Dylan Hefflinger
PBR Senior Writer and Northwest scout

TOP 22 All-tournament team

Top Position Players

Catcher- Joe Keween (Defiance, senior) The senior went 2-7 with a double off the wall in the semifinals. Keween's biggest asset is the unsigned senior's defense. Keween threw out two runners and caught Robert Zeigler/Weston Rivers (combined 14 IP, 29 K). Keween had zero passed balls with Zeigler throwing in the low-90s with a filthy curve and Rivers throwing in the mid-80s with a devastating knuckleball.

1st Base- Ben Arnold (Wheelersburg, senior) The senior went 3-6 at the plate with a walk, scored two runs with one RBI. Arnold also had a sacrifice bunt in the championship game.

 

 

2nd Base- Blake Smith (Bloom-Carroll, senior) The senior went 4-7, scored one run and drove in two runs. The second baseman also had seven assists in the tournament.

 

Shortstop- Riley Mahan (Moeller, junior) The University of Kentucky recruit went 7-9 in the tournament, scored three runs and drove in three while recording three assists in the field. Mahan also went 5-5 in the semifinals win, tying a state record for hits in a game. Then there was his defense, which was perfect, including one outstanding play up the middle.

3rd Base- Patrick McAlpine (Moeller, senior) This Ashland University recruit went 3-7 and scored three runs while driving in two. McAlpine also drew a walk and had three assists on defense.

OF- Ryan Kohler (Springfield, sophomore) The sophomore went 6-9 in the tournament, scored four runs and drove in two. The 5'10'' left-handed hitter also had a double, triple and stolen base while playing superbly in center field.

 

OF- Hunter Nance (Newark Catholic, junior) The junior went 5-7 in the tournament, scored three runs while driving in one and stealing a base.

 

OF- Justin Wampler (Moeller, senior) This University of Dayton recruit went 3-7 in the tournament with a double, scored two runs and drove in three. Wampler also got hit by two pitches and had seven putouts in the outfield.

 

DH- Conor Hennessy (St. Ignatius, senior) The senior went 3-7 in the tournament, scored a run and drove in a run while stealing two bases.

 

Utility- Austin Hancock (Defiance, junior) The junior went 4-8 in the tournament, scored two runs and stole a base. The outstanding shortstop scored the first run of the state finals to break a 0-0 deadlock in the fifth inning, then added a key bunt single an inning later and score again. Hancock also recorded two assists on defense.

 

Utility- Dylan Miller (Wheelersburg, junior) The junior went 3-7 in the tournament with three RBIs. Miller also tied the state championship game in the 7th inning with a one-out RBI single in a 2-1 victory.

 

Utility- Cody Pitzo (Springfield, senior) The senior went 4-8 in the tournament, scored two runs and drove in three. Pitzo also had a sacrifice fly, stolen base and recorded four assists on defense.

Utility- Anthony Osmon (Hoban, senior) The unsigned senior went 3-3 in the semifinals loss to Defiance. Ausmon got all three hits against University of Kentucky recruit Robert Zeigler and also threw out a runner.

Just missed the cut

1st Base- Spencer Iacavone (Moeller, senior) This Marshall University recruit went 3-9 with one run and three RBIs.

3rd Base- Mike Lohr (Newark Catholic, junior) The junior went 3-6 with two runs scored and two assists.

Outfielder- Dom Romero (Defiance, senior) The unsigned senior went 3-5 with three walks, one run scored and two RBIs.

Outfielder- Reid Renollet (Tinora, junior) The junior went 2-3 with two doubles while also throwing a runner out at the plate from center field. 

Top Pitchers

Weston Rivers (Defiance, senior) The hefty lefty was brilliant in the state championship game, taking a perfect game into the sixth and a no-hitter into the seventh. The Lincoln Trail recruit went the distance, allowing allowing two runs (one earned, both coming in the seventh) on four hits with no walks. The 6'4'' Rivers struck out 15 batters while throwing 113 pitchers, 70 for strikes. Rivers was a consistently 83-84 topping out at 85 with run on his two-seam fastball while throwing the devastating knuckleball at 73-76.

  

Robert Zeigler (Defiance, senior) The University of Kentucky recruit got the semifinals win over Akron Hoban. The righty went the distance allowing one run (zero earned) on seven hits while walking three and striking out 14. Zeigler threw 119 pitches with 80 for strikes, sitting 89-92 with a filthy curve.

 

Zach Logue (Moeller, junior) The University of Kentucky recruit got the state finals win over St. Ignatius. The lefty threw a two-hitter, allowing one run (zero earned) with three walks while striking out four. Logue sat in the mid-80s with the fastball.

Derek Moore (Wheelersburg, senior) The unsigned senior picked up two wins this weekend, going 7.1 innings in the semifinals allowing zero runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six. The righty picked up a second win in the state championship game, pitching the seventh inning without allowing a base runner while striking out one.

 

 

 

Mitch Cox (Newark Catholic, senior) The Ashland University recruit picked up the win in the state championship game. The righty went the distance allowing just one run on eight hits and a walk while striking out seven.

Wade Martin (Wheelersburg, sophomore) This youngster picked up the save in the semifinals, getting the final two outs with one coming via the strikeout. In the championship game, the righty went six innings allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out three and not walking a batter. Martin sat 82-85 with the fastball topping out at 86.

Gus Ragland (Moeller, junior) The junior picked up the win in the semifinals going six innings and allowing just one run. This righty allowed six hits and two walks while striking out seven. Ragland sat 83-85 on the fastball

Ben Miller (Jonathan Alder, senior) The senior picked up the win in the semifinals allowing just one run on six hits. The righty allowed six hits and two walks while striking out seven. Miller sat 81-83 with the fastball topping at 84

Sam Donko (Ursuline, senior) This Iowa Western recruit was the tough-luck loser in the semifinals game against eventual D-III state champion Wheelersburg. The righty went eight innings allowed two runs (both coming in the eighth) on ten hits and two walks. Donko struck out six and sat 85-87 topping out at 88.

Just missed the cut

Corey Stanley (Bloom-Carroll, sophomore) The sophomore picked up the win in the semifinals, allowing just one run in six innings on the hill. Stanley suffered the loss in the finals, however, costing him a spot on the all-tourney team giving up two runs in the seventh.

Drew Buchanan (Newark Catholic, senior) The senior picked up the semifinals win, going the distance allowing just one run.

2013 Tournament MVP 

Picking an MVP in the 2013 tournament was tough to do with the amazing performances by Robert Zeigler (14 Ks), Riley Mahan (7-for-9, including 5-for-5 in the semis), Zach Loague (two-hitter) and Derek Moore (two wins, improving his career record to 36-0) among others, but the MVP goes too......

 

Weston Rivers (Defiance, senior) At the plate this left-handed hitter had the biggest hit for the Bulldogs in the semifinals as he roped a bases-clearing triple high off the wall (about 19 feet up the 22-foot high wall in right field). On the mound the hefty lefty was brilliant in the state championship game, taking a perfect game into the sixth and a no-hitter into the seventh. The Lincoln Trail recruit went the distance, allowing two runs (one earned, both coming in the seventh) on four hits with no walks. The 6'4'' Rivers struck out 15 batters while throwing 113 pitchers, 70 for strikes. Rivers was a consistently 83-84 topping out at 85 with run on his two-seam fastball while throwing the devastating knuckleball at 73-76.

 

 

To view the 2012 Top 22 All-Tournament team click HERE.