Neill, Fries tabbed top coaches in District 9

The Margaretta baseball team has nearly doubled its win total from last year. After going 11-18 a season ago, the Polar Bears are 19-6 ahead of Saturday's home tournament opener against Port Clinton. An improvement like that continues to garner awards for Margaretta. When the District 9 awards were released Wednesday, Polar Bears coach Ray Neill was named Coach of the Year in Division V while junior Zach Gray was tabbed Player of the Year. Margaretta won a share of its first league title since 1993 by splitting two games with Edison, which had Bryson Wittmer and Eli Hermes named to the first team. Gray is hitting almost .450 with 28 hits and 22 runs scored for the Polar Bears. Wittmer is batting .413 with 19 runs scored and 12 runs batted in for the state-ranked Chargers. On the mound, he is 3-1 with a 1.52 earned run average. Wittmer has struck out 51 in 23 innings of work. Hermes is 6-1 with a 0.82 ERA with 92 strikeouts in 51 innings. At the plate, he is hitting .306 with a team-high 18 RBI. Perkins senior Talon Walton was named Player of the Year in Division IV. He is hitting .413 with 28 runs, 28 RBI and 26 hits. On the mound, he has a 4-1 record with 36 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings. Other first-team area picks in Division IV were Perkins' Kash Koch and Bellevue's Ike Brown. Koch is batting .339 with 25 RBI and 20 hits while sporting a 5-2 record on the mound with 54 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings. Brown is hitting .481 with 27 hits, 21 RBI for the Redmen. On the hill, he is 3-0 and hasn't allowed an earned run in 20 1/3 innings with 38 strikeouts. St. Paul's Aaron Fries was named Coach of the Year in Division VII. The Flyers are ranked No. 3 in the state. St. Paul is 18-3-1 ahead of Thursday's tournament game against Old Fort. The Flyers won the Firelands Conference title outright. First-team area picks in Division VII were St. Paul's Izaac Snyder and Alex Marsh and St. Mary Central Catholic's Cayden Wikel. Wikel is batting .377 with 23 hits, 22 runs and 18 RBI. On the hill, he has a 4-1 record, 1.38 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. Norwalk's Noah Helton was the lone area first-team pick in Divisions I-III. Helton is 4-1 with a 1.68 ERA in 25 innings on the mound. At the dish, he is hitting .324 with 24 hits and 23 RBI for the Truckers. DIVISION I-III Coach of the Year: J.R. Davis, Lexington Player of the Year: Tyler Palmer, Perrysburg FIRST TEAM Tyler Palm, Perrysburg; Liam Stone, Madison; Ethan Haag, Ashland; Noah Helton, Norwalk; Tyler Galownia, Lexington; Cameron Joseph, Fremont Ross SECOND TEAM Deyker Inciarte, Sandusky; Ashton Taylor, Madison; Evan DeHinden, Ashland; Asher Lattimore, Perrysburg; Wesley Shupe, Norwalk; Jackson Eichorn, Lexington HONORABLE MENTION Cole Eichorn, Lexington; Markale Martin, Lexington; Alakai Mack, Sandusky; Ja'Syre Poole, Sandusky; Myles Carroll, Fremont Ross; Max Durnald, Fremont Ross; Kylor Steagall, Madison; Aiden Proctor, Madison; Jake Bryant, Ashland; Tanner Wolfe, Ashland; Andrew Charpie, Perrysburg; Ben Miller, Perrysburg; Landon Ferkel, Norwalk; Carter Harp, Norwalk DIVISION IV Coach of the Year: Kenny Fagan, Galion Player of the Year: Talon Walton, Perkins FIRST TEAM Talon Walton, Perkins; Ike Brown, Bellevue; Kaleb Stairs, Shelby; Jaron Holden, Ontario; Kash Koch, Perkins; Josh Heilman, Upper Sandusky SECOND TEAM Kurt Hay, Galion; Drake Yohe, Clyde; Landen Perry, Clear Fork; Quinton Albert, Shelby; Blake Sutherland, Bellevue; Sam Schweinfurth, Perkins HONORABLE MENTION Brady Bowman, Shelby; Cole Dorsey, Shelby; Brody Morrow, Vermilion; Trey Colahan, Vermilion; Caden Lindsey, Bellevue; Grant Musser, Bellevue; Braxden Martin, Perkins; Carter Koch, Perkins; Mason Flewelling, Clyde; Jonathan Lantz, Clyde; Kasen Gottfried, Upper Sandusky; Caine Rupe, Upper Sandusky; Jacob Brokaw, Clear Fork; Brevyn Bias, Clear Fork; Kane Hay, Galion; Trey Longwell, Galion; Max Ciroli, Ontario; Guy Trader, Ontario DIVISION V Coach of the Year: Ray Neill, Margaretta Player of the Year: Zach Gray, Margaretta FIRST TEAM Zach Gray, Margaretta; Bryson Wittmer, Edison; Eli Hermes, Edison; Cooper Shultz, Oak Harbor; Nolan Bickelhaupt, Oak Harbor SECOND TEAM Landon Hohler, Huron; Mason Kromer, Margaretta; Cole Leimeister, Edison; Alex Rife, Oak Harbor; Grant Periat, Huron HONORABLE MENTION Garret Perkins, Oak Harbor; Brennan Butzin, Oak Harbor; Austin Sas, Huron; Sam Cox, Huron; Bren Smith, Margaretta; Hunter Grahl, Margareta; Chaz Smith, Edison; Tristian Wetherill, Edison Division VI Coach of the Year: Trey Bame, Carey Player of the Year: Garrett Hall, Carey FIRST TEAM Garrett Hall, Carey; Kellen Frankart, Hopewell-Loudon; Braydon Robinson, Seneca East; David Hall, Carey; Brayden Campbell, Wynford; Van Wintersteller, Colonel Crawford; Austin Smith, Hopewell-Loudon; Colton Ehresman, Seneca East; Hunter Sweeney, Lakota; Blake Welch, Western Reserve; Wyatt Makeever, Bucyrus SECOND TEAM Dash Puckett, Carey; Kayn Patton, Crestview; Jack Colatruglio, Hopewell-Loudon; Brady Sword, New London; Gavin Trzil, Western Reserve; Grady Riggle, Colonel Crawford; Branson Robinson, Seneca East; Drew Pope, Wynford; Carson Keener, Crestview; Landon Tarris, Carey; Nicholas Parks, Seneca East HONORABLE MENTION Landon Miller, Wynford; Collin Huismeyer, Wynford; Jacob Hines, Lakota; Grant Scherger, Lakota; Brayden Holt, Colonel Crawford; Parker Weithman, Colonel Crawford; Grady Phelps, Riverdale; Jackson Armrose, Riverdale; Isaac Makeever, Bucrus; Brayden Parrigan, Cresteview; Drew Spoerr, Crestview; Caleb Pausch, Western Reserve; Austin Kolb, Western Reserve; Brody Brickman, Hopewell-Loudon; Jacoby Ellis, Hopewell-Loudon; Blayne Morrow, Mansfield Christian; Josh Hillman, Mansfield Christian; Bostyn Ritter, Carey; Louis Watkins, Carey; Henry Thomas, New London; Oliver Harrison, New London; Brady Bloom, Seneca East; Gunner Polachek, Seneca East; Reid Wasserman, Monroeville; Jake Fries, Monroeville; Owen Patchen, Monroeville; Ethan Smiley, Monroeville Division VII Coach of the Year: Aaron Fries, St. Paul Player of the Year: Logan Ritzler, Calvert FIRST TEAM Logan Ritzler, Calvert; Izaac Snyder, St. Paul; Chuy Rodriguez, Gibsonburg; Cayden Wikel, SMCC; Charlie Palm, Calvert; Alex Marsh, St. Paul; AJ Shoemaker, Calvert; Reece Walby, Gibsonburg; Jarrett Burrer, Plymouth; Lincoln Distl, Plymouth; Weston June, South Central SECOND TEAM Vincenzo Lyons, Calvert; Landon Fries, St. Paul; Cullen Dillard, SMCC; Jack DiBartolomeo, Lucas; Levi Tiell, Mohawk; Isaac Stoner, Arcadia; Connor Moyer, Calvert; Zach Ohms, SJCC; Lex Grose, Plymouth; Tucker Coleman, Calvert HONORABLE MENTION Jeremiah Fishpaw, Buckeye Central; Lance Cole, Buckeye Central; Alec Hohman, New Riegel; Gabe Pugh, New Riegel; Aiden Morant, Gibsonburg; Luke Foster, Gibsonburg; Toby Gibson, SMCC; Blake Finneran, SMCC; Colin Nusser, Arcadia; Blayne Colman, Arcadia; Owen Patrizi, Mohawk; Andon Clouse, Mohawk; Andrew Spieldenner, SJCC; Luke Jenkins, SJCC; Tommy Dean, Danbury; Logan Shepherd, Danbury; Quentin Kapp, Crestline; Auston Henson, Crestline; Brady Anschutz, Lucas; Anthony Fanello, Lucas; Keegan Beverly, Plymouth; Lucas Distl, Plymouth; Gabe Snyder, St. Paul; Casey Fries, St. Paul; Troy Ayers, South Central; Greyson Fisher, South Central; Cameron Moyer, Calvert; Branyan Coleman, Calvert