Pitcher and first baseman Ryan Hotmer (Lake) is playing baseball for Owens Community College this season. Owens opened its home season against Ashland University JVs on March 16.

Owens finished the 2010 season with a 35-20 overall record and in third place in the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (4-8 record). The Express lost to Vincennes University in the NJCAA Region XII Baseball Championships.

Early in the 2011 season, Owens has a compiled a 9-1 overall record following games played in South Carolina. The program is guided by first-year head coach Del Young. His assistants are Gabe Medina and Scott Tesluck.

“I am very pleased with how the team has progressed early in the season” said Young. “We played extremely well during our spring trip. Everyone has contributed to our early season success as we have received timely hitting and quality outings from our pitchers. We have five veteran returners from last year’s team and I am expecting them to provide leadership for the first-year student-athletes both on and off the field.”

Young added, “Our expectations are very high as we look to compete for a conference championship.”

The Express has five players returning from last year’s team, including Blake Schmenk of (Perrysburg), Jesse Solomon (Huber Heights Wayne) and Garrett Busch (Anthony Wayne).

In 2010, Schmenk, a sophomore outfielder and pitcher, was named the recipient of the team’s Coaches Award. He collected 38 hits and 33 RBIs and compiled a .355 batting average. In addition, Schmenk posted a 2-2 pitching record and a 3.00 earned run average.

Solomon, a sophomore shortstop, collected 34 hits, 31 runs and 31 RBIs and compiled a .327 batting average.

Busch is a sophomore catcher and pitcher and was an OCCAC Academic All-Conference selection. In 2010, he posted a 1-1 record with a 4.38 earned run average and one save. At the plate, Busch hit .364 and totaled 24 hits and 14 RBIs.

Owens also returns Austin Gunn (Delta) and Matt Hayes (Pickerington North). Gunn, a sophomore infielder, totaled 24 runs and seven stolen bases. Hayes is a sophomore third basemen and outfielder. In 2010, he collected 27 hits, 25 runs and had 15 RBIs.

Other first-year players to the Express men’s baseball program are pitcher Titus Pierce (Racine (Eastern); infielder Joe Sickler (Bowling Green); pitcher Zak Esposito (Sandusky); outfielder Nate Miceli (Berea); infielder/outfielder Tyler Brown-Lewis (Shaker Heights); infielder/pitcher Daniel Heatherly (Trenton, Mich.); infielder/outfielder Danny Schira (Vevay Switzerland County, Ind.); infielder James Moore Jr. (Southfield-Lathrup, Mich.); pitcher Kelley Wagner (Brownstown Central, Ind.); pitcher Shawn Downey (Martinsville, Ind.); pitcher/first baseman Scott Robinson (Akron Coventry); pitcher Kacy Dwornik (St. John’s Jesuit); pitcher Jeff Davis (St. Francis de Sales); catcher Shane Powell (Carlton Gibralter, Mich.); catcher/first baseman Travis Tackett (Vevay Switzerland County, Ind.); outfielder Michael Louis (Parma Normandy); pitcher Andy Joseph (Sylvania Southview); pitcher Jordan Basinger (Kalida), and infielder Andrew Poland (Central Catholic).

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