PORTSMOUTH — For the Portsmouth High School baseball and softball teams, being runner-up in the Ohio Valley Conference for 2023 deserves at least a high five.

That’s because both Trojan units earned five all-OVC selections —based upon finishing second-place in the conference in both baseball and softball.

The Trojans took three first-team spots and a pair of Honorable Mention choices —as Fairland swept the team championships, the Player of the Year honors and the Coach of the Year accolades.

This is only the second season in which the OVC has recognized a Player of the Year for both baseball and softball, as both Dragon clubs had five first-teamers and two Honorable Mention players.

All eight of the OVC schools, in both baseball and softball, are automatically awarded with two Honorable Mention picks —under league rules.

For the Trojans, they went 11-3 in baseball and 10-4 in softball —trailing only the Dragons of 12-2 in baseball and an undefeated 14-0 in softball.

Four seniors and one sophomore were Portsmouth’s baseball representation, while the Lady Trojans had one senior, one freshman and three juniors in between.

Portsmouth’s baseball senior foursome featured three first-teamers — Tyler Duncan, Vinnie Lonardo and Reade Pendleton.

Duncan is actually an OVC first-team three-peater, as the only other three-time first-teamer is Ironton senior Trevor Kleinman.

Lonardo and Pendleton repeated to the list as well, moving up from Honorable Mention their junior springs.

The two ‘23 Honorable Mentions were senior Amari Harmon and sophomore J.T. Williams, as both were first-time all-league honorees.

On the softball side, Portsmouth junior Olivia Dickerson made it three times a first-teamer —as she was joined on the first-team by fellow junior Emily Cheatham and freshman pitcher Katie Ankrom.

Cheatham, like Dickerson and Duncan, is a three-time all-league selection —an Honorable Mention pick as a freshman and a first-teamer as a sophomore.

The Trojans’ two Honorable Mentions were senior Katie Born and junior Madison Ankrom, as Born was a first-teamer as a a junior — and Ankrom is a repeat Honorable Mention.

Last season, Maddie Perry of Portsmouth was the softball Player of the Year — as that honor this season went to Fairland junior Kaylee Salyer.

In addition, Dickerson, Salyer and Ironton junior Graycie Brammer are now three-time first-team selections.

The baseball Player of the Year was Fairland senior Blake Trevathan, as his head coach —Michael Hill —was the repeat Coach of the Year, and Hill’s third time winning that award.

All of the OVC awards are chosen by and voted upon by the league’s head coaches.

With the cancellation of that season, the 2020 seniors were honored as the all-OVC teams.

* * *

2023 all-Ohio Valley

Conference baseball team

FIRST TEAM

Blake Trevathan, Fairland; Brycen Hunt*, Fairland; Cooper Cummings*, Fairland; Niko Kiritsy#, Fairland; Blaze Perry#, Fairland; Tyler Duncan*, Portsmouth; Vinnie Lonardo#, Portsmouth; Reade Pendleton#, Portsmouth; Trevor Kleinman*, Ironton; Chayden Kerns, Ironton; Hayden Hanshaw, South Point; Corey Otzenberger, South Point; Mason Smith, Gallia Academy; Maddox Camden*, Gallia Academy; Isaac Doolin, Rock Hill; Dylan Griffith#, Rock Hill; Nick Wright#, Chesapeake; Landon Davis*, Coal Grove

Player of the Year: Blake Trevathan, Fairland

Coach of the Year: Michael Hill*, Fairland

* — indicates repeat first-team selection (Tyler Duncan of Portsmouth, Trevor Kleinman of Ironton and Cole Freeman of Ironton were first-team selections in 2021)

# — indicates 2022 Honorable Mention selection (Blake Trevathan of Fairland was Honorable Mention in 2021, J.D. Daniels of Chesapeake was first-team selection in 2022)

HONORABLE MENTION

Hunter Lykins, Fairland; Blake Sammons, Fairland; Amari Harmon, Portsmouth; J.T. Williams, Portsmouth; Cole Freeman, Ironton; Brady Moatz#, Ironton; Joey Lobaldo, South Point; Ethan Layne, South Point; Beau Johnson#, Gallia Academy; Carter Harris, Gallia Academy; Dawson Lewis, Rock Hill; Jayson McFann, Rock Hill; Jonathon Brammer#, Chesapeake; J.D. Daniels, Chesapeake; Derik Bloomfield, Coal Grove; Devin Bloomfield, Coal Grove

* * *

2023 all-Ohio Valley

Conference softball team

FIRST TEAM

Kaylee Salyer*, Fairland; Katie DeHart#, Fairland; Ally Shepherd#, Fairland; Katie Pruitt*, Fairland; Makenna Black, Fairland; Olivia Dickerson*, Portsmouth, Emily Cheatham#, Portsmouth; Katie Ankrom, Portsmouth; Khamil Martin, Ironton; Graycie Brammer*, Ironton; Aubrey Ferguson#, Ironton; Abbie Deeds#, Coal Grove; Jordyn Dale, Coal Grove; Ava Angel, Gallia Academy; Jenna Harrison*, Gallia Academy; Karlee Gillispie, Rock Hill; Navah Hackworth*, Rock Hill; Hannah Webb#, Chesapeake; Kimrie Staley, South Point

Player of the Year: Kaylee Salyer, Fairland

Coach of the Year: Nikki Hayes, Fairland

* — indicates repeat first-team selection (Kaylee Salyer of Fairland, Olivia Dickerson of Portsmouth, Graycie Brammer of Ironton were first-team selections in 2021, Bella Sorbilli of Ironton was first-team selection in 2021 and 2022; Katie Born of Portsmouth, Shaylin Matney of Rock Hill and Jaidyn Malone of South Point were first-team selections in 2022)

# — indicates 2022 Honorable Mention selection (Katie Pruitt of Fairland, Emily Cheatham of Portsmouth, Jenna Harrison of Gallia Academy was Honorable Mention in 2021)

HONORABLE MENTION

Katie Nell, Fairland; Jordan Spencer, Fairland; Katie Born*, Portsmouth; Madison Ankrom#, Portsmouth; Bella Sorbilli, Ironton; Braylin Wallace, Ironton; Rylee Black, Coal Grove; Shay Collins, Coal Grove; Addy Burke, Gallia Academy; Grace Truance#, Gallia Academy; Charlee Long#, Rock Hill; Shaylin Matney*, Rock Hill; Riley Isaacs, Chesapeake; Rachel Bishop, Chesapeake; Alli Stidham*, South Point; Jaidyn Malone, South Point

Reach Paul Boggs at (740) 353-3101 ext. 1926, by email at [email protected], or on Twitter @paulboggssports © 2023 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved