The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Baseball rosters and players to watch
Benjamin Hercik looks at the top players in the area as the season commences. Plus, rosters for each team and storylines.
Players to watch (In alphabetical order) Avery Anderson, Sr., Harvey: A four-year starter who will be a leader from the mound. When Anderson isn’t pitching, he will be used in other places in the infield. He is also a threat from the plate. Devin Anthony, Jr., Hawken: The No. 1 pitcher for Hawken has been a hard worker all offseason to get stronger. It has shown, as he has developed three plus pitches. He will hit in the middle of the lineup with a smooth left-handed swing. Was selected preseason, All-Ohio honorable mention for Division III. Vinny Bandwen, Sr., Gilmour: The starting first baseman on the 2019 Division II state runner-up. For this season, he is moving to catcher to help shore up the Lancers’ defense. He’s battle-tested and will be invaluable come postseason time. Austin Berkowitz, Sr., Geneva: Will play pitcher, catcher and first base. Hit .289 as a sophomore with 16RBI and four doubles while also going 3-1 on the mound with a 3.45ERA. Dominic Brancel, So., Hawken: A hitter with gap-to-gap power. His discipline at the plate, and quick hands, makes him dangerous against any type of pitcher. As a catcher, he can block everything and delivers the ball on a line to cut down stolen base attempts. Plays for the US Elite 16-and-under team in the summer and was chosen to the preseason underclass All-American squad through the Perfect Game program, as well as Division III All-Ohio honorable mention before playing a high school game. Brian Brent, Sr., Berkshire: Willing to make tough plays at third base, but also pitches well when he is needed on the mound. Bats clean-up for the Badgers, but has a different style compared to other cleanup hitters. Ethan Brown, Sr., Riverside: A four-year starter, Brown looks to lead the Beavers on another postseason run. His first two seasons have seen him hit .304 and .388, while knocking in 62 RBI. Will also pitch when needed. Calvin Cackowski, Jr., Wickliffe: A letter-winner as a freshman, Cackowski will be splitting time between shortstop and catcher. Has already proven dividends with a win in his first outing and nine strikeouts, while having four hits. Eric Coode, Sr., Mentor: The Baldwin Wallace commit and four-year starter is one of the team captains. Coode has missed few games in his career. An all-conference player in his sophomore season, he will look to repeat those honors. Jaden Debevec, Sr., Harvey: Not only is Debevec aggressive at the plate, he has already stolen six bases this season in Harvey’s first two games in the season. The four-year starting shortstop will also pitch when needed. Ben DeMell, Sr., Gilmour: The reigning News Herald Player of the Year as a sophomore, and a Penn State commit. Led the area in nearly every category both offensively and on the mound. If Gilmour hopes to get back to the state championship game, the Lancers will rely on the arm of DeMell. Dylan Frazier, Sr., Lake Catholic: A do-it-all guy who plays infield and outfield, as well as pitching and hits at the top of the order. The Cougars will rely on his versatility. Zach Fronk, Sr., Chardon: If old-school baseball is your thing, then Fronk will be a player to watch. Coach Brian Long describes him as one of the hardestworking players he has ever coached. He is willing to do the dirty work whether it is behind the plate, in the infield, or looking for a base to steal. He can change his position in the lineup each game, and is always up for the task. Clayton Graham, Sr., Andrews Osborne: Graham has been a member of the varsity roster for four seasons, and will be called on for taking over catching duties for the Phoenix. Also has experience at third base, shortstop and outfield. In his sophomore season, he finished the year batting .500. Charlie Greenlief, Sr., Chagrin Falls: A returning first team all-CVC member in his sophomore campaign, it is expected that Greenlief will swap between catcher and shortstop. He came up to the varsity level halfway through his sophomore season, and his experience will help at the top of the batting order for the Tigers. Billy Guzzo, Sr., Mayfield: The Wildcats’ center fielder is one of the best in the area at the position. His speed and ability to read fly balls makes it difficult for opposing hitters when the hit the ball his way. He is also a reliable batter with runners in scoring position. Will Henderlich, So., Madison: A projected starter for the Blue Streaks last year, Henderlich will be playing shortstop, catcher, third base and also pitching for Madison. Coach B.J. Titman is high on Henderlich’s defense and batting. Ben Hope, Sr., Andrews Osborne: A transfer from Glenville, he will be starting at shortstop as well as pitching. Has power to hit to all areas of the field, and is able to deliver pitches in mid- to high-80s. Andrew Kirkpatric, Jr., Chagrin Falls: Another returning first-team all-CVC player as a freshman, Kirkpatrick will look to replicate, or improve on his numbers from two seasons ago, like his .368batting average, two home runs and 32RBI. Andrew Jones, Jr., Brush: The Ohio State commit is one of the best players in all of high school baseball. He is ranked fifth in the class of 2022. He is dangerous from the mound, plate and in the field. His play will determine how much success the Arcs have this season. Aidan