Moment: Sophomore Scores for Seniors
April 30, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Few upperclassmen receive the opportunity to make the memories Luke McLean made as a sophomore on the Rockford baseball team last season.
But at the end, he was just hoping to do his part to make more for the seniors who led the Rams to the Division 1 Baseball Semifinals at McLane Stadium.
McLean, batting fifth and playing third base, helped Rockford deadlock Macomb Dakota 2-2 after six innings on June 13. McLean then moved to the mound, where he threw two scoreless innings – and received the win after also sprinting home to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.
The run, making the final score 3-2, was the second scored by McLean on the day. He also struck out two and allowed just one hit over his two innings throwing in relief as Rockford moved on to the Division 1 Final.
McLean reached base in the eighth with his lone hit on the day. After advancing to second on a fielder’s choice, he took off for third on teammate Owen Cairns’ hopper through the grass in front of third base. McLean circled around the bag and took off for home on the throw trying to get Cairns at first, and slid safely ahead of the throw attempting to beat him to the plate.
“All that was going through my mind was my seniors,” McLean said moments after his winning sprint. “I was playing for them. I really wanted to play for them in the state championship, and I was just busting my tail down that line to score.”
Although Rockford went on to fall in the Final to Portage Northern, it was the Rams’ second championship game appearance and first since 2011.
Check out coverage of the Semifinal from Second Half and see below for Rockford’s winning score from the NFHS Network.
Hackett Catholic Prep Closes Spring with Dream Finish
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 19, 2021
EAST LANSING – Stephen Kwapis is headed off to Notre Dame next season to play baseball at his dream school.
The Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep senior captain couldn’t leave high school without helping make another dream come true.
The Irish built an early lead and never looked back en route to defeating Marine City Cardinal Mooney 9-2 in Saturday’s Division 4 Final at Michigan State’s McLane Stadium.
“It’s unreal,” said a wide-eyed and giddy Kwapis, who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
“I’ve been dreaming about this for my whole life, and for it to actually happen ... it hasn’t hit me yet, honestly. I can’t believe that just happened.”
It was the first Finals win in school history for Hackett baseball, which reached the championship game for the first time.
Hackett (31-9) scored at least one run in each of the first four innings and received stellar pitching from senior Sam Shea and junior reliever Brenden Collins.
“It’s surreal to watch these boys accomplish this,” Irish first-year coach Smiley Verduzco said. “They worked so hard, and it’s all about the boys. We’ve had some really tough games, and this was a really good baseball team that we beat. To be able to do this is very special for these young men.”
Shea and Collins combined to limit Mooney to only four hits while striking out seven.
“They’ve been good all year, and to step on this stage and to come through like that is very special,” Verduzco said.
Shea wasn’t slated to pitch in the Final after starting the Semifinal. However, the lineup’s big first inning Friday against Glen Lake allowed him to return after throwing only 23 pitches.
“I’m thankful that I was able to pitch in the last game because I didn’t think that would happen,” Shea said. “It was unbelievable to pitch in the championship game, and it was super important to get those early runs so we could calm down and play our usual baseball.”
Kwapis had a strong belief in his team’s ability to make a postseason run. He said it was apparent early due to the tight-knit bond.
“I knew the brotherhood that this team had, and that’s what made this team so special,” he said. “We all came together at the beginning of the year, and I just knew by the way we played that we could make it happen.”
Hackett’s bats were pivotal throughout the tournament, scoring 71 runs over its seven postseason games.
Isaac Backman also had two hits for Hackett, while Eli Backman and Steven Widger each had a hit and two RBI.
The Irish went ahead 2-0 in the first inning after a Kwapis RBI single and sacrifice fly from Shea.
They extended their lead to 8-1 after four innings.
“They came out hacking,” Mooney coach Mike Rice said. “They were hitting the ball, and we haven’t been squared up like that in a while. We tried our best and gave it our all, but at the end of the day they out-hit us and we made some defensive mistakes.”
Mooney, also making its first Final appearance, committed four errors on the day and left 10 runners on base.
The Cardinals ended the season with a 28-7 overall record.
PHOTOS: (Top) Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep players raise their championship trophy Saturday night at McLane Stadium. (Middle) Sam Shea charges hard to make a catch in right field.