PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS … Evergreen High School juniors Nolan Hudik (left) and Brendan Holman (right) have been selected to represent the United States in the upcoming Latin America Baseball Classic, a playoff between the United States and Latin America held for more than 30 years in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
A pair of Evergreen High School juniors will travel to the Dominican Republic this summer after being selected to participate in the 2026 Latin America Baseball Classic.
Brendan Holman of Berkey and Nolan Hudik of Lyons will play alongside more than 100 other athletes across multiple divisions representing the United States against teams made up of players from Latin America in the August playoff, which has been held in Santo Domingo for more than 30 years.
The duo made the team after competing in tryouts at the TOCA Soccer and Sports Center in Rossford.
Both have been playing since the age of 5, although Hudik said he was waylaid a year in when he first broke his left arm, then his right arm, then his left arm again.
Holman said getting into travel baseball at 9 years old helped him start to develop his skills faster, but both pointed to the new coaching staff at Evergreen being a turning point for them.
“They turned the whole thing around. They actually really care about their job and take it very well. They’re the best baseball coaches I ever had,” Hudik said.
Holman agreed, saying their heavy focus on fundamentals and repetition instead of flashy techniques has made all the difference.
“They tell us ‘don’t do it ‘til you get it right, do it ‘til you can’t get it wrong,’” Hudik said. Both gave praise to the whole coaching staff, with Holman also singling out Evergreen head coach Chris Owens.
“He’s developed my swing. I’ve never been able to hit as well as I have and it’s just been a big part,” Holman said.
Holman and Hudik were part of a group of six athletes interviewed after their tryout, and they found out the next day they had been selected for the LABC team.
Both said they and their families were surprised and happy by the news. Holman said his family was doubly happy, as his little brother made one of the younger division teams as well.
“I feel like this is definitely probably the best opportunity I could possibly get, with all the type of colleges and cameras that are gonna be down there and getting this chance to showcase my skills is definitely something I’m grateful for,” Holman said.
According to Holman, they’re not able to meet any of the other players before the week of the games.
He said they will fly down, meet the rest of the team, and have “three or four hours to build chemistry” before they get down to business.
Both Holman and Hudik hope to play baseball at the collegiate level after high school. “We’re thrilled that Nolan and Brendan have the chance to compete on the international stage,” Owens said.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for them to learn from – and compete alongside – elite athletes.” Owens called it “a major step forward in their journey and a big move toward their future success.”
For more local news, see High School Sports Schedule For Thursday, March 26, 2026 (WEATHER PERMITTING).