Finals Preview: Making the Numbers Add Up
June 13, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A few numbers are worth noting heading into MHSAA Baseball Finals weekend at Battle Creek's Bailey Park.
Seven of the 16 teams taking the field will be playing for their first championships. Not one of the Division 2 Semifinalists has a top-10 number attached to it; all four contenders entered the postseason unranked.
But there are plenty of coaches this weekend who know about winning; eight have led teams to at least 200 wins, and two coaches with at least 500 victories are attempting to guide their clubs to first MHSAA titles.
Below is this weekend's schedule, followed by a look at each team that will be playing.
Semifinals - Friday
Division 1
Bay City Western (40-2) vs. Sterling Heights Stevenson (28-8) - CO Brown - 11 a.m.
Birmingham Brother Rice (31-8-1) vs. Howell (33-7) - Nichols Field - 10 a.m.
Division 2
Grand Rapids Christian (17-15) vs. Remus Chippewa Hills (27-7) - Nichols Field - 1 p.m.
Richmond (33-4) vs. Milan (26-12) - Morrison Field - Noon
Division 3
Grandville Calvin Christian (23-3) vs. Whittemore-Prescott (24-5) - Morrison Field - 3 p.m.
Madison Heights Bishop Foley (33-2-1) vs. Bridgman (26-5-1) - CO Brown - 2 p.m.
Division 4
Beal City (34-2) vs. Maple City Glen Lake (28-7) - CO Brown - 5 p.m.
New Lothrop (25-5) vs. Grosse Pte. Woods U. Liggett (29-4) - Nichols Field - 4 p.m.
Finals - Saturday
Division 1: 9:30 a.m.
Division 2: 12:30 p.m.
Division 3: 3:30 p.m.
Division 4: 6:30 p.m.
Tickets cost $7 per round or $15 for an all-tournament ticket that includes admission to baseball games. Radio broadcasts of all Semifinals can be heard online at MHSAAnetwork.com. All Finals will be streamed live online at MHSAA.tv, with radio broadcasts again available on the MHSAA Network website.
All statistics below are through at least the regular season, with most through teams' Regionals or Quarterfinals. (Click for links to brackets and scores.)
Division 1
BAY CITY WESTERN
Record/rank: 40-2, No. 1
Coach: Tim McDonald, 21st season (562-198-7)
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League North
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Connor Foley, sr. P/3B (7-0, 1.73 ERA pitching, .496, 57 R, 19 SB); Grant Miller, sr. 2B (.478, 52 R, 32 RBI); Grant Bridgewater, sr. C/3B (.416, 39 R, 38 RBI), Brett Adcock, sr. P/1B (11-0, 0.54 ERA, 119 K pitching, .361).
Outlook: The Warriors are making their third Semifinals appearance in eight seasons, this time with a lineup featuring seven seniors. Bay City Western has won 31 straight, including victories over No. 2 Brighton, No. 5 Howell and sweeps of Division 2 No. 1 Bay City John Glenn, No. 4 Mount Pleasant and No. 6 Bullock Creek. Seniors Briton Ott (7-0) and Grant Rosenbrock (6-1) also have ERAs under 1.50, and junior shortstop Seth Freed provides another big bat hitting .443.
BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE
Record/rank: 31-8-1, No. 6
Coach: Bob Riker, 16th season (393-156)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic High School League Central
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2008), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Dalton Greyerbiehl, sr. CF/P; Nick Plummer, soph. LF; Matt Ruppenthal, jr. IF/P; Randy Righter, jr. 1B/P; Sammy Stevens, jr. C. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: This is Brother Rice’s first trip to Bailey Park since its most recent championship run, but the Warriors are used to seeing tough competition playing in one of the state’s most competitive leagues. Brother Rice also owns a split against No. 5 Howell and a sweep of Division 3 No. 1 Madison Heights Bishop Foley, and beat No. 11 Lake Orion in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal.
