High school baseball is underway across Ohio.
Walsh Jesuit was a Division II state semifinalist in 2025 and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy was a Division III regional runner-up.
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Walsh, Stow, Green and Hudson won Division II district titles last season. CVCA and St. Vincent-St. Mary earned Division III district crowns.
That was last year. Here are 15 Greater Akron baseball players to watch in 2026:
Shawn Sullivan, Walsh Jesuit, senior, pitcher
Sullivan, a University of Tennessee recruit, was Walsh’s ace right-hander last season. He was a first-team All-Ohio and all-district selection in Division II last season, compiling a 5-1 record with a 0.63 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP and 96 strikeouts in 55 innings. He also allowed 23 hits, 29 walks and eight runs (five earned).
Matthew Mansbery, Walsh Jesuit, senior, shortstop
Mansbery, a University of Michigan recruit, was a first-team All-Ohio and all-district selection in Division II last season. He batted .494 in 2025 with a .548 on-base percentage, a .852 slugging percentage, 40 hits, 10 doubles, five triples, three home runs, 16 RBIs, 23 runs and 11 stolen bases. He had a .955 fielding percentage.
Casey Myser, Highland, senior, outfielder
Myser, an Ohio University recruit, helped guide Highland to a Suburban League American Conference championship last season with an undefeated league record and earned first-team All-Ohio and all-district honors in Division III. He was also a SLAC first-team selection after batting .508 with a .620 on-base percentage, a .814 slugging percentage, 30 hits, six doubles, three triples, two home runs, 16 RBIs, 29 runs and five stolen bases.
Dan Miller, Highland, senior, pitcher/third baseman
Miller was named Suburban League American Conference Pitcher of the Year last season as Highland went undefeated in league play. He went 6-0 in eight starts with a 0.95 ERA and 66 strikeouts in 51⅓ innings, with shutouts against Copley, Revere, Kent Roosevelt, Cuyahoga Falls and Westlake. He allowed 35 hits, 10 walks, seven earned runs and limited foes to a .189 batting average as a first-team all-district selection. He also batted .409 with a .469 on-base percentage, a .659 slugging percentage, 18 hits, four doubles, two triples, a home run, 12 RBIs and nine runs.
Dominic Salomone, Green, senior, right fielder
Salomone batted .393 with a .607 slugging percentage and a .495 on-base percentage last season. He earned first-team Division II all-district and All-Federal League honors. He also finished with 11 doubles, one triple, two home runs, 14 RBIs and 21 runs. He has committed to play at Oakton College (Illinois).
Caden Boyd, Stow, junior, catcher
Boyd received second-team All-Ohio honors in Division II, and was a first-team all-district and Suburban League National Conference selection last season. He batted .384 in 2025 with a .505 slugging percentage, 38 hits, seven doubles, a triple, a home run, 16 RBIs, 13 runs and five stolen bases.
Javon Clayton, Barberton, senior, catcher/shortstop
Clayton batted .361 last season with a .459 on-base percentage and a .598 slugging percentage as Barberton’s leadoff hitter. He totaled 26 hits, nine doubles, a triple, two home runs, eight RBIs, 22 runs and 15 stolen bases en route to being a first-team Division III all-district and All-Suburban League American Conference selection. He posted .989 fielding percentage as a catcher as a junior. He will also play shortstop this season after manning the position as a sophomore. He has committed to play at Tiffin University.
Anden Bender, Revere, senior, shortstop
Bender has committed to play at the University of Akron after receiving first-team Division III all-district and All-Suburban League American Conference honors last season. He batted .346 in 2025 with a .443 on-base percentage, a .469 slugging percentage, 28 hits, five doubles, a triple, a home run, 13 RBIs, 19 runs and 16 stolen bases. He has a .922 fielding percentage.
Josh Moore, Stow, senior, pitcher
Moore went 4-2 last season with a save, 1.68 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. He recorded 38 strikeouts in 50 innings, and allowed 12 earned runs, 48 hits and 10 walks. He was named to the Division II all-district first team.
Nathan Kimmel, Twinsburg, junior, pitcher
Kimmel is a Kent State University recruit who went 4-0 last season with a 2.05 ERA. He recorded 44 strikeouts in 27⅓ innings, batters hit .167 against him and he allowed eight earned runs, 16 hits and 16 walks.
Connor Eich, Hudson, senior, pitcher
Eich helped Hudson win a Division II district title last season when he compiled a 3-1 record with a save, a 2.39 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 26⅓ innings. He allowed 24 hits, 11 runs (nine earned) and nine walks.
Jacob Lancy, CVCA, senior, third baseman
Lancy helped CVCA win a North Coast Conference title. The Bryant and Stratton recruit batted .369 with 38 hits, eight doubles, two triples, three home runs, 25 RBIs, 22 runs and a .970 fielding percentage.
Matt Engelhart, St. Vincent-St. Mary, junior, shortstop
Engelhart batted .392 with 31 hits, two doubles, three triples, 31 RBIs, 25 runs, 13 walks, 16 stolen bases and a .933 fielding percentage last season.
Ronnie Ammons, Norton, senior, center fielder/pitcher
Ammons is a Mount Union recruit who hit .301 last season with 25 hits, 16 RBIs, 27 runs, 25 stolen bases and 19 walks. On the mound, he went 6-0 with 52 strikeouts, 12 walks and seven earned runs allowed in 38 innings.
Jonny Kievman, Norton, sophomore, infield/pitcher
Kievman was a first-team all-district selection in Division IV last season, when he batted .400 with 30 hits, four doubles, one triple, 18 runs, 11 RBIs and seven walks.
Grady Falkenstein, Hoban, senior, center fielder/shortstop
Falkenstein has committed to play at Malone after batting .290 with 22 hits, six doubles, 14 RBIs, 29 runs and 20 stolen bases last season. Look for Falkenstein to lead Hoban with several standouts out for the season with injuries.
Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Greater Akron high school baseball, 15 players to watch in 2026
Reporting by Michael Beaven, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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