The members of the Central District Baseball Coaches Association (CDBCA) selected the top high school baseball players from the area and invited them to play in all-star games Tuesday, June 6, starting at 5:30 p.m. at Olentangy Liberty High School. Among the players were 14 from local high schools. Four teams of players were selected and the squads faced off in two games – one that paired Division 1 and Division 2 players and the other that included Division 3 and Division 4 athletes.
On the North Field, Team 1 faced Team 2. Team 1, with student-athletes from Division 1 and Division 2 schools, had three local players selected: Konner Daughriety, Mount Vernon infielder; Kort Sears, Highland pitcher and Brock Church, Highland infielder. The rest of the team was made up of players from Olentangy Berlin, Lancaster, Olentangy Liberty, Jonathan Alder, Gahanna Lincoln, Bishop Hartley, Watkins Memorial, Big Walnut, St. Francis Desales and New Albany high schools.
They faced off against Team 2, made up of Division 1 and Division 2 players from Grove City, Bloom Carroll, Bishop Watterson, Dublin Scioto, Teays Valley, Johnstown, Marysville, Westerville North, Westerville South, Buckeye Valley and Licking Valley.
The final score was a 7-7 tie, and no official scorebook or stat sheet was kept to catalog the players’ performances.
On the South Field, Team 3 played Team 4, in a matchup of Division 3 and Division 4 athletes. Team 3 included five local players: Drew Hammond, pitcher, Northmor; Tyler Collura, infielder, Utica; Carter Kennon, infielder, Mount Gilead; Bryce Cooper, outfielder, Northmor and Roman Gamble of Utica. The rest of the squad was staffed by players from Newark Catholic, Heath, Wellington, Fairfield Christian, Berne Union, Fairbanks and Grandview Heights. Co-coaches were Buck Workman of Northmor and Berne Union’s Chad Cupp.
They played Team 4, also from Divisions 3 and 4. Six KMAC players were selected to the squad: Ben Mast, pitcher, Fredericktown; Briar Householder, pitcher, East Knox; Xavier Mullins, infielder, Fredericktown; Dustin Beckett, outfielder, Danville; Brady Lester, outfielder, Fredericktown and Kaid Carpenter, utility, Fredericktown. The rest of the squad was staffed by players from Columbus Academy, Worthington Christian, Tree of Life, Fisher Catholic, Mechanicsburg and North Union. Team 4 was co-coached by Ryan Hathaway (Fredericktown) and Todd Dunkle (Columbus Academy).
The final score was 7-4 in favor of Team 4. Coach Workman kept a scorebook and local player highlights included:
Team 4 highlights
From Fredericktown – Ben Mast, two innings pitched, allowed one run; Kaid Carpenter, one inning pitched, no runs allowed; Brady Lester hit a triple; Xavier Mullins walked twice.
From Danville – Dustin Beckett went 0-2.
From East Knox – Bryar Householder pitched one inning and allowed no runs, and he went 2-for-2 at the plate.
Team 3 highlights
From Northmor – Drew Hammond pitched one inning and allowed no runs, and went 1-for-1 at the plate; Bryce Cooper went 0-1, and he threw an opposing runner out at home from right field.
From Mount Gilead – Carter Kennon was 1-2 hitting.
The CDBCA is connected with the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association, serving Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway and Union counties.