HOWELL
Record/rank: 33-7, No. 5
Co-coaches: Jason Ladd and Mike Weatherly, second seasons (62-17)
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Tyler Bradner, sr. P/CF (.416, 28 R, 51 RBI); Cody Wiggins, sr. LF (.362, 32 R, 28 RBI); Darren Ford, jr. RF/P (.404, 32 R, 23 RBI).
Outlook: Howell is back in the Semifinals for the second straight year, and also the second time ever. And the Highlanders should be prepared after running through a loaded schedule; they went 2-1 against No. 2 Brighton and No. 4 Sterling Heights Stevenson, fell to No. 1 Bay City Western but beat reigning Division 4 champion Decatur, and then defeated No. 8 Temperance Bedford in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal.
STERLING HEIGHTS STEVENSON
Record/rank: 28-8, No. 4
Coach: Joe Emanuele, 16th season (351-182)
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference Red
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2005.
Players to watch: Zack McGuire, jr. P/OF (5-0, 1.22 ERA pitching, .444, 16 2B, 42 RBI); Brandon Hughes, jr. OF/P (.404, 39 R, 21 SB); Dean Emanuele, jr. 2B (.388, 14 SB, 26 R), Bobby Griffin, sr. C (.370, 12 2B, 20 RBI).
Outlook: After missing last season, Stevenson is back in the Semifinals for the second time in three years with a lineup featuring as many seniors (three) as sophomores. Stevenson owns a recent win over No. 5 Howell after two losses earlier, and beat No. 7 Macomb Dakota three times including in the Regional. Senior Johno Rodriguez (7-1) and junior Joe Wolf (6-2) combine with McGuire for an accomplished pitching staff.
Division 2
GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 17-15, unranked
Coach: Brent Gates, sixth season (153-59)
League finish: Third in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2012, runner-up 2011 and 2005.
Players to watch: Alex VandeVusse, sr. 1B/P (.392, 22 R, 3-3 pitching); Joel Schipper, sr. SS (.384, 20 R, 19 RBI); Tyler Sigler, jr. OF (.356, 23 R, 17 SB); Austin Batka, jr. P/1B (4-5, 1.63 ERA, 88 K pitching).
Outlook: VandeVusse and Schipper were key cogs in last season’s championship team and have the Eagles back on an unexpected run after finishing the regular season 12-15. The Eagles did beat No. 2 Comstock Park 10-3 in the Regional Semifinal and also beat No. 4 Mount Pleasant just before the beginning of Districts.
MILAN
Record/rank: 26-12, unranked
Coach: Adam Gilles, 12th season (266-122-3)
League finish: Third in Huron League
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Kyle Schrader, jr. P/IF; Thomas Lindeman, soph. P/SS. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Milan has won 10 straight and is back at Bailey Park for the first time since 2009. This postseason run has included three shutouts – including one against No. 10 New Boston Huron – as the Big Reds have beaten those six teams by a combined score of 18-5.
REMUS CHIPPEWA HILLS
Record/rank: 27-7, unranked
Coach: Ben Wright, seventh season (182-64)
League finish: First in Central State Activities Association
Championship history: Class B champion 1983.
Players to watch: Jake Tarbell, sr. C/P (10-2, 2.07 ERA, 94 K pitching, .505, 31 R, 17 2B, 40 RBI); Devin Esch, sr. CF (.423, 26 R, 12 SB); Hunter Conley, soph. 2B (.403, 38 R, 27 SB); Ty Schafer, sr. SS/P (8-2, 2.62 ERA, 54 K pitching, .369, 25 R, 23 RBI.)
Outlook: Chippewa Hills has won six straight league, three straight District and two straight Regional championships. The Warriors were ranked No. 10 in Division 2 early this season, and have beaten two straight ranked opponents: No. 8 Cheboygan in the Regional Final and No. 4 Mount Pleasant in the Quarterfinal.
