Thwaits named player of the year

As a freshman at Marion Local, Nick Thwaits earned all-conference honorable mention.

He was placed on the second team as a sophomore at Fort Recovery, despite missing half the season because of the transfer.

This year, he was upgraded to the player of the year.

Thwaits, a Fort Recovery High School junior, was named Midwest Athletic Conference player of the year Tuesday.

“Very humbling,” he said. “You really feel good about the work you’ve put in and that it’s showing up on the field.”

Fort Recovery coach Jerry Kaup said his right-handed flamethrower should be proud of the honor.

“I think he should feel really good about that,” he said.

Thwaits, who has committed to Kent State University, has started six games this year for the Indians (13-10). He has a 4-0 record with two no decisions. In 31 innings, he has racked up 62 strikeouts compared to four walks.

 He has allowed 10 hits and four runs, only one of which was earned. The junior has an 0.23 ERA and is on pace to cut in half the school record for ERA of 0.75 set by Jackson Hobbs in 2014. Radar guns during his starts have touched as high as 91 miles per hour.

“We’ve played really good,” he said. Thwaits and the top-seeded Indians meet MAC foe Parkway in the Division IV district semifinal at 5 p.m. tonight at Coldwater. “There have hardly been any errors behind me. I’ve been able to relax, throw and know that the guys behind me will make the play when it’s hit to them.”

Thwaits, who is the probable starter tonight, can make an impact with a bat too.

He leads the Indians in four statistical categories — hits (26), triples (two), home runs (two) and RBIs (24). He is second in batting average (.351), walks (17) and runs (27).

“He is a very good all-around baseball player and I think the other coaches in the league realize that,” Kaup said. “It’s a nice honor. It’s great for him to be wearing purple and white. I am very proud of that and happy for him.”

Junior Cade Wendel was also named to the All-MAC first team as an infielder. The Tribe’s leadoff hitter leads the team with a .373 average, 25 walks and 28 runs. He is the only player on the team with an on-base percentage north of .500, and his .552 slugging percentage is second only to Thwaits. Wendel has racked up 27 stolen bases, which is tied for second all time for a season. He is two away from the school record of 29, set by Mitchell Stammen in 2015.

Will Homan (.307 AVG, 25 stolen bases) was named to the second team, while Ben Homan (.315 AVG) earned honorable mention.

“As I’ve been telling our other boys, this is a team game and we have to approach it like that,” Kaup said. “We all have to do our jobs. It is a community. Everyone in the community has to be able to pull their weight.”