Baseball 2024: Questions for all 10 Marion-area squads ahead of the season
Elgin went undefeated to win the Northwest Central Conference baseball championship, and Highland ran its streak of league crowns to five last year.
Northmor went deeper into the tournament than any baseball team in the Marion area, making it to the Division IV district finals before being eliminated.
Mostly, a lot of young teams gained experience last year.
Put it together and it should be an interesting baseball season in 2024. Here's a question for each of the area's 10 teams as we head into the start of the year.
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Will Elgin run the table again in the NWCC?
The Comets could be just as formidable this season as they were last year. They will miss Ben Wood, Isaac Dillon and Breckin Dugan, but they bring everyone else back including reigning Marion Star Player of the Year Brody Wood and other all-leaguers like Donaven Stith, Stephen Castillo-Carey, Mitchell Askew, Quinten Harrison and Nash Lust. Elgin has quality pitching and guys who can hit the ball throughout the lineup, plus they are above-average fielders. It should be a special season for second-year head coach Andy Steck.
Can Highland continue its string of league titles?
The Mid Ohio Athletic Conference is no joke. Ontario was in the middle of the pack last year and finished as Division II state runners-up. Clear Fork has state championships in its history. Shelby and Galion have long and rich histories on the diamond as does Marion Harding and Pleasant. River Valley is looking to regain its stature in the loop, too. So if Highland is going to win six in a row, it's going to need to earn it.
The bright side is that the Scots are flush with talent with highly ranked recruits like Zach Church and Jayden Collins as well as Kort Sears, Hayden Kline and Jace Brooks among others.
"The standard at Highland has been set by the championship teams of the past," Highland coach Donovan Kline said, mentioning they are 69-17 over the last three years, plus the program has won 336 games, 14 league titles, three district crowns and one regional title since 2005.
Can Northmor add trophies to the case?
The Golden Knights return their entire pitching staff, which includes a pair of Division IV All-Ohioans in Grant Bentley and Drew Hammond with Bentley as the reigning Marion Star Pitcher of the Year. They also have a solid defense behind them and an offense with potential.
"I really believe the league is wide open this year," Northmor coach Buck Workman said of the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference. "Anyone can beat anyone on any given night. It should be fun. A lot of parity this year."
Being in Division IV, the hope is they can break through and finally win a district championship and go on an extended run.
Is Marion Harding's offense going to match its pitching and defense?
The Presidents have an unquestioned ace in Austin Allen and a qualified No. 2 arm in Nate Cunningham to go with others who will be called upon to give innings. The defense was solid in 2023, but the offense needs to pick up the pace in 2024. If it can, the Prexies will be a tough out in the MOAC this year.
"Teams have to bring their A-game every week. As far as the Presidents, I feel if our kids decide to compete and do the little things that we have been preaching to them, we could make things interesting in the league," Harding coach Jeff Bolander said.
Will River Valley take the next step in the rebuilding process?
The Vikings bring back 10 letter winners led by names like Hayden Kanagy, Leland Doubikin and Aiden Gray, so the expectations have increased in the eyes of head coach John Wickersham. River Valley won seven games last year and 24 games over the last three seasons.
"We understand the challenges of the conference and take advantage of some Division II matchups to help put ourselves in a better position for the postseason. Since moving to Division II, RV has not been able to advance to the district rounds. We have fought valiantly over the last three years. Now we look to break through that wall," Wickersham said.
Can a new coach get Pleasant to bounce back?
Nick Bailey takes over the Pleasant baseball program from Kevin Kline, and he will try to get the Spartans to rebound from an 8-18 record last year. With seven letter winners back led by J.T. Snively, Trent Caudill and Owen Lowry, they have experience around the field and on the mound. But as has already been stated, the MOAC is not for the weak.
"The MOAC is a tough league and does a great job of preparing us for OHSAA tournament play," Bailey said.
Will Ridgedale make the next step?
Reaction to the initial phase of the coronavirus pandemic wiped out 2020 and a lack of players shuttered the Ridgedale baseball squad in 2022. Last year, the Rockets played a limited schedule as it rebooted its once powerhouse program. Ridgedale didn't win a game, but six returnees gained experience for coach Sam Leach. This year they've added nine newcomers of which seven are freshmen. Expect more growing pains as they plan to play a full season with league games in the NWCC, but with improved roster numbers, the future is brighter than it's been since 2019 at Ridgedale.
Can Cardington put together a winning season?
The Pirates went 11-11 last year and 12-13 the previous season, so they've been close to finishing above .500, even making it to a district final in 2022. Cardington has 10 letter winners back, including a trio of all-leaguers in A.J. Hall, Wyatt Wade and Wyatt Denney. In his third season, coach Ryan Goetzman said this is the most balanced and competitive the KMAC has been in his time.
"I believe we can fit right in the mix and compete well each night out," he said.
Can Mount Gilead improve over 2023?
The Indians went 9-18 last year, and they lost their entire infield to graduation, but coach Mark Kennon is hopeful his team can show improvement as the large sophomore class develops and mixes with the upperclassmen.
Will North Union use it experience to its advantage?
The Wildcats are loaded with experience. North Union has seven multi-time letter winners on the roster and 10 returnees overall, led by Tyler Krebehenne, Mason Bright and Landon Converse. Last year, they went 9-19 overall, but the expectations will be greater in 2024 for the Wildcats.
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Vote: Marion Star 2024 Baseball Preseason Player of the Year Poll
With baseball season starting this weekend, here is a poll for fans to pick their Marion Star 2024 Preseason Baseball Player of the Year. Here are the nominees:
● A.J. Hall, Cardington.
● Brody Wood, Elgin.
● Zach Church, Highland.
● Austin Allen, Marion Harding.
● Gage Baker, Mount Gilead.
● Grant Bentley, Northmor.
● Drew Hammond, Northmor.
● Tyler Krebehenne, North Union.
● J.T. Snively, Pleasant.
● Hayden Kanagy, River Valley.
Voting will continues at MarionStar.com and its app through early morning on April 1.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Baseball 2024: A look at the Marion area's 10 teams this season
