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By Dylan Hefflinger
Editor in Chief/NW Scout

Ohio Spring baseball always seems to fly by and in 2017 that is most definitely evident with the fact we are in Regionals Week. That means the 16 best teams in each division will battle it out to see who is deserving of a trip to beautiful Huntington Park in Columbus.

Below we have the 16-Team Preview for Division IV all the teams across the Buckeye State.

To view the Final Team Rankings, click below:
+ Division I
+ Division II
+ Division III
+ Division IV

To view the 2017 Preseason All-State Selections, click below:
+ Division I
+ Division II
+ Division III
+ Division IV

Interested in nominating someone for the 2017 All-State Teams, please click here.

To see in-game video, scouting notes and much more, visit the 2017 Scout Blog.

Interested in attending a PBR Ohio event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

To discuss the 2017 OHSAA Tournament as well as any sort of high school baseball talk, visit our partner JJHuddle.

2017 OHSAA  Baseball Tournament - Regional Preview: Division IV

Team Rankings based on the Final Team Rankings

Division IV

Division IV, Region 13 - Lorain 

Region Overview:
Team Previews:

Berlin Center Western Reserve

Record: 22-4
Final Ranking: No. 4
Preseason Ranking: No. 7
Highest Ranking: No. 2 - Week 3
Postseason History: 7th regional in school history, 4th consecutive and 5th in the last 8 years

Top Players:

• Wyatt Larimer
• Dom Velasquez
• Jeep DiCioccio
• Justin Ciccone
• Ryan Demsky

Coaches Thoughts:

PBR: Thoughts on your program advancing to regionals.
Ed: Only 16 teams in Division 4 have the opportunity to advance this far so it is always a huge accomplishment and one that we don't take lightly.  Whether this is your first time making a regional or you have been part of it before, the feeling never gets old and the atmosphere in Lorain at the Pipeyard is like no other. 

PBR: Talk about the leaders on your team and what they have meant.
Ed: Our 6 seniors have been part of 4 consecutive regional tournament appearances and have been part of 85 wins over that 4 year period. 

PBR: Thoughts on your regional field.
Ed: This years regional field is as tough as ever. Every team has to be pretty good to make it this far so whoever makes it out will have to play two very good baseball games and beat two very good teams. 

PBR: Is there anything of interest worth mentioning about your tournament run thus far (no-hitters, key hits, outstanding performances, comebacks etc)?
Ed: We won the district championship game by the score of 4-3 in 11 innings on a walk of hit by Dom Velasquez while Wyatt Larimer went the distance on the mound pitching all 11 innings.

Dalton

Record: 14-11
Final Ranking: NR
Preseason Ranking: NR
Highest Ranking: NR
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• Adam Manley
  

New Riegel

Record: 20-5
Final Ranking: No. 5
Preseason Ranking: No. 1
Highest Ranking: No. 1 - Preseason
Postseason History:

Team Stats:

• .349 AVG, 219 Runs
• 2.25 ERA, 241 K

Top Players:

• Michael Kirian: 49 IP, 7-0, 0.57 ERA, 113 K. .534 AVG, 14 2B, 4 HR, 42 RBIs, 26 R
• Alex Thies: .410 AVG, 9 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 41 RBIs, 35 R
• Cole Noftz: .405 AVG, 6 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 44 R. 28.2 IP, 4-2, 1.70 ERA, 45 K
• Alec Zoeller: 49.2 IP, 5-2, 1.55 ERA, 71 K. .326 AVG, 2 2B, 1 3B, 17 RBIs, 34 R
• Brandon Arbogast: .324 AVG, 1 2B, 1 3B, 17 RBIs, 18 R

Coaches Thoughts:

PBR: Talk about your team's development from last summer, winter or the beginning of the season to now in late May.
Gregg: My team has improved tremendously since the beginning of the season. We started out very poorly offensively, losing 2 of our first 3 games. We then improved our record to 5-3 and then 8-5 and have won 12 games straight since then. Our offensive game has really come alive and our team chemistry is absolutely amazing right now.  Everything is clicking the way it should be.

PBR: Thoughts on your program advancing to regionals.
Gregg: I think that the program advancing to regionals is a great thing for the kids, school and community.  It has been one of our top goals all season long to make it to this point.

PBR: Talk about the leaders on your team and what they have meant.
Gregg: I think overall, our 6 seniors have been our leaders this year on the team. 5 of the 6 seniors were letter winners 2 years ago when we made it to regionals. They are always picking everyone up, encouraging and positive role models for the rest of the team. Especially having Michel Kirian and Alex Theis on the field as the generals.

