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GREENFORD-- For any high school spring sport athlete, it has been a rocky 2020.
The athletes lost their 2020 spring season due to COVID-19 and the rest of the year has made it difficult to practice and play summer ball.
However, for four of the spring sport athletes at South Range, the year got brighter on Wednesday during signing day.
Baseball players Jake Gehring and Trey Pancake signed their letters of intent to play college baseball at The Ohio State University and softball players Bree Kohler and Jillian Strecansky signed their letter of intents to play college softball at Youngstown State University and Marietta College, respectively.
"It's the school you always grew up watching and loving and your family is a fan of it so why not go down there and continue the tradition that you've known since you were wrong," Gehring said about Ohio State.
"Growing up in Ohio, It's every little boys dream to play sports at Ohio State," Pancake said. "Every year they compete in every sport so its a dream come true to be an Ohio State athlete."
Gehring is the star pitcher for the Raiders, recording an 8-0 record in 2019 with a 1.13 ERA. He struck out 100 hitters and walked just 12 in 55 2/3 innings.
He also hit .415 on the season.
Gehring posted the best batting average on the team, but Pancake recorded the best totals in almost every other batting category. Pancake hit .360 and led the team in hits (36), runs (36), doubles (9), triples (6), slugging percentage (.600) and stolen bases (27). He was second in walks (15) and RBIs (23).
These two will be the key contributors to a solid South Range attack this season. The Raiders won the school's first state title in 2018, but were defeated in the district final in 2019.
"Definitely excited, we have a lot to prove this year," Gehring said. "Not having last year and losing early the year before. We just have to go out and get after it and start working towards the goals we all have."
"We had a good team but we have a good team again this year," Pancake said. "We only lost a few seniors and they can be filled once the undergrads come up and fulfill their roles."
On the softball diamond, both signees are ready to take one last crack at it.
"I am more excited because I have been waiting since my freshman season to sign but now it's happened and I am excited to go spend one more season and play and then go be a Penguin," Kohler said
"I am excited because I feel that we have a good chance to make it far," Kohler said. "Excited to have one more season with the girls."
Strecansky shared similar sentiments on the upcoming season.
"It took me a while to realize that I wanted to play in college so I don't know if it lifted a weight off my shoulders but I am really excited to go play," Strecansky said.
"Last year we had a lot of freshman so I was excited to see how they would step up. Now that we missed that season I think we will have a lot of talent this year."
The Raiders finished 20-10 in 2019 and won their first district title in three years.
In 2019 as sophomores, Kohler led the Raiders in hitting (.458), home runs (9), runs batted in (40), wins (16) and earned run average (2.66). She struck out 210 batters in 147 innings.
Stercansky was fifth in hits (29), fourth in doubles (5), second in home runs (5) and third in runs batted in (18).
One thing is for sure. As great as signing day is, the grind never stops.
"All we have done up to this point is sign a piece of paper," Gehring said. "Now we have to work and put in time so that we actually play and help impact the team as a freshman. The real work starts for all of us right now."