As it turned out, Herman had the Section V champions right where he wanted them.

Two innings later, after Brayden Smith walked to open the bottom of the third inning, Herman hit a two-run home run to jump-start the Panthers on their way to the second New York State Public High School Athletic Association final four in program history.

Herman had a season for the ages this spring and the result is his second OBSERVER/Post-Journal Player of the Year honor after also winning the award following his sophomore season with the Panthers.

When Herman saw strikes this season, he punished them. The Canisius University-bound catcher hit .544 with a .684 on-base percentage and 1.088 slugging percentage for an OPS of 1.772 during his senior season. For comparison’s sake, the greatest OPS season of all-time in Major League Baseball is Barry Bonds’ 1.422 during the 2004 campaign.

In 98 plate appearances, Herman walked 21 times and was hit by a pitch nine times.

His damage numbers dwarf those of his peers. In 68 at-bats, Herman had 37 hits — and more were for extra bases than singles. He hit five home runs, seven triples and eight doubles to go along with his 17 singles. Batting leadoff, Herman drove in 32 runs and scored 49.

On the mound, the right-hander was maybe even more dominant. In 13 starts and 15 appearances covering 61 innings, he went 11-2, allowing just 23 hits and 12 runs – only seven of which were earned — for an earned run average of a minuscule 0.80.

Herman’s WHIP, which measures walks and hits per inning pitched — essentially baserunners per inning — was 0.754. He struck out 103 batters — 43 looking — while walking 23 and hitting two. Herman held opposing hitters to a batting average of .114.

In 21 games for the Panthers, Herman was held hitless just twice — May 2 when he walked twice in four plate appearances in a 13-0 victory over Ellicottville — and again in the Section VI championship game against Frewsburg.

Herman put together eight multi-hit games, including a string of six straight games from May 9 through May 19 during which he went 15 for 23 with two doubles, two triples and three home runs.

Quite frankly, Herman put together one of the best local seasons in recent memory, something not lost on his head coach, Tim Smith.

“I don’t care what anybody says, he’s the best player in Western New York, that includes every Class AAA, AA, A – it doesn’t matter, he’s the best player in Western New York,” Smith said after Gowanda’s state semifinal loss in Binghamton. “There are probably kids on his level as far as talent goes, but there is no way that anybody has the same determination and drive that he has.”

Herman, who has been on the varsity team since his eighth-grade season in 2021 — and likely would’ve been in seventh grade if not for the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out spring sports — played in five sectional finals, won a trio of titles, and claimed a Far West Regional crown.

“He loves the game. He loves the sport of baseball. His home is on the field. I’m excited to see what he is going to do at Canisius,” Smith said. “You are supposed to be pretty upset that you are going to lose a kid like that, but it’s just so much better to see him spread his wings with whatever he is going to do at this point.”

Herman will be missed next spring at Panther Park.

“It’s going to really stink not seeing him at practice the first time we have it next year, but that’s also the beauty of this; you get new kids and you get to see others succeed and move on to the next phase of their lives and careers,” Smith said. “It’s going to be exciting to see him continue to play.”