From left to right: Jake Wenning, Tim Knapschaefer, Grant Meyer.
For today, we are going to look at a few local guys that will be playing for the Mariners this year. They all went to high school and attend college not too far away. Let’s dive right in.
Jake Wenning – Ohio Northern – 3B
Jake Wenning is from Coldwater and played for Coldwater High School. His favorite baseball memory is winning the Ohio High School State Baseball Championship as a senior. He attends Ohio Northern and is majoring in Middle Childhood Education. He started in five games in his 2020 freshman season which was cut short – hitting .263 that year with a home run. Now Jake has had the opportunity to play a full season this year and has played 27 games so far. He is hitting .309 with the Polar Bears this year and has a .398 on-base percentage. He has 29 hits (8 for extra bases) and 16 RBIs. Wenning had an impressive four-hit game against John Carroll which included a double, a triple, and four RBIs. Ohio Northern won the game 21-10.
Wenning plays third base and bats and throws right-handed. His career goal is to be a successful middle school teacher and coach baseball and football. He also enjoys golf. His favorite type of music is 80s music, and his favorite book is The Great Gatsby. He loves to eat filet mignon and watch Guy’s Grocery Games. And if you ever want to know some fun facts about Disney World, Jake is your man.
Tim Knapschaefer – Ohio Northern – P
Tim Knapschaefer is from Maria Stein and went to Marion Local High School. He also chose to play at Ohio Northern where he is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. In his shortened freshman year, he pitched six innings in relief without giving up a run or a single hit. This year, Knapschaefer has started four games and pitched in eight. On March 29th he threw four innings of relief against John Carroll without giving up a hit. He also threw three innings without giving up a run and earned a save in a game against Heidelberg on April 10th.
Knapschaefer bats and throws right-handed. His favorite athlete is his college teammate (and Mariners teammate) Jake Wenning! His favorite book is Old Yeller and he has a black lab named Scooter. Knapschaefer can answer any questions you have about propane and propane accessories. The first thing he wanted to be when he grew up was a professional quarterback, and he also enjoys basketball.
Grant Meyer – Findlay – P
Our last player to introduce for now is Grant Meyer. Like Wenning, Meyer also is from Coldwater and went to Coldwater High School. And also like Wenning, he didn’t change his high school colors of orange and black by attending the University of Findlay! In his 2020 freshman season, Meyer threw one inning before the season was canceled. This year, he has made five appearances for the Oilers and thrown 4 2/3 innings. The Oilers are 13-22 this season.
Meyer bats and throws right-handed. His favorite baseball memory is when he threw 90 mph for the first time. He wants to make it as far as he can in baseball, and beyond that, he would like to start up his own gym. Meyer also played basketball in high school, and that is his favorite sport other than baseball. His favorite teams are the Reds and Bengals. He is very excited to play locally for the Mariners this summer!
