Generals continue strong season while honoring late teammate
Wooster baseball has shown resilience after the death of sophomore Maddox Graser, who was posthumously named OCC Player of the Year, while senior Brian Lapp was named OCC Pitcher of the Year.Aaron Dorksen
This has been one of the toughest seasons any Wayne County sports team has had to endure, but the Wooster baseball team has impressively pressed on after sophomore Maddox Graser passed away April 21.
When the Ohio Cardinal Conference announced its all-conference teams May 19, the leaguewide respect for Graser was shown when he was posthumously voted OCC Co-Player of the Year.
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Senior Brian Lapp, a Heidelberg commit, was voted OCC Pitcher of the Year, giving the Generals a sweep of the top awards.
The Wooster baseball team entered the week of May 18 with a 14-2 record, including 10-2 in the OCC. The Generals need to win their final two league games — at West Holmes May 20 and at Lexington May 22 — to split a co-championship with New Philadelphia.
Graser got off to an outstanding start defensively as a second baseman and at the plate. He was batting .464 with 13 runs and 10 stolen bases in 10 games before tragically passing away. He was 2 for 2 with two RBI, runs and steals to match his jersey number in a 10-0 win over West Holmes April 21 but became seriously ill later that night with what was later determined to be a brain hernia.
“There are moments in coaching that go far beyond wins and losses,” Wooster coach Steve Young posted on social media after the OCC awards were publicized. “Today is one of them. Our brother and teammate has been named Ohio Cardinal Conference Player of the Year.
“While we wish more than anything he was here to celebrate this accomplishment with us, we know the impact he made on this program, this conference and everyone around him will never be forgotten.”
Young went on to add that Graser “played the game with passion, toughness, humility and love for his teammates every single day. This honor is a reflection of the player he was, but even more importantly, the young man he was.”
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The Generals, who are ranked 10th in the Division III state coaches poll, deserve lots of credit for continuing to play well after Graser’s death.
“We've been resilient,” said Young, whose fourth-seeded team will host No. 48 Youngstown Chaney in a sectional final May 21 as it works toward a fourth straight regional trip. “We've gone through a lot this year, and every time these boys have had to respond to a bad day, a bad game, a bad at-bat, etc., they've done so. We're executing and playing for each other and playing for Maddo.”
Brian LappMarry’s Studio
Lapp has been the workhorse on the mound, going 7-0 with a 1.03 ERA. He has 39 strikeouts and nine walks in 34 innings pitched. Opponents are batting just .116 against him. Lapp has helped his own cause, batting .378 with a team-high 20 RBI.
“Brian has been lights out for us this year and handled every outing with focus and poise,” Young said. “He's given us everything we knew he would this year and been the workhorse for our team.”
Also earning first-team All-OCC honors were junior Brock Bowen (P-3B) and sophomores Nick Rader (OF-P) and Wesley Wheeler (SS-P).
Junior Aidan McMillan (OF) was a second-team pick, while honorable mention honors went to junior Lucas Shiplett (P-INF) and freshman Sam Wengerd (C).
Bowen is 3-0 with a 1.81 ERA, 25 strikeouts and eight walks in 31 innings. At the plate, he’s batting .378 with five doubles, one triple, one home run and a team-high 21 runs.
“Brock has been doing this for three years now and is just a model of consistency,” Young said. “He never gets too high or too low, and we know every time he toes the rubber, we have a really good opportunity to win. Offensively, he's stepped into the leadoff role this year, and he's an outstanding base runner.”
Rader entered the week leading the team in batting average (.500, 19-38), with six doubles, 13 RBI and 17 runs.
“Nick has been unbelievable,” Young said. “He's been consistent, clutch and has been one of the guys that helped keep the morale up for our team. Going into this year, we were confident he'd be a key contributor for us, but he has exceeded our expectations, and I could not be more proud of him.”
Wheeler has been solid at shortstop and with the bat, hitting .364 with two doubles, two triples, 14 RBI and 19 runs. He leads the team with 18 stolen bases.
