The West Holmes baseball team is looking to make it a three-peat for sectional titles, and the Wyatt Mellor coached squad brings back a talented lineup and deep pitching staff for the 2024 season.
“We have tons of strengths this year,” Mellor said. “Our middle and top of the lineup are dangerous with some good guys at the bottom to get it back to them. Lots of arms on the pitching staff. We are a team playing together for the first time with all the ages we have, and if we can gel as a team, potential is endless.”
Senior Hunter Aurand will be at shortstop this season, and is coming off a year where he batted .286 with 24 hits, nine doubles, two homers, 21 RBIs and 21 runs. Mellor envisions him having his "best year yet," saying he has been playing and practicing with a "ton of confidence" after putting in time in the offseason to polish his skills.
Junior Carson Tanner will be at right field and pitcher, and is coming off a second team All-OCC season. He batted .386 with 34 hits, 11 doubles, 19 RBIs and 16 runs scored.
Sophomore Brock Gallion is at second base and outfield, and he had a .366 batting average with 30 hits, 10 RBIs, 35 runs and eight steals. He was second team All-OCC as a freshman.
Junior Morgan Smith is a first baseman and pitcher with a .300 average, 18 hits, 10 RBIs and 11 runs. He was an honorable mention for All-OCC.
Mellor is in his third year at the helm and has an overall record of 26-24. He spent six year as an assistant under Bill Pim. Mellor’s coaching philosophy is all about what is best for the team.
“Each guy needs to do everything he can to help the team every opportunity they get,” Mellor said. “We work hard for each other every day and compete to dominate.”
Mellor said his coaching style is to break everything down tactically and take it slow.
“This game moves fast and so does a high schooler’s four years with me,” Mellor said. “We do our best to slow every moment down and learn something from it. When we can get our kids to do the same in those big moments, they truly excel when they are needed most.”
This squad runs on the thought that everyone is against them, Mellor said. Those who are on their side and want them to succeed are their families and teammates, and that has pushed the team to reach for the top even more.
“It adds fuel to the fire to go out and prove everyone wrong,” Mellor said. “It also creates a tight knit family within the team.”
Mellor is excited to get started into games to see who they really are, but he has a feeling this is a special group.
Last season the Knights went 12-11 and lost in the opening round of the district semifinals of the Division II tournament to Cambridge. Mellor said this team is “talented” and driven” with expectations to compete with Wooster and Mount Vernon for the OCC title, as well as make a long tournament run.
“We have our top four to five guys back in our lineup, as well as a couple of our top pitchers from last year. We have added a few new young guys in who should really set off our lineup and pitching staff. We are older and more mature, really driven on the team goals for the year.”
Roster:
1 Carson Tanner
2 Brock Gallion
3 Cooper Booth
4 Hunter Aurand
5 Jefferson Yoder
6 Gus Warner
7 Sam Sprang
8 Graham Martin
9 Ben Tanner
10 Zack Large
11 Mason Shankel
12 Morgan Smith
20 Manny Camacho
2024 Schedule:
3/23 at Minerva, 11 a.m.
3/27 vs. Mansfield Senior, 5 p.m.
3/30 vs. River View, 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
4/2 at Wooster, 5 p.m.
4/3 vs. Wooster, 5 p.m.
4/9 vs. Madison Comprehensive, 5 p.m.
4/10 at Madison Comprehensive, 5 p.m.
4/16 vs. New Philadelphia, 5 p.m.
4/17 at New Philadelphia, 5 p.m.
4/19 vs. Waynedale, 7 p.m.
4/23 at Ashland, 5 p.m.
4/24 vs. Ashland, 5 p.m.
4/26 vs. Northwayne, 7 p.m.
4/30 at Mount Vernon, 5 p.m.
5/1 vs. Mount Vernon, 5 p.m.
5/7 vs. Lexington, 5 p.m.
5/8 at Lexington, 5 p.m.
5/10 vs. Hiland, 7 p.m.
