BASEBALL/SOFTBALL: All-WBL teams announced

May 22, 2012

When you’ve thrown 44 straight scoreless innings, people start to notice.

Wapakoneta Redskins southpaw Johnny Crawford received that notice when the All-Western Buckeye League baseball and softball honors were released Tuesday.

Crawford was the lone Redskins baseball player to be selected to the first team.  The junior pitcher has not given up a run since a 7-2 win over Greenville on Tuesday, March 27.

In a twist, Greenville has forfeited all of its wins from the 2012 season for using an ineligible player.  It is not known how the forfeits will affect the games it lost or if official statistics will be changed.

Regardless, Crawford has dominated in WBL games, not allowing a single run.  He carried that run into the postseason with shutout wins over Elida and Tiffin Columbian.

In softball, Carli Sammons and Renee Lovett earned first-team honors.

Sammons and Lovett rotated back-and-forth between pitching and second base all season.  Sammons had already established herself as a solid pitcher in the league.  And Lovett showed tremendous progress throughout the season, adding a devastating changeup to her arsenal.

Also earning All-League honors in baseball were Alex Koch (second team), Brandon Schreiber (third team) and Josh Apple (honorable mention).

The Redskins’ lead-off batter, Koch has been one of the most consistent hitters on the team this season.  The junior has played virtually flawless defense at second base.

Schreiber leads the team in walks by almost a two-to-one margin and has earned a reputation as a tough catcher to steal against.

At shortstop, Apple joins Koch to form one of the most formidable center infields in the league.

In softball, senior Ashley Knippen was voted to the second team.  It was a fitting tribute to one of the best stories of the season after Knippen suffered a knee injury in October and willed her way back into the lineup before the start of the season.  She also made the difficult transition from playing center field to shortstop mid-season.

Senior Marcie Grothause earned third-team honors.  Grothause showed tremendous improvement since her junior season and became one of the Redskins key contributors.

Earning honorable mention were senior first baseman Courtney Knippen and junior catcher Kati Sawmiller.

ALL-WBL TEAMS

BASEBALL

Player of the Year
Anthony Kidston    Def    12
Coach of the Year
Tom Held    Def    

FIRST TEAM
Name    School    Gr.
Anthony Kidston    Def    12
JOHNNY CRAWFORD    W    11
Robert Zeigler    Def    11
Casey Schroeder    O-G    12
Mackenzie Hampshire    Eli    12
Cory Wilder    Sha    11
DJ Manning    SM    12
Derek Waterman    Cel    12
Matt Wise    Bath    12
Joe Gentile    Def    12
Joey Hurless    VW    11

SECOND TEAM
Name    School    Gr.
ALEX KOCH    W    11
Jacob Moore    Def    12
Michael Huber    SM    12
Brice Fackler    Ken    12
Sam Altenbach    Sha    12
Dalton Martz    Eli    12
Tyler Zender    O-G    10
Cody Vogel    Cel    10
Kyle Miller    Sha    12
Caleb Norton    Bath    11

THIRD TEAM
Name    School    Gr.
Shea Murray    Def    12
Cody Bockrath    O-G    11
BRANDON SCHREIBER    W    11
Brad Sawmiller    SM    12
Aric Fickert    Cel    11
Colin Gossard    Bath    10
Nick Vogel    SM    12
Brant Henry    VW    9
Tyler Batt    Def    12
Trey Runneals    Sha    12

HONORABLE MENTION
Name    School    Gr.
Keaton Sullivan    Bath    12
Kyle Berry    Cel    11
Dom Romero    Def    11
Jacob Porter    Eli    11
Kasey Rawlins    Ken    12
Jake Hashberger    O-G    11
Casey Mulcahy    Sha    11
Steven Paulus    SM    12
JOSH APPLE    W    11
Andrew Todd    VW    11

SOFTBALL

Player of the Year
Camille Martin    Bath    11
Co-Coaches of the Year
Laura Ford    Bath
Nicole Driggs    Celina    

FIRST TEAM
Name    School    Gr.
Camille Martin    Bath    11
Kimmy Reynolds    Bath    10
Alexis Zacharias    Cel    9
Kaity Kuhn    Cel    10
Kylee Bader    Cel    11
Jackie Stalder    Ken    12
Harle Smith    SM    12
Britt Lauck    Sha    11
CARLI SAMMONS    W    11
RENEE LOVETT    W    10

SECOND TEAM
Name    School    Gr.
Amber Mosley    Bath    12
Mary Deppe    Bath    12
Leah Rose    Cel    11
Jenn Eilerman    Eli    12
Morgan Goecke    Ken    11
Hayley Kitchen    O-G    12
Mo Truxal    Sha    12
Shelby Lucas    Sha    11
ASHLEY KNIPPEN    W    12

THIRD TEAM
Name    School    Gr.
Lydia Hammer    Bath    11
Katie Kerr    Cel    11
Emily Gallant    Def    11
Sabrina Kline    Eli    9
Molly Closson    O-G    11
Kiley Schamp    SM    12
Liz Aller    Sha    12
Brittany Bigham    VW    11
MARCIE GROTHAUSE    W    12

HONORABLE MENTION
Name    School
Julia Miller    Bath
Hillary Heiby    Cel
Kathryn Riehle    Def
Caitie Shroyer    Eli
Gwen Downing    Ken
Stephanie Hempfling    O-G
Lexi Roop    SM
Sam Bullock    Sha
Maggie Almandinger    VW
COURTNEY KNIPPEN    W
KATIE SAWMILLER    W