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Golden Eagles sign baseball battery mates

Signing a Letter of Intent to attend Kent State Tuscarawas were Levi Belcher (seated left) and Steve Michniak. In the back row are New Bethel Baptist Church Pastor David Ballert, Fred Belcher (Levi’s father), along with Steve and Dana Michniak (Steve’s father and mother).
Signing a Letter of Intent to attend Kent State Tuscarawas were Levi Belcher (seated left) and Steve Michniak. In the back row are New Bethel Baptist Church Pastor David Ballert, Fred Belcher (Levi’s father), along with Steve and Dana Michniak (Steve’s father and mother).

Ravenna High School graduate Levi Belcher and Streetsboro High grad Steven Michniak on Monday signed letters of intent to play for the Kent State Tuscarawas Golden Eagles baseball team.

Belcher, primarily a catcher was a four-year letter winner for the Ravens. As a freshman he batted .290 and hit .320 as a junior with a homer. He also threw out 16 runners trying to steal bases and played for the Midwest Stars travel team throughout all of high school.

He will major in business management at Kent State Tuscarawas.

Michniak, a four-year letter winner for the Rockets, is a player with loads of experience in the outfield, as a middle infielder and relief pitcher. As a junior and senior he started in left or centerfield and batted .365 with an on-base percentage of .420 during that span. He was selected as team captain his senior year and his team won a sectional championship. A two-time All-Metro Athletic Conference (MAC) team member, he earned MAC Academic Honors in 2021 & 2022. He owned the lowest strike out percentage on his team at .067% in 104 plate appearances and was the team leader in contact percentage, putting the ball in play .920% of the time. A member of the summer and fall Elite Level travel team for the past four seasons, he also played on the Elite Competitive Tournament Team for eight years. Michniak is a four-year varsity letter winner in cross country as well.

Academically, he carries a 3.65 overall GPA, earned the Perfect Attendance Award for all four years of high school --- the only Streetsboro High School student to achieve this honor --- and is a seven-time Scholar Athlete in baseball and cross country.

His volunteerism includes assisting in the junior youth baseball program and umpiring for the youth program as well.

He will major in business management at Kent State Tuscarawas.

"We are very fortunate to have players of Levi’s and Steve’s caliber coming to play for us," said Josh Jarvis, Head Baseball Coach for Kent State Tuscarawas. “Having been battery mates and team mates in travel ball will help ease their transition to our program. They both have loads of baseball experience, but it’s their enthusiasm for the game that will have a positive effect on the entire Golden Eagles team."

INFORMATION SUPPLIED BY KENT STATE TUSCARAWAS

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Kent State Tuscarawas baseball sign battery mates