Ten Student-Athletes Earn Conference Honors

As the Edison State Community College softball team recently finished out the season with three district championship game appearances and the baseball team competed in the NJCAA Region XII Baseball Championship, four softball players and six baseball players have been named recipients of postseason awards from the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) for the 2022 season.

Representing the softball team, Kayla Runyon, of Tipp City, has been named to the First Team All-Conference as a pitcher and infielder. Runyon, a 5-foot-4-inch freshman, maintained a .481 batting average with two HRs, 14 RBIs, and one SB in conference play. Pitching, she maintained a 4.57 ERA and threw 20 Ks in conference action.

"Kayla led our team in pitching wins with 10," said Head Softball Coach Brent New. "She battled back from a late-season knee injury to help lead us to our postseason win. She was also a huge offensive threat, batting .509 on the season."

Sidney Unger has also been named to the First Team All-Conference. Unger, a 5-foot-6-inch freshman outfielder from Tipp City, maintained a .628 batting average, 17 RBIs, and four SBs in conference play.

"Sidney had an amazing season offensively, leading the team with a .561 batting average, including .628 in league play," said New. "She also played tremendously in center field with a fielding percentage of .923. One incredible stat for Sidney is that she only struck out one time in 87 league plate appearances."

Allie Dodge, of Huber Heights, has been named to the Second Team All-Conference. Dodge, a 5-foot-9-inch freshman infielder, maintained a .447 batting average with three HRs, 23 RBIs, and seven SBs in conference action.

"Allie was our very talented shortstop and finished with a .417 batting average," New said. "She also led the team with six HRs and had 40 RBIs. Her speed made her a tremendous threat."

Joining Dodge on the Second Team All-Conference is Morgan Pine. The 5-foot-8-inch freshman infielder from St. Paris maintained a .431 batting average with one HR and 19 RBIs in conference play.

"Morgan batted .427 this season while primarily playing first base, where she had a .971 fielding percentage. Morgan had a huge grand slam at Lorain County, leading us to a comeback win," said New.

On the baseball team, Hunter Warner, of Fairborn, has been named to the First Team All-Conference as a catcher. At bat, Warner, a 5-foot-11-inch freshman, maintained a .409 batting average with two HRs, 20 RBIs, and two SBs in conference action.

"Hunter's a blue-collar worker, nose to the grindstone," said Head Baseball Coach Tyler Koch. "He came in as a third baseman, then ended up catching for us and hitting .409."

Freshman Clay Jacobs, of Huntsville, was also named to the First Team All-Conference. Jacobs, a 6-foot-3-inch infielder, maintained a .431 batting average with five HRs, 23 RBIs, and 11 SBs in conference play.

"Clay batted .345 while leading our team and the conference in home runs with seven," Koch said. "Clay is an all-around pure athlete, and he can play any position well."

Joining Warner and Jacobs on the First Team All-Conference is Mason Mocahbee. Mocahbee, a 5-foot-10-inch sophomore infielder from Hebron, Kentucky, maintained a .536 batting average with three HRs, 18 RBIs, and 17 SBs in conference action.

"Mason's your prototypical shortstop—aggressive and very baseball savvy," Koch said. "He solidified our defense the last two years while setting the Edison State batting-average record at .442."

Jaren Slusher has been named to the Second Team All-Conference. The 6-foot-5-inch freshman pitcher from Englewood maintained a 3.45 ERA and threw 43 Ks in conference play.

"Jaren set the record for strikeouts (100) in a regular season and tied the record for wins with seven. He's a dominating pitcher who fills up the zone with 90 mph stuff," said Koch.

Also named to the Second Team All-Conference is freshman Mannee Wells, of Grove City. Wells, a 5-foot-10-inch infielder/outfielder, maintained a .394 batting average with five RBIs and seven SBs in conference action.

"Mannee's the smartest baseball player to play for Edison State. He has all the tools to play at the next level and beyond," Koch said. "He batted .379 in his freshman campaign." 

Joining Slusher and Wells on the Second Team All-Conference is Cameron Hendricks. Hendricks, a 5-foot-11-inch freshman outfielder from Vandalia maintained a .468 batting average with nine RBIs and three SBs in conference play. 

"Cameron batted .421 as a freshman," said Koch. "He came in strong, earning a starting role midway through the season. He was pivotal in our offense attack."

Both the softball and baseball teams finished their seasons with winning records. The Chargers were 28-21 overall and 15-9 in the conference. The Lady Chargers finished their season 28-15-3 overall and 15-6-1 in the OCCAC.

For more information, visit athletics.edisonohio.edu.