Disclaimer: The Ball State Daily News reached out to Burris baseball for this article, but was never answered.
The 2024 baseball season is here, and Delaware County baseball has some high-quality talent within its ranks. Head coaches around the county weighed in on who some of the key players to keep an eye on throughout the 2024 season will be.
Yorktown
Head Coach: PJ Fauquher (8th season)
2023 record: 20-7
Senior Sean Gibson - infield
“Sean played quite a bit for us last year,” Fauquher said. “We’re expecting him to be one of our top guys this season. He was a heavy contributor last year, but I think being in the infield all the time and being a senior, an experienced player you should see some increases in his numbers.”
Junior Noah Loveall - infield, pitcher
“Noah was a varsity guy last year but was more of a role player,” Fauquher said. “His time’s going to increase and he’s going to have more opportunities. He’s had a natural progression in his role over the last couple of years. He just had some guys in front of him, but he’s put in a lot of work, and growth over the last few years and we’ve seen his leaps in confidence and a lot of preparation and he’s ready for it.”
Wapahani
Head Coach: Heath Dudley (1st season)
2023 Record: 19-9-1
Senior Landon Weller - infielder
“Landon played a lot of innings for us in his sophomore and junior years,” Dudley said. “But this season he’s going to have to take on a much larger role. I’m expecting and hoping he has a big year for us.”
Junior Nate Luce - pitcher
“He played and pitched a lot for us last year,” Dudley said. “I’m going to be expecting him to take that next step forward.”
Daleville
Head Coach: Bob Wilson (2nd season)
2023 Record: 11-11
Junior Josh Wilson - second base, shortstop, pitcher
“He’s going to have to take on a bigger role,” Bob said. “He’s in line to take over the number one or two spot when it comes to pitching. He’s also just a natural leader, he’s got a strong arm, bats well, high IQ, and moving forward he’s going to be one of the natural leaders on this team.”
Junior Ayden Ramirez - left fielder, first base, pitcher
“I can put him anywhere on the field and not have any issues whatsoever,” Wilson said. “He’s going to be able to fulfill a position and play it well, and probably just as well as the starter that he’d be replacing, he’s just an ultimate utility kind of player.”
Muncie Central
Head Coach: Jason Kubick (3rd season)
2023 Record: 9-14
Junior Logan Campbell - pitcher
“Last year, he was in the top 3 and only returner in innings pitched, strikeouts, and ERA,” Kubick said via email. “Hitting-wise, he led the team in OBP and walks even though he struggled to get hits. His ability to get on base greatly helped us last year. I can see his improvement and confidence at the plate coming around this season. On the mound, he's continuing to work on the details of his pitching and we are liking what he has shown this spring so far.”
Sophomore Gage Emberton - catcher, third base
“He’s probably our strongest offensive player returning,” Kubick said. “We expect him to take a step forward defensively as a catcher and have seen quite a bit of improvement from him behind the plate, as he has gotten stronger. Offense has never been a question for him. Last year, it took him a little time to adjust to varsity-level pitching, but once he did, he had some big hits for us, multiple times last season. We look forward to him continuing where he left off last season.”
Wes-Del
Head Coach: Daniel Hanson (5th season)
2023 Record: 21-9
Junior Greyson Mealy - catcher
“He led us in a lot of offensive categories last year as a sophomore, [.430 BA, .496 OBP, and 11 stolen bases],” Hanson said. “We’re excited to see his growth because he’s worked hard in the weight room.”
Senior Ty Freeman - infielder, pitcher
“Ty’s been a four-year starter for us and he’ll be throwing a lot of innings on the mound this year,” Hanson said. “He’s going to be one of our main guys this season when it comes to pitching.”
Cowan
Head Coach: Aaron Wells (4th season)
2023 Record: 10-15
Senior Griffin Smith - third base, outfielder
“Griffin’s going to have a significant role for us this year,” Wells said via email. “He’s going to be our starting third baseman and be a key rotational outfield piece for us when other players are on the mound.”
Senior Jackson Clifford - pitcher
“[Jackson] has been one of the better arms in Delaware County since his freshman year,” Wells said. “He also brings tons of experience at the plate and we plan for him to be in the heart of our order day in and day out.”
Delta
Head Coach: Devin Wilburn (3rd season)
2023 Record: 11-17
Sophomore Everett Linn - infielder, pitcher
“[Everett] started twenty games at third base for us last year which we didn’t really expect,” Wilburn said. “He just won the job and took it over. I’m expecting him to make another jump as a leader on our team.”
Junior Gavin Case - outfielder, pitcher
“[Gavin] led our team in hits last year, and played centerfield for us,” Wilburn said. “He’s gotten a lot bigger and stronger this offseason and added about 25 pounds. I’m expecting him to make a jump from a statistical standpoint by mixing some extra-base hits in there too.”
Contact David Moore with comments at david.moore@bsu.edu or on X @gingninj63
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