Wayne-Holmes All-Star game will end banner baseball season
West Holmes standout Hunter Aurand will join other top senior area talent in the annual Wayne-Holmes Baseball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game on June 19 at The College of Wooster.
It’s been another banner year for Wayne-Holmes high school baseball, and seniors will get one last chance to represent their schools on Wednesday, June 19.
The College of Wooster will host the annual Wayne-Holmes Baseball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game, which is sponsored by The Bargain Hunter/Wooster Weekly News, Insurance Centre Agency’s Aaron Dorksen and Murr Printing.
In a new twist, it will be the Wayne County Athletic League All-Stars vs. the Wayne-Holmes All-Stars.
Triway coach Justin McDowell has donated his time and energy to give players, family members and fans alike a special night for area baseball. The first pitch will be at 6 p.m. at Art Murray Field, and admission is free.
“The coaches and players always look forward to this game,” McDowell said. “It’s one last cool thing to do for the seniors and their families.
“We really appreciate our partnership with The College of Wooster to host this game once again and use their field. We appreciate the sponsors. It will be fun this year to have the Wayne County Athletic League against everybody else. The numbers worked out and the team breakups with catchers and pitchers, so that will be cool to see.”
Baseball players in the Class of 2024 have experienced lots of highs and lows during their high school careers, but many members of the class went out on a high note. Hiland repeated as Division IV state champion while Waynedale and Hillsdale reached the Div. III state Final Four. Wooster advanced to the Div. I regional for the second straight year, and Norwayne went in Div. III.
The WCAL All-Stars will consist of Chippewa’s Grant Johnson (P/OF) and Max Warner (C), Northwestern’s Brandon Barnette (INF) and Jacob Ward (C), Smithville’s Bryce Butcher (P/C/SS) and Gavin Copenhaver (OF), Hillsdale’s Jack Fickes (P, OF, SS) and Owen Hoffman (3B, 1B), Rittman’s TJ Johnson (P/3B/OF), Norwayne’s Garrett Schmidt (1B) and Brayden Harklau (P/C/IF), Waynedale’s Tate Venables (OF/P), and Dalton’s Trey Dunn (OF) and Talan Greegor (C/1B/3B).
The Wayne-Holmes team will be made up of Triway’s Tyler Snyder (OF/P/3B) and Owen Walter (INF/C), Orrville’s Khaedan Montgomery (C ), Loudonville’s Matt Sprang (P/UT) and Baylor Weiser (C/OF), Tuslaw’s Ryan Lipinski (INF/P), Hiland’s Cody Yoder (OF) and Brady Yoder (SS/INF/P), West Holmes’ Hunter Aurand (INF) and Graham Martin (OF), and Wooster’s Ashton Still (P/1B) and Jack Ritchie (P/3B).
Coaches for the event were still being finalized at press time.
“The quality of baseball in this area is phenomenal,” McDowell said. “Obviously, if you look at the teams that made it to districts, regionals and state, there are some really good coaches and players.
“There are programs that have been stacking one really good year after another, and it's not common for that to happen. You’ve gotta get some lucky breaks, maybe win a game you shouldn’t or don’t expect to, and that’s a testament to all the hard work that’s being put in.”
For more information email McDowell at jmcdowell@triway.us.