DELAWARE — Mike Weaver recognizes just how good he’s got it.
The first and only baseball coach in Berlin High School history, Weaver has been around the game long enough to know there’s something special happening in Delaware County.
“I’ve been other places and I understand how lucky I am to coach this program,” said Weaver, who was an assistant at Central Crossing, Dublin Coffman and Defiance.
“They’re great kids from great families and they’re very talented baseball players.”
The Olentangy Local School District is home to four high schools: Olentangy, Liberty, Orange and Berlin. Three were ranked in the top 10 in this week’s Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Division I state poll and the Prep Baseball Report Ohio Division I power rankings.
“All four programs do a great job of creating a culture of winning,” Olentangy coach Ryan Lucas said. “And an expectation of doing it the right way.”
Legacy of success
Lucas led the Braves to the big-school state title in 2025. Berlin reached the state semifinals in 2024. Orange was state runner-up in 2023. Liberty won a Division I state crown in 2018.
Last year all four programs reached the Sweet 16. Liberty, Orange and Berlin were regional qualifiers in 2024. Orange and Liberty won district titles in 2023.
“All four teams were in the regional last year and we won the state championship,” Lucas said. “It’s been like this forever.”
What’s more, all four programs churn out All-Ohioans and blue chip prospects annually.
Orange’s Keegan Knupp and Liberty’s Parker Van Engelenhoven were OHSBCA All-Ohio first-teamers last spring. Knupp is a freshman at Division I Eastern Michigan, while Van Engelenhoven is a senior committed to Louisville.
In fact, there has been at least one first-team All-Ohioan from one of the district’s four high schools every year since 2019.
“We have talented kids,” Orange coach Tom Marker said after the Pioneers handed Liberty its first loss of the season.
Parity
Not surprisingly, all four high schools compete on an even playing field.
Orange and Liberty are members of the Ohio Capital Conference’s Central Division. Orange won two of their three regular-season meetings.
Olentangy and Berlin are in the OCC’s Cardinal Division. Berlin won two-of-three.
“The margin for error is always going to be narrow,” Patriots’ coach Ty Brenning said.
Liberty won the Central Division title, finishing 13-2. Orange (12-3) finished a game back.
Berlin and Olentangy shared the Cardinal Division crown at 10-5.
Building blocks
So what is the secret recipe?
All four head coaches point to the youth program.
“We have really good youth coaches who teach the game the right way,” Lucas said. “The feeder program here is phenomenal. There’s a million travel-ball teams.”
Consequently, players arrive at the high school level with a solid understanding of fundamental baseball. The high school coaches don’t have to re-teach the game or break bad habits.
“When the kids come to us after playing youth baseball, they’re fundamentally sound,” Weaver said. “When they get to high school, all we have to do is refine some things.”
It helps to have buy-in from players and their families.
“The parents here are so invested,” Weaver said.
Friendly rivals
While competition is fierce on the field, the players in all four programs respect their peers.
“All the kids I grew up playing with are all at these different schools and it’s so fun to keep playing against them,” Orange pitcher and Eastern Michigan recruit Reid Herrick said. “Everyone is so good. It’s awesome.”
Berlin’s Chase Arnold agreed.
“I think it’s just the bond that we have,” Arnold said after knocking in the game-winning run in last week’s 1-0, eight-inning win over Olentangy. “We’ve grown up together.
“We’re always going to fight, no matter what happens.”
And when the game is over, players shake hands and resume longstanding friendships.
“On the field, of course, everyone is competitive,” Orange’s Colby Luling said. “But outside of baseball we’re all pretty much friends.”
