TAAC baseball preview: Ottawa Hills primed for big season

Mar. 31—Ottawa Hills baseball coach Chris Hardman knows a good team when he sees one entering his 41st season, and believes his current Green Bears could be one of the best squads he's coached in that time.

Although the season is just getting underway, and a deep tournament run usually requires a fair amount of both talent and good fortune, that is quite an assessment considering Hardman has guided seven prior Ottawa Hills teams to the state final four.

That resume includes the 1986 Green Bears (18-9), who won a Class A state championship, and Hardman's 1992 (22-11), 1996 (20-12), and 2001 (23-9) Ottawa Hills teams that ended as Division IV state runners-up.

Despite graduating some top-notch players who missed their 2020 senior season because of the coronavirus pandemic, Ottawa Hills has eight players returning that would have lettered a year ago.

The Green Bears, who were 16-11 overall and a first-place 8-0 in the Toledo Area Athletic Conference when prep baseball was last played in Ohio in 2019, are favored again.

Ottawa Hills received four of the six first-place votes and 34 of a possible 36 voting points to finish first in a preseason poll of conference coaches.

Toledo Christian (12-5, 6-2 in 2019) got one first-place nod and had 27 points for second in the poll, and Cardinal Stritch was third at 25 points. Northwood, Maumee Valley (one first-place vote), and Emmanuel Christian, in order, rounded out the poll voting.

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OTTAWA HILLS

Ottawa Hills will be led by its four seniors — Jackson Hanrehan (outfielder and pitcher), Andrew Helgren (infielder), Jordan Reiter (IF), and Jack Aiken (OF) — but is also deep in underclassman talent.

Hardman sees pitching and defense as the Green Bears' chief strengths, and is hoping the team will be able to stay focused well enough to manage their high expectations.

"We had a wonderful summer of baseball despite the many challenges, and we expect that level of play to continue," said Hardman.

Ottawa Hills, which won the past three TAAC titles, lost to Greenwich South Central, 2-1, in a 2019 Division IV sectional final. The Bears' last deep tourney run came in 2018, when they reached the D-IV regional final before losing 15-7 to Garfield Heights Trinity.

TOLEDO CHRISTIAN

Toledo Christian is likely best equipped to give Ottawa Hills a serious challenge for the TAAC title, with five seniors on its roster. Seven players return that were pegged to be starters last season.

Leading the way for the fourth-year coach Paul LaPlante's Eagles will be seniors Max Donawa (P-shortstop), Dan Kuhn (P-second base) and Trevor Huffman (OF), junior Joe O'Neill (P-third base), and sophomore Kyle Gebhart (P-IF).

Donawa was the TAAC player of the year in 2019, when he batted .510 and was 8-1 pitching with a 1.90 earned-run average. Kuhn batted .290 that season.

LaPlante views productive hitting and experienced pitching as likely team strengths, and hopes TC can resume its team chemistry after the lost season.

"We appear ready to have a strong 2021 season," LaPlante said. "With Max Donawa leading us, we expect to compete to win the TAAC, and make a strong run in the playoffs."

The Eagles lost to Leipsic, 7-6, in a 2019 D-IV sectional final.

CARDINAL STRITCH

Cardinal Stritch (4-20, 3-5) looks to improve this season under fourth-year coach Mike McGee, who has eight seniors on his roster, including three returning starters.

He will rely on seniors Brayden Asman (SS), Michael McGee (catcher-OF), Logan Terry (IF), Austin Sheaves (OF), Brennan Kennedy (IF) and Travis Mattox (IF) for leadership. McGee and Asman each batted .345 in 2019, and Terry hit .333.

Coach McGee considers the Cardinals' team chemistry and offensive ability as strengths, but like most area coaches wonders what the impact of the lost season will be on his squad.

"I think our team will win more games than we lose due to the chemistry between the players," McGee said. "I believe our hitting will stand up for the entire season, and our defense could be outstanding."

Stritch exited the 2019 tournament with an 8-6 loss to Eastwood in a D-III first-round game.

NORTHWOOD

Northwood (10-11, 3-5) begins its first season under new coach Clay Rolf, who has 11 seniors to work with, including six returning players that would have started in 2020.

Heading up that group are seniors Cameron Noel (P-OF), A.J. Rable (first base-OF), Nolan Knisely (P-3B), Jonah Robles (C-IF) and Espen Singlar (P-OF). Rable batted .411 in 2019, and Knisely hit .357.

Rolf sees his senior contingent as the Rangers' biggest strength, but is unsure how the year away will affect the team's chances at contending in the TAAC. Northwood lost to Liberty Center, 13-8, in a 2019 D-IV first-round game.

MAUMEE VALLEY

Maumee Valley (3-14, 0-8) expects to improve in 2021 under new coach Daniel Garcia, but the question will be how much? The Hawks have five seniors on their roster, including four players that would have started a year ago.

Garcia is counting on getting leadership from seniors Eric Slotterbeck (P-3B), Etrhan Brissette (P-C-OF) and Bryce Maenle (catcher), and junior Alec Schoepf (SS-P). Slotterbeck batted .359 in 2019.

Garcia views speed as his team's best attribute, but is concerned with the Hawks' overall ability to hit as a team.

"We have an awesome group of young men with great team chemistry, and who love the game," Garcia said. "That should equal a successful season."

Maumee Valley lost to Ottawa Hills, 7-1, in a first-round D-IV tourney game in 2019.

EMMANUEL CHRISTIAN

Emmanuel Christian, which did not field a varsity team in 2019, will resume play in the TAAC this season under first-year coach Nathan Vitale, who has just two seniors on the roster.

With that as the backdrop, the Warriors will be facing a building process.

Heading up that task will be seniors Lamont Crawford (OF-2B-P) and Marsean Triplett (P), and juniors Jamir Morrow (C-SS-P) and Elijah Walker (IF-OF-P).

"This team is very young and inexperienced," Vitale said. "They are learning the game each day. They understand that they have a long road ahead, but they like to work."