Meet the Division II state semifinalists

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports editor

Just four baseball teams remain in Division II, and all four – Van Wert, Dayton Chaminade Julienne, Gates Mills Gilmour Academy and St. Clairsville – are preparing for Saturday’s Division II state semifinals at Canal Park in Akron.

Gilmour Academy and St. Clairsville will play at 10 a.m. Saturday morning, followed by Van Wert and Dayton Chaminade Julienne at 1 p.m. The winners will meet for the state championship at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Below is a brief look at each of the four teams.

Van Wert Cougars

Head coach: Charlie Witten, 22 years, 248-267

Record: 27-2, Western Buckeye League co-champions, sectional champions, Tiffin district champions, Bowling Green regional champions.

Players to watch

Pitcher Lawson Blackmore: 6-1, 1.50 ERA, 75 strikeouts, 20 walks; .279 batting average, 21 RBIs, 21 runs scored; will play baseball at Miami (OH).

Pitcher Owen Treece: 9-0, 1.14 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 13 walks; .222 batting average, nine RBIs, 11 runs scored.

Shortstop Jaxson Amweg: .379 batting average, team leading 36 hits, 15 RBIs, team high 33 runs scored; team high nine doubles; will play baseball at the University of St. Francis.

Center fielder Jalen McCracken: team leading .444 batting average, 16 RBIs, 17 runs scored; very productive hitting out of the nine spot; will play baseball at the University of St. Francis.

Catcher Hayden Maples: .349 batting average, team high 27 RBIs; scored 28 runs; 6-0 on the mound with an ERA of .897, 60 strikeouts and 11 walks; will play baseball at Ancilla College.

First baseman Nathan Temple: .333 batting average, 26 RBIs, 20 runs scored, six doubles; will play baseball at the University of St. Francis.

Second baseman Jake Lautzenheiser: .304 batting average, 15 RBIs, 28 runs scored.

Notes: Shattered the school record with 27 wins; the only two losses came to Defiance and Fairview; the Cougars have won 19 straight games. First appearance in the state semifinals.

Dayton Chaminade Julienne Eagles

Head coach: Mark Barhorst, 10 years, 150-113

Record: 25-2, Greater Catholic League champions, sectional champions, Southwest District 3 champions, Mason regional champions.

Players to watch (no stats provided)

Pitcher/shortstop Nick Wissman; pitcher/first baseman Sebastian Gongora; catcher Jake Hieatt; second baseman A.J. Hyatt; center fielder Andrew Simones.

Notes: The Eagles finished as Division II runners up in 2017 (lost 4-0 to Tallmadge); state champions in 2018 (defeated Wapakoneta 3-1); finished as 2019 Division II Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association poll champions; Chaminade Julienne has won 21 straight games; only two losses came to Troy and Hamilton Badin, each by a 5-4 score; Barhorst is retiring after the season.

Gates Mills Gilmour Academy Lancers

Head coach: Jay Fowler, 10 years, 137-83

Record: 24-6, North Coast League champions, sectional champions, Gates Mills district champions, Hudson regional champions.

Players to watch

Pitcher/shortstop Ben DeMell, 9-1, 0.34 ERA, 88 strikeouts, 12 walks; .494 batting average, seven triples, five doubles, 39 RBIs, 41 runs scored; just a sophomore.
Catcher Nick Christopher, .443 batting average, 14 doubles, 34 RBIs, 27 runs scored.

Shortstop/second baseman Matt Christopher, .416 batting average, 25 RBIs, 40 runs scored; eight doubles.

Notes: Gilmour Academy was 24-1 before losing the last five games of the regular season; the Lancers have shut out three postseason opponents by a combined score of 28-0; by far the smallest school in the Division II final four, with 150 boys.

St. Clairsville Red Devils

Head coach: Tom Sliva, 17 years, 268-155

Record: 20-10, Buckeye 8, EOBL North, overall EOBL champions, sectional champions, East 2 district champions, Athens regional champions.

Players to watch (no stats provided)

Pitcher Kyle Storer; left fielder Peyton Drake; catcher Jacob Davis; first baseman Will Balgo

Notes: St. Clairsville belongs to two difference athletic conferences – the Buckeye 8 Athletic League and the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, which is comprised of a whopping 51 teams; longest regular season winning streak was four games; defeated Steubenville 4-2 in eight innings to win regional title; lost to same Steubenville team 6-2 and 14-0 in the regular season.