Limtury, Sr., Mentor: Another Baldwin Wallace commit for the Cardinals, Limtury has started for the past two seasons for the Cardinals. He is the first pitcher in the Cardinals rotation, but can be found in right field when not pitching. Joe Malchesky, Sr., Lake Catholic: A veteran leader in the middle of the lineup. The catcher will look to help a young Cougars squad and as he is a three-time letter winner. Kyle Maronde, Jr., Chardon: Chardon has a Mr. Do It All in Maronde. He will be a big-time hitter and can produce a lot of RBI due to his power at the plate. The junior is also one of the top arms in the area and is expected to contribute a lot of innings on the bump. Jack McMullen, Sr., Chagrin Falls: The Lafayette College commit follows in his family’s footsteps in his college decision. The second-team Northeast Lakes District basketball team honoree is also a force from the mound. McMullen will be throwing in the low 90s and implementing a variety of off-speed pitches as well. If he can avoid injuries like he had in his sophomore season, McMullen will lead an always-impressive Chagrin Falls squad. Calvin Mitchell, Jr., University: The Wright State commit will be filling many positions for the Preppers, in the field and at the plate. An infielder, middle-ofthe-order batter as well as a pitcher. His baseball IQ is also something that will help University. Dawson Pierce, Sr., Chagrin Falls: A fourthyear starter for the Tigers, they will be hoping Pierce will show the progression that they hope for. In his sophomore year, Pierce posted five doubles, a home run and 15 RBI. He is the No. 2 in the rotation for the Tigers, and in his one outing in 2019, he won and posted a 0.78 ERA. Andrew Spencer, Sr., Kirtland: A returning pitcher from the 2019 regional qualifier, he brings back a lot of experience. His stats from his sophomore season include six wins, a 1.11 ERA and 40strikeouts. If Spencer is able to continue putting up these numbers, Kirtland will be a force. Mason Sullivan, Sr., Kirtland: The John Carroll running back commit is also a standout baseball player. During the 2019 season, Sullivan launched three home runs. Sullivan is also a force on the mound. Sullivan and Spencer had similar stats from the 2019 season. Sullivan also recorded six wins and posted a 1.14ERA. Hal Walker, Sr., Mentor: A three-year starter for the Cardinals, and a Hiram commit. A solid hitter who was the hero of a regional semifinal victory in 2019. A good defender as well as being a solid hitter, he will be a crucial factor in the middle of the order. Quick hits • Every coach expressed the same concern: Experience, after losing last season due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Players who were sophomores and having minor roles on the varsity team are now seniors and in leadership roles. Benedictine coach John Ellis put it well — “We are trying to smash two years of development into one season.” • If Mentor hopes to return to the state championship game this season, it will need to rely on the experience at important positions. But the Cardinals have an entire lineup that can put the ball in play as well as solid defense and good pitching. • NDCL has plenty of coaching experience. Coach Jim Clark brings over 450 career wins in his time with the Lions, and has brought two state titles back to NDCL. • For Kirtland, pitching has been a plus at the start of the season with a team ERA of 2.62. But as well as their pitching, they have yet to record an error. If the Hornets can keep up their superb job in fielding as well as solid pitching, they will be a team to keep tabs on. • During the 2019 season, VASJ made a Cinderella run to a Division III district final, where they lost to Kirtland. If the Vikings hope to make another deep postseason run, they will need to have their players gain experience quickly. • A team that brings a lot of balance to the table this year is Lake Catholic. The Cougars pitching has started strong, just as their hitting. • Beachwood has plenty of experience on the mound as seniors Austin Muttillo, Jordan Levin and Drew Dubin provide veteran leadership. The team will rely on these three while the rest of the players adjust to the speed of the game. • Riverside is a returning district semifinalist, but only returns three varsity players. The Beavers will need these players to provide leadership. • If defense is your cup of tea, keep an eye on Madison. With a plethora of players who can play multiple positions well, that versatility will be big for the Blue Streaks’ success. While defense is their specialty, they also feature a lot of power and speed in their lineup. • For the first time in a decade, Mentor Christian will field a baseball team headed by coach Chad Carafa. • Berkshire has an experience edge with 11 seniors. Coach Nick Burzanko also cites the Badgers’ pitching rotation as a key, with a mix of left-handed and right-handed pitchers. • Wickliffe has a lot of young players, but Coach Phil Motta said a few have the potential to play at the collegiate level. Many players can play different positions, and this versatility will help during pitching changes. The only downside is that if the Blue Devils need to make one change, there could be an ample number of players changing positions as well. • Chagrin Falls will look to replace five seniors from last year’s lost season. But the Tigers return players including Jack McMullen, Charlie Greenlief, Andrew Kirkpatrick and Dawson Pierce.