Orrville baseball ends title drought

It had been nearly four decades since Orrville won a league championship in baseball.

With seven seniors leading the way, the Red Riders changed that this spring by winning the Principals Athletic Conference title.

Orrville entered the week of May 18 with a 17-5 overall record, including a 12-2 final mark in the PAC that gave it the school’s first baseball title in 38 years.

“Our coaches and players set a goal this offseason to win the league and put Orrville baseball back on the map,” Riders coach Mark Besancon said. “Our season-long slogan has been ‘Average is the Enemy.’

“Our program has prioritized doing the little things right, always giving maximum effort and focus, and maintaining high standards both on and off the field. The players have really bought into having a team-first mentality, not worrying about individual stats and accomplishments, and putting an emphasis on togetherness and playing as one.”

While Orrville’s success has been a “team effort,” several players have stood out individually.

Captains Cameron Kraft, Kellen Wayt and Jacob Ott have been among the area’s top players.

Kraft has a 5-1 record, 1.57 ERA, 40 innings pitched and 42 strikeouts, holding opposing hitters to a .150 batting average. The senior has also played shortstop and third base and is batting .338 with six doubles, 12 RBI, 17 runs and 16 stolen bases. He has committed to play football at Baldwin Wallace.

Fellow senior Wayt has pitched and played shortstop and second base. The Denison University commit is hitting .394 with five doubles, one home run, 12 RBI, 24 runs and 19 stolen bases. He’s 2-0 on the mound with a 2.50 ERA in 14 innings pitched.

Ott, a junior catcher, is hitting .413 with 17 RBI and seven runs scored. He’s thrown out nine runners trying to steal out of 28 attempts.

Junior Caleb Hills has excelled on the mound with a 5-1 record, 2.33 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched. He fired a no-hitter against Canton South. Hills also plays infield and is batting .303.

“Our team has learned how to balance having fun and staying focused,” said Besancon, whose team is slated to open tournament play against Canton South May 21. “They don't put pressure on themselves because they know whether they play well or play poorly, the guys in the dugout will love and support them no matter what.”

Orrville’s team ERA is 1.97, and Ott has been excellent behind the plate.

“The combination of good pitching, catching and defense gives us a chance to win every game,” Besancon said. “Offensively, the biggest difference between this team and some of our teams in the past is that all nine guys in our lineup are tough outs. We don't have to rely on the top of our order to score runs like a lot of high school teams do.”

Waynedale rolling again

Defending Division V state champion Waynedale is ranked first in the coaches poll and is the team to beat again in that division.

The top-ranked Golden Bears entered the week at 22-3 and clinched the Wayne County Athletic League title with a 12-2 mark.

“We have had strong pitching from a number of players this year and an experienced defense behind them,” Bears coach Lucas Daugherty said. “We have also had productive hitting from much of our lineup throughout the season.”

Waynedale gets production from 1-9 in its lineup, but junior Cam Miller (LF-P) and senior Brayden Steiner (3B-P) have really stood out.

Miller entered the week batting .519 (40-77) with 31 runs, 27 RBI and six stolen bases. On the mound, Miller is 7-1 with a 1.19 ERA, 43 Ks and 19 walks in 41 innings.

Steiner is hitting .405 (32-79) with 35 runs, 26 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He’s gone 2-1 on the mound with a 1.54 ERA, 44 Ks and 13 walks in 27.1 innings.

“We have a lot of great players on the team and depend on our entire lineup to be able to win games,” Daugherty said. “We have had strong leadership from our juniors and seniors this season, including Brayden Steiner, Jordan Miller, Cam Miller and Logan Troyer.”

WCAL standings — Waynedale (19-3, 12-2), Dalton (10-7, 8-5), Hillsdale (15-10, 8-6), Chippewa (16-8, 7-7), Smithville (11-12, 6-8), Norwayne (9-14, 6-8), Rittman (10-10, 5-8), Northwestern (5-15, 3-11). Records are from the league website entering the week of May 18.

PAC standings — Orrville (17-5, 10-2), Triway (17-7, 9-3), Tuslaw (18-8, 8-4), Manchester (12-12, 7-5), Northwest (8-13, 4-8), Fairless (4-21, 3-9), Canton South (4-12, 1-11). Records are from the league website entering the week of May 18.