Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Coach: Jim Phillips, 12th year
Last year: 21-6 (13-2 NLL Cardinal)
Key returning players: Landon Eversman (Sr., P/3B); Ian DeWitt (Sr., OF)
Clay must replace eight starters from a team that won 21 games, claimed a sectional championship and secured a Northern Lakes League Cardinal Division title.
The last four seasons have seen the Eagles win four sectional titles and three league championships (one NLL Cardinal; two TRAC) while advancing to the district finals two years ago.
Last year, Clay was upset by Southview in a Division I district semifinal, and two years before that, the Eagles fell to Northview in a district semifinal. The Wildcats went on to win the state championship.
Gone from last year is Vinny Gallaher, the Cardinal Division Player of the Year, who is playing at Cuyahoga Community College, and C.J. Boudreaux, who is pitching at BGSU.
Landon Eversman, who plays third base when he's not pitching, is the only senior pitcher on the team. He is joined in the rotation by Darin Fussell, George Edwards and Bryce Besgrove. Four sophomores — Ray Compos, Max Sutton, Max Morrison and Jayce Derr — join junior Alex Goetz in the bullpen.
Besgrove was recently named Ohio’s No. 1 left-handed pitcher for his class (2028) by Prep Baseball Ohio.
Eversman's fellow senior is Ian Dewitt, who is an outfielder.
"Landon is someone who has put a lot of work in over the last calendar year, both on the field and in the weight room," Clay coach Jim Phillips said. "I expect him to be a leader for this team on the mound and at the plate this year."
Clay plays in the Cardinal Division with Springfield, Southview, Bowling Green, Napoleon and Fremont Ross. The Buckeye Division features Whitmer, Perrysburg, Findlay, Anthony Wayne and Northview.
"In the (Buckeye Division), Anthony Wayne and Perrysburg will both be very strong this year," Phillips said. "In the (Cardinal Division), I think there are several teams that will be in the hunt for a league championship, including us."
Phillips, now in his 12th season leading his alma mater, knows just how fine the line is between winning and losing.
"We want to compete for a league championship and be playing our best baseball come tournament time," he said.
