PLAYERS TO WATCH
(in alphabetical order)
Izaiah Amarise, So., Elyria Catholic: The sophomore has a great arm and good instincts at shortstop, not to mention what he can flash on the mound. Amarise is still young, but there’s a lot to like about his game.
Hayden Blosser, Sr., Avon Lake: Blosser is a talented two-way player who flipped from the Michigan to Ohio State back in October, primarily playing the left side of the infield when not pitching. The first team all-county and SWC Shoreman struck out 48 batters in 33 1/3 innings, starting seven games while recording two saves in relief.
Ian Cain, Jr., Avon: One of three Avon juniors who went to the PBR Futures Games in Atlanta over the summer, the infielder and Kent State commit showed well with the glove and bat, knocking in at least 20 RBI in a young lineup as a sophomore.
Cole Cartwright, Sr., Avon Lake: Cartwright knocked in 20-plus runs and earned a couple of saves last spring. The senior could make a really big jump in his final campaign as a two-way guy.
Ayden Cruz, Sr., Clearview: The outfielder was a first teamer in the county and LC8, with a .917 OPS, 19 runs scored, 11 walks and 22 stolen bases. The senior speed threat should be a key contributor in the upper half of the Clippers’ lineup.
Carter Duley, So., Columbia: Among the younger players on this list in terms of class year, Duley was only scratching the surface as a freshman last year. Along with Jacob Sanders and Kody Hall, Duley should play a key part in Columbia’s success this season.
Rees Heigle, Jr., Rocky River: The junior left-hander showed good stuff as the season progressed and saw action in a district semifinal against Bay, twirling a couple of good frames. The Pirates have the core to make another deep run, with Heigle slotting in with Thomas Rossi for a one-two punch.
Tracy Hough, Jr., Lorain: Hough hit for a .404 batting average and reached base at a .514 clip. While he wasn’t exactly a power threat as a sophomore (one triple, nine RBI), his well-rounded approach and a good batter’s eye should provide a solid floor with room to grow.
Anthony Hutter, Sr., Elyria Catholic: Committing to Eastern Michigan in August, the second-team Division II all-Ohio outfielder slashed .452/.593/.645 as a junior, with a home run, 14 RBI, five doubles, 33 runs scored, 10 steals and 22 walks. That’s pretty good for a player who was an infielder a couple years ago, and the Panthers will rely on Hutter a lot in 2024.
Zak Jockel, Sr., Midview: The Lawrence Tech commit posted an .890 OPS last year with some speed to boot. One of several Middies on the list, Jockel’s tools are evident when you watch him play. He could be on the cusp of a monster senior season.
Riley Kearns, Sr., Vermilion: Any other season, Kearns probably would have gotten a first team nod on the 2023 Morning Journal all-star team with his 105 strikeouts and a 1.68 ERA over 70 2/3 innings pitched. The Wittenberg commit will be the anchor of a rotation looking to reach Vermilion’s first district round since 2021.
Johnnie Kinter, Jr., Wellington: The Dukes have some exciting talent for 2024’s squad, with Kinter the headliner coming off first-team all-county, District and LC8 selections as a sophomore in 2023. His .422/.519/.594 was strong already, and another step forward is within the realm of possibility.
Mateo Lopez, Sr., Midview: A first-team SWC and Lorain County pick, Lopez is fast. He scored 26 runs and stole 26 bags while boasting a .460 OBP and a slugging percentage just above .380. The fleet-footed infielder could run wild on the basepaths in a talented Midview lineup.
Brock Miller, Sr., Keystone: Miller won the D3/D4 Lorain County Player of the Year award over All-Ohioan teammate Jack Sivec (now at Baldwin-Wallace) last year. A 1.042 OPS at the plate is lethal enough. Combine that with the Tri-C commit’s 46 2/3 innings on the mound with a 0.90 ERA and 78 strikeouts to 15 walks, and the Wildcats are more than happy to have Miller back.
David Moore, Sr., Midview: This Midview 2024 senior class saw Moore commit to pitch for Akron in the fall. He’ll be one of Ryan Morgan’s top two starters. If Moore reaches his ceiling and the Middies identify a solid second option, a run to district and beyond is very much in play.
Derek Occhipinti, Sr., Westlake: The infielder quietly committed to Akron in early August to pair with Midview’s Moore by coincidence. Larry Mosley will expect a lot from the senior, especially after losing home run threat Cael Cippollone and two-way player Hugh Sullivan to graduation.
Brody Papay, Jr., Avon: The lefty starter committed to Wright State at the end of February, and his stuff is good. Papay will assume the role of staff ace from grad Gavin Ehrhardt while still scratching the surface of what he can do.