RICHMOND
Record/rank: 33-4, unranked
Coach: Scott Evans, second season (58-16)
League finish: First in Blue Water Area Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Evan Kratt, soph. C/P (3-0, 1.58 ERA pitching, .478, 36 R, 38 RBI, 13 2B); Austin Harvey, jr. 3B (.439, 32 R, 16 SB); Ryan Boyd, jr. SS/P (2-0, 0.49 ERA pitching, .421, 39 R, 18 SB); Mitchell Ward, sr. P/1B (5-0, 1.54 ERA pitching, .408, 27 R, 26 RBI).
Outlook: Richmond is riding a 17-game winning streak that has included a 6-1 win over No. 3 St. Clair in the Regional Semifinal. The Blue Devils have one of the deepest pitching staffs in Battle Creek this weekend, with seven throwers having won at least one game this season and the total staff ERA at 1.75. Junior Zach Leach and sophomore Dillon McInerney both have a team-high six wins on the mound.
Division 3
BRIDGMAN
Record/rank: 26-5-1, No. 7
Coach: Justin Hahaj, first season (26-5-1)
League finish: First in Lakeland Conference
Championship history: Class D champion 1987, two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Brock Belanger, sr. 1B (.430, 27 R, 37 RBI); Matt Hendricks, jr. SS (.337, 37 R, 22 SB); Tyler Gnodtke, jr. P/OF (7-1, 1.86 ERA pitching); Brady Wasko, sr. P/2B (9-1, 0.49 ERA, 74 K pitching, .328, 26 R).
Outlook: Bridgman hopes to take the next step after finishing runner-up in 2011. Gnodtke made a brief appearance in that Final and is back as one of the best of a strong pitching staff. Bridgman has won its five postseason games by a combined score of 34-4, with a 5-2 win over No. 6 Homer in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal.
GRANDVILLE CALVIN CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 23-3, unranked
Coach: Andrew Bishop, fourth season (90-27)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 1996), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Nate VanRyn (.377, 25 R, 21 RBI); Jamie Bristol (6-1, 1.37 ERA pitching, .370); Cole Boender (5-0, 0.29 ERA pitching, .348); Josh DeYoung (9-0, 0.60 ERA, 82 K pitching, .333, 23 R, 22 RBI).
Outlook: Calvin Christian has won four league and three District titles under Bishop, and now is back in Battle Creek for the first time since 2002. The Squires eliminated No. 2 Lansing Catholic in the Regional and have won 17 of their last 18 games. Only three starters graduate, meaning Calvin Christian could be building for a run in 2014 as well.
MADISON HEIGHTS BISHOP FOLEY
Record/rank: 33-2-1, No. 1
Coach: Buster Sunde, fifth season (164-25-1)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic High School League AA
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2012 and 2011, Class B runner-up 1990.
Players to watch: Michael Murley, jr. CF/P; Chad Gravlin, sr. 1B/P; Garrett Schilling, jr. P/SS; Nathaniel Grys, soph. LF. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Despite graduating an Major League draft pick in catcher Brett Sunde, Bishop Foley hasn’t missed a beat – even with only two seniors on this season’s team. Bishop Foley earned impressive wins against bigger schools including Detroit Catholic Central and Brother Rice and didn’t give up a run in the District tournament.
WHITTEMORE-PRESCOTT
Record/rank: 24-5, unranked
Coach: Edward Mervyn, 34th season (566-385)
League finish: Second in Huron Shores Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Tyler Janish, sr. P (8-1, 0.86 ERA, 99 K pitching, .506, 61 R, 4 HR, 64 SB); Jens Gillings, jr. C (.424, 27 R, 31 RBI, 24 SB); Jordan Runyon, sr. 1B (.420, 34 RBI); Mike Arndt, soph. SS (.369, 39 R, 32 RBI, 41 SB).
Outlook: This is Whittemore-Prescott’s longest run ever and first trip to Bailey Park – and could be just the start of a two-year run with only three seniors in the lineup. The Cardinals have a supply of offense and scored at least 10 runs in 11 games this spring – with seven regulars stealing at least 10 bases and six driving in at least 20 runs. Junior Ivan Lauria joins Janish with an 8-1 pitching record.
