JEROMESVILLE — Whether at the plate or on the mound, Nick Kandel was one of the top small-school players in the state this spring.
The Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association agreed.
A Lake Erie College recruit, Kandel was selected to the OHSBCA first team in Division IV.
Kandel was 5-1 on the mound with 68 strikeouts and a 1.14 earned run average. At the plate, the left-handed center fielder batted .419 with seven doubles and 24 runs batted in.
Colonel Crawford’s Brennan Hamilton and South Central’s Karl Ferber joined Kandel on the first team. Hamilton batted .433 with nine doubles and 19 RBIs, while Ferber hit .474 with eight doubles and 21 RBIs.
Kandel’s Hillsdale teammate, shortstop Jake Hoverstock, was a second-team pick. The senior batted .430 with 12 doubles and 24 RBIs.
Berlin Hiland’s Noland Yoder was selected the Division IV Player of the Year, while Hiland’s Chris Dages was the Coach of the Year. Hiland will play Tiffin Calvert in the state semifinals at 7 p.m. Thursday at Canal Park in Akron.
Division IV
Player of the Year: Noland Yoder, Hiland.
Coach of the Year: Chris Dages, Hiland.
First Team
Pitchers: Nolan Yoder, Hiland; Dane Ebel, Lincolnview; Devin Detzeith, St. Henry.
Catcher: Thomas Zuccaro, Norwalk St. Paul; Jonah Carr, Rittman.
First Base: Eli Morris, Newark Catholic; Karl Ferber, South Central.
Second Base: Eli Roberts, Whiteoak; Brennan Hamilton, Colonel Crawford.
Shortstop: Dominic Bouscher, Toronto; Nick Palm, Tiffin Calvert.
Third Base: Mason Johnson, Tiffin Calvert; Drew Hammond, Northmor.
Outfield: Lukas Donawa, Toledo Christian Schools; Brock Hoffman, Columbus Grove; Zebulin Kinsey, Toronto; Bryan McAnally, Newark Catholic.
Utility: Landon Barnett, Whiteoak; Nick Kandel, Hillsdale.
Second Team
Pitcher: Blake Coleman, Tiffin Calvert; Nolan Hoover, Gibsonburg; Robert Martin, South Webster; Seth Wyckoff, Dalton.
Catcher: Nate Price, Whiteoak; Jonny Heitkamp, New Bremen.
First Base: Cody Carver, Steubenville Catholic Central; Peyton Blue, River.
Second Base: Brant Metz, Botkins; Adam Emerich, Arcadia.
Shortstop: Jack Steiner, Dalton; Jake Hoverstock, Hillsdale; Luken Roades, Whiteoak.
Third Base: Austin Bockrath, Lincolnview; Jayden Elliott, Waynesfield-Goshen.
Outfield: Colin Coblentz, Hiland; Carson Emery, Whiteoak; Olly Schrader, East Canton; Vance Story, Berlin Center Western Reserve.
Utility: Grant Bentley, Northmor; Shep Halker, Columbus Grove.
Honorable Mention
Catcher: Nate Nemeth, Berne Union; Hunter Jones, Convoy Crestview.
First Base: Hudson Gerken, Berne Union.
Second Base: Braylon Smith, Kalida.
Shortstop: Matthew Major, Troy Christian Schools; Braylon Cordonnier, Russia.
Outfield: A.J. Shoemaker, Tiffin Calvert.
Utility: Brayden Monnin, Russia; Caden Fritz, Seneca East; Blake Hauenstein, Ayersville.
