A tie in the voting by Northwest Conference baseball coaches resulted in the selection of Co-Players of the Year for the 2013 baseball season. Matt Jay, a senior catcher from Columbus Grove, and Damian Helm, a pitcher/outfielder from Crestview both tallied 174 points out of a possible total of 180 to share the Player of the Year honors. Crestview coach Jim Wharton was the unanimous selection of his peers as the Coach of the Year at the all-conference selection meeting Monday evening at Delphos Jefferson. Wharton led the Knights to a 9-0 record and an outright Northwest Conference championship.
Matt Jay hit .500 for the conference-runnerup Bulldogs this year, scored 27 runs, had 37 hits and 36 RBI’s. Damian Helm was 7-0 on the mound for the Knights with a sparking 0.49 ERA. He struck out 62 batters and walked only 3 in 42 2/3 innings. Helm also hit .359 and had a .410 on base percentage.
Jay is joined on the NWC First Team by Columbus Grove teammates Trey Roney and Brandon Benroth. Helm is joined by Crestview teammate Bryce Richardson. Other first team players are Colin Stolly and Sam Huffman of LCC, Drew Kortokrax of Delphos Jefferson, Trent Phillips of Bluffton, and Tanner Stippich of Allen East.
1st Team
Matt Jay – Senior – C – Columbus Grove
Damian Helm – Junior – P / OF – Crestview
Colin Stolly – Junior – P / SS – Lima Central Catholic
Bryce Richardson – Junior – SS / P – Crestview
Sam Huffman – Senior – P / CF – Lima Central Catholic
Drew Kortokrax – Senior – RF / P – Jefferson
Trey Roney – Senior – P / 1B – Columbus Grove
Trent Phillips – Junior – SS – Bluffton
Brandon Benroth – Senior – SS – Columbus Grove
Tanner Stippich – Sophomore – OF – Allen East
2nd Team
Jake Harmon – Senior – 1B – Crestview
Chris McClain – Junior – P / 1B – Bluffton
Nick Watkins – Senior – P / IF – Lima Central Catholic
Ross Thompson – Junior – SS/P – Jefferson
Quentin Vance – Junior – OF – Paulding
Nick Leeth – Senior – SS – Lincolnview
Kyle Kauser – Junior – OF / P – Paulding
Connor Dee – Senior – C – Lima Central Catholic
Eli Farmer – Junior – P – Lincolnview
Drake Lugibuhl – Junior – CF – Bluffton
Honorable Mention
Cam Etzler – Junior – OF / SS – Crestview
Erik Neely – Sophomore – IF / P – Allen East
Joel Shimp – Senior – P / 1B – Spencerville
Blake Hoffman – Senior – CF – Columbus Grove
Sean Monfort – Senior – RF – Spencerville
Brady Shafer – Senior – RF – Col. Grove
Corey O’Dowd – Senior – OF – Lima Central Catholic
Austin Cobb – Senior – P / SS – Ada
Braden Goodwin – Sophomore – P / C – Allen East
Derek Ketchum – Senior – OF – Allen East
Isaiah Simerman – Junior – 3B / P – Crestview
Gabe Sutton – Senior – CF – Ada
Kyle Williams – Junior – OF – Lincolnview