Division 4
BEAL CITY
Record/rank: 34-2, No. 3
Coaches: Brad Antcliff, seventh season (225-39-3)
League finish: First in Highland Conference
Championship history: Three MHSAA championships (most recent 2010).
Players to watch: Ryan Marshall, sr. SS/P (8-1, 1.50 ERA pitching; .383, 34 R, 32 RBI, 23 SB); Ty Rollin, jr. SS/P (9-1, 1.22 ERA pitching, .389, 48 R, 24 SB); Joe Rau, sr. LF (.369, 35 R, 21 RBI); Chase Rollin, fr. RF (.473).
Outlook: Beal City is in the Semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons and seeking its third championship after winning back-to-back in 2009 and 2010. The slate has been impressive this spring; the Aggies own wins over Division 2 Semifinalist Remus Chippewa Hills and Division 4 No. 5 Muskegon Catholic Central and No. 7 Decatur over the last eight games. The losses came to No. 1 University Liggett and Division 2 No. 6 Bullock Creek.
GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT
Record/rank: 29-4, No. 1
Coach: Dan Cimini, 10th season (275-55)
League finish: First in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference
Championship history: Two MHSAA championships (most recent 2011), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Nathan Gaggin, sr. C/P (.507, 27 R, 6 HR, 50 RBI); Nicholas Azar, soph. SS (.416, 31 R, 6 HR, 39 RBI); Connor Fannon, sr. P/1B (10-1, 2.50 ERA, 79 K pitching, .409, 28 R, 43 RBI); Mark Evan Auk, sr. OF/P (.402, 36 R, 24 RBI).
Outlook: University Liggett was the runner-up last season and is playing for its third straight championship game appearance. The Knights are loaded with star power; Fannon was an all-stater as a sophomore and Gaggin, Azar and Auk were all-staters last season. Two of the last three postseason wins came against No. 10 Concord and No. 6 Royal Oak Shrine, and University Liggett also owns wins against No. 3 Beal City and Division 1 No. 6 Brother Rice.
MAPLE CITY GLEN LAKE
Record/rank: 28-7, No. 12
Coach: Kris Herman, 10th season (202-157-4)
League finish: Fourth in Northwest Conference
Championship history: Class D runner-up 1984.
Players to watch: Austin Odziana, soph. 1B/P (.459, 26 R, 12 2B, 23 RBI, 4-1 pitching); Thomas Waning, jr. 2B/P (8-4, 1.49 ERA, 110 K pitching, .424, 11 2B, 39 R, 33 RBI, 24 SB); Travis Moore, fr. OF/P (.422, 25 R, 34 RBI); Trevor Apsey, jr. C (.411, 40 R, 33 RBI, 20 SB),
Outlook: Glen Lake lost three of its final four regular-season games, but caught fire in the playoffs to advance to the Semifinals for the first time since 2001. The Lakers beat Suttons Bay after splitting right before the start of the postseason and beat No. 11 Frankfort in the Regional Final after being swept earlier this spring. Freshman Zach Cooper starts in right field and also is 7-1 pitching.
NEW LOTHROP
Record/rank: 25-5, unranked
Coach: Keith Villano, third season (80-18-2)
League finish: First in Genesee Area Conference Blue
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Taylor Quentin, fr. OF (.541, 15 2B, 46 RBI); Grant Steinborn, soph. 1B/P (9-0, 1.63 ERA pitching, .408, 33 RBI); Tyler Moore, sr. 2B/P (.400, 31 R); Kyle Chappelle, jr. 3B/P (.318, 22 RBI, 41 R).
Outlook: New Lothrop have built on last season’s Quarterfinal berth by returning to the Semifinals for the first time since 1998. The Hornets have outscored their postseason opponents by a combined 40-11. And the run is even more impressive considering the roster has more underclassmen (seven) than upperclassmen (six). Centerfielder Mitch Perizzolo hits .346 in joining with Moore as the team’s lone seniors.
PHOTO: Bay City Western senior Briton Ott fires a pitch during Tuesday's Division 1 Quarterfinal win over Rockford. (Click to see more at HighSchoolsSportsScene.com.)
