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2015 Team Preview: Crestwood

February 27, 2015

By Dylan Hefflinger and PBR Staff
Ohio Editor in Chief/NW Scout

From now until the start of the 2015 season, Prep Baseball Report Ohio will bring you in-depth team previews throughout the entire state. If your coach has not filled out the survey please have him do so through this link.

Along with the team previews, the 2015 Team Rankings will be releasing sometime late February and we hope to bring a Q&A session to discuss the rankings. To view the final regular season rankings of 2014 please click here. To view the preseason rankings from 2014 please click here.

Also, we will be releasing the preseason All-State Teams sometime in early March. To view the 2014 preseason All-State Teams please click here.

Please head over to JJHuddle to discuss the team previews.

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

2015 Team Preview: Alliance

School Name: Crestwood
Coaches Name/Record: John Bakalar, 49-55
2014 Record: 13-13
Conference: Portage Trail Conference (Metro Division)
Conference Record: 7-7
Division Level: II

Postseason Accomplishments:

  • Regional Appearances: 1995, 1993
  • District Champions: 1995, 1993
  • District Appearances: 2008, 2005, 1997, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1980, 1974

Key Players Lost From 2014:

  • Joshua Hampton: .390, 21 RBI, 16 R, 10 2B, 2 3B, 4 SB, 2nd Team All-Conference MIF, 2nd team All-District and Captain.
  • Matthew Lyons: .197, 7 RBI, 13 R, 5-1, 2.60 ERA, 35.0 INN, 26 K, 2nd Team All-Conference P and Captain and #1 SP
  • Matthew Czerny: .143, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1-2, 4.81 ERA, 27.2 INN, 29 K. Pitcher Only, was our #3
  • Craig Turner: .333, 2 RBI, 3 R. Was a Utility/Bench player

Number of Returning Starters/Pitchers: 6/11

Strengths of Team:

  • Number of returning players, potentially 15 if all make it. Experienced infield with 3 All-Conference players (Surgeon, Bailey and Ross Nielsen)
  • A number of players can pitch and have had some success at Varsity level
  • Our offense 4 returning players hit over .300 (Surgeon, Bailey, Ryan Erway and Ross Nielsen)
  • Team speed: Sr. John Reid stole 27 bases last year, Sr. Torre Filippi was 2nd with 7 and Jr. Ryan Erway had 5 as a SOPH
  • Emerging young talent to mix with experienced players. Zack Sefcik is a RH power hitting 1B, So. Derek Crislip is an outstanding defensive SS and Fr. Treyvor Kress has the potential to find some innings

Weaknesses of Team:

  • Gabe Surgeon (1st team All-Ohio 2014) tore his ACL in football game at the end of fall and will miss 4-6 months, potentially whole season. Earliest return would be late April. Was to be #1 Starting pitcher and #3 Hitter
  • Top 2 talented players (Michael Leeper and Jared Bailey) will be potentially academically ineligible
  • Lost a lot our innings from last year (Lyons 35, Czerny 27, Surgeon 24). Need pitchers to step up
  • Defense: 59 errors in 2014 but it has improved over years (65 in 2013, 80 in 2012)
  • Finding quality and reliable arms out of the bullpen

Top Prospects in Class of 2015:

  • Gabe Surgeon, 5'11/185, LHP/OF, L/L. 1st Team All-Ohio 2014 hitting .604 and went 2-1, 4.67 ERA 24 INN 21 K in '14. Was Honorable Mention DIV QB and led team to playoffs. Currently considering Tri-C and Lake Erie. 
  • Jared Bailey, 5'11, 205, C/3B/P, R/R. HM All Conference hitting .371, 20 RBI, 18 R, 7 2B. 
  • Ross Nielsen, 6'3, 200, 1B, R/R. HM All Conference hitting .303 with 19 RBIs and 15 R. Currently recruited by Hiram College and John Carroll. 
  • John Reid: OF/LHP, L/L Leadoff hitter hit .294, 5 RBI, 18 R, 27 SB. Is recruited by Thiel, Hiram College, Mount Union, and Allegheny. 
  • Joe Slechta: 6''1, 170 RHP/3B hit .273, 7 RBI, 7 R and went 1-2, 5.86 ERA. Has been recruited by Muskingum and Hiram College.

Top Prospects in Class of 2016:

  • Ryan Erway, OF, Jr. , 5'9, 165, R/R. Started as sophomore and hit .346 with 6 RBIs and 17 R, 4 SB hitting at bottom of order, hoping can be our #2 hitter. 
  • Zack Sefcik, 1B, Jr. 5'11, 215, R/R. saw time on varsity as So.(2/5 .400) Has big time power potential and should see time as middle of order player at 1B/DH.
  • Danny Jones, P/INF, 6'5, 190, R/R. Made V as so. but shoulder injury early in the year made him miss most of year and he had started 5 games as 9th. Hoping to see him healthy and for him to fill void in rotation.

Top Prospects in Class of 2017:

  • Derek Crislip, SS, so. 5'7, 135, R/R. Outstanding defensive SS, have to wait and see on his bat but is pushing for varsity spot.
  • Brandon Douglas, 1B/3B/P, So. 6'1, 185. Is another power hitting 1B but trapped behind Nielsen and Sefcik, may look at other positions or wait a year.
  • Colton Rahach, OF, 5'8, 150, So. Named 9th grade MVP, just a hard nosed gamer. Father played football at Akron and sister is P committed to Coastal Carolina.

Top Prospects in Class of 2018:

  • Treyvor Kress, 6'4, 170, R/R, P/3B. Is best P in his class with large loss of innings could see some time in on conference games.

Notable College/MLB Alumni:

  • Ryan Fedor (2013) Hiram College
  • Aaron Jackson (2012) Pittsburgh – Bradford
  • Brian Etling (2011) Thiel College
  • Jordan Fedor (2010) Malone University
  • Bobby Butvin (2009) William Woods College
  • Matt Thomas (2004) Pittsburgh
  • Brandon Fedor (2003) Mount Union
  • Adam Crowder (1999) Kent State
  • Greg Wiggers (1998) Xavier
  • Chuck Crowder (1995) Georgia Tech/Colorado Rockies AA

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