Baseball is back in Galloway for 2021!
The Westland Cougars are carrying momentum going into their 2021 regular season, which opens at home against Centennial on March 27. The Cougars finished their spring training exhibition schedule with a perfect 3–0 record, all road wins.
Westland defeated Madison Plains 6–5 on March 22nd, Whitehall 21–0 on March 23rd and West Jefferson 13–2 on March 24.
Spring training MVP goes to Junior INF/P Brady Gray. The shifty athlete has been phenomenal both at the plate and on the field. He uplifts everyone on his squad to his elite level of play. When he steps into the box you know he is going to showcase his abilities. The young talented prospect was born to hammer baseballs out the park. Crushing two spring training exhibition grand slams with his smooth swing, the upperclassman is displaying his tools and propelling his team to new heights. The sky is the limit for Brady Gray. College and pro scouts will be taking notice very soon if they have not done so already.
“I represent as a leader, so I’m expected to carry my teammates and they follow my energy. We brought the energy today and it showed”, Gray comments after the dominant win at West Jeff on March 24.
Pitching wise, Westland’s depth chart is loaded.
I believe this will be Franklin Ramirez’s breakout season, he was solid his freshman year in 2019, but now that he is stronger and matured, he will be in discussion for one of the top pitchers in the OCC. Ramirez’ fastball is peaking near 90 mph, sources confirmed. And like I said before, If there was a preseason 1st team OCC-Ohio, Ramirez earns himself a spot, as well as Brady Gray.
Back in 2019, Ramirez was selected for the all-OCC-Central Division second team. He finished his freshman season with 26 RBI, 6 doubles and 3 triples. Hitting for an average of .367 with 13 runs scored.
In his freshman campaign, Ramirez netted a 2–2 pitching record with a 3.78 ERA. Throwing 31 Ks, 11 walks in just over 33 inning.
“I’m feeling great, glad to come out here and get the dub.” Ramirez comments during a postgame interview on March 24.
Junior pitcher Robert Chadwick and freshman Samuel Schneider also contributed in the pitching efforts. Chadwick was shutting down Whitehall hitters when he was given the ball in the 2nd inning. Chadwick has good size and works his fastball and curveball efficiently.
This ballclub is also led by a solid group of seniors, 3B/P Brenden Gordon, C Drew Curtiss, 1B Brayan Perez, CF Jason Cooper, and more.
Cougars SR. CF Jason Cooper’s arm strength is the real deal. During the West Jeff game, Cooper threw out a runner attempting to advance to third base. The bullet he tossed to third baseman Brenden Gordon was spot on. The centerfielder has quick speed and can track fly balls, providing solid defense.
Senior RHP/3B Brenden Gordon was lights out against West Jeff. The Roughriders couldn’t respond to his breaking pitches. Gordon threw 6 strikeouts in 3 innings of relief . His fastball has plenty of life and he will have hitters in 0–2 counts before they even realize it.
“One of my biggest pitches is my knuckle curveball, I work on that a lot, It’s just one of my best pitches. Also my four seam fastball, I can locate it anywhere, it’s always a great help.” Gordon during postgame interview after road win at West Jeff on March 24th.
Spring Training pitching Stats (3 Games):
Ramirez: 6 IP, 14 K, 1 Win
Schneider: 3 IP, 7 K, 2 Wins
Gordon: 5 IP, 9 K
Chadwick: 2 IP, 5 K
Now, lets discuss the new kid on the block, Samuel Schneider. The freshman INF/P has the baseball IQ of an upperclassman. His hitting abilities and speed on the bases is top tier which is why he leads off for the Cougars. Westland’s leadoff hitter for the next 4 years, Schneider will be producing numbers for this varsity ballclub.
Schneider could easily graduate Westland with the most ABs in program history. As he matures into a stronger and bigger athlete, he will reap havoc against opposing pitchers. The freshman will also be a key member of the pitching rotation. I enjoy the fact that head coach Brent Shannon gives qualified freshmen the opportunity to earn varsity roles.
“Adding Sam Schneider, that freshman lead off guy, he’s absolutely a sparkplug for us every time.” Head coach Shannon speaking highly of Schneider.
Juniors Brady Gray and Franklin Ramirez both started as freshmen back in 2019. I mention that because they are the first varsity freshmen to begin under the Brent Shannon era, both of them are elite ballplayers and have plenty of potential to play at the next level. I expect Schneider to follow their footsteps when it comes to productivity on the ball-field.
Spring Training hitting stats (3 Games):
FR. Samuel Schneider: 4–7, 3 BB, 4 RBI
JR. Brady Gray: 4–9, 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI
JR. Franklin Ramirez: 5–10, BB, 3R, 3 RBI
JR. Robert Chadwick: 2 Hits, 3 RBI
SR. Drew Curtiss 3 Hits, 2B, 2R, 1 RBI
SR. Brenden Gordon: 2 Hits, 2 BB, 2 RBI
SR. Brayan Pérez: 5–10, 2 BB, 3 2B, 3 RBI
After an OCC divisional realignment that will last through the 2023–2024 school year, Westland will be competing in arguably one of the toughest divisions in the state of Ohio. The OCC-Ohio division includes Westland, Gahanna, Grove City, New Albany, Pick North, and Westerville Central. This will truly put the Cougars to the test as they will be facing stiff competition throughout conference play.
Third year head coach Brent Shannon has revived this once forgotten program. Those days of Westland being in the basement of the OCC are long gone. Shannon has turned this ballclub into a legit contender in their respective division. Even though 3 games is a small sample size to predict a whole season, the energy and vibes in the locker room tell otherwise.
“Its great, all friends, great brotherhood, couldn’t ask for a better team than this. A lot of talent and hard work goes into everything we do.” P/3B Brenden Gordon when asked about the locker room vibes in his postgame interview.
Also, shoutout to Westland Varsity bench coach JT Orahood for providing me with post game stats for my interviews with the top performers.
Westland opens the season March 27th in a double header against Centennial and Worthington Christian.
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