• Sports

Golden Bears back in driver’s seat for another WCAL title

• By Dan Brown
• April 24, 2024
• 330

It’s cliché in sports that tradition doesn’t graduate.

For Waynedale’s baseball team, the old adage is a way of life as the program is off to another strong start on the heels of back-to-back Division III state championships.

A team that came into the season with some unknowns across the roster, thanks to the graduation of five senior starters including three of their four infielders from a year ago, has started to answer those questions quickly as it entered the final full week of April in the driver’s seat for another Wayne County Athletic League crown.

Much of that has to do with a handful of returning contributors from last season’s 27-win team. But the roster, which also included four sophomores and three freshmen, has progressed quickly.

And while there is still a lot of season left to play, coach Lucas Daugherty knew early on that the only way to solve that experience question for some of his roster was to get them experience on the field.

“The young players are very talented and eager to learn; however, for a lot things, the only way to learn is through experience,” the fourth-year coach said. “It has been encouraging to see the upperclassmen take on a leadership role and try to help the newcomers feel confident and comfortable.”

Some of that veteran talent has plenty of experience in the Golden Bears recent success, which has seen the program win 51 games over the past two springs en route to becoming the 15th team in state history to win back-to-back titles.

Senior Otto Solorzano has been leading that charge, both on the mound and at the plate. The left-hander entered the week of April 22 with a 4-1 record, which included 34 strikeouts and a 0.30 earned-run average. If that wasn’t enough, Solorzano, who was a second-team All-Prep Baseball Report selection last season, also is batting .429 with 12 hits and nine RBIs as a designated hitter on days when he’s not getting the starting nod. The southpaw won 10 games in 2023, striking out 117 over 73 innings of work.

Fellow returnee from a season ago, junior Shane Coblentz, has filled in the other starting pitching spot after the graduation of All-Ohio pitcher Trey Barkman, with a perfect 2-0 mark on the hill, striking out a team-best 39 batters, along with playing second base.

Other veterans in senior center-fielder/pitcher Tate Venables and right-fielder Tyson Troyer also have come up big, along with junior catcher Tristan Franks. Venables and Franks — who had the team’s best batting average last season — have combined for 25 hits over the first 13 games.

But it’s also been the play of the fresh-faced players across the lineup.

Sophomore second baseman Collin McGlothlin and freshman first baseman Cameron Miller are currently 1-2 on the team in batting average, hitting .583 and .568, respectively, making up the right side of the infield.

Sophomore third baseman Brayden Steiner has driven in 10 runs on 12 hits with a .353 average while Logan Troyer (1B) and Hudson Barkman (LF) also have been key contributors.

And while this team will strive to become a more-consistent team on offense, it’s the lockdown pitching of Solorzano and Coblentz, along with lockdown defense, that continues to be a calling card for the Golden Bears.

“We knew coming into the season that our strength would be pitching and defense,” Daugherty said. “I am confident that our offense will get going and that our entire lineup will contribute to producing runs.”

Waynedale, the 10th-ranked team in Div. III, according to the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association, has won 10 of its first 13 contests and will have a busy next two weeks with a host of challenging games including two with Medina Buckeye (12th, Div. II) on April 27, league rival Norwayne (No. 16, Div. III) on April 30 and May 1, and a fellow state champ in Hiland (No. 6, Div. IV) on May 3.