Champs on repeat: Waynedale wins second straight OHSAA Division III state baseball title

The Golden Bears scored six runs in the second and cruised to a 10-1 win over Harrison Central

AKRON, Ohio – Waynedale won the OHSAA Division III state championship game in walk-off fashion in extra innings last year. They didn’t have to suffer through that drama this season.

The Golden Bears scored in each of the first five innings of an 10-1 win over Harrison Central on Saturday night at Canal Park to win their second straight state title.

“It's a huge difference,” Waynedale senior Trey Barkman said. “But they're both exciting.”

Waynedale got the scoring started right out of the gate when Barkman lined a pitch up the middle with the bases loaded that hit off the shortstop’s glove and ended up scoring Dylan Raber for the game’s initial run.

Dylan Raber scores to make it 1-0 @WaynedaleBSB B1 pic.twitter.com/33hwggQVD4

— Ryan (@Isley23) June 11, 2023

And then the flood gates opened in the second when the Golden Bears scored six runs to break the game open.

They loaded the bases with one out as Shane Coblentz split the outfielders for a double to left center, Tate Venables walked and Raber singled and it rolled downhill from there. The next three hitters drove in runs, with Tristan Franks hitting a two-run single, Connor Gatti bringing home two more with a double and Timmy Short following with an RBI double.

“It was a great night for us,” Franks said. “You can't ask for much more in a state baseball game.”

After Trey Barkman singled to advance Short to third, Jayden Schlabach came through with an RBI single to make it 7-0.

Jayden Schlabach with an RBI single. @WaynedaleBSB leads 7-0 B2 pic.twitter.com/IEZqAGWfdX

— Ryan (@Isley23) June 11, 2023

The Golden Bears added a run in the third on a sacrifice fly by Short, a run in the fourth on an RBI single by Coblentz and another on a sacrifice fly by Barkman in the fifth.

“It was nice to have the bats come alive like that,” Waynedale head coach Lucas Daugherty said. “I think having a big game like this kind of relieves some pressure and I think once we got a couple runs across, we relaxed and when we relax, we usually hit the ball better.”

Shane Coblentz with an RBI single to make it 9-0 @WaynedaleBSB B4 pic.twitter.com/4Lk9WyMtF0

— Ryan (@Isley23) June 11, 2023

And for the second straight year, Otto Solorzano picked up the win in the state championship game after Barkman won the semifinal on the hill. This year, the lefty went six innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk while striking out seven.

“We have a one-one punch,” Barkman said. “Otto is a stud and I think I'm pretty good too.”

Winning back-to-back state titles would suggest the entire program is pretty good.