Northville Slugger Makes Memorable Marks on Way to Pro Baseball Stardom
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 16, 2026
Dante’ Nori capped his high school baseball career in 2024 by leading Northville to the Division 1 championship – and cementing himself in the record book for a handful of individual accomplishments.
He finished his four seasons fourth all-time with 120 walks, fifth with 21 triples and 10th with 193 runs scored, plus is listed twice for single-season triples with a high of eight as a junior.
Nori was drafted in the first round of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and reached Class AA last season.
See below for several recently-added listings to the baseball record book, and click the heading to see the record book in full. Several more applications have been received and are in the process of being confirmed.
Baseball
A pair of Montague standouts made the records during the 2023 season . Then-senior Nick Moss was added for hitting safely in 13 straight at bats from May 6-16, and classmate Kade Johnson made the single-season triples list with seven. Moss is slated to play next at Milligan in Tennessee.
Niles Brandywine basketball standout Jamier Palmer made the record book as a junior in 2023 with 55 stolen bases, stole 52 a year later, and finished his four-year career with 177 (tied for third-most) among four record book career listings – he also had 154 runs, 26 times hit by pitches and a .464 average over 109 games. He was joined by senior Owen Hulett, who is listed for a 1.13 career ERA over three seasons. Hulett played at Lake Michigan College, and Palmer played baseball and basketball at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
White Cloud’s Alex Cruzan made getting hit by pitches a key way to get on base during his three-season varsity career that ended in 2023. He was twice added for the HBPs in a game as a senior and for 16 total that spring – plus 42 for his career, which ranks 12th all-time.
Alex Fenkell finished his Birmingham Groves career in 2022 on the career batting average list at .459 and also on the single-season triples list with eight as a junior. Those eight contributed to Groves making the team triples list with 20 that season, and they also stole 12 bases in a game that spring. Fenkell is continuing at Kalamazoo College.
Portage Northern was menacing on the basepaths during the 2023 season, stealing 182 bases over 32 games. That total tied for 11th-most for one season.
Thomas Fox had seven hits last season as a junior in 2023, but led Johannesburg-Lewiston with a .644 on-base percentage in part thanks to being hit by 35 pitches over 33 games. That set a single-season MHSAA record in the category, and he also was listed four times for three HBPs in one game – including in both halves of a doubleheader.
Farmington earned six total entries for stolen bases in 2024, led by then-senior Owen Matteson’s two for stealing six in one game and 56 total. Farmington also made the team record book with 16 stolen bases in a game twice and 170 for the season over 34 games. Matteson is continuing his career at Jackson College.
Algonac standout Josh Kasner finished his four-year varsity career in 2024 on the career wins list with a 33-5 record, on the career ERA list at 1.06 and on the career strikeouts list with 449 over 257 1/3 innings pitched. He appears on the single-season ERA list three times including with a career-best 0.59 as a senior, and was joined that season by teammate Bryce Simpson at 0.93. Teammate Cole Thaler also was added for being hit by three pitches in one game that spring. Kasner plays at Michigan, Simpson graduated in 2025 at plays at Wayne State and Thaler is a senior this school year. Algonac as a team also was added for a 37-4 record, 352 strikeouts and 1.47 ERA during the 2023 season.
Rudyard earned its first team record book entry on May 25, 2021, when the team stole 15 bases in a 7-4 win over Pickford. Seven players contributed to the total, which is tied for 15th all-time for a single game.
More than a half-century later, one of the most magnificent pitchers’ duels has taken its place in the record book. On June 6, 1969, Hamtramck St. Ladislaus defeated Detroit St. Hedwig 1-0 in 14 innings to decide a Catholic High School League championship at Tiger Stadium. Doug Konieczny struck out 28 for St. Ladislaus – that total ranking fourth all-time – and St. Hedwig’s Carey Wyler struck out 22. Wyler, a senior that season, also made the single-season ERA list with a 0.15 across 62 innings. Konieczny went on to play at St. Clair County Community College and was drafted by both the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros, the latter with the third overall pick in the 1971. He played four seasons with Houston.
