Division III Team Of The Week: Week 1 - Ben Logan

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Division III Team Of The Week: Week 1 - Ben Logan

BELLEFONTAINE - Strong pitching has played a big role in the start to the season for Ben Logan, the Prep Baseball Report Division III Team of the Week.

The Raiders started the season 8-0 before losing for the first time on Monday.

“Pitching has been on point for most of the season,” noted Ben Logan head coach Scott Wilson, whose team only gave up 12 runs in their first nine games of the season while scoring 92.

Junior Kade Arm, a 6-4 215-pound right-hander, has led the way on the mound with 33 strikeouts in four starts, throwing 23 innings with a 0.91 ERA. Brady Burrey, another junior, has not allowed an earned run in 10 innings while fanning 10 with Blake Peterson, a four-year starter, and junior Austin McGowen providing more depth on the mound striking out 18 and 14, respectively to date.

“My expectations were probably pretty high,” Wilson explained about the 2021 season at Ben Logan. “I started a travel team with these guys when they were eight-years old and knew we had a lot of potential. It was up to me to get that out of them. I’ve got a really good relationship with these guys.”

This year’s squad features 10 seniors, Peterson, Tanner Perkins, Nolan Roose, Kainan Stoner, Carter Rees, Trey Allen, Ethan Ricketts. Dominic Roose, Jake McKenrick and Andrew Thatcher.

“Five of them are returning letterwinners,” Wilson related. “They’re a tight-knit group that wants to see all of them succeed. They have a nice continuity.”

Still, after missing the 2020 campaign, Wilson admits to some uncertainty entering this year.

“Taking a year off, I’m a bit surprised by the big jump from being sophomores with not much varsity time to now,” Wilson said. “We’ve gotten some good leadership so far.”

There has also been solid hitting with Stoner, an outfielder, hitting a team-best .571. Rees, who plays short, third and first, has driven in a dozen with a 526 average while McGowen is batting .467 and Burrey .429, each with 10 RBIs.

Senior catcher Nolan Roose is another that has come up big this season.

“He started as a freshman but missed his sophomore year with an injury and then last season,” Wilson said. “He’s back strong as ever.”

Wins have come in big ways starting with a 6-2 victory over perennial power Coldwater to open the season. A 23-0 triumph over Waynesfield followed before a 2-1 win against Wapakoneta. West Liberty was a 17-0 victim against Ben Logan before consecutive 11-1 wins over Urbana. A 15-1 victory over Marion Harding completed last week’s action before the Raiders fell to Northwestern 2-1 on Monday, leaving the bases loaded three times. Ben Logan avenged the loss with an easy win over Northwestern on Wednesday.

“The biggest key for us the rest of the way is our fundamentals,” pointed out Wilson, whose team plays Springfield Shawnee on Friday. Western Buckeye League opponents St. Marys and Celina are on the schedule for Saturday before key league games with Indian Lake next week.

“We need to make sure we’re doing everything mentally right and physically right,” Wilson said. “After every game we’re 0-0. That’s the motto this year.”