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Division III Team Of The Week: Week 6 - Wayne Trace

HAVILAND - The potential was there for a memorable season at Wayne Trace. While the beginning was rougher than expected, the Raiders are now on the right path with a 16-5 record.

“We had high expectations for this group coming into this year,” noted Ryne Jerome, head coach of the Prep Baseball Division III Team of the Week. “We have a lot of experience on this team, including a large group of seniors that have played a lot of baseball for us. We got off to a bit of a slow start to the season but have played well as of late. I still believe our best games are ahead of us.”

This past week there was a 3-0 win over Delphos St. John's, a 13-1 victory over Delphos Jefferson 13-1 and an 8-7 triumph over Lima Central Catholic. The Raiders are also on top of Miller City 7-5 in a game that was suspended.

“Carter Clemens gave us five solid innings against a quality St. John’s lineup on Monday night,” Jerome reflected. “Kyle Forrer then came in and got six outs for us to close things out. Friday night versus LCC was a bit of a roller coaster. Tucker Antoine gave us five good innings on the mound, but things got away from us in the sixth before battling back in our half of the sixth to take an 8-7 lead. I’m really proud of the way our guys battled at the plate against a high-quality arm like (LCC’s) Billy Bourk.”

Cooper Wenzlick, Breven Anderson, Antoine, Clemens and Forrer form a deep staff for the sixth-rated Division III team in the state. Wenzlick, the 24th-rated senior right-handed pitcher in the state who is committed to Macomb CC, has had limited time on the mound but leads the Raiders at the plate with a .447 average, 19 RBIs and a pair of home runs. Anderson, a Defiance College signee ranked 154th among 2024 RHPs in Ohio, is 4-0 with a 2.69 ERA, Antoine has a 1.38 ERA, Clemens is at 3.04 and Forrer has a 1.40 ERA in 10 innings pitched with five saves.

Antoine, the 54th-rated senior catcher in Ohio, has a team-best 21 RBIs to go along with a .441 average and 10 doubles. DH Tyson Gerber is batting .414, Clemens .400 and Forrer .306 with three home runs.

“We’ve had some first-year starters really come in and fill some shoes from a year ago,” noted Jerome. “Carter Clemens and Tyson Gerber come to mind. Tyson is our DH and has had a solid year at the plate for us coming through with some big hits in big moments. Carter Clemens has filled the five-hole in our lineup this season and has really performed well on the mound. He’s been tasked with facing some of the toughest non-league opponents on our schedule but he hasn’t flinched at all. He’s given us a chance to win every time he’s taken the ball.”

At 6-0 in the Green Meadows Conference, Wayne Trace has clinched at least a share of its third straight league title with Hicksville left to play.

“We just need to continue to get better and take things one game at a time,” Jerome concluded. “We still believe strongly that our best baseball is ahead of us and that we have not yet come close to peaking. We have yet to put a full seven innings together but once we do I feel like we’ll be a tough team to beat.”

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