Chris Protos, Sr., Westlake: The Ashland commit didn’t have to burden his arm as a workhorse the last two years, but he’ll be unleashed in 2024. He limits runs and pairs that with solid command for a Demons’ roster that lost a lot but still returns plenty.
Isaac Ramos, Sr., Elyria: The first of two catchers on the list, Ramos and the Pioneers counting numbers were a bit off, not having a home ballpark last year. Regardless, he’s still been one of the area’s top catchers the last few years. He’s committed to Findlay.
Tyler Reaser, Sr., Open Door: The Division IV all-Ohio outfielder put together a .522/.585/.710 slashline with two home runs, 24 RBI, 29 runs and 40 stolen bases. The Mount Union commitment should play a few more spots around the diamond in 2024 to fill some needs.
Thomas Rossi, Sr., Rocky River: Rossi was an all-arounder on offense, hitting for speed and some power and throwing 38 innings with 46 strikeouts and three victories. Ed Piazza was high on Rossi already, and the senior should fill his two-way role from 2023 once again.
Anthony Ruiz, Sr., Clearview: The senior Ruiz was a Morning Journal honorable mention in 2023. Over the past two years, he’s cut weight and it’s paid off in spades, as he’s committed to Adrian for baseball after a fantastic junior season for the Clippers.
Jacob Sanders, Sr., Columbia: Sanders filled a big two-way role for the Raiders on his way to first-team all-county and an all-district honorable mention. Sanders hit for a .400 batting average with some pop, plus 25 RBI and 20 steals. On the mound, he dazzled by putting up 63 strikeouts with a 1.84 ERA over 12 games (nine starts).
Dylan Sowers, Sr., Olmsted Falls: An all-district honorable mention, the John Carroll commitment put together a .385/.491/.527 slashline, popping 11 doubles and walking more than he struck out (15 BB-12 K). Except for a brief cameo on the mound, Sowers played virtually every single inning of his 28 games in 2023 on the left side of second base.
Ryan Sudbrook, Jr., Avon: The last of the Avon trio who went to Atlanta over the summer, Sudbrook is the younger brother of Toledo shortstop and Avon 2022 alum Troy Sudbrook. Ryan committed to Toledo in the fall and performed admirably as a sophomore, showing more polish over the summer after notching a year of varsity experience.
Bowdy Todd, Sr., Keystone: The second and last of the listed catchers on this list is a three-year varsity starter and senior captain. Todd handled all of the Keystone pitching staff last year, and nearly all of the staff is back. His experience will be invaluable after the Wildcats fell a few outs short of a district berth a year ago.
QUICK HITS
• While Amherst and North Ridgeville didn’t land anyone on an unusually stacked watch list, the Comets’ Jacob Schliesser (junior) and Rangers’ Gannon Padgett (sophomore) were among some of the primary position players who just missed the cut.
• A few other players who are set to fill key pitching roles on their respective teams also came close, including seniors from Avon Lake (Brody Wilcox), Columbia (Kody Hall) and Elyria Catholic (Kyle Fairbanks), among others.
• All head coaches for each of the 23 Morning Journal coverage area teams returned. The same situation occurred in the just-completed 2023-24 wrestling season for the Morning Journal’s 22 schools with boys wrestling teams, a rare show of stability in what can be a volatile coaching field. Lake Ridge will not field a team for the second straight season.
• Many area players who committed to colleges or have signed as seniors didn’t make the list. Among the 15 college commits or signees who are above, at least seven will be headed to Division I programs: Akron (Occhipinti, Moore), Eastern Michigan (Hutter), Kent State (Cain), Ohio State (Blosser), Toledo (Sudbrook) and Wright State (Papay).
• There will be some new rules in place this spring, including the use of a one-way communication device between a coach in the dugout and a team’s catcher for the purposes of calling pitches. This change was announced last July.
• For the first time in several years, there won’t be a Ransom on Firelands’ player list. Coach Dan Ransom’s sons have now all graduated from Firelands. The veteran skipper embarks on his ninth season in the Falcons’ dugout with all three of his All-Ohioan sons (Colin, Kyle and Cory) as part of his coaching staff.
• Oberlin hasn’t won a game since at least late April 2022 (according to available data on MaxPreps). That could change this year under second-year head coach Nik Ruiz, who has more than 10 players returning who saw playing time in 2023. The sophomore and junior-led nucleus includes sophomore infielder and pitcher Drew Walter, who hit for a nearly .400 batting average through May 13. Fellow 2026 classmate Mason Rosenthal showed some pop with the bat (home run, three doubles) and Julian Anderson punched out 31 batters as a sophomore.
