29 replies to this topic

[winit4me]

Wondering what everyone's thoughts are concerning the upcoming season for the WBL - are there any teams that should be very competitive and have very many returning lettermen?

Edited by winit4me, 11 December 2008 - 10:30 AM.

[dhsdawg06]

I know nothing about anyone else in the league, but I'd say Defiance has to be the favorite until someone beats them.

[dawger]

Elida should improve this season from giving Head Coach Mark Thompson his worst record in his long career, last season.

Edited by dawger, 12 January 2009 - 11:24 PM.

[bballcat]

OG may have some talent this year. Overall, Defiance until some proves different. They'll have Kime, Hancock, Hammersmith, and Stapleton for pitching that I know of.

[piratesrus]

I hear Bath always has the talent but no coaching. I know a lot of coaches like the idea of who they have coaching but not the parents.

[white_shadow]

Shawnee lost some pretty talented players from last years regional team but they still have some good players coming back. Cody Kopilchack (player of the year?) and Tyler Gallant will probably be 1st team All-WBL and they also have some decent underclassmen who could have big years. They will be at or near the top of the WBL standings at seasons end.

[brentwood]

Shawnee lost some pretty talented players from last years regional team but they still have some good players coming back. Cody Kopilchack (player of the year?) and Tyler Gallant will probably be 1st team All-WBL and they also have some decent underclassmen who could have big years. They will be at or near the top of the WBL standings at seasons end.

defiance, o-g, shawnee all have dominant #1 pitchers. It will probably come down to those head to head matchups and if one of those teams has to play back to back league games because of postponements. defiance needs to have someone step up to replace wagner. shawnee has to replace hefner. o-g has their two best pitchers back but are inexperienced position player wise.

any word on where Kopilchak will be going after high school?

[Maltese Falcon]

I agree it is Defiance as the favorite until someone knocks them off. OG has a nice one- two punch with starting pitchers in righty Haughn and lefty Alex Schoemaker.

[white_shadow]

defiance, o-g, shawnee all have dominant #1 pitchers. It will probably come down to those head to head matchups and if one of those teams has to play back to back league games because of postponements. defiance needs to have someone step up to replace wagner. shawnee has to replace hefner. o-g has their two best pitchers back but are inexperienced position player wise.

any word on where Kopilchak will be going after high school?

I agree Brentwood, scheduling will have a big impact on who wins the league. Shawnee does not have alot of pitching depth so they will need some luck with weather so that Cody can pitch the majority of their league games.

Kop has signed to play at Wright State next year.

[brentwood]

I agree Brentwood, scheduling will have a big impact on who wins the league. Shawnee does not have alot of pitching depth so they will need some luck with weather so that Cody can pitch the majority of their league games.

Kop has signed to play at Wright State next year.

congrats to him. are there any other kids that may go on to play in college next year? i know hefner went on to marietta with a blaski kid from P-G this year.

I think kottenbrock and a couple of other area kids went to a smaller school(Olney?) to continue their careers.

[white_shadow]

congrats to him. are there any other kids that may go on to play in college next year? i know hefner went on to marietta with a blaski kid from P-G this year.

I think kottenbrock and a couple of other area kids went to a smaller school(Olney?) to continue their careers.

Kyle Strawn is at Adrian College. Can't think of any others from the Lima area that went to play anywhere but I'm not extremely familiar with all of the teams. Tyler Gallant is probably a good enough catcher to play somewhere next year if he works at it.

[dhsdawg06]

Adam Wagner went to Niagara to play baseball. I don't know of any others from last year or that are graduating this year. I know there are some more though.

[brentwood]

Adam Wagner went to Niagara to play baseball. I don't know of any others from last year or that are graduating this year. I know there are some more though.

I am surprised he didn't go to a better known baseball school. he seemed talented enough to get some offers from a big ten or mac school. really solid player that got looked over in my opinion. just goes to show you need connections!

[white_shadow]

I am surprised he didn't go to a better known baseball school. he seemed talented enough to get some offers from a big ten or mac school. really solid player that got looked over in my opinion. just goes to show you need connections!

Wagner was a very good player. Don't know if he was a Big Ten caliber player or not but he was pretty talented. As far as connections, I would have to believe that Tom Held would have more than anyone else in the WBL.

[white_shadow]

Adam Wagner went to Niagara to play baseball. I don't know of any others from last year or that are graduating this year. I know there are some more though.

I would agree that there are probably a few more that are playing somewhere. That was an exceptionally talented senior class. They just keep cranking out good players up there. They never seem to have a down year.

[dhsdawg06]

I am surprised he didn't go to a better known baseball school. he seemed talented enough to get some offers from a big ten or mac school. really solid player that got looked over in my opinion. just goes to show you need connections!

I was a little surprised to see him go over there too, until I remembered that Cam Stykemain from Defiance went over there the year before. If I had to guess, he and Adam are probably friends and that probably had a lot to do with Wagner's decision.

Either way, I think I'll be rooting for Niagara to win their conference for the next few years.

[likeitis]

Lets see...local players now at the next level...Keith Hefner, Danny Jones (Shawnee) & Austin Blanski (Pandora) @ Marietta...Kyle Strawn (Shawnee) @ Adrian...D.J. Caprella (Shawnee) @ Sinclair C.C....Matt Hampshire (Elida), Aaron Lee (Spencerville), Mike Krummery (USV) & Nate Vermillion (Ada) @ Ohio Northern...Tyler Norton (St. Marys), Travis Kottenbrock (L.C.C.), & Zach Sterling (Bath) @ Olney J.C....Matt McKinney (Bath) @ Georgetown Ky....Bobby Jenkins (Bath) @ Cleveland State...Curt Yetman (Allen East), Cory Stevens (Bath), Nathan Swaney (Allen East) & Matt Perkins (Crestview) @ Bluffton...Jarrod Riley (Paulding) & Pat Neal (Lima Sr.) @ St. Francis, Ind....Pat McKee (Allen East) & Chris Philpot (Paulding) @ Defiance...Ross Guisinger (Kalida) @ Findlay...Nick Johnson (Delphos St. Johns) & Brian Garman (Wapak) @ Cincinnatti...Kendall Lewis (Indian Lake) @ Eastern Michigan...Mike Morgan (Indian Lake) @ Lake Erie College...

I am sure there are some I've missed. This is testimony to the area coaches and baseball programs throughout the area. NO MATTER the level an individual is playing, they are still playing the game they love. Baseball is a different animal than football or basketball. Some of the strongest programs are within the Junior College and NAIA programs. Nor is there the huge gap between Division I, II, and III within the NCAA. There are plenty of good players and tons of competition.

Next year we know, Nick Bruns (St. Henry) is going to Bowling Green and Cody Koplichak (Shawnee) is following his brother's steps at Wright State. There will be others. To the players with a passion and a dream to continue....KEEP WORKING in the classroom as well as on the field. Grades and test scores are a must to continue.

Edited by likeitis, 23 January 2009 - 01:25 AM.

[bballcat]

Adam Wagner was the American Legion Ohio Player of the year this past summer. Brynn Lehman went to Otterbein.

[dawger]

Ross Gerdeman of Fort Jennings (I believe) is a Freshman RHP here at BGSU. Along with Kent State, BG is going to be a very good baseball club out of the MAC this year (32-20 in 08). We have the #7 Shortstop in the NATION, whose name escapes me right now, but if you go to BGSUFalcons.com and then the Baseball page, it should be one of the lead stories.

Also, don't forget about the guys from Bluffton U., who we tragically lost two years ago this March (RIP)!

[dawger]

Further, Brooks Mohr of Elida (now with the Seattle Mariners Farm System) would have played here, if he hadn't gone pro.

Edited by dawger, 23 January 2009 - 01:46 PM.