PBR: Thoughts on your regional field.
Gregg: I think the teams in our regional are all great teams. I know Berlin Western Reserve will be good, and I’m sure Warren JFK is a great team. It will definitely be some good competition and I’m sure some great games.

PBR: Is there anything of interest worth mentioning about your tournament run thus far (no-hitters, key hits, outstanding performances, comebacks etc)?
Michael Kirian threw a no hitter against St Wenedlin in our sectional final win. Our District Final got postponed on Friday and we continued Saturday morning leading 7-1 in the top of the 4th with Brandon Arbogast up to bat with an 0-2 count and first pitch on Saturday he belted a single to center field for an RBI to pick back up where we left off.

PBR: Anything else you would like to add?
Gregg:

• State Champions in 1969, State Runner up in 1941, State Semi-Finalist 2000, Regional Semi-Finalist 2015
• Michael Kirian Broke the career Strike out record in just 3 seasons. He now has 297 career strikeouts passing Keith Laughlin’s mark of 244. Michael has also tied the RBI record for a season at 42. 
• Leadoff Hitter Cole Noftz has 44 runs scored this year, breaking the school record for most runs scored in a season, which was previously 41.

Warren JFK

Record: 17-4
Final Ranking: No. 6
Preseason Ranking: NR
Highest Ranking: No. 6 - Final
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• Drew Mendik
• Niall McGee
• Alex Burzynski
• Gregory Valent
• Isaac Hadley
• Ryan Galle
• A.J Arp

Division IV, Region 14 - Hamler 

Region Overview:
Team Previews:

New London

Record: 19-7
Final Ranking: No. 18
Preseason Ranking: No. 6
Highest Ranking: No. 6 - Preseason
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• Ryan Lane (Kent State commit) - Over 100 strikeouts
  

Minster

Record: 21-7
Final Ranking: No. 11
Preseason Ranking: No. 23
Highest Ranking: No. 11 - Final
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• RHP Pitcher Aaron Ernst (Sr): 60 IP, 7-1, 227 BF, 37 H, 11 R, 9 ER, 1.05 ERA, 51 K, 10 BB
• LHP Jack Heitbrink (Soph): 29 IP, 5-2, 128 BF, 26 hH, 12 R, 5 Er, 1.21 ERA, 28 K, 12 BB
• 1B  Isaac Dorsten (Sr): .311, 27 RBI
• 2B  Alex Lehmkuhl (Jr): .357, 30 H, 29 R, 18 RBI
• SS Isaac Schmiesing (Jr): .304, 24 H 28 R, 24 BB
• 3B Adam Knapke (Jr): .310
• LF Jared Huelsman (Jr): .317
• CF  Bryce Schmiesing (Sr): .390, 13 SB
• RF  Jon Niemeyer (Sr): .364, 17 RBI, 10 SB

Coaches Thoughts:

PBR: Talk about your team's development from last summer, winter or the beginning of the season to now in late May.
Mike: We started the year 6-5, now 21-7

PBR: Thoughts on your program advancing to regionals.
Mike: This is our 6th trip in my 23 years.

PBR: Talk about the leaders on your team and what they have meant.
Mike: Not a real talkative team, but most lead by example.

PBR: Thoughts on your regional field.
Mike: Time of year when you start playing people you don't know anything about.

Edon

Record: 13-11-1
Final Ranking: NR
Preseason Ranking: NR
Highest Ranking: NR
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• Levi Brandt
• Braden Miller
• Presten Klingler
• Carson Brandt
• Austin Kiess

Leipsic

Record: 22-5
Final Ranking: No. 24
Preseason Ranking: No. 24
Highest Ranking: No. 22 - Week 1
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• Dylan Schroeder (2019), .446
• Cole Rieman has scored 34 runs to lead the team
• Robbie Laubenthal leads the team with 29 RBIs.
• Grant Rader (2017), 6-1, 1.28 ERA
• Dylan Schroeder, 8-1, 1.66 ERA

Coaches Thoughts:

PBR: Talk about your team's development from last summer, winter or the beginning of the season to now in late May.
Darren: We went 20-5 last year. We lost just 2 seniors, so we had an experienced group coming back.

PBR: Thoughts on your program advancing to regionals.
Darren: It is always an honor to make it to regionals.

PBR: Thoughts on your regional field?
Darren: Honestly, I do not know a lot about the other 3 teams.  I know Minster plays in a very good league and have done well in the past. 