Conor Rentfrow earned Brooklyn Columbia Central’s second baseball record book listing with 19 doubles in 2024. He’s a senior and committed to Taylor (Indiana).
Holt’s Mitchell Dubois became his program’s latest to reach the record book, pitching to a 0.69 ERA in 2024 over 61 1/3 innings. He graduated last spring and is playing at Spring Arbor.
Kingsley’s Garrett Martz found an additional way to pump up his on-base percentage as a junior in 2024. In addition to hitting .326, Martz was hit by pitches 19 times, which is tied for 15th-most for a single-season.
East Jordan’s Korbyn Russell finished his three-season varsity career this spring with six record book listings including some of the highest strikeout-per-game averages of all time. He had a 0.34 ERA as a senior and 1.14 ERA for his career, striking out 15.6 batters per game both as a junior and senior. He totaled 392 strikeouts over his three seasons and finished with an average of 13.9 strikeouts per game for his career, which ranks third all-time. He’ll continue his career at Aquinas.
Paw Paw earned its second and third listings in 2024 for being hit by pitch, on the team list with 49 over 35 games and with senior Jacob Major on the individual list with 30 over four seasons. Teammate Jake Hindenach made the single-season triples list with eight. Major is continuing at Lake Michigan College, and Hindenach at Kellogg Community College.
Frankfort’s Rylan Lewis was added for eight triples over 32 games in 2024 as a sophomore.
Millington made the team record book lists two straight seasons for stolen bases, swiping 169 over 31 games in 2024 and 170 over 40 games in 2023. Then-junior Truk Terbush made the individual list with 50 steals in 2023 and is continuing at Delta College.
Onsted’s Alex Schmidt tied for the 10th-most times being hit by a pitch last season, with 21 over 34 games as a senior in 2024.
Powers North Central’s Adrian Mercier completed a four-year varsity career in 2024 among the leaders in career batting average at .522, which ranks ninth. His .619 hit during his junior season, which continues to rank 10th all-time. He’s playing at Lakeland in Wisconsin.
Daniel Robinson had 76 hits for Grosse Pointe North in 2015, at the time ranking fifth and still tied for ninth-most all-time. A senior that season, he went on to play at Central Michigan and two seasons with Los Angeles Dodgers minor-league affiliates.
Schoolcraft’s Jacob Taylor finished sophomore year in 2024 tying for the fifth-most times hit by pitch during a season – 24 over 39 games. Now a senior, he will continue at Aquinas.
Flint Powers Catholic won the Division 2 championship in 2024 in part on the arm of Grant Garman, who capped a four-year varsity career with nine record book listings. He was 14-0 as a senior to make the single-season wins list and finished tied for fourth on the career wins list with 45. His 0.71 career ERA ranks fifth, and his 446 strikeouts over 284 innings rank 16th. He played at Oakland and will continue at Hawaii.
Fran Love earned Ann Arbor Greenhills’ first record book listing in this sport with a 0.81 ERA during the 2024 season, when he finished 7-1. He graduated last spring and plays at Alma College.
Ryan Zweng capped his four-year varsity career at Union City in 2024 on four career lists, with 175 hits, 159 runs, 131 RBI and 27 times hit by pitch over 134 games. He made the Division 3 all-state first team in 2024, his school’s first first-team all-state selection since 2000.
Bridgman’s Alec MacMartin added 26 more hit-by-pitches as a senior in 2024 for this third single-season listing in that category – and finished with a record 83 over three varsity seasons.
Ottawa Lake Whiteford ranked 13th for strikeouts as a team during the 2024 season. The Bobcats fanned 314 over 36 games.
Watervliet recent run of success has included a lot of success running the base paths, as the team was added for 222 stolen bases during its Division 3 championship season in 2024 and 208 stolen bases in 2023, with Wyatt Epple (121) and Chase Tremblay (112) both added to the individual stolen base career list for their four-year runs ending that title-winning spring. Epple also was added for 183 career hits, 182 career runs, 48 career doubles and 12 career triples. Travis Bolin was added for 13 career triples and 106 career stolen bases from 2010-13, which also included Watervliet as a team making the stolen bases list again with 214 in 2012. Epple is playing at Davenport, and Bolin played there as well.
