Glove is in the air: Who are the top 15 baseball outfielders in Greater Cincinnati?
The halfway point of the Greater Cincinnati high school baseball season is upon us. The Enquirer took a look at each conference in Cincinnati, as well as the regions in Northern Kentucky, to determine the top 15 (10 Cincinnati, 5 Northern Kentucky) baseball outfielders so far this season.
This is the final part of a six-part series examining the top pitchers, infielders and outfielders in high school baseball and softball at the halfway point of the season, using stats through April 25.
Here is the list in alphabetical order.
More:5 storylines from Greater Cincinnati high school baseball, softball, April 24
More:Vote: Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky high school athletes of the week, April 24
Ben BoBo, McNicholas
The senior has helped the Rockets to a 10-4 record by hitting .361 with 16 runs scored and 18 stolen bases. He was honorable mention All-Ohio last season after hitting .449 with 26 steals and 18 RBIs.
Tate Cordrey, Ryle
With Roman Furuta commanding the infield and Dylan McIntyre and T.J. Schira shutting down opposing bats, Cordrey in the outfield gives the Raiders leadership at all three levels. He is also a junior on a team with 13 upperclassmen. That veteran core has helped the Raiders to a 15-7 record so far this season.
Cordery is one of three players with a batting average above .350. He is hitting .367 avg with 22 runs scored, 14 walks and eight stolen bases.
Brycen Fox, Badin
The senior has been a key player in the Rams’ undefeated season, hitting .432 with 17 runs scored, 11 RBIs and five stolen bases. He has five doubles and two triples on the season.
Tyler Fryman, Beechwood
As an eighth-grader, Fryman has injected some youth into a veteran-laden Tiger squad. His IQ for the game exceeds his age in the outfield and at the plate. He is able to correctly judge a fly ball and a fastball.
Offensively, Fryman has improved his batting average to .321 after a slow start to the season.
Eli Jones, Williamsburg
The senior centerfielder has led the Wildcats to a 15-3 record and first place in the Southern Buckeye-National by hitting .586 with 36 runs scored, 13 RBIs and 27 stolen bases.
Sean Krueckeberg, Mason
The senior cleanup hitter has helped the Comets be one of the top teams in the city and on the cusp of their fifth straight Greater Miami Conference championship by hitting .444 with one home run, 14 RBIs and 15 runs scored.
Ben Liebel, Indian Hill
The junior centerfielder and leadoff hitter is batting .256 with two home runs, 14 RBIs and 17 runs scored as he has helped the Braves top the Cincinnati Hills League standings.
Ian Mann, Newport Central Catholic
The sophomore has given the Thoroughbreds hope for the future. So far this season, he has been a bright spot on a team that has an even run differential so far this season but has a 7-10 record with three weeks left until the district tournament.
He leads the team with a .543 batting average, 25 hits, 17 runs, five doubles, two triples and six walks.
Callum McAtee, Highlands
In his first year on the varsity roster, McAtee has made an instant impact for a Bluebirds team looking to improve on last year’s 20-17 record. The junior has appeared in all but one game and is top five on the team in average, RBIs, runs scored and stolen bases.
At the plate, he has a .368 average with seven stolen bases. His best offensive performance was when he went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored in a win over Newport Central Catholic.
Aidan Megois, Madeira
The senior is one of the top hitters in the Cincinnati Hills League, hitting .386 with two home runs, 16 RBIs, 21 runs scored and six steals.
Trevor Ollier, Cooper
The Jaguars senior also doubles as a pitcher, giving him a feel for the entire diamond. Ollier, who excelled on the basketball court this past winter, has improved on both his pitching and offensive numbers from his junior year. Every player on the Jaguars roster that is listed as an outfielder is an upperclassman, but Ollier brings the experience needed to man the green pastures of the outfield.
Offensively, He has the third-best average on the team, hitting the ball at a .377 clip. He is second on the team in hits (23) and third in stolen bases (7).
Noah Prewitt, Talawanda
The center fielder has helped the Braves to a 12-6 record and second place in the Southwest Ohio Conference by hitting .292 with 22 runs scored, six extra-base hits and 13 steals. He was co-player of the year in the SWOC last year and honorable mention All-Ohio.
C.J. Richard, Moeller
The Ohio State University signee plays center field and bats leadoff for the city’s top-ranked Crusaders, who hope to make a run at a state championship. He is hitting .280 this season with 18 runs scored, five triples, two doubles, one home run and 12 stolen bases. Last year, he was top five in the Greater Catholic League-South in runs scored, RBIs and steals.
Chandler Taylor, Badin
The freshman has been a key addition to the Rams’ lineup, hitting .359 with 15 RBIs, 13 runs scored and five steals.
Nathan Taylor, West Clermont
The senior University of Cincinnati commit has helped the Wolves into contention in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference by hitting .340 with three home runs and 13 RBIs.
Best of the rest
Evan Clark, Campbell County; Owen Kovacic, Villa Madonna; Tyler Rennekamp, Covington Catholic; Josh Davis, Princeton; Shadiam Dones, Western Hills; Austin Heffner, Williamsburg; Ethan Long, CHCA; Johnathan Russell, CHCA.