Monroeville senior trio anchored 95 wins

AKRON — The accomplishments speak for themselves. The Monroeville softball team's senior class was just three players in 2025. However, the trio of Veanna Helmstetter, Avery Rosser and Taryn Tyler didn't just help sustain success this season. They were a critical part in each of the past four seasons, starting as freshmen in 2022 all the way through Thursday's Division VII state championship game at Firestone Stadium in Akron. The three were regular starters in all four seasons as the Eagles compiled a record of 95-23, good for a winning percentage of .805. That included a mark of 47-9 in league play with three Firelands Conference championships. Since 2022, Monroeville also won four sectional, two district and two regional titles. And, with Thursday's 9-1 loss to Portsmouth Notre Dame, a pair of state runners-up trophies. "It's been super meaningful," Helmstetter said. "Playing with these two growing up has been special, and getting to do do this twice makes it even more meaningful." The trio also represented the middle of the Monroeville defense on top of help anchoring the batting lineup. Helmstetter was the No. 1 starter in the circle, while Rosser caught every inning of all 31 games this season. Behind them both was Tyler at second base. At the plate, Helmstetter batted leadoff, while Tyler hit third and Rosser batted fifth. "I've been playing with these two my whole life, and it's been really great to be able to do this with them, especially two years in a row," Rosser said. "Even with Coach Abe (Helmstetter), who has been coaching us our whole lives… this has been amazing." Tyler noted the three also had the same three coaches since they picked up a bat — their three dads. "Abe, Tracy and my dad (Matt) have been the only softball coaches I've known," Taryn said. "And these two next to me, they have been my whole life." Coach Helmstetter said the body of work speaks for itself. However, he also said the four-year careers of the three players is bigger than softball. "They've inspired all these younger girls that were here tonight," he said. "Monroeville travels, and the reason they are here is because of them. I just can't even put some of it into words of how important and how much we are going to miss them. "You get down here to state, and to lose like this will burn and sting a little bit. But being one of two teams playing on the last day of the year is pretty special, and especially for these three." Tyler makes history In 31 games, Tyler batted .561 with 19 doubles, two triples, two home runs at the plate. She had 55 RBI and also scored 55 runs with an impressive .616 on-base percentage. For her career, Tyler hit .464 with 46 doubles, eight triples, five home runs and drove in 161. As a result, Tyler will enter the unofficial OHSAA softball record book in four categories. With 60 hits this season, Tyler will join 91 other names in Ohio history with 60 or more hits in a single season. Tyler had 183 career hits. She joins 65 others with 180 or more career hits, including former teammate Abbi Poths (2021-24), who had 185. Her 55 RBI this season also makes the record book with 89 others, while her 161 RBI for a career puts her among 36 players all-time, and is the 27th-highest total listed. By the numbers This season was the 47th year of the OHSAA softball state tournament, and the first to feature seven divisions. From 1978-89, the tournament had three different classes, then moved to three divisions from 1991-2000. The tournament went to four divisions in 2001 through last season. Among the 28 teams that qualified for the state semifinals at Firestone Stadium, nine were making their first-ever appearance among the final four teams. Further, just nine of the 28 teams also were not ranked in the final Ohio Fastpitch Coaches Association state poll. Four of the seven No. 1-ranked teams made it to Akron: Anthony Wayne (Div. II), Dover (Div. III), Springfield Kenton Ridge (Div. IV) and Baltimore Liberty Union (Div. VI). Kenton Ridge won the title in Div. IV, as did Dover in Div. III. No. 2-ranked Wheelersburg (Div. V), New Madison Tri-Village (Div. VI) and Portsmouth Notre Dame (Div. VII) also won state titles over the weekend. Down to the wire Monroeville's back-to-back title game appearances in 2024 and 2025 made the program the first from Huron County to reach state. The Eagles joined Edison as state qualifiers to Firestone Stadium. All three semifinal games played by the Eagles and Chargers were also decided on the final at-bat. In 2012, Edison fell in a Div. III state semifinal, 3-1, to Carroll Bloom-Carroll. In the loss, the Chargers had runners at second and third base with one out in the seventh inning, only for Carroll to end the game with a pair of strikeouts. Meanwhile, the Eagles broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run home run by Poths in the top of the seventh of a 5-3 win over Vienna Mathews in the semifinals in 2024. Poths also made the record book for most hits (4) in a Div. IV state semifinal in the win. Wednesday, the Eagles led Mohawk, 4-2, in the seventh. The Warriors had a pair of singles around two outs to put the tying runs on base, with the potential go-ahead run at the plate. But relief pitcher Payton Weilnau was able to induce a pop-fly out caught by Tyler at the edge of the infield near first base to secure the victory.