PEMBERVILLE — Both the Eastwood baseball and softball teams won Northern Buckeye Conference championships last year, and veteran coaches Kevin Leady and Joe Wyant expect to have targets on their teams’ backs again this year.

Leady’s baseball team finished last year’s campaign 26-2 and were ranked first in Division III in the state coaches’ poll at the end of the regular season.

The Eagles were a perfect 14-0 in the NBC, and Leady, a former Bowling Green State University pitcher and Eastwood alumnus, returns for his 12th season. In the first 11, Leady’s teams are 206-82 and have won four league titles and five district championships.

This year, the Eagles return five starters, six letter winners, and four seniors.

Senior pitcher and third baseman Andrew Badenhop returns after earning second team All-Ohio honors as a utility player. On the mound, he was 8-0 with a 1.46 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 43 innings. At the plate, Badenhop batted .398 with eight doubles, 29 runs, and 30 RBIs.

Also returning are senior outfielder Brandon Falls (.364 BA), senior catcher Xander Greulich, a Bluffton University commit (.417 BA), junior shortstop Colton “Woody” Woodward (.385 BA, 6 2B, 28 R, 15 RBIs, 18 SB), and junior pitcher/outfielder Kadyn Donnell (24 IP, 4-0, 1.16 ERA, 28 K; .301 BA, 15 R, 15 RBIs, 12 SB).

Also expected to contribute are junior second baseman/pitcher/catcher Connor Norton, junior first baseman/pitcher Drew Kachmarik, senior third baseman/pitcher Bryce Miller, junior pitcher/first baseman Paul Lautzenheiser, and junior outfielders Brock Messinger and Austin Bonfiglio.

Leady says his team strengths will be his starting pitching, defense, leadership and hitting.

“As a program we have many athletes going above and beyond to prepare for the upcoming season. A lot has gone on behind the scenes that we want to make sure we show appreciation for,” Leady said.

“This group has worked extremely hard all year to prepare for 2024. We have a great core returning and are excited to see how we gel throughout the season.

“Expectations are high for this group, but we understand the work needed to be successful. We will take everything one day at a time.”

League’s ‘best pitching’

Wyant returns to head up the softball team after the Eagles went 26-4 overall last year and 12-2 in the NBC. He has six letter winners returning, including three seniors and three who were part time players last year.

In the circle is senior pitcher Cassi Kieper, who was 21-4 with a 2.07 ERA, 195 strikeouts and has 63 career wins. Wyant calls her “consistent and a hard worker.”

Kieper, a two-time first team All-NBC selection and second team all-district last year, has signed to play softball at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan. Wyant believes he will have the “best pitching” in the NBC this year.

Also returning are senior outfielder Lilly Escobedo (.474 BA, 44 R, 29 RBIs), junior shortstop Ady Bowe (.364 BA, 4 HR, 15 EBH, 33 RBIs), sophomore second baseman Karly Wasserman (.296 BA), and senior outfielder Dani Black (.250 BA).

Escobedo has been a first team All-NBC selection the last two years, plus she was first team all-district and honorable mention All-Ohio last year. Described as a “good hitter” by Wyant, she batted .579 in 2021, .495 in 2022, and .474 last year and has accumulated 105 RBIs in three years.

Bowe, also a first team All-NBC pick the last two years, and HM all-district last year, batted .449 in 2022 and .364 in 2023, totaling seven home runs and 61 RBIs in two years.

“Bowe is a great shortstop, another harder worker and plays year round,” Wyant said.

At third base is MaKenzie Grover, who Wyant says started only a few games last year because of an injury.

“I feel she will have a good year hitting and fielding with the work she put in,’ Wyant said.

Freshman Maddie Hartman will start at catcher. Wyant says she is a “good, young player who has played a lot of travel ball.”

Wyant says it will be interesting to see how the NBC shakes out this year, especially with new membership. Right now, he is just hoping his team will finish in the upper half of the standings.

“We’ll be competitive if the young players get better,” Wyant said. “The NBC is much stronger this year top to bottom with (new members) Oak Harbor and Maumee in. Six new and young players are starting and some are freshmen. Most get better.”

In his 23 years coaching, Wyant’s teams are 442-140, and that includes 17 years at Eastwood (342-86). His teams have won 10 league championships, seven district titles, and one regional championship and state final four qualifying team.