"We got nothing to lose now, we're the underdogs," said Liberty-Benton head coach Matt Rader. "We're gonna go out there and give it our best shot."
The Eagles will play Columbus Academy in the state semifinal on June 11 in Canton at 10 a.m.
@LibertyBentonHS | @LBEagleBaseball
The State Baseball Tournament begins tomorrow wirh 4 local teams playing for a Title! We will have updates all weekend long on our X feed!
Div. V
LIBERTY BENTON vs. Columbus Academy. Thursday, June 11, 10am
Div. VI
ST. HENRY vs. Berlin Hiland, Thursday, June 11, 1pm
Div. VII
DELPHOS ST. JOHN'S vs. Tiffin Calvert, Friday, June 12, 10am
LEIPSIC vs. South Webster, Friday, June 12, 1pm
2028 C/RHP Kooper Leatherman @leathermankoop (@LBEagleBaseball)
FB: 77-80, T81.3 CB: 62-64 CH: 70-71
Known primarily for his bat and defensive abilities behind the plate, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect starred on the mound in the regional final. Leatherman tossed a complete game, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks while striking out six to send Liberty-Benton to its first State Final Four appearance. He also chipped in offensively, going 1-for-4 and narrowly missing an RBI after a runner was thrown out at the plate. Currently ranked No. 66 in Ohio's 2028 class, Leatherman's stock continues to trend upward.
In a Division V Regional Final, #10 (D5) @LBEagleBaseball (22-5) punched its 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓-𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 trip to the State Final Four, defeating @acacesbaseball (14-13) by a 6-1 score and outhitting the Aces 10-2.
2028 RHP/C @leathermankoop was dominant from start to finish, keeping Amanda-Clearcreek off balance all evening. The talented two-way tossed a complete game, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks while striking out six.
The Eagles' offense backed him with 10 hits, led by a trio of multi-hit performances. 2026 OF Reid Irwin paced the attack with three hits, while 2027 OF @connorjbarbara and 2028 INF @TadenTroyer11 each collected two hits.
For the Aces, 2026 CF/RHP @Gary_Kemmerling did everything he could to keep his team within striking distance. The two-way standout entered in relief and delivered five strong innings, allowing just two runs (one earned) while striking out four. At the plate, he accounted for Amanda-Clearcreek's biggest swing of the night, finishing 1-for-2 with a home run, walk, RBI, and run scored.
@LibertyBentonHS now heads to the state tournament for the first time in program history, where it will face @CABaseballTeam (16-16) on June 11 at 10 a.m. The opposite side of the Division V bracket features #1 @WaynedaleBSB (29-3) and #7 @VHSBaseball3 (22-6).
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#RoadToAkron #OHHS26 #MadeInOhio @prepbaseball
REGIONAL CHAMPIONS AND STATE BOUND 🏆⚾️🚨
Liberty-Benton (@LBEagleBaseball) punches their ticket to state for the first time in program history after a 3-1 win over Amanda-Clearcreek!
@LibertyBentonHS@LBLocalSchools
BB - Div. V Regional Final at Elida
Liberty-Benton 3, Fairview 1
The Eagles (21-5) are heading to the Regional Finals to take on Amanda-Clearcreek (14-11) on Thursday at 5pm in Elida.
WP: Jackson Knepper - 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 K
Kooper Leatherman - 3/3, 3 Singles