Wells, Matthews named to ’25 OHSBCA All-Ohio baseball team 

Highland County baseball was represented with two selections to the 2025 Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Ohio team for the 2025 season, where Lynchburg-Clay and Fairfield were the two schools representing the county. 

Named All-Ohio first-team in Division V was Lynchburg-Clay senior Cole Wells, who had a career-best season as he was a member of the Mustangs team which won a regional championship and played in the Division V State Semifinals. 

Also named All-Ohio honorable mention in Division VII was Fairfield senior Zane Matthews, who battled adversity this season, as he was able to play on the field and bat from the plate, but he had to shut down his pitching season after the first game of the year. 

Below is information on the two Highland County players named to the All-Ohio list for the 2025 season by the OHSBCA.  

Cole Wells, Lynchburg-Clay, Senior, Div. VII First Team 

Lynchburg-Clay senior Cole Wells was an important part of the Mustangs winning a regional championship for the first time in program history, as he made history by being the first LCHS pitcher to pitch in a state semifinal game. 

Wells his senior season played in 28 games total, and his batting numbers speak for themselves, finishing the ’25 season with a .507 batting average in 73 at-bats (105 plate appearances). Wells collected 25 runs, 37 hits and 35 RBI. Wells’ hit total included six doubles, one triple and five home runs, two shy of tying the program record. 

The senior Wells also had one sacrifice fly this season, walked 26 times and was hit by a pitch five times, all while having a .648 on-base percentage and a .822 slugging percentage. His season OPS was 1.470. 

This season also saw Wells have seven stolen bases, plus his fielding percentage was .941 with 17 putouts and 31 assists. 

Then there is the pitching of Wells, as his season ERA was 0.84. He finished with six wins in 12 appearances on the mound, pitching in 58.2 innings this season. Wells allowed 35 hits, eight runs (seven earned) and 17 walks, and his strikeout total was 107. Wells faced 235 batters this season, throwing 914 pitches, and he held the opposition to a .164 batting average. 

Zane Matthews, Fairfield, Senior, Div. VII Honorable Mention 

Fairfield senior Zane Matthews played in 20 games this season, as he earned Division VII All-Ohio honorable mention honors from the OHSBCA. Matthews had 60 at-bats in ’25, where he finished with 28 runs, 33 hits and 20 RBI. Matthews’ batting average was .550, as his hit total included seven doubles, two triples and one home run. 

Matthews also forced 10 walks, and in his 60 at-bats he totaled just six strikeouts on the season. Also while at the plate, Matthews was hit by a pitch 11 times this past season, and he finished with 22 stolen bases. Matthews finished with a .667 on-base percentage and a .783 slugging percentage. 

In his 70-game varsity career (sophomore through senior seasons), Matthews had a .447 career batting average with 92 hits, 86 runs and 60 RBI in 206 at-bats.

On the field this season at second base, Matthews in 20 games had 27 putouts and a .818 fielding percentage.