Three Rivers’ Gabe Young made the single-game stolen bases list with five against Coldwater last April 17. He’s currently a junior. Plainwell’s Andrew Hampton also made the single-game stolen bases list, with seven against Sturgis on April 29 to tie for third-most in one game. He’s a senior. Jadn’ McGowen made the single-game stolen bases list for Wyandotte Roosevelt with six against Plymouth Christian Academy on April 4. He was a senior and is continuing at Madonna. Haslett’s Ayden Smith also was added for five stolen bases in his team’s win over Jackson Northwest on May 15. Smith has committed to continue at Henry Ford College after this upcoming season.
Stockbridge’s Jayden Pilch tied for third on the single game hit-by-pitch list, getting hit by three against Reading on May 1. The then-senior also made the single-season list with 21 HBPs over 31 games.
Richland Gull Lake ranked fourth all-time last spring in being hit by pitches 82 times. The Blue Devils finished 31-7.
Bangor’s Jaret McCoy stole 62 bases in 63 attempts in 2025 to tie for 10th-most steals. He’s a junior this school year. Wyoming’s Donnie Petree also made the single-season steals list last spring with 49 to cap his career.
Kingston’s Isaiah Helton’s dominance on the mound resulted in some of the most impressive strikeout numbers in MHSAA history. He posted 456 strikeouts in 222 1/3 innings from 2021-24, making the career total strikeouts list but also the career strikeouts per game list at 14.4. He made the single-season strikeouts per game list as both a junior (15.95) and senior (16.15).
Napoleon’s Collin Bradley completed his four-year varsity career in 2019 all over the record book on the way to finishing with a 36-6 career pitching record. He had eight shutouts over his career, including three no-hitters as a senior, and made ERA lists at 0.23 as a senior and 1.59 for his career. He also totaled 20 strikeouts in a seven-inning game, 15.8 per game as a senior, and 364 for his career. He went on to play at Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State. Younger brother Grant Bradley earned seven record book listings during his career from 2021-24, including for eight shutouts, five no-hitters, a career 1.61 ERA and 845 strikeouts over 226 2/3 innings pitched. Grant Bradley is continuing at Michigan.
Hudsonville batters were hit by pitches 99 times over 41 games last spring, the second-highest total in MHSAA baseball history. Braylon Miller made the individual list with 16; he’s a senior this school year.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s Grady Pieratt earned nine record book listings over his four seasons and 149 games ending last spring, including a few of the highest in their respective categories. He finished third in career runs with 238, sixth in career hits at 210, second in career stolen bases with 178, and tied for 11th with 17 career triples, including 11 (tying for sixth-most for a season) as a senior. His 60 stolen bases as a junior tied for 12th on that list. Teammate Connor Stempky was added for 158 career runs, 140 career RBI and 98 career walks from 2021-24, and Aidan Halliday was added for 141 career RBI also from 2021-24. Pieratt is playing at Alma College, and Halliday plays football at Northwood.
Benji Allen finished his Maple City Glen Lake career last spring with 11 record book listings including for a .500 career average, 150 career runs scored, 48 times hit by pitch (ranking seventh) and a career ERA of 1.63. He was joined by teammate Cooper Bufalini, who was added for 44 times hit by pitch and a 1.10 career ERA; both played from 2022-25. Peter Gelsinger was added for being hit by pitches 33 times during the same career tenure, while Isaac Hlavka was added for a 0.99 ERA this past season. Glen Lake also was added several times for team record categories, and coach Kris Herman was added to the all-time wins list with a record of 504-242-8 since 2005. Allen is playing football at Grand Valley State.
PHOTO Northville’s Dante Nori (6) turns on a pitch during his team’s 2024 Division 1 championship game win over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice.