Friday’s games
What: Division II state softball tournament, Ross (21-7) vs. LaGrange Keystone (27-4), 10 a.m.; Akron Hoban (24-5) vs. Hebron Lakewood (27-0), 12:30 p.m.
Where: Firestone Stadium, 1575 Firestone Parkway, Akron
Championship: 4 p.m. Saturday at Firestone Stadium
Ross High School’s list of All-Ohio softball players continues to grow.
Senior first baseman Kelsey Warman has become the 11th player in RHS history to be named an All-Ohio first-teamer.
“That’s exciting,” said Warman, who will travel to Firestone Stadium in Akron with her teammates to face LaGrange Keystone in a Division II state semifinal Friday.
“I was hoping to get my bat going again, to improve and do better than my year previously. So, yeah, this is a great year.”
Warman is hitting .522 with 12 doubles, six triples, three home runs, 33 RBIs and seven stolen bases. She’s also 5-2 with a 2.45 earned run average as the No. 2 pitcher behind sophomore Kenzie Meyer.
“She’s had a good past three years, but she’s really clicked on this year to where we thought she would be,” Rams coach Paul Fernandez said. “I’d watch her in the summer, and he’s just jacking balls out and hitting them off the wall. I’ve always kidded her. I’m like, ‘This year, let’s kind of pretend in March that it’s June, and we’ll take it from there.’
“She’s had a phenomenal year while dealing with some adversity. I’ve known her since she was born, and their whole family, they’re just good people. They’re polite, they work hard, and they’ll do anything for you. That’s the way Kelsey is.”
Warman, the Southwest Ohio Conference Player of the Year, can’t wait to get back to Firestone Stadium. She was there in 2009 as her sister Marcy helped Ross capture its only state championship.
The Rams beat Byesville Meadowbrook 4-0 and then Bellville Clear Fork 4-2 in the title game.
“I have big shoes to fill,” Kelsey said of trying to add another state title to the Warman family. “I remember personally the last inning. Everybody was going crazy. Everybody in the stands was standing up cheering the ladies on.”
Fernandez said he can recall seeing several current players in attendance as youngsters in 2009.
“I’ve got a lot of pictures of them up in the crowd or after the game,” Fernandez said. “It was cool to see.”
Ross junior catcher Ally Ivey joined Warman on the D-II All-Ohio team as an honorable-mention selection. Ivey has a .535 batting average with 17 doubles, three triples, four homers and 42 RBIs.
The Rams’ All-Ohio first-team honorees include Tricia Barnhill (1988, pitcher), Janell Weichold (1990, pitcher), Tamie Pence (1991, pitcher), Amy Weitzel (1994 and 1995, pitcher), Beth Jones (1997, pitcher), Allison Blake (1999, pitcher), Rachel Richardson (2001, pitcher), Elaine Haubner (2002, shortstop), Anna Smith (2006 and 2007, pitcher) and Hayley Hudson (2015, center fielder).
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