NEW PHILADELPHIA — New Philadelphia, which should be a strong Ohio Cardinal Conference title contender, as well as one of the top teams in the Division III postseason, features a veteran baseball squad loaded with top hitters and pitchers this spring.
“The goals for this team, they’re lofty,” said Tyler Weisel, who enters his ninth season as the Quakers’ head coach after guiding the team to a 15-8 overall record and 10-4 ledger in the OCC last season. “We’re coming off a couple pretty good years in a row. Last year, we were district runners-up to St. Clairsville and prior to that we were district champions, so to get to the Elite 8, that’s cool, but now it’s time to come home with a regional championship.”
New Phila’s starting lineup loaded with multi-year experience
The Quakers return 13 letter-winners and seven of nine starters from last season. This year’s starting lineup includes an outfield of senior Carson Long, senior Mac Steele, junior pitcher-outfielder Owen Courtney, sophomore Caleb Crowthers and junior Cameron Wright. The veteran infield will include junior Seth Beaber, sophomore Kaine Otte, senior Mason Caterina, junior Braylon McBride, senior Matthew Meiser, junior Cohen Winters, freshman Jackson Martini and senior catcher-infielder Keaton Fausel. The other catcher will be freshman Jack Range.
“The experience that we have coming back, with only losing two seniors from last year’s team, is incredible,” Weisel said. “Outside of the two freshmen and a sophomore that will start in the outfield, we’ve got guys who are going to be three and four-year starters.”
Pitching staff led by ace Owen Courtney
The pitching staff is talented and deep, led by junior right-hander Owen Courtney, who earned first team All-District and first team All-OCC last season. Courtney posted a 4-2 record with a 1.23 ERA. He struck out 43 batters in 45 innings of work and only allowed eight earned runs all season.
“I’ve been playing since I was about 5,” Courtney said. “I just want to use all the ...
