Jake Furr's Top 20 Richland County high school baseball players returning in 2023
MANSFIELD — Welcome back, high school baseball.
Richland County is absolutely loaded with baseball talent and we all hope that means championships will follow in the 2023 season.
Let's take a look at the Top 20 returning Richland County high school baseball players are and get the juices flowing for the start of the year.
20. Brayden Spitler, Lucas
Spitler transformed himself between football and baseball last year and enjoyed a breakout season where he earned honorable mention All-Mid-Buckeye Conference honors for the league champion Lucas Cubs. He brings back experience that the Cubs are going to desperately need if they hope to three-peat.
19. Colton Ramion
Ramion is one of the best catchers in Richland County and has been for quite some time. A second team All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference player a year ago, he headlines an Ontario team that is loaded with talent and the potential to do some great things. All they need is a leader and Ramion is that guy.
18. Matthew Volz, Crestview
There may be no team with higher expectations of themselves than the Crestview Cougars and it has a lot to do with Volz. A second team All-Firelands Conference player a year ago, Volz has an incredibly high ceiling and would love nothing more than to bring a league championship to Oliveburg.
17. Mason Ringler, Crestview
Ringler is coming off of knee surgery after tearing his ACL in football and still playing nearly the entire season on it. He missed the entire basketball season, but is on the depth chart for baseball. Anyone who can play almost an entire football season with no ACL should be just fine when it comes to baseball. He was a second team All-FC player last year and is in line for bigger things this spring.
16. Zian Rhodes, Lexington
The Minutemen were young last year, but they had some talented guys all over the field. Rhodes was an honorable mention All-District 9 and second team All-Ohio Cardinal Conference selection a year ago and has what it takes to help Lex take the next step in getting back to competing for league and district championships.
15. Caleb Gregory, Mansfield Christian
The Flames are on the up and up and it is because of players like Gregory who earned honorable mention All-District 9 and honorable mention All-MBC honors a year ago. With another year of experience, expect Gregory to take the next step and the Flames to follow suit.
14. Isaac Hillman, Mansfield Christian
A returning honorable mention All-District 9 and first team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference player, Hillman is going to be the engine that makes the Flames go. Who knows, with his leadership, an MBC championship isn't completely out of the question. It will all depend on who he brings along with him.
13. Gavin Cates, Madison
Cates earned second team All-District 9 and honorable mention All-Ohio Cardinal Conference honors a year ago as a youngster who was just playing his role well. Now, he is going to have to play multiple roles and will be key when it comes to the Rams' success in 2023. He is up for the challenge.
12. Cameron Kuhn, Madison
Kuhn brings back some consistency behind the plate for the Rams and secures one of the most important positions on the field at catcher. He earned second team All-District 9 and honorable mention All-OCC as a freshman last year and if he improves at the plate, he could be in line for even more.
11. Zach Hamman, Plymouth
Hamman has been a centerpiece for the Big Red for the last three season and now, it is up to him to lead a young group of talented players. He was an honorable mention All-District 9 and second team All-Firelands Conference player a year ago and if Plymouth hopes to get back to the district title game, it will be Hamman who leads them there.
10. Jarek Ringler, Crestview
The Cougars are looking for an ace pitcher who can bring them a win every time they take the field against a Firelands Conference opponent and they have one with Ringler. He is a swiss army knife who earned honorable mention All-District 9 last year and will play an important role as the Cougars look for an FC title in 2023.
9. Bobby Grover, Lucas
Maybe the best glove in Richland County. Making the move to shortstop, Grover had a breakout freshman year last season earning honorable mention All-District 9 and second team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference as the starting second baseman for the league champs. If the Cubs 3-peat in 2023, Grover will play a major role in making that happen.
8. Hunter Church, Lucas
The Cubs will have one of the best 1-2 pitching combos in Richland County with Hunter Church as their No. 2. A second team All-District 9 and first team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference player last year, Church can play pretty much anywhere on the field and will see time at catcher, centerfield, third base, pitcher and just about anywhere the Cubs need him. He will be key in that quest for a third straight MBC championship.
7. Braden Mumaw, Lexington
Lexington could be the surprise team of the Ohio Cardinal Conference depending on how the young players develop and how much Mumaw can provide leadership. As an honorable mention All-District 9 and first team All-OCC player from 2022, Mumaw has the credentials under him to earn the respect of his teammates. Lex can really turn things around quick with Mumaw at the front of the pack.
6. Landon Kennard, Shelby
Kennard is now the ace and should be playing with a ton of fire after a football season that didn't go how he wanted. Now, it is his time to shine on the baseball diamond and he has a lively right arm that can make the Whippets very tough to beat during conference days when Kennard will be the go-to guy to bring home a league win. As an honorable mention All-District 9 and honorable mention All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference player a year ago, he will be poised for bigger and better things in 2023.
5. Luke Schlosser, Clear Fork
Maybe the most complete baseball player in Richland County. Schlosser is a 5-tool guy who plays great defense in centerfield, is a stud on the mound, and a threat to win any game he pitches and hits the ball all over the yard with power. He was an honorable mention All-District 9 and second team All-MOAC player last year, but during his junior year, he is about to take a huge leap in the right direction especially coming off of All-Ohio years in both football and wrestling.
4. Gage Weaver, Ontario
An Ashland University commit, Weaver is as smooth as they come on the diamond. Nothing gets by him at shortstop and he is one of the best hit-for-average guys in Richland County. He has a bright future in the sport and would love nothing more than to finish his senior year off with an MOAC championship and a run at a Division II district championship.
3. Andrew Fanello, Lucas
Richland County baseball fans won't see Fanello on the diamond this season after he had offseason knee and shoulder surgery, but he still would have been one of the best players in the county if he could have suited up. A second team All-District 9 and first team All-MBC player last year, Fanello leaves a gaping hole in centerfield for the Cubs and it will be impossible to be replaced.
2. Owen Barker, Crestview
What a senior year for Barker who was a member of the Firelands Conference champion football and basketball team. What better way to close out your career than with a baseball title and completing that sweep? With Barker leading the way as a returning first team All-District 9 and first team All-FC player from last year, the Cougars have to be considered the favorites to take home the 2023 baseball crown. Maybe the best hitter in Richland County.
1. Andrew Smollen, Lucas
Smollen is the reigning Mansfield News Journal Player of the Year and also earned first team All-District 9, first team All-MBC and MBC Player of the Year honors as a junior last season. The best two-way player in Richland County, Smollen leads the Cubs at the plate and on the mound as he is as dominant of a pitcher as they come. But what he provides that is irreplaceable is his leadership and positivity. The kid is just easy to root for.
jfurr@gannett.com
740-244-9934
Twitter: @JakeFurr11
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Jake Furr's Top 20 Richland County high school baseball players returning in 2023
