A Look Back on Northeast Ohio’s Fantastic Baseball/Softball Season

By Patrick Kennedy

It was a great baseball season for Northeast Ohio.

We got the matchup we were hoping for, an all Northeast Ohio state championship.

Jackson won its second state title in school history.

Strongsville reached the state final.

Tallmadge won the Division II State Championship and had a great season. What’s even more remarkable is their whole team (save for one senior) is back for 2018.

Elyria won a state title in softball, winning in walkoff fashion in an instant classic.

Hoban reached the softball state championship in Division II and played a great game, losing by one run.

Warren Champion won Division III in softball and baseball, defeating Berlin Hiland (also not a long journey away from Cleveland). Although they’re not quite in NEO Sports Insiders’ coverage range, it was impossible not to notice what they were doing from not too far away.

Players like Xavier Moore, Dillion Dingler, Kyle Nicolas, Jaret Beechy, Sammie Stefan, Lauren Shaw and many, many more will be missed by their respective teams and by their fans.

These seniors departing gives new young players a chance to transform into the next stars of Northeast Ohio.

This season went by quick, but also felt long at times with the rainouts. It was very enjoyable as we received the opportunity to see teams who were overlooked in the preseason flourish throughout the season and Playoffs.

We have also seen teams that were supposed to be great, be not so great.

That’s the great thing about baseball, anything can happen on any day and that’s why you play the games.

Thank you for a great season coaches, fans, players and everyone involved.