Best of Division 1
Gowanda’s Ondus named Pitcher of the Year, Trojans’ Kennedy is top player
League champion Southwestern was honored with a pair of postseason awards as Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 coaches made their selections.
Senior Aidan Kennedy was named the league’s Al Stuhlmiller Player of the Year and Jared Brown was named the Coach of the Year.
Gowanda junior John Ondus was named the Roger K. Moore Pitcher of the Year while Falconer senior Jake Swanson was honored with the Pete Criscione Sportsmanship Award.
Kennedy hit .460 with three home runs and 22 RBIs at the plate while going 4-1 on the mound with 42 strikeouts and two saves. He was joined on the First Team by a pair of teammates. Junior catcher Lucas Gilbert hit .339 with two home runs, 21 RBIs and eight stolen bases while picking up four saves on the mound with 14 strikeouts in nine innings. Sophomore infielder/pitcher Jameson Walsh hit .439 with 17 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He also went 4-0 with 45 strikeouts on the mound.
Ondus went 4-1 with 52 strikeouts and a 2.40 earned run average in 25 2/3 innings while also hitting .396 with 18 RBIs. He was joined on the First Team by freshman teammate Blake Herman, who hit .477 with four doubles and 22 runs scored. While catching, Herman threw out eight of 12 would-be base stealers and on the mound he went 3-1 with a 2.49 ERA.
Fredonia placed four players on the First Team. Sophomore infielder/pitcher Owen Rush hit .422 with four doubles, four triples, a home run, 22 runs scored and 22 RBIs. On the mound, he went 3-0 with 7.67 strikeouts per seven innings pitched. Senior left fielder Simon Davis hit .471 with six doubles and 24 runs scored while going a perfect 9 for 9 in stolen-base opportunities. Senior pitcher Owen Ludwig threw five complete games, won four games and pitched two shutouts, including a no-hitter. He struck out 49. Junior designated hitter/utilityman Matt Cash hit .364 with eight doubles, a triple, a home run, 23 RBIs and 14 runs scored. He also went 1-0 with a 4.20 ERA.
Dunkirk senior Javier DeJesus was the lone Marauder named to the First Team. The infielder hit .450 with two home runs, 12 RBIs and four stolen bases.
Jamestown senior Juan Matos was the lone Red Raider named to the First Team. The catcher hit .415 with five doubles, three home runs, 20 RBIs and 10 runs scored.
Olean’s Thomas Bates and Dominick Henzel rounded out the First Team. Bates, a junior infielder, hit .517 with 25 RBIs. Henzel, a senior catcher, hit .440 with 19 RBIs.
Individual Sportsmanship Award winners were: Allegany-Limestone junior Andrew Forrest, Dunkirk senior Jaxyiel Orsini, Swanson, Fredonia senior Alex Paluch, Gowanda senior John Smuda, Jamestown senior Caleb Bane, Olean senior Albert Martin and Southwestern freshman Judd Harris.
FIRST TEAM
Thomas Bates Jr. Infielder Olean
Matt Cash Jr. Utilityman Fredonia
Simon Davis Sr. Outfielder Fredonia
Javier DeJesus Sr. Infielder Dunkirk
Lucas Gilbert Jr. Utilityman Southwestern
Dominick Henzel Sr. Catcher Olean
Blake Herman Fresh. Catcher/Pitcher Gowanda
Aidan Kennedy Sr. Infielder/Pitcher Southwestern
Owen Ludwig Sr. Pitcher Fredonia
Juan Matos Sr. Catcher Jamestown
John Ondus Jr. Infielder/Pitcher Gowanda
Owen Rush Soph. Infielder/Pitcher Fredonia
Jameson Walsh Soph. Infielder/Pitcher Southwestern
SECOND TEAM
Micah Davis Jr. Outfielder Fredonia
Maddox DeLong Sr. Infielder/Pitcher Allegany-Limestone
Dustin Hendrix Jr. Infielder Southwestern
Jack Lanski Sr. Outfielder Dunkirk
Branson Lindquist Fresh. Catcher Falconer
Brandon Lobb Jr. Infielder Jamestown
Jayce Neal Sr. Outfielder Southwestern
Gavin Phillips Sr. Outfielder Gowanda
Gabe Schrader Sr. Infielder/Pitcher Fredonia
Tyler Smith Jr. Infielder Gowanda
Ethan Smucinski Sr. Utilityman Olean
Aaron Vincent Soph. Infielder/Pitcher Olean
HONORABLE MENTION
Allegany-Limestone: Sean Conroy (Soph.), Nolan Donovan (Sr.)
Dunkirk: Tyler Karin (Jr.), Nate Pakulski (Sr.)
Falconer: Jake Swanson (Sr.), Jackson Roth (Sr.)
Fredonia: Trevor Persch (Sr.)
Gowanda: Maddox Browning (Sr.)
Jamestown: Nate Torres (Sr.), Colin Melendez (Jr.)
Olean: Railey Silvis (Sr.)
Southwestern: Spencer Kane (Sr.), Max Marshall (Sr.)