Blake Bowen's monster season leads to first-team All-Ohio nod

Heading into his junior season at Wooster, it was evident Blake Bowen was already one of the best players in the state.

With his junior season completed, it's even more obvious.

Bowen led the area's All-Ohio honorees, earning first-team all-state honors in Division I from the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association.

Triway's Chad Harper (Div. II second team), Tuslaw's Liam McCollister (Div. III second team), Orrville's Brady Marshall (Div. III honorable mention), Waynedale's Jay Mast (Div. III honorable mention), Hiland's Jeff Todoro (Div. IV second team), Hiland's Nolan Yoder (Div. IV honorable mention) and Hillsdale's Nick Kandel (Div. IV honorable mention) earned All-Ohio nods as well.

The Kentucky-bound Bowen put up one of the most impressive statistical seasons of any All-Ohio player: a .581 average with seven home runs, four triples, 13 doubles, 48 RBIs, 40 runs scored and 16 stolen bases. Bowen's batting average and double totals were better than anyone else on the Div. I all-state team.

Harper's all-around play helped Triway to another good season, batting .484 with a home run, three triples and seven doubles while driving in 24 runs.

Two of the PAC-7's top catchers picked up All-Ohio nods in Div. III in McCollister and Marshall. McCollister batted .532 with four homers and nine doubles while Marshall hit .493 and was credited with 50 stolen bases.

Mast was the All-Ohio representative for state-bound Waynedale, batting .387 with 14 doubles in a balanced lineup.

Hiland was the only team with multiple honorees, with Todaro (.397, three home runs, 33 RBIs) bringing pop the middle of the lineup, along with Yoder (.432, nine doubles).

Kandel was sensational as a pitcher and hitter at Hillsdale, batting .417 with three home runs and 23 RBIs to go along with a 1.69 earned run average with 62 strikeouts on the mound.

League awards: 

Ohio Cardinal Conference

Player of the Year: Blake Bowen, Wooster

Pitchers of the Year: Luke Bryant, Ashland; Noah Clark, West Holmes

Coach of the Year: Steve Young, Wooster

First team: Jon Metzger, Ashland; Cole Pauley, Lexington; Braden Mumaw, Lexington; Seth Ohl, Madison; Konner Daughreity, Mt. Vernon; Logan Trace, Mt. Vernon; Caden Rowland, Mt. Vernon; Rudy Hershberger, West Holmes; Brady Bowen, Wooster; Drew Becker, Wooster; Zach Harpster, Wooster

Second team: Kamden Mowry, Ashland; Parker Grissinger, Ashland; Zian Rhodes, Lexington; Jameson Myers, Madison; Quintin Little, Mansfield Senior; Beau Bridges, Mt. Vernon; Marcus Bradley, Mt. Vernon; Jonny Askew, Mt. Vernon; Gino DiNardi, West Holmes; Drew Rader, Wooster; Jack Williams, Wooster

Honorable mention: Ethan Bunce, Ashland, Logan Fulk, Ashland, Bradley Miller, Lexington; Landon Goetz, Lexington; Gavin Cates, Madison; Cameron Kuhn, Madison; Brock Hill, Mansfield Senior; Josh Malone, Mansfield Senior; Owynn Gleason, Mt. Vernon; Cash Finnell, Mt. Vernon; Brady Smith, West Holmes; Micah Martin, West Holmes; Sam Nielson, Wooster; Ben Winge, Wooster

Principals Athletic Conference

Player of the Year: Andrew Hendrickx, CVCA

Coach of the Year: Jason Herblet, CVCA

First team: Owen Canter, Manchester; Kenton Duty, Manchester; Chad Harper, Triway; Andrew Hendrickx, CVCA; Ethan Lautzenheiser, Fairless; Joey Lehner, CVCA; Brady Marshall, Orrville; Liam McCollister, Tuslaw; Braden Mick, Northwest; Trevor Szekely, Northwest; Brock Tisko, Triway; Trevor Vojtkofsky, CVCA; Kain Weaver, Triway; Tyler Wise, CVCA

Honorable mention: Logan Carr, Manchester; Sawyer Hamsher, Orrville; Trevor Horrisberger, Fairless; Simon Kitchen, Triway; Tyler Ogozalek, Northwest; Otto Rogers, CVCA; Jackson Weaver, Tuslaw

Wayne County Athletic League 

Most Valuable Player: Trent Barstow, Norwayne

Coaches of the Year: Lucas Daugherty, Waynedale; Blake Bellman, Norwayne

First team: Otto Solorzano, Waynedale; Nick Kandel, Hillsdale; Corbin Marshall, Chippewa; Jack Steiner, Dalton; Jake Gill, Norwayne; Logan Dichler, Norwayne; Mike Steingass, Norwayne; Luke Wright, Northwestern; Bryce Butcher, Smithville; Jay Mast, Waynedale; Trey Barkman, Waynedale; Jack Fickes, Hillsdale

Second team: Owen Beatty, Dalton; Will Carmichael, Dalton; Ethan Goodwin, Hillsdale, Mark Abel, Hillsdale; Jay Hanzie, Norwayne; Caden Fiala, Northwestern; Landon Simonton, Rittman; Aiden Milosevich, Rittman; Andy Navratil, Smithville; Conner Gatti, Waynedale; Ean Miller, Waynedale; Ian Lehman, Waynedale

Mid-Buckeye Conference 

Player of the Year: Andrew Smollen, Lucas

Coaches of the Year: Courtney Church, Lucas; Cory Branham, Mansfield Christian

First team: Hunter Church, Lucas; Jake Bruce, Crestline; Andrew Fanello, Lucas; Hunter Rice, Lucas; Peyton Regan, Loudonville; Patrick Bischel, Lucas; Landon Curtis, Mansfield Christian; Isaac Hillman, Mansfield Christian

Second team: Griffin Baker, Mansfield Christian; Boe Weiser, Loudonville; Trevor Shade, Crestline; Bobby Grover, Lucas; Aidan Wolford, Loudonville

Honorable mention: Caleb Gregory, Mansfield Christian; Brayden Spitler, Lucas; Gabe Sprang, Loudonville; Blake Guiler, Crestline

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Baseball: Wooster's Blake Bowen leads local All-Ohio nods