FHS baseball has no seniors, but considerable experience

Findlay High baseball coach Jordan Nell knows he can expect no "senior discounts" this season.Even so, he's not "discounting" the Trojans chances of challenging the top teams on the schedule and in the Northern Lakes League."We are expecting to be a young program this season, and while even though we expect to be young we have some experience and expect to compete," Nell stated in analyzing the 2025 season.Nell enters his second season as FHS coach with no seniors on his varsity roster. He played a lot of people last year, though – 21 to be exact – and while the Trojans may lack a lot of upper class veterans, they do return a number of players with on-field varsity experience.Juniors Jack Rhoades, Reece Stillings and Blade Wendt are three of the top returning veterans for Nell.Rhoades, a solid 6-foot-5, 195-pound outfielder, had a team-best .366 batting average, led the Trojans with 17 runs-batted-in and was second to Austin Sertell in total hits (26). Stillings and Wendt both manned middle infield spots. Stillings batted .214, drove in five runs and scored nine; Wendt hit .268, scored 10 runs and also drove in five.Rhoades, who was 0-3 with a 6.73 earned-run-average but with 21 strikeouts, Stillings (1-0, 3.422 ERA) and Wendt (1-1) will also be called on to restock a starting pitching rotation hit fairly hard by graduation. The Trojans went 14-12 in 2024, but 11 of those pitching wins graduated in the form of Ben Best (5-4, 1 save, 2.415 ERA, 49 Ks), Sertell (3-2, 2.667 ERA, 31 Ks), JJ Mihalik (2-0) and Andrew Kayser (1-0).Sertell also led Findlay in several offensive categories, including batting average (.400), hits (28) doubles (11) and triples (4). He was second on the team in runs scored (17) and RBI (16).Best batted .259 with 16 RBI, Mihalik .263 with eight RBI and Kayser .205 with six RBI. Nell also must replace outfielder Luke Weihrauch, who hit .264, scored 15 runs and drove in 10, shortstop Matthew Guthrie, who batted .259 and led the team in runs scored (20), and Ben Parnell, who appeared in a number of varsity games as well.Juniors Luke Crates (OF/P), Alex Gonzalez (C), Ryan Maas (C/3RD/P), Chase Harris (2ND/OF/C) and Payton Longnecker (1ST/P) will also be counted on when Findlay opens its season today with a doubleheader at Toledo Start.Outfielder/pitcher Jackson Fletcher saw some varsity action last year and heads up a sophomore class that includes Grant Emans (INF/OF/P), Jacob Gebhardt (INF/OF/P), Cole Hull (INF/C/P), Owen LaRocco (OF/P), Cooper McKanna (1st/P), Kellen Sherer (1st/3rd/P), Brendan McIntire (OF/1ST/P), and Kolten Soloman (INF/OF/P).Freshmen Landon Echelberry (INF/P), Caleb Kanney (INF/C/P) and Hunter Sertell (INF/OF/C/P) could also be seeing varsity time this season.Findlay's 2024 home opener will be Tuesday when the Trojans face Tiffin Columbian in a 5 p.m. matchup at Woody Curlis Field. (14 sub head)North-South game MASSILLON – Two area football coaches who have stood on opposite sidelines for years will be doing just that once again when the Divisions IV, V, VI and VII portion of the annual North-South Classic all-star football game is held April 26 at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon.Columbus Grove's Andy Schafer will be an assistant coach on the North team. Bluffton's Jeff Richards will be an assistant coach for the South.The two have gone head-to-head for several years when the Bulldogs and Pirates square off in Northwest Conference and playoff matchups.Both coaches will have one of their star players on their roster as well. Trenton Barraza, who rushed for 2,644 yards and 36 touchdowns in leading Grove to the Division VII state semifinals, is on the North roster. On the South team with Richards is Landen Worcester, who had over 100 tackles in each of his four years as a starting linebacker at Bluffton.Also competing for the North team will be Hopewell-Loudon's Braylon Martinez, a receiver, and offensive lineman Will Nutter. SCHEDULE Saturday's Events PREP BASEBALLFindlay at Toledo Start, 1 p.m.Ada at Lima SeniorBucyrus at ArcadiaCory-Rawson at Columbus GroveElida at LeipsicCarey at Hopewell-LoudonPandora-Gilboa at Bluffton (DH)Riverdale at Hardin NorthernVan Buren at BellevueSandusky at FostoriaUpper Sandusky at Lima BathFremont St. Joe at Elmwood PREP SOFTBALLLima Shawnee at Findlay, DH, 11 a.m.Lima Central Catholic at AdaArcadia, Seneca East at New RiegelLiberty-Benton at Ottawa-Glandorf (DH)Carey at Hopewell-LoudonVanlue at Tiffin Calvert (DH)Lima Bath at Upper SanduskyElmwood, Wauseon at Defiance BOYS LACROSSEFindlay at Dublin Scioto, 12:30 p.m. TRACK & FIELDSeneca East Invitational