Story by
Summit County area high school baseball: 15 Greater Akron players to watch in 2024
- Story by
- Summit County area high school baseball: 15 Greater Akron players to watch in 2024
The high school baseball season is underway and once again the Greater Akron area is full of talented players and teams.
Last season, Walsh Jesuit made a Division I state semifinal appearance at Akron's Canal Park after winning a regional title at Oberlin. Archbishop Hoban and Wadsworth also played at the Oberlin regional.
Advertisement
With that in mind, here are 15 Summit County-area players to watch:
Hoban's Michael Ciavolella watches his shot to center field against Ellet on April 12, 2023, in Akron.
Michael Ciavolella, Hoban, sr., OF
Ciavolella is an Eastern Michigan recruit who helped Hoban win the Division II state championship in 2021, finish as Division II state runner-up in 2022 and win a Division I district title in 2023. He is a Prep Baseball Report Preseason All-Ohio First Team selection after batting .228 last season with 18 hits, six doubles, five triples, 17 runs and 12 RBIs.
Hoban baserunner Parker Falkenstein scores the Knights' only run during the sixth inning of a Division I regional semifinal baseball game against University School, Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Oberlin, Ohio.
Parker Falkenstein, Hoban, sr., OF
Falkenstein, a Wright State recruit, helped Hoban win the Division II state championship in 2021, be the Division II state runner-up in 2022 and win a Division I district title in 2023. He was a second-team All-Ohio selection last season after batting .356 with 32 hits, four doubles, two triples, two home runs, 15 RBIs, 29 runs and 17 stolen bases. He is a Prep Baseball Report Preseason All-Ohio First Team selection.
Advertisement
Kyle Figuray, Wadsworth, sr., SS/P
Figuray, the Suburban League National Conference Player of the Year in 2022, helped Wadsworth win SLNC and Division I district titles a season ago. Now a senior, Figuray batted .363 with 33 hits, 25 RBIs, 19 runs and 12 stolen bases last season. The Cuyahoga Community College recruit also went 4-0 as pitcher with a 1.29 ERA, two saves and 24 strikeouts in 21⅔ innings.
Tallmadge pitcher Keagan Gilbride throws a pitch against Revere, Tuesday, April 25, 2023.
Keegan Gilbride, Tallmadge, sr., P/INF/OF
Gilbride is coming off a first-team All-Suburban League American Conference junior season in which he went 2-3 with a 3.25 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 47⅓ innings. The Cuyahoga Community College recruit batted .312 with a .464 on-base percentage, 20 hits, four doubles, one triple, two home runs, 23 RBIs and 15 runs.
Woodridge's Will Heisler hustles around the bases against St. Vincent-St. Mary on May 4, 2023, in Cuyahoga Falls.
Will Heisler, Woodridge, sr., INF/OF/P
Heisler, a University of Akron recruit, earned All-Ohio honorable mention honors in Division II last season. He batted .418 with 41 hits, 30 singles, six doubles, one triple, four home runs, 28 runs, 24 RBIs and nine stolen bases, and also went 5-2 with a 1.43 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 54 innings on the mound. He is a Prep Baseball Report Preseason All-Ohio First Team selection.
Hoban's Andrew Karhoff delivers against a Chardon batter during a Division I district semifinal May 23, 2023, in Canton.
Andrew Karhoff, Hoban, jr., P/INF
Karhoff, an Ohio State University recruit, earned second team All-Ohio honors in Division I last season. He went 6-0 with a 1.04 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 60⅓ innings, and batted .383 with 31 hits, four doubles, two triples, 23 RBIs, 18 runs and eight stolen bases. He is a Prep Baseball Report Preseason All-Ohio First Team selection.
Jeff Lange won the photograph category of the 2024 All Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards competition for this photo of STVM baserunner Daniel Krabill collding with Hoban shortstop Leo Wilson as he steals second base during a game May 12, 2023, at Canal Park in Akron.
Daniel Krabill, St. Vincent-St. Mary, sr., C/1B
Krabill, an Oberlin recruit, earned All-Ohio honorable mention honors in Division II last season after batting .419 with 18 singles, three doubles, four triples, home run, 13 RBIs, nine runs and nine stolen bases.
Hoban's Noah LaFine delivers a pitch against Badin in a Division II state semifinal June 9, 2022, in Akron.
Noah LaFine, Hoban, sr., P
The Vanderbilt commit helped Hoban win the Division II state championship in 2021, finish as the Division II state runner-up in 2022 and win a Division I district title in 2023. He is a first-team Prep Baseball Report Preseason All-Ohioan. The right-hander went 2-4 with a 2.80 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 30 innings last season.
Advertisement
Casey Myser, Highland, so., P/OF
The 6-foot-2 left-handed pitcher was honorable mention All-Suburban League American Conference as a freshman. He also batted .355 with a .474 on-base percentage and added three triples, a home run and 14 RBIs.
Sam Pece, Walsh, sr., P
Pece, a Miami of Ohio recruit, will step into a larger role this season for Walsh, a Division I regional champion last season. The left-handed pitcher went 2-0 with a 0.76 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 18⅓ innings last season.
Brady Rollyson, Green, sr., SS
Rollyson, a Ohio State recruit, was named the Federal League Baseball Player of the Year in 2023 and the Federal League Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2024. Last season, he batted .417 with 35 hits, 21 runs, 17 stolen bases and 10 RBIs. He has a .515 on-base percentage and is a Prep Baseball Report Preseason First Team All-Ohio selection.
Wadsworth's Finn Schmitt throws a pitch against Walsh Jesuit during a Division I regional semifinal on June 1, 2023, in Oberlin.
Finn Schmitt, Wadsworth, sr., P
Schmitt, a Malone recruit, earned Suburban League National Conference Pitcher of the Year honors last season as Wadsworth's ace. The 6-foot-7 right-hander went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 60 innings for the Grizzlies, who won the SLNC championship and a Division I district title.
Advertisement
Owen Shinada, Twinsburg, jr., P/INF/OF
Shinada, a Indiana recruit, is a highly regarded right-handed pitcher on the mound and a dangerous hitter in the batter's box.
Shawn Sullivan, Walsh, so., P
Sullivan, an Alabama recruit, is expected to log more innings this season for Walsh, a Division I regional champion last season. The right-handed pitcher went 2-1 with a 1.90 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 14⅔ innings last season.
Hunter Winston, Highland, sr., P/1B
The 6-foot-4 right-hander is a two-time first-team All-Suburban League American Conference selection and an Ohio University commit. He was 4-3 with a 1.50 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 37⅓ innings last season.
Advertisement
Michael Beaven can be reached at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ . Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Top 2024 high school baseball players to watch in Greater Akron area
