OHSAA baseball tournament: A look at Stark County area's top teams, players and storylines
Ready or not, it is sectional tournament time in Ohio high school baseball.
The road to the state tournament, June 7-9, at Canal Park begins now. Let's take a look at some of the top teams, players and storylines in the Stark County area entering the postseason.
The No. 1 seeds: Jackson and Lake Center Christian
JACKSON, Division I: The Polar Bears are close to a third straight Federal League title, sitting at in first place at 9-2 with one league game left. What they haven't done in a while is win a district title. Their last one came in 2019. This year's squad is deep with pitching, led by lefties Landen Doll and Landon Thiel and right-hander Jeffrey Oister. Jackson enters this week at 18-7 and opens tournament play at home in a sectional final vs. the winner of Cuyahoga Falls and Boardman. The Polar Bears' district path would take them through Nordonia, which includes Stark County teams Louisville (No. 11), GlenOak (12), Perry (15), Lake (19) and McKinley (22) in the same bracket.
LAKE CENTER CHRISTIAN, Division IV: The 22-1 Tigers are the area's only defending district champions, and they certainly are capable of repeating. Lake Center, ranked fourth in the state coaches poll and fresh off a second straight Portage Trail Conference championship, is loaded with experience and talent. Through 23 games this season, Lake Center never allowed more than four runs in a game and yielded more than two runs only three times. Senior Dylan Maninga and sophomore Nathan Bryant lead the pitching staff. Brothers Grant and Harrison Coblentz have triggered the offense. Lake Center opens tournament play in a sectional final on Thursday vs. the winner of St. Thomas Aquinas and Richmond Heights and would go through Cene Park in Struthers for the district.
Other Stark County-area D1s loom in tournament
A number of area Division I teams, led by No. 6 Hoover, Louisville, GlenOak and No. 14 Massillon, are capable of making some noise outside of Jackson. The young but talented Vikings still are alive in the Federal League race and handed Jackson both of its league losses earlier this season. The Tigers, who lost in a district final last season against Hoban, are ready for anything after their tough independent schedule. Hoover and Massillon, both 14-win teams, are in the district bracket going through Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium. Still another 14-win team, Louisville won a Division II district championship two years ago and lost in a D1 district final last year to Walsh Jesuit. GlenOak (11-11, 7-2) also is still alive in the Federal League race and actually is tied with Jackson in the loss column. It still has one game left with the Polar Bears and two with Hoover (6-3 in league).
How high can Alliance Aviators fly?
The Aviators surprised most observers last year when they won the outright EBC championship, their first league title of any kind since 2009. Then, after graduating their top pitchers, they surprised everyone again this season by winning another league title. Now Division II Alliance, a No. 2 seed, will chase its first district title since 2006. Alliance has reloaded with strong pitching, good defense and timely hitting. The Aviators open tournament play Wednesday against the winner of Ashtabula Edgewood and Ravenna. Their district path would go through Cene Park and could include a semifinal matchup with No. 1 seed Poland.
Don't ever count out Canton Central Catholic
Look out. The Division III Crusaders (12-8) are rolling at the right time. Central enters this week having won eight straight and 10 of its last 11 games. Seeded eighth, it hosts a sectional final on Wednesday against the winner of Fairview and Cuyahoga Heights. It would go through Norwayne High School for its district, with No. 5 seed Manchester on the other side of that bracket.
5 versatile players to watch in the postseason
Mason Ashby, Hoover: Bringing speed to the top of the order and a lot of guts to the mound, Ashby is a proven leader for the Vikings.
Ryan Bruni, Alliance: The reigning EBC Player of the Year and four-year varsity performer (and Walsh University baseball recruit) has his fingerprints all over games.
Dylan Maninga, Lake Center Christian: One of the top arms in the area, Maninga has taken on the double duty of playing catcher when not pitching for the state-ranked Tigers.
Nick Petro, Sandy Valley: A three-sport athlete and a Walsh University baseball recruit, Petro has led the 17-5 Cardinals to the No. 3 seed in their Eastern District bracket and a first-round matchup with No. 13 Bellaire.
Brady Rollyson, Green: An Ohio State baseball recruit and the reigning Federal League Player of the Year in baseball and basketball, Rollyson is the kind of athlete who can take over games.
Stark County area's best first-round matchup
Fairless at Tuslaw: How about a little Blue Cup baseball action in this Division III sectional semifinal? The No. 13 seed Mustangs (11-13) host the No. 14 Falcons (10-15) on Monday after the two rivals split their two regular-season matchups. Monday's winner goes to No. 4 Black River on Wednesday for a sectional final. On a side note, veteran Tuslaw head coach Dave Burkett just earned his 400th career win.
Stark County area's best potential second-round matchup
We're going to cheat and highlight a couple.
Green at Hoover: If they get past No. 35 seed Cleveland JFK on Tuesday, the No. 16 Bulldogs will go to Hoover for a sectional final. The two teams split their Federal League matchups last month, each winning on their home field.
Lake at Louisville: The No. 19 seed Blue Streaks must get past No. 34 Harvey to set up a sectional final at Louisville on Thursday. The Leopards won at Lake 8-6 on May 3, led by Zach Root's single, double and three RBIs.
Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com
On X: @jweirREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: What to watch in Ohio high school baseball tournament for Stark area
