Ohio's top high school baseball players: Meet the state’s best shortstops

Who are the top shortstops in Ohio high school baseball this season?

Matthew Wolfe photo by Gabe Haferman

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking a look at some of the top baseball players in Ohio.

We started with the top first basemen, next up were the catchers, and now it's the shortstops' turn.

There are hundreds of outstanding shortstops in Ohio, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive! Tag us on Twitter or Instagram at @SBLiveOH and let us know about other athletes worthy of fans’ attention.

Note: Many high school baseball players excel at multiple positions. Don't be alarmed to see an ace pitcher or slick-fielding outfielder listed here as a shortstop, for example.

—

Peyton Cassley, Amanda-Clearcreek, senior

He hit .460 with two homers and 25 RBIs last season and had an on-base percentage of .545. The 6-foot-3 shortstop had a fielding percentage of .930. He also pitches for the Aces.

CJ Carmichael, Bloom-Carroll, senior

Hit .433 with a .519 on-base percentage and a .522 slugging percentage last year. He had two home runs, 35 runs scored, 15 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in helping lead Bloom-Carrol to a state runner-up finish in Division II. He is committed to Penn State.

Kaden Davidson, Edgewood, senior

A first-team all-Southwest Ohio Conference selection last year, he hit .431 with 15 doubles. He had a .534 on-base percentage and scored 32 runs while stealing 14 bases. He has committed to Wright State University Lake Campus.

Drew Denham, Marlington, junior

Was limited to just 11 games last season but hit .486 with seven doubles and drove in 12 runs. He is back healthy playing shortstop for the Dukes this season after undergoing UCL surgery and should be one of the best shortstops in the state.

AJ Ewing, Springboro, junior

The 5-foot-11 shortstop hit .386 with 10 doubles, four homers, 25 RBIs and 33 runs scored last season to earn first-team all-Southwestern Ohio Conference honors. The left-handed hitter is a great athlete and according to his coach, “his performance rises as the competition improves.”

Patrick Fultz, Springfield Shawnee, senior

The Wright State commit hit .482 last season with 12 doubles, six triples and a homer while driving in 40 runs. He was named player of the year in the Central Buckeye Conference — Kenton Trail Division. His coach says “it’s really easy to coach the game when there’s a coach on the field at all times. He leads by example and has the team’s best interest first before anything else.”

Andrew Hendrickx, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, senior

Last season’s Principals' Athletic Conference Player of the Year hit .464 with 15 doubles, three triples and 22 RBIs. He also pitches for the Royals and threw a no-hitter against Manchester while striking out a school-record 17 hitters. He has committed to Kent State.

Andrew Jones, Brush, senior

Hit .348 with seven doubles, 11 RBI and two home runs last season. He also pitches for the Arcs and picked up three wins. The 6-foot-2 righty has signed to play baseball at Ohio State.

Henry Kaczmar, Walsh Jesuit, senior

A first-team all-Ohio selection last year in Division I, the Michigan commit hit .568 with four homers and 42 RBIs, while also compiling a school-record 18 doubles. The 5-foot-10 left-handed hitting shortstop helped lead the Warriors to the state semifinals last season.

Vincent Koprowski, North Royalton, senior

Hit .424 with an OPS of 1.105 while breaking the school record for doubles in a season with 17, and 19 of his 42 hits went for extra bases. He drove in 26 runs and scored 33 times from the leadoff spot for the Bears.

Rider Minnick, Marengo Highland, senior

Hit .426 with nine doubles and 20 RBIs last season. He scored 40 runs and stole seven bases. The right-handed hitter can hit to all fields. The first-team all-Knox Morrow Athletic Conference selection has committed to Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

Alex Nemunaitis, Ottawa Hills, senior

He hit .375 with 27 RBIs, 27 runs scored and 15 stolen bases last season. He and his brother Andy make up the middle infield and will be attending Wittenberg University to play baseball. Coach Christopher Hardman says the Nemunaitis brothers “are pillars in our program, work tirelessly in the offseason, and aspire to be great.”

DJ Newman, Archbold, senior

Earned first-team all-Ohio honors in Division III as he hit .509 with 15 doubles and 30 RBIs. He also threw 61.2 innings on the mound with 97 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.95. A football and basketball player at Archbold as well, he has committed to Bowling Green State to play baseball.

Mason Onate, Olentangy Liberty, junior

The 5-foot-11 middle infielder hit .500 last year with 15 extra-base hits, 30 RBIs and 31 runs scored, plus had 13 stolen bases. The left-handed-hitting junior has already committed to Tulane.

Aiden Orr, Indian Creek, junior

As a sophomore, he hit .402 and scored 27 runs from the leadoff spot. While Orr plays shortstop, he is an athletic player who can move all over the field. His coach says “this kid lives and breathes baseball, and I'm looking for a fantastic season from him. He has pounded the weights, and I foresee him driving a few out this season.”

Shawn Parnell, Archbishop Hoban, senior

The University of Cincinnati signee led Hoban with 26 runs scored last season and tied for the team lead with eight doubles while playing shortstop and pitching. On the mound, he was 4-3 with a 3.84 ERA. He helped lead the Knights to the Division II state championship and is no stranger to winning state titles, as he has also done so as part of Hoban’s football team.

Mason Perkins, Summit Country Day, senior

The Miami Valley Conference Player of the Year hit .500 with eight doubles and five homers and drove in 30. He will also take the mound for Summit Country Day and had five saves last season, His coach says he is a “top all-around talent with speed, power and hits for average, and he is great defensively.”

Landyn Vidourek, Badin, senior

He hit .337 with 26 RBIs and 30 stolen bases last season. Helped lead Badin to the baseball state semifinals last season and to the regional finals in football this past season. The quarterback’s football season ended with a broken hand, but he recovered in time for his senior season of baseball. He has committed to the University of Cincinnati to play baseball.

Grant Wilson, St. Edward, sophomore

As a freshman, he hit .403 with three home runs and 20 RBIs while playing infield and pitching for the Eagles. He struck out 39 hitters in 34 innings pitched and ended the season with a 2.44 ERA. The Tulane commit has shown power already this season with a three-run homer against defending Division II state champion Archbishop Hoban.

Matthew Wolfe, Olentangy Orange, senior

Earned second-team all-Ohio honors last season by hitting .419 with two home runs, 25 RBIs, 31 runs and 19 stolen bases. He was also named first-team all-district and all-Ohio Capital Conference-Central. He has committed to play college baseball at Vanderbilt.