Van Wert prepping for Bowling Green

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

It’s a matchup of two state ranked baseball teams – No. 8 Van Wert will face No. 3 Bowling Green in the Division II regional semifinals at 2 p.m. Thursday at Carter Park in Bowling Green.

Van Wert (school record 25-2) qualified for regionals by capturing a sectional title by beating Wapakoneta 7-4, then defeating Lexington 6-1, then holding off Shawnee 5-3 to win the district championship.

None of the postseason wins have been what some might call easy, but the Cougars found ways to get the job done.

“The thing I like best about our team right now is how much they support each other and how much fun we are having together,” Van Wert head coach Charlie Witten said. “We have also had some kids step up in leadership roles where they have been able to give each other feedback during certain situations to help everyone keep things in perspective.”

Lead off hitter and shortstop Jaxson Amweg leads Van Wert with 35 hits and he’s one of three Cougars with a batting average over .400 (.402). Center fielder Jalen McCracken is hitting a team high .409, along with right fielder Keaton Brown, who sports a .404 average.

Amweg also leads the team in doubles (8) and runs scored (32), while catcher Hayden Maples and second baseman Jake Lautzenheiser have each scored 27 runs. Maples is the current team leader in RBIs with 26, followed closely by designated hitter Parker Conrad (25) and first baseman Nathan Temple (23).

In terms of pitching, Owen Treece leads the way with an 8-0 record and an ERA of 1.03, 49 strikeouts and just 12 walks. Lawson Blackmore is 5-1 (1.73 ERA) with 69 strikeouts and 18 walks, while Maples is 6-0, an ERA of .897 with 40 strikeouts and 11 walks. Conrad is 4-1 and has an ERA of 1.21.

The Cougars and Bobcats met in last season’s Division II sectional finals, with Bowling Green posting a 2-1 win. Tucker Craft held Van Wert to four hits and struck out six.

“We’ll most likely face the same pitcher we saw during that game, so he will feature a fastball in the mid-80s with a nice slider,” Witten said. “He will work both sides of the plate.”

“They have some major firepower in their lineup as well – Kyle Jackson is their leading hitter and he is going to play baseball at Kent State University next year. He was hitting over .500 a week ago – they also have a very productive outfield group.”

Bowling Green coach John Beaverson did not return a request for comment.

Tickets for Thursday’s game are $7.00 for all fans (no presale available) and parking is $3.00. The game will be broadcast live on WERT 1220AM/104.3FM.

The winner will face Elyria Catholic or Vermilion for the regional championship at 5 p.m. Friday.