But the sophomore catcher figuratively drove the Gowanda Panthers bus this season.

Batting leadoff and guiding Gowanda’s pitching staff, Herman and the Panthers won Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 and Section VI Class C championships this spring.

In 22 games, he hit .438 with a .625 on-base percentage and a 1.344 OPS. Herman led Gowanda with 44 runs scored, tied for first in triples with three, tied for second in doubles with six and was second on the team with a pair of home runs. He also drove in 19 runs and stole nine bases while striking out just four times in 96 plate appearances.

Herman went hitless in his team’s season-opening loss to Fredonia, but followed that with seven straight games during which he had multiple hits. Coincidentally, that started a 14-game win streak for the Panthers. In that stretch, Herman was 21 for 43 with three doubles, two of his triples and both of his home runs.

Blake Herman P-J photo by Matt Spielman

But Herman was arguably the Panthers’ most valuable player because of his defense and for the way he handled their pitching staff.

Senior John Ondus is heading to Niagara University next fall to pitch for the Purple Eagles, but did not pitch until Gowanda’s Far West Regional game this spring.

Herman also did not pitch at all this spring, leaving the Panthers without their top-two innings eaters from the season prior.

It didn’t matter.

Gowanda’s staff pitched to a 2.98 earned run average with 144 strikeouts in 136 1/3 innings.

Senior Cole Herman, Blake’s older brother, tied for the Panthers’ team lead in wins with six, threw a pair of complete-game shutouts and had a 3.50 ERA. The left-hander struck out 52 in 40 innings pitched.

Fellow senior Alex Pachucinski also had six wins and three complete games while pitching to a 2.67 ERA. Another left-hander, Pachucinski struck out 36 in 36 2/3 innings.

Most surprising for Gowanda and its fans may have been the emergence of freshman Carter Capozzi, who started just one game, but came on in relief in several important spots for the Panthers. The right-hander won three games and had a 2.33 ERA in 10 apperances covering 24 innings during which he struck out 20.

The man behind the plate for every single inning this season was Blake Herman, who committed just three errors in 151 chances for a .980 fielding percentage.

Already honored with the CCAA Division 1 Al Stuhlmiller Player of the Year award and a spot on the All-Western New York Small Schools First Team, Herman can now add 2023 Post-Journal/OBSERVER Player of the Year recognition to his resume.