By JOHN KEREZY, Eyeoncleveland.com founder

Anytime the Hiland Hawks need a spark, Cody Yoder is there to provide it.

As the team’s senior centerfielder, Cody leads the Hawks on offense with a .463 batting average. He’s also tops on the squad in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage. Last week he went two-for-three twice in victories over Malvern and Claymont, including a double and a home run in the 4-0 triumph over the Mustangs. He had two RBIs in both contests.

FOURTH IN A SERIES

“Cody is a very driven guy. He competes at 100 percent, all of the time,” says Coach Chris Dages. “He’s also led us by his hard work in the weight room too.”

In 2023, Cody was limited to DH duty only due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament, yet he was still one of the top hitters on a senior-laden state championship team. He had three hits and two RBIs in Hiland’s 14-4 victory over Russia in the title game. This year he’s patrolling the outfield excellently as well, and occasionally takes over on the mound in the late innings of games.

The No. 3 hitter in the line-up, exhibiting excellent bat discipline at the plate, Cody leads the team in sacrifice flies. He has outstanding speed as well. He covers a lot of territory in the outfield, and is also one of Hiland’s top base stealers.

Being able to make important contributions in the field is important to Cody, “I really enjoy helping make plays on defense and (to) help my pitchers out,” he says. “We can take on any team because of our good pitching.”

The Hiland coaching staff appreciates Cody’s ability to motivate and encourage his teammates. “He gets the other guys fired up,” Dages adds. “He’s a good leader.”

Like a lot of his teammates, Cody began playing baseball at age five. He’s competed throughout middle school and high school, and one of his fondest memories is playing and winning the Beast of the East summer tournament.

Cody has great faith in his teammates too.

“We’re very good. We’ve shown that we have the depth (on this team),” he says. “We’re on a roll right now. We’re state caliber.”

Having been there in 2023, Cody Yoder can speak with authority on how good Hiland is this season.

You can hear Cody talk about his play, his 2023 injury, and how he feels about the 2024 Hawks here:

EDITOR’S NOTE FOR HAWKS FANS: Eyeoncleveland.com and the Bargain Hunter will be teaming up for joint coverage of the Hiland Hawks in the coming weeks. Watch for details. The “double team” will begin Monday with the Division IV Regional Semifinal Game of Hiland (21-5) vs. Toronto (21-3), scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Conotton Valley HS Field in Bowerston. If you cannot attend in person, WKLM in Millersburg is also broadcasting the contest at 95.3 on the frequency modulation (FM) band. Or you can “tune in” on the web at: https://wklmfm.com/