Stephen, Homan take top honors

When Taylor Homan stepped to the plate, odds were she would get a hit and that hit would do damage.

The Minster shortstop was an easy choice for The Daily Standard's 2019 Softball Player of the Year after winning the area's triple crown and helping the Wildcats to a second straight MAC title and a berth in the regional championship.

The Coach of the Year award was also an easy choice as Fort Recovery's EJ Stephen earned the honor for helping the Indians return to winning ways after nearly a decade of struggles.
Homan's slugging leads
Wildcats to more success

The 2018 season for Minster ended with a tough loss to Parkway in the Division IV district finals. For Homan, the summer was spent working to finally get over the hump of falling in district play.

"That was one of driving points this year," said Homan, who batted .488 with 32 RBIs, 38 runs scored and three home runs in 2018. "(The first three years Homan played), we lost in the districts. That was our thing. We always seemed to mess something up in district. That was our goal this year: to make it out of districts."

Homan spent her summer playing with a travel team out of Columbus, making trips to Colorado, Tennessee and Georgia.

"When the summer ended, we'd have open fields for our team in the fall. We have weightlifting and open gyms. If I wasn't doing anything, I'd go to the garage and hit with my dad," said Homan.

The work that Homan and her teammates did showed in their play. The Wildcats finished 27-2 and went unbeaten in MAC play for a second straight season. Minster defeated New Bremen to win the team's first district title since 2014 and advanced to the Division IV regional championship game before falling to Mechanicsburg.

"We lost two position players in right field and catcher (from 2018)," said Homan. "Kaitlyn Wolf (at catcher) really stepped up her game (batting .369 with 33 RBIs). She did amazing. (Right fielder) Emily Stubbs was great (batting .341 with 28 runs scored). "

As for Homan, she had a season for the ages. Homan batted .570 with 13 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 44 runs scored and 55 RBIs. In 93 at-bats, Homan struck out just three times and had an on-base percentage of .622.

Homan was named MAC Player of the Year and earned first team All-Ohio honors.

She will now attend John Carroll University and play softball for the NCAA Division III program.

"The main thing I take from this season is to have fun with everyone," said Homan. "We had so much fun in the dugout and in practice. We would make jokes all the time. … Sometimes I don't enjoy softball, but this year it was so much fun. It was great to end it on that note because I have so many memories I'll carry with me."

Stephen guiding Fort Recovery's turnaround

From 2012 to 2016, the Fort Recovery softball team was in a struggle for survival. The team lost all 35 MAC games during that stretch and went 9-87 overall (a winning percentage of .094).

Some light began to peak through in 2017 with a 3-15 and 1-6 season. Then EJ Stephen took over as Fort Recovery coach and the surge truly took hold. In 2018, Fort Recovery went 8-12 and 1-6 in the MAC while also winning a sectional title.

This season, with just two seniors on the roster and starting a freshman in the pitching circle, the Indians not only were winning but were competitive against some of the powerhouse teams.

Although the Indians lost in the sectional final, the team posted their first double-digit win season since 2011 and the first winning season in over a decade in going 13-11 and 4-3 in the MAC.

"We put into their heads that they can do it as long as they put the work in," said Stephen. "They know somebody is going to be there that's going to stick around for a while (to coach) and actually coach them."

Freshman Jackie Homan pitched 143 1/3 of the team's 146 1/3 innings this past season, going 13-11 with an ERA of a respectable 3.37.

Led by sophomore catcher Brenna Homan (.494, 34 runs, 22 steals), junior Lydia Wenning (.461, 9 home runs, 37 RBIs) and senior Hannah Knapke (.357, 29 runs), the Indians batted .350 as a team and struck out just 152 times in 801 at-bats.

"The young girls we have play up to the level we need to make the team win," said Stephen. "They are athletes that are mentally and physically wanting to win."

Stephen saw the strides her team has made to help the Indians move to the upper division of the MAC for the first time in a decade.

"Commitment is the biggest thing that sticks out to me with these girls," said Stephen. "They show up and work. They do the things during the off-season. When they can be there, they're there. Their attitudes are great on and off the field. They work because they want it."

2019 Dream Team:
Catcher
Brenna Homan, Soph., Fort Recovery
.494, 34 runs, 29 stolen bases

First Base
Emily Keith, Sr., Celina
.474, 10 doubles, 27 runs

Second Base
Karly Richard, Sr., Minster
.351, 47 runs, 26 RBIs

Shortstop
Taylor Homan, Sr., Minster
.570, 9 home runs, 44 runs, 55 RBIs

Third Base
Lydia Wenning, Jr., Fort Recovery
.481, 9 home runs, 37 RBIs

Outfield
Brooke Hartings, Sr., Marion Local
.443, 6 home runs, 25 RBIs
Olivia Winner, Sr., St. Henry
.444, 15 runs
Abbi Thieman, Sr., New Bremen
.333, 5 home runs, 36 runs

Utility Players
Maddy Lubeke, Sr., Celina
.444, 5 HR, 21 RBIs
Bailey Strickler, Sr, Parkway
.451, 9 doubles, 35 RBIs
Kaitlyn Wolf, Jr., Minster
.389, 11 doubles, 34 runs

Designated Players
Allie Ford, Sr., Parkway
.426, 4 home runs, 20 RBIs
Carleigh Deitsch, Sr., St. Henry
.500, 10 doubles

Pitchers
Jenna Poeppelman, Sr., Minster
21-1, 1.40 ERA, 185 strikeouts
Molly Smith, Sr., New Bremen
15-6, 3.01 ERA, 103 Ks.

Honorable Mention
Celina: Gracie Chilcoat, Maddie Kuehne, Sydney Lehman.
Coldwater: Maddie Steinke, Kate Leichty
Fort Recovery: Jackie Homan, Hannah Knapke
Marion Local: Ashlyn Bohman, Olivia DeMange
Minster: Laney Hemmelgarn, Emily Stubbs, Lindsey Albers
New Bremen:  Kelly Naylor, Madison Cordonnier, Erin Smith.
Parkway: Claire Langenkamp, Makayla Sites, Alyssa Miller, Makenna Temple, Macy Henkle
St. Henry: Olivia Winner, Grace Lange
St. Marys: Alyssa Alexander, Kiley Tennant

Correction:

Celina's Taylor Turner was erroneously omitted from the honorable mention list of the Softball Dream Team.

The error was made in editing.