By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Highlands pitcher Drew Rom, one of the state leaders in strike outs this season, will receive two Player of the Year awards from the Northern Kentucky Baseball Coaches Association.
The senior left-hander was named Player of the Year for the 9th Region and on the Class A all-star team selected by the coaches. He ranks third in the state with 108 strike outs in 59 innings, according to statistics posted on the khsaa.org website.
Simon Kenton senior third baseman Isaiah Chitkara is the Class AA Player of the Year. In 29 games, he batted .489 and drove in 48 runs for the Pioneers.
Coach of the Year awards will go to Troy Roberts of Simon Kenton in Class A and Kevin Gray of Beechwood in Class AA. Six players were also selected to represent the 9th Region in state all-star games scheduled for June 19.
The senior all-star game will include Rom and Cooper outfielder Braydon Runion. The junior nominees are Logan Castleman of Beechwood and Jack Coldiron of Covington Catholic with Evan Webster of Ryle as the alternate. The sophomore selections are Ethan Kavanagh of Highlands and Gavin Hayes of Bellevue.
The top players on the Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference All-Star Teams were Coldiron in Division I, Rom in Division II and Villa Madonna senior Xavier Ludwig in Division III.
N. KY. KENTUCKY BASEBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION ALL-STAR TEAMS
DIVISION AA
Player of the Year — Isaiah Chitkara (Simon Kenton).
Jim Connor Coach of the Year — Troy Roberts (Simon Kenton).
DH — Jack Coldiron (CovCath). 1B — Brennen Baker (Simon Kenton). 2B — Justin Colvin (CovCath). SS — Kolton Early (Conner). 3B — Isaiah Chitkara (Simon Kenton). C — Derek Atwood (Conner). OF — Braydon Runion (Cooper), Brayden Trattles (Simon Kenton), Michael Schaefer (CovCath). P — Brendan Reid (Cooper), Bailey Martin (Simon Kenton).
DIVISION A
Player of the Year — Drew Rom (Highlands)
Ray Brown Coach of the Year — Kevin Gray (Beechwood)
DH — Carson Fitters (Highlands). 1B — Gunner Smith (NewCath). 2B — John Odom (Beechwood). SS — Ethan Kavanagh (Highlands). 3B — Jason Decker (NewCath). C — Michael Schaefer (St. Henry). OF — Logan Castleman (Beechwood), Jerik Ward (Lloyd), Mike Epplen (St. Henry). P — Drew Rom (Highlands), Nick Jackman (Beechwood).
N. KY. ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ALL-STAR TEAMS
DIVISION I
Top player — Jack Coldiron (CovCath).
Boone County — Nick Muench. Campbell County — Noah Brewer, Brady Brooks, Carson Wehrmann. Conner — Kolton Early. Cooper — Braydon Runion, Brendan Reid, Blaine Walters. CovCath — Jack Maile, Jack Coldiron, Justin Colvin. Dixie Heights — Michael Schumate. Ryle — Evan Webster. Scott — Jacob Thompson. Simon Kenton — Isaiah Chitkara, Brayden Trattles, Bailey Martin.
DIVISION II
Top player — Drew Rom (Highlands).
Beechwood — Logan Castleman, Nick Jackman, John Odom, Devin Johnson, Dylan Doverspike. Brossart — Zach Hamberg. Highlands — Ethan Kavanagh, Drew Rom, Kyle Winkler. Holmes — D.V. Gulley. Holy Cross — Brian Carl. NewCath — Gunner Smith, Jason Decker, Kyle Losey. Newport — Andrew Siebler. St. Henry — Max Epplen, Michael Schaefer.
DIVISION III
Top player — Xavier Ludwig (Villa Madonna).
Bellevue — Gunner Barnes, Gavin Hayes, Buddy Atkins. Calvary Christian — Danny McWhorter, Will Fannin, James Faulkner, Hunter Ellis. Dayton — Seth Chinn. Villa Madonna — Xavier Ludwig, Collin McLagan, Dan Gerst, Zach Stringer.