Golden age of baseball has arrived at Waynedale
Shane Coblentz starred on the mound all season for the Golden Bears, hurling a complete-game gem in the 2-1 win over Coldwater that sent his team into the Division V state title game.
For the past four years, the Waynedale Golden Bears baseball team has made Akron’s Canal Park — home of the state baseball tournament — its second home.
Having played there three years prior to earning the school’s third state title in four years this year, the Golden Bears seem to have settled into it comfortably.
It has been a golden run for the Golden Bears, and Waynedale has become one of the premier programs in the state. However, they won’t ever take reaching this pinnacle for granted.
“At this point we want the kids to enjoy the moment, try not to put too much pressure on yourself and have fun,” head coach Lucas Daugherty said. “The only way you’re going to play your best is if you’re loose and relaxed and enjoying competing with your teammates. That is what we tried to get them to do, and it looked like they were having fun out there just playing baseball.”
That relaxed, comfortable feel coupled with raw talent and hard work provided Waynedale with the goods to produce a 2-1 win over Coldwater and a 3-0 title win over St. Paris Graham Local.
Almost every Golden Bear shared thoughts about this team playing with purpose after falling in the state semifinal last year. They talked at length about retribution and not wanting to suffer through that feeling again.
“After last year we felt we came here with unfinished business, and it felt great finishing this year,” outfielder Cameron Miller said.
This group included five talented seniors in Tristan Franks, Josh Yoder, Jayden Schlabach, Shane Coblentz and Spencer Porter, who provided incredible leadership, beginning behind the dish where Franks, whom Daugherty called the smartest player he’s ever coached, provided great stability.
Franks pitched in his younger days prior to breaking his elbow his freshman year. He said with a spot open behind the plate on varsity, he began working with assistant coach Hayden Mobley, an All-Ohio catcher at Hiland in his playing days, and a new catching star was born.
Franks called every pitch of every game for the Bears, and he said capping off this class’ career on the highest of highest was very gratifying.
“I think this is one of the most special groups to go through Waynedale,” Franks said. “We were so tightly knit we were like family. It’s kind of cliché, but we are brothers.”
Pitcher/second baseman Shane Coblentz took the loss in last season’s semifinal defeat. He said getting to toe the rubber and earn a win this year in the same contest felt good.
“Last year stunk. I was pretty heartbroken, and I knew I needed to perform better. Over the offseason and until now, I put in extra reps to make sure I was prepared and good to go, and it helped,” Coblentz said. “I love having the ball and control of the game on the mound. If it goes south, it’s on me, but I love that challenge.”
Waynedale rattled off 18 straight wins to begin the season and rode that wave to a school-record 30-win campaign that culminated in a wild late-night celebration in Akron.
“It’s been crazy this year,” first baseman/pitcher Logan Troyer said. “We had a lot of success early and felt like if we kept playing like this, we’re going to have fun at the end of the year.”
Defensively, the Golden Bears were excellent in both games, winning in all of the little ways champions usually do. Waynedale did not commit a single miscue in the two games, which played a key role in their victory.
“We’ve done that all year,” said shortstop Jordan Miller, who shone brightly in the finals, as did second baseman Collin McGlothlin in the semifinal win. “Our pitchers know they can trust this defense behind them, and that makes it easier to throw.”
Both senior pitching star Shane Coblentz and sophomore Logan Troyer agreed with that, Coblentz shutting down Coldwater and Troyer hurling a complete game in the finals. Daugherty said this team has worked hard to get to where it is defensively.
“It’s easy to work on the offensive side and hit all the time, but we really emphasize defense, and I give our kids all the credit because they really focus on that aspect of the game,” Daugherty said.
In both games Waynedale showed tremendous patience, waiting to come up with timely hits late in the game to find a way to win.
Waynedale came from behind to beat Coldwater and didn’t score until late versus Graham, and Daugherty said while that puts a lot of stress on his players and the coaches, their hard work in the offseason and in practice prepares them to handle the big moments in crunch time.
“I’m proud of our guys for just staying the course and not pressing too much,” Daugherty said. “We know eventually we’re going to get runners on, and when that happens, we have to be ready to capitalize.”
Daugherty also praised the community for its support, both throughout the season and in turning up at state in a huge way.
“I feel fortunate and blessed to coach this group and to be in this community,” Daugherty said. “We have the community, the players and support to keep doing this, but we don’t take any of it for granted. I’m thankful and appreciative of it all. I know this isn’t an easy thing to do, but we will continue to strive for it each and every year.”