The Highland baseball had a solid season and were well represented in postseason awards, led by outfielder Hayden Kline who was first team All-Ohio, All-MOAC and All-District.
The senior centerfielder and 3/4 hitter batted .472 with an OPS of 1.077, 37 RBIs, 25 runs and 20 steals. This was his third consecutive 30 hit season, and he set the school record with 50 hits. He is an elite defender and high IQ player who hit safely in 30 of 31 games, with 17 being multi-hit. Coach Don Kline said he is an impact player on offense and defense, and also pitched 20 innings with a 0.350 ERA, two wins and two saves. Kline was in the top three in most offensive categories in MOAC this season. Next year, Kline will be playing football at Marietta, or baseball at Terra State.
Senior Kort Sears was the runner up for MOAC Player of the Year and also first team All-MOAC and All-District, and is coming off a year where he hit where he was the team’s top pitcher and also a major offensive threat. He went 7-2 with a 1.69 ERA, and only had three earned runs in league play. He didn’t allow an earned run in six gams that he started, and over the last two years he went 14-4. At the dish he batted .426 with an OPS of 1.112, 27 RBIs, 39 runs and 12 steals in the two hole. He also had 13 extra base hits that included three triples.
Sophomore Zach Church was the 1B pitcher, and an excellent one at that. He was All-MOAC and All-District first team, and on the hill he went 8-1 with an 1.128 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 49 innings. At the plate he batted .344 with 27 RBIs, 33 runs, 31 hits and a school record 28 walks.
Sophomore Jayden Collins led off and played shortstop this season, and was second team All-MOAC and first team All-District. He has some pop and hit .362 with a 1.003 OPS, 16 doubles, 26 RBIs, 41 runs and 21 walks. He was at the top of the league in most categories. On the moun, he went 4-1 with a 2.124 ERA and two saves.
Senior Jace Brooks was second team All-MOAC and All-District, and the outfielder put together a season where he smashed 43 hits and hit .426. He had an OPS of 1.002, 25 RBIs, 30 runs, 18 walks and 20 steals that Coach Kline credited to offseason work ethic. This was a vast improvement of hitting .254 with 15 hits the year before. He also went 4-0 with a 4.065 ERA and allowed a .173 batting average.
Gavin Wiggand was All-MOAC and All-District honorable mention. He hit .300 with a homer and an .826 OPS.
The Fighting Scots had six shutouts, set the school record with 15 straight wins, a 14-0 record and the second most wins in school history at 27. It was the sixth straight league title for Highland. As a team they hit .350 and had three hitters with at least 40 hits, including Kline’s record total. Three other hitters had 30 or more hits.
While the hitting was top tier, it was the pitching that gave them the chance to win game in and game out.
“Our entire pitching staff, led by assistant coach Wyatt Gresh kept us in every game this season,” said Coach Kline. “We lost four games by a total of six runs this season. Junior Kort Sears and sophomore Zach Church will dominate the headlines with their performances (combined 15-3 record, 142 Strikeouts, and only 22 Earned Runs in 107 Innings,) but our catchers Gavin WIggand and Zach Church deserve credit as well. Our bullpen (Jayden Collins, Drew Altizer, Jace Brooks, and Hayden Kline) did a fantastic job of keeping offenses off balance this season.”
Kline praised the coaching staff, saying they always gave their best effort to ensure the team had a great experience. He said the coaches were very pleased with how the group learned how to fight and be tough. They faced adversity, but the team bonded along the way. He said they are a special group, and that the staff is very proud of their accomplishments on and off the court.
“While this version of Highland baseball has a lot to be proud of with their achievements on the diamond, it is HOW they reached their goals that we are more proud of,” Coach Kline said. “They worked as hard as any team in recent memory and loved the challenge of being pushed in training and instruction. They played the game the right way, and played tough and fast on the playing field. Most importantly they, often received compliments for their class and sportsmanship, and as a coach, that makes me more proud than the wins and awards."
