Preview: Contenders Predicted & Unexpected to Converge at Baseball Finals
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 13, 2023
This weekend’s MHSAA Baseball Semifinals & Finals at Michigan State’s McLane Stadium will present the usual mix of highly-ranked contenders and a surprise or two in three of the four playoff divisions.
And then there’s the phenomenon that’s played out in Division 1 over the last two weeks.
All four remaining challengers among the state’s largest baseball schools entered the postseason unranked. They then navigated a path that saw every top-20 team eliminated on the way to the final three games of the season.
Three more unranked teams – two in Division 4 and a third in Division 3 – also will play this weekend, while top-ranked contenders Grand Rapids Christian in Division 2 and Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett in Division 3 anchor those brackets and a pair of top-four teams fill half the remaining Division 4 field.
Division 1 – Thursday
Brownstown Woodhaven vs. Macomb Dakota, 9 a.m.
Novi vs. Mattawan, 11:30 a.m.
Division 2 – Friday
Grand Rapids Christian vs. Flint Powers Catholic, 9 a.m.
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett vs. Ada Forest Hills Eastern, 11:30 a.m.
Division 3 – Thursday
Algonac vs. Lansing Catholic, 2:30 p.m.
Bridgman vs. Standish-Sterling, 5 p.m.
Division 4 – Friday
Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep vs. Beal City, 2:30 p.m.
Rudyard vs. Plymouth Christian Academy, 5 p.m.
FINALS – Saturday
Division 1 – 9 a.m.
Division 2 – 2:30 p.m.
Division 3 – 11:30 a.m.
Division 4 – 5 p.m.
Tickets cost $11 and may be purchased online only at GoFan. One ticket is good for all baseball, softball and girls soccer games at MSU’s Old College Field that day. All Semifinals and Finals will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv, with free audio broadcasts on the MHSAA Network.
Below is a glance at all 16 teams taking the field:
Division 1
BROWNSTOWN WOODHAVEN
Record/rank: 31-11, unranked
Coach: Corey Farner, eighth season
League finish: Second in Downriver League
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2018.
Players to watch: Jacob Wright, jr. OF/P (.375, 30 R, 10 2B, 25 RBI, 13 SB, 1.76 ERA); Gary Pilgrim, jr. OF/C (.328, 40 R, 26 SB); Jace Davis, soph. IF (.322, 16 SB); Evan Langlois, sr. P/IF (.301, 26 RBI, 7-2 pitching, 0.96 ERA, 96 K/65 1/3 IP).
Outlook: Woodhaven has won 20 of its last 22 games and reached 30 victories total for the fourth time in five seasons. The latest streak has included a playoff win over No. 15 Allen Park and regular-season victory over Division 2 No. 17 Trenton – the former avenging a regular-season sweep and the latter completing one. Senior Tyler Harris (7-2, 1.45 ERA) and junior Jimmy Chwalek (3-0, 1.65) also have done good work on the mound, and senior Nick Phillips (.323) brings another potent bat slotting third in the lineup.
MACOMB DAKOTA
Record/rank: 26-12-2, unranked
Coach: Angelo Plouffe, first season
League finish: Second in Macomb Area Conference Red
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Charlie Chmielewski, sr. IF (.386, 27 RBI); Alex Kavalick, sr. C (.414, 12 2B, 37 RBI); Brendan Borowicz, sr. OF (.446, 24 SB); Will DeMasse, sr. IF/P (.397, 30 RBI, 5-2 pitching).
Outlook: Dakota nearly reached its first Final during its most recent Semifinals trip in 2019, losing in extra innings, and a senior-dominated lineup has the Cougars back riding a run that’s included wins over No. 11 Sterling Heights Stevenson, a spoiler in Lake Orion and 2021 champion Grand Blanc. The anticipated hitting lineup this weekend includes seven seniors. Junior Landon Moore adds a .375 average, team-high 33 runs and 17 stolen bases, and sophomore pitcher Brendan Przybycki is 6-0 with a 1.64 ERA this spring.
MATTAWAN
Record/rank: 25-11-1, unranked
Coach: Brett Vaughn, second season (50-24-1)
League finish: Seventh in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Brendan Garza, jr. P/IF (.321, 26 R, 29 RBI, 18 SB, 8-2 pitching, 1.52 ERA, 91 K/60 IP); Connor Walsh, jr. SS (.379, 34 R, 17 SB); Connor Cole, sr. OF (.343, 32 R, 18 SB); Josh DeJong, jr. P (7-0 pitching, 1.10 ERA).
Outlook: Mattawan might seem like a surprise heading to East Lansing, but the Wildcats played a loaded regular-season schedule and have outscored six playoff opponents by a combined 58-7. That started with a 23-3 District win over No. 17 Portage Northern, which avenged a regular-season sweep, and included a Regional win over No. 6 Zeeland East. Mattawan also has victories over No. 11 Sterling Heights Stevenson and Division 2 No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian, No. 2 Stevensville Lakeshore and No. 8 Forest Hills Eastern. Senior Aiden Warn (.340, 30 R, 31 RBI) is another top hitter in the middle of the lineup.
