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Jan 13, 2024

OHSAA baseball: 2023 Division I state tournament capsules

The Division I state baseball title is on the line Thursday and Saturday at

The Division I state baseball title is on the line Thursday and Saturday at Canal Park in Akron.

Cincinnati Moeller will play Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit in a semifinal at 10 a.m. Thursday, followed by Olentangy Orange and Whitehouse Anthony Wayne at 1 p.m.

The winners will meet at 10 a.m. Saturday.

OHSAA baseball:5 keys to Olentangy Orange winning its first state championship

Here are capsules of the four semifinalists:

Overall record: 22-10

League record: The Pioneers went 9-6 in the OCC-Central Division to finish third.

State tournament experience: Orange is playing in its second state tournament, having lost to Strongsville 3-2 in a semifinal in 2017.

Coach: Tom Marker, fifth season

Key players: Orange's roster features 17 seniors, including pitchers Cole Cahill and Jacob Tabor. Both are Toledo recruits.

Tabor is 8-1 with a 2.88 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 51 innings. Cahill (first-team all-state) is 7-2 with a 2.23 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 62 2/3 innings.

Orange is led offensively by senior first baseman Diego Astacio, who is hitting .475 with seven doubles, 29 RBIs, 27 runs scored and 11 stolen bases. The Olivet Nazarene commit was second-team all-state.

Overall record: 27-4

League record: Anthony Wayne went 14-0 to win the Northern Lakes League. Nine of the 14 games were decided by three runs or fewer. The Generals are the first team to go unbeaten in the league since 1992, when Bowling Green pulled off the feat.

"We have played some really good teams and we’ve been tested," coach Ryan Donley said. "Our kids have learned how to win close games. Our last three tournament games, we’ve won in walk-off fashion. That doesn't really happen all the time. Our kids hang in there and stay poised."

State tournament experience: Anthony Wayne is making its second state appearance. The Generals lost to Olentangy Liberty 8-1 in the state final in 2018.

Coach: Donley is in his second season after guiding the school's wrestling program for 17 years. He previously coached the school's freshman baseball team and was an assistant football coach. He played baseball at Indiana and one year (2004) for the Richmond Roosters in the Frontier League.

Key players: Senior pitcher Brayden Weiss is 10-0 with a 0.99 ERA and 82 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings. He was first-team all-state and is expected to get the start against Orange, according to Donley.

Senior center fielder Marco Morrison is batting .375 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. He was honorable mention all-state.

Senior Dom Carlson (P) is a Toledo commit. There are 14 seniors on the team.

Overall record: 29-3

League record: 8-1, first in Greater Catholic League-South

State tournament experience: Although it has a rich state tournament history, Moeller is making its first appearance since 2015, when it won its eighth title. The Crusaders are playing in their 13th state tournament.

Coach: Tim Held, 16th season. He was named Division I Coach of the Year.

Key players: Senior Toby Hueber (P/INF), a George Mason commit who was named first-team all-state, is 9-0 with a 1.54 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 50 innings. He also is batting .410 with 26 RBIs.

Senior Nathan Manley (C) is batting .410. He is a Wright State commit.

Overall record: 26-3

League record: 6-0, first in Crown Conference

State tournament experience: Walsh Jesuit is making its ninth state appearance with its last coming in 2021, when it lost to eventual champion New Albany 6-2 in a semifinal.

Coach: Joe Bowers, first season

Key players: The pitching staff features seniors Ryan Piech (first-team all-state) and Drew Erdman, who tossed a perfect game with nine strikeouts in a 10-0 win over Louisville in a district final.

Mason Eckelman (C) was first-team all-state, John Simecek (2B) was second-team all-state and Alejandro Covas (OF) was honorable mention all-state. All three are seniors.

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