LEXINGTON — Cole Pauley authored a fitting end to his high school career before exchanging Lexington’s Purple and Gold for Ohio State’s Scarlet and Gray.
The newly-crowned Richland Source Pitcher of the Year, Pauley capped his career in style. He was 5-2 this spring with 88 strikeouts and a 1.60 earned run average.
A right-hander with a fastball clocked in the low-90s, Pauley was an Ohio Cardinal Conference first-team pick and a District 9 first-teamer in Division II. He helped the Minutemen to a fourth-place finish in the OCC.
Pauley, who is headed to Ohio State to play baseball, is the ace of a talented All-Richland Source pitching staff. Combined, they were 37-12 with 448 strikeouts and none of the six members of the pitching staff had an earned run average higher than 1.93.
Wynford won the Northern 10 Athletic Conference crown thanks in no small part to Sam Collene. The junior right-hander was 9-0 with 63 strikeouts and a 1.93 ERA. Collene was an All-Ohio honorable mention selection in Division IV and a District 9 first-team pick.
Buckeye Central’s Alex Kanney was north central Ohio’s most overpowering pitcher. The senior right-hander struck out an area-high 113 batters while going 7-2 with a 1.81 ERA. Kanney was a District 9 first-team pick in Division IV and an All-Ohio honorable mention selection.
There wasn’t much Marshall Shepherd didn’t do during his storied high school career. A three-sport standout, Shepherd helped the Whippets win Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championships in football, basketball and baseball as a junior. This spring, Shepherd was 6-2 with 72 strikeouts and a 1.76 ERA. He was an All-MOAC first-team selection and a District 9 first-teamer in Division II. Shepherd will pitch collegiately for Division II Walsh University.
Ontario was in the hunt for a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference crown this spring thanks in part to Ryan Chapman. The senior right-hander was 5-3 with 52 strikeouts and a 0.96 ERA. Chapman was an All-MOAC first-team pick and a District 9 first-team selection in Division II.
Luke Bryant established himself as the ace of Ashland’s pitching staff this spring, helping the Arrows to a third-place finish in the Ohio Cardinal Conference. A sophomore right-hander, Bryant was selected the OCC’s Pitcher of the Year after going 5-3 with 60 strikeouts and a 1.15 ERA. Bryant was selected to the District 9 first team in Division I.
