Moeller Baseball 24-25 Season
The Archbishop Moeller Crusaders baseball team went 29-3 last year, making it to the regional finals before a heartbreaking loss. They finished the year ranked top 50 in the nation and got as high as 4th in the nation according to MaxPreps. The Crusaders started out the season with 24 straight wins breaking the school record. They won the PBR Invitational knocking off two of the top teams in the state (St. Edwards, and St. Ignatius), and taking out a top 25 team in the nation (Northville, MI) . The Crusaders swept the GCL as they went 9-0, and took awards like GCL pitcher of the year and GCL player of the year. 6 of the 8 starters for the Crusaders were GCL First team while the other two were GCL second team. The Crusaders offense averaged 7.9 runs a game, while the defense averaged only 2.2 runs against per game. Last year they also had a perfect game, the 4th ever in Moeller history by graduating senior David Hagen. The Crusaders are returning many of the players in the field, while the pitching staff is mostly new for the 2025 season.
Looking at this upcoming 2025 season, the baseball team has 16 returning seniors. With this kind of depth and leadership, this group of players in the senior class look to win a state championship. Key returning players include; Zion Theophilus (LSU), Conner Cuozzo, Matt Ponatoski, Carter Christenson (Ohio State), Jovan love (Ashland), Charlie Valencic (Radford), Cooper Ridley (Southeastern CC), Connor Fuhrer (Ohio State), Luke Pappano, Finn O’Keefe (Thomas More), Will Schirmer (Ohio Dominican), Jake Bell (Bellarmine), Joey Watts (Wabash Valley), Jackson Porta (Marietta), Brody Foltz, Griffin Booth (La Salle), Conner Scoggins (New York) and Logan Rosenberger (Defiance). Zion Theophilus led the Crusader pitching staff last year having 10 wins with 86 strikeouts. Conner Fuhrer made himself available for the pitching staff later in the year, and should be a key player for success in the Crusaders upcoming season. Four of the returning Crusaders led the GCL offensively: Jovan Love (.457), Conner Cuozzo (.444), Matt Ponatoski (.391), and Luke Pappano (.370). Conner Cuozzo led the GCL with 6 home runs last year, also with 37 RBIs, leading the GCL.
The New players joining the Moeller baseball team this year are 3 sophomores, and 5 juniors. Sophomores, Noah Goettke, Nate McDowell, and Donovan Glosser are all players that are younger than most but they have great talent and will definitely be key pieces in this year’s team. The juniors include, Kayde Ridley, Jake Gaerke, Adam Mayberry, Adam Holstein, and Teagan Cumberland. This group brings maturity and talent to the team, looking forward to see how they contribute to the team this season.
The Crusaders will have a lot of key games this year, especially with how high they’re ranked, and the end goal being a state championship for this season. The first key game would have to be the season opener against Lakota East High School, they’re a solid team, but key game for us so that we open up 1-0 and get going on the right track for the season. The second key game will be against the Mason Comets at UC. This is a rivalry that hits the baseball team deeply after what happened last year. This will be one of the best games of the year. Another key game will be on April 11th, against CHCA. This was the first team to beat the Crusaders last year, and this year will be a revenge tour for us. Right after that game takes us to Spring Break, which is the All Faiths tournament in Las Vegas. The Crusaders open up against Brophy College Preparatory (AZ) and then play Bishop O’Dowd High School (CA). Both of these games are against some of the best competition in the entire country and it’s a great way for us to prove we’re as good as everyone says. Obviously the GCL games are key, as we look to take that GCL champions title once again. Overall, there are multiple key games this season for the Crusaders, but at the end of the day they’re going into every game with the mindset to win no matter who the opponent is.
The Crusaders heading into the new season are ranked #2 on max preps, and have many goals for the upcoming season, including winning the GCL and winning the OHSAA State Championship. The returning players mixed with the new players will be the key to success for the Crusaders. The Crusaders electric offense will be combined well with their gritty pitching staff. The depth for the Crusader line up, will keep opposing teams on their toes. The Crusaders are not looking too far into the future as they are committed to getting better every day. The Crusaders have a step up since they get to play the best team every day in the offseason.