PBR: Anything else you would like to add?
Darren: We have been disappointed the last few years in the number of boys playing baseball but the boys who have played love the game and our very coachable.  I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to coach in this community.  We do not rely on 1 or 2 players.  Playing 18 league games means we play 3 or 4 league games a week.  So we have to use 5 or 6 pitchers to get us through a week at times.  It takes hard work and a lot of repetitions to become a good defensive player and our players have been willing to put the time in.

Division IV, Region 15 - Lancaster 

Region Overview:
Team Previews:

Danville

Record: 16-7-1
Final Ranking: NR
Preseason Ranking: NR
Highest Ranking: NR
Postseason History:  First district championship in school history 

Top Players:

• Kenton Mickley
• Skyler Durbin
• Tyler Mickley
• Dylan James
• Colton Boone
• Anthony McClain

Toronto

Record: 25-3
Final Ranking: No. 1
Preseason Ranking: No. 3
Highest Ranking: No. 1 - Week 1
Postseason History:

Team Stats:

• .390 AVG
• 1.79 ERA

Top Players:

• Nolan Clegg: .487 AVG. 0.87 ERA
  
• Danny Zdinak: .455 AVG. 7-2, 2.30 ERA
• Nate Karaffa: 6-0, 2.23 ERA
• Sante Carducci: 5-0, 0.73 ERA

Waterford

Record: 22-5
Final Ranking: No. 17
Preseason Ranking: NR
Highest Ranking: No. 17 - Final
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• Braden Bellville
• Isaac Huffman

South Webster

Record: 14-13
Final Ranking: NR
Preseason Ranking: NR
Highest Ranking: NR
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• Alek Blevins
• Shane Zimmerman
• Gabe Ruth
• Blake Fulk
• Bradley Gee
• Troy Boggs

Division IV, Region 16 - Springfield

Region Overview:
Team Previews:

Russia

Record: 22-6
Final Ranking: No. 21
Preseason Ranking: NR
Highest Ranking: No. 15 - Week 5
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• Dion Puthoff
• Jack Dapore
• Daril Lavy
• Trenon Monnin
• Kevin Drees
• Daniel Kearns
• Evan Monnier
• Drew Sherman

Fort Loramie

Record: 19-10
Final Ranking: NR
Preseason Ranking: NR
Highest Ranking: NR
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• C.J. Billing
• Jared Middendorf
• Eli Rosengarten
• Daniel Berning
• Carter Siegel
• Mason Kemper

Newark Catholic

Record: 10-17
Final Ranking: NR
Preseason Ranking: No. 2
Highest Ranking: No. 2 - Preseason
Postseason History:

Top Players:

• Tyler York
• Tanner Lake
• Noah Fodor
• Caleb Claggett
• Derek Hawk
• Jody Mummey
• Drew Young
• Fischer Nance

Tri-County North

Record: 17-10
Final Ranking: No. 25
Preseason Ranking: NR
Highest Ranking: No. 25 - Final
Postseason History: 4th regional appearance, 1st time back-to-back

Team Stats:

• .296 AVG, 210 Runs
• 2.68 ERA, 141 K

Top Players:

• Tanner Booth: .433 AVG, 10 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 41 RBIs, 28 R. 47.2 IP, 7-0, 2.20 ERA, 49 K
• Bo Hendrickson: .362 AVG, 8 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 28 RBIs, 26 R. 36.2 IP, 4-2, 1.72 ERA, 26 K
• Zach Edgin: .306 AVG, 1 2B, 1 3B, 17 RBIs, 38 R, 23 SB
• Bailey Lairson: .301 AVG, 1 2B, 15 RBIs, 22 R, 16 SB
• Chandler Sproles: 53 IP, 5-1, 1.32 ERA, 47 K

Coaches Thoughts:

PBR: Talk about your team's development from last summer, winter or the beginning of the season to now in late May.
Justin: Our guys have really matured greatly over the past few months, this team seems to control what they can control and let the outside noise go. The mental preparation has really shown it the tight games we have played this year.

PBR: Thoughts on your program advancing to regionals.
Justin: This is the first time that the school has returned players from a previous regional appearance. I believe this will help them with the pressures of the stage they are on. Last year we played an extra inning ball game vs the state runner up Triad. I believe this showed the players that they can compete at this level.

PBR: Talk about the leaders on your team and what they have meant.
Justin: I have a great group of guys, this is the most cohesive team I have been a part of as a coach. The upperclassmen have really taken the rookies under their wing, showing them we do things the right way in our program.

PBR: Thoughts on your regional field.
Justin: This is a very strong regional this year. Newark Catholic is the defending state champs along with Russia who beat last year’s state runner up Triad in the sectional. Fort Loramie is always a tough team. It will take two very good games for any team to get out of this regional.