this year. Joining the coaching staff are former college players Luke Hanson and Andrew Church, who both bring a wealth of baseball knowledge to the team."
Meadowbrook
The Colts will have plenty of new faces with seven starters graduated from the district runner-up squad.
Sam Fondriest, who enters his fifth year, will have five senior lettermen back, led by three-year letterman Easton Eibel (SS), who finished with a .381 average, 16 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.
Seniors Tye Griffith (OF/P), Kolton St. Clair (OF/DH), Cayden Nicholson (OF/P) and Braden Jones (C) are also back, while seniors Evan Dyer (OF/P), Jacob Justice (P) and Mason Blankenship (OF), junior Zayden Yeagle (1B/P) and sophomores Gunner Davis (P/1B) and Kade Winnett (INF) and freshmen Cohen Miles (3B/P), Casey Clendenning (P/1B) and Braylon Lowery (INF/P) round out the roster.
"We have a versatile team with a bunch of guys that can play multiple positions," Fondriest said. "We also have depth that can help throughout the course of the year. We just need playing time as we don't have a lot of overall experience in game situations."
New Lexington did not submit a preview.
bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Baseball Previews: Morgan aims to defend MVL Small School title