NOVI
Record/rank: 30-8, unranked
Coach: Rick Green, 23rd season (513-304)
League finish: Fifth in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Championship history: Class C runner-up 1973.
Players to watch: Jonathan Aurilia, soph. OF/P (.446, 18 SB); Brendon Bennett, jr. P/1B (.406, 30 RBI, 6-2 pitching), Andrew Abler, sr. P/1B (.333, 7-3 pitching, 1.02 ERA); Thad Lawler, jr. OF/P (7-0 pitching, 0.74 ERA)
Outlook: Novi won its first Regional title since Green’s first season in 2000 and will play in its first Semifinal since 1973 – and despite having only three seniors toppled No. 3 Northville, No. 16 Hartland and No. 7 Battle Creek Lakeview over its last three games. The Wildcats had split with Hartland and were swept by Northville during the regular season. Sophomore Jaden Vondrasek (.327, 13 SB) and junior Boden Fernsler (.323, 16 SB) also are capable of causing some discomfort on the base paths, and senior Alex Czapski (5-1, 1.72 ERA) is another top contributor from a deep pitching staff.
Division 2
ADA FOREST HILLS EASTERN
Record/rank: 32-8, No. 8
Coach: Ian Hearn, eighth season (203-75)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2022.
Players to watch: Max Ferrick, soph. OF/P (.395, 35 R, 11 2B, 37 RBI, 12 SB); Brendan Thompson, soph. IF (.362, 38 R, 31 RBI, 19 SB); Matt Stotts, jr. C/IF (.380, 37 RBI); Jacob Pallo, sr. P/IF (.339, 11 SB, 10-0 pitching, 0.49 ERA, 70 K/57 IP).
Outlook: Five starters return from last season’s championship game lineup – Thompson, Ferrick, Pallo, Stotts and senior outfielder Collin Fridsma (.300, 42 R, 25 SB). Senior Evan Tower (.365) provides another big bat, with senior Walker Brockie (8-0, 0.95 ERA) and sophomore Landen Lindley (6-2, 2.17 ERA) able to step in strongly on the mound as well. This playoff run has included a pair of 2-0 Regional shutouts of No. 5 Bay City John Glenn and No. 16 Allendale. Hearn total has won 635 games over 25 seasons and also led Rockford to the Division 1 title in 2011.
FLINT POWERS CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 33-8-2, No. 4
Coach: Tom Dutkowski, 41st season (836-530-10)
League finish: Third in Saginaw Valley League
Championship history: Class B champion 1980 and 1974.
Players to watch: Grant Garman, jr. P/1B (.450, 23 RBI, 12-1 pitching, 0.43 ERA, 116 K/65 2/3 IP); Isaac Sturgess, jr. OF/P (.402, 52 R, 11 2B, 44 RBI, 13 SB, 5-2 pitching, 1.12 ERA); Connor Kelly, jr. SS/P (.396, 34 R, 40 RBI, 5-2 pitching, 1.00 ERA); Gavin Darling, jr. 3B (.357, 12 2B, 25 RBI, 10 SB).
Outlook: Garman and Sturgess both made the all-state first team last season and headline a contender that starts only two seniors as it makes its first Semifinal trip since 1984. The Chargers put up an impressive 43 runs over their first five postseason games, with senior Jack Dawley (.398, 32 R, 26 RBI, 14 SB) and juniors Luke Dupuis (.386, 31 R) and Fischer Hendershot (.396, 25 RBI) also among team offensive leaders. Dutkowski is tied for eighth among winningest baseball coaches in state history.
GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 34-5, No. 1
Coach: Brent Gates, 11th season (296-87)
League finish: First in O-K White
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2013), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Cam Seth, sr. IF/P (.370, 38 R, 22 SB, 4-3 pitching, 1.90 ERA); Ty Uchman, sr. IF/P (.482, 48 R, 9 3B, 52 RBI, 17 SB, 8-0 pitching, 1.50 ERA); Kyle Remington, sr. IF/P (.435, 59 R, 12 2B, 28 RBI, 26 SB, 9-0 pitching); Jackson Isaacs, jr. OF (.380, 43 R, 41 RBI, 26 SB).
Outlook: Grand Rapids Christian finished Division 2 runner-up last season and returns seven starters this weekend from that championship game lineup including pitcher Seth. Remington and Isaacs made the all-state first team last spring, the former now one of six seniors in this weekend’s anticipated starting lineup. The Eagles followed up a Regional Final win over No. 2 Stevensville Lakeshore on Saturday with a Quarterfinal victory over No. 11 Olivet, putting up double-digits in the latter – Christian’s 17th game this season scoring 10 runs or more.
GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT
Record/rank: 25-11, No. 3
Coach: Dan Cimini, 17th season (513-137)
League finish: Third in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2021), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jarren Purify, sr. SS (.446, 43 R, 14 2B, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 24 SB); Reggie Sharpe, jr. 2B/P (.395, 32 R, 11 SB, 5-2 pitching, 2.80 ERA); Oliver Service, sr. C (.392, 38 R, 10 2B, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 12 SB); Preston Barr, jr. P (.347, 35 RBI, 5-1 pitching, 1.47 ERA).
Outlook: After winning the Division 3 championship in 2021 and losing in last year’s District to eventual runner-up Detroit Edison, Liggett made the jump to Division 2 this spring and has as much star power as any team playing this weekend. Purify made the all-state first team last season and will continue at Clemson, Service made the all-state second team and will continue at Texas, and senior Jack Jones will play next for Michigan State. Senior Jake Martin is another key bat (.320, 31 RBI), and senior Joey Randazzo (7-3, 3.00 ERA) is expected to take the hill for the Semifinal.
Division 3
ALGONAC
Record/rank: 36-3, No. 1
Coach: Scott Thaler, seventh season (142-85-6)
League finish: First in Blue Water Area Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Brandon Williams, sr. OF (.348, 34 RBI); Tyler Schultz, sr. IF/C (.397, 42 R, 30 RBI, 17 SB); Evan Saddler, jr. C/OF (.321, 48 R, 31 SB); Josh Kasner, jr. P/IF (.378, 51 R, 37 RBI, 21 SB, 10-0 pitching, 0.68 ERA, 130 K/72 IP).
Outlook: Algonac is making its first trip to the Semifinals thanks in part to a 5-3 Regional Final win over No. 4 Ecorse, and with its only losses to ranked teams in Division 2. The Muskrats have a returning all-state first-team ace in Kasner, but plenty of pitching to fill out the weekend as well with sophomore Bryce Simpson (6-0, 1.18 ERA) and seniors Andrew Thomason (8-1, 1.56) and Noah Maniaci (5-0, 1.82) also in the rotation this spring. Four players have at least 20 stolen bases, and the team has 149 total – one shy of making the MHSAA record book.
BRIDGMAN
Record/rank: 31-9, No. 16
Coach: Justin Hahaj, 11th season (218-107)
League finish: Second in Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore
Championship history: Class D champion 1987, two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Alec MacMartin, jr. P/SS (.349, 50 R, 27 RBI, 10 SB, 11-2 pitching, 1.99 ERA, 73 K/70 1/3 IP); Reid Haskins, sr. OF/P (.411, 46 R, 27 RBI, 32 SB, 5-1 pitching, 1.07 ERA); Charlie Pagel, soph. 1B/P (.398, 34 R, 15 2B, 43 RBI, 7-4 pitching, 2.42 ERA); Cooper Allwood, fr. 3B (.409, 34 R, 28 RBI).
Outlook: The Bees are a combined 84-20 over the last three seasons and making their first Semifinal trip since 2013 while on a string of 16 wins over their last 17 games. They have three one-run victories during the tournament, including 10-9 over No. 15 Niles Brandywine in the District Final. Eight of 13 players are seniors; the other five are sophomores and freshmen. Sophomore Wade Haskins (.398, 30 R, 35 RBI) and senior Tanner Peters (.347) also help fill out a potent lineup.
LANSING CATHOLIC
Record/rank: 23-5, No. 8
Coach: Randy Farlin, seventh season (95-42-1)
League finish: First in Capital Area Activities Conference White
Championship history: Class C champion 1996, Division 3 runner-up 2012.
Players to watch: Drew Tolfre, soph. P/OF (8-0 pitching, 0.52 ERA); Daniel Shipman, sr. P/IF/OF (.458); Drew Diehl, jr. P/C (7-2 pitching, 1.11 ERA); Drew Burlingame, sr. P/C (.352).
Outlook: Lansing Catholic is making its first Semifinals trip since the runner-up season of 2012, having navigated an impressive set of playoff opponents including No. 4 North Muskegon, No. 12 Pewamo-Westphalia, No. 14 Watervliet and No. 20 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian. The Cougars also swept No. 10 Jackson Lumen Christi during the regular season and have won 12 of their last 13 games.
STANDISH-STERLING
Record/rank: 29-14, unranked
Coach: Ryan Raymond, seventh season (169-64-3)
League finish: Second in Tri-Valley Conference Blue
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Cody Bartlett, sr. P/OF (6-1 pitching, 0.88 ERA); Brayden Schabel, sr. OF (.364); Sam Briggs, soph. P/OF (.398, 44 R, 19 2B, 62 RBI, 8-0 pitching, 1.01 ERA, 73 K/55 1/3 IP); Cooper Prout, jr. IF/P (.485, 39 RBI, 5-0 pitching, 1.17 ERA).
Outlook: In its first Semifinal last season since 1976, Standish-Sterling went to extra innings – and the Panthers will return trying to make a first championship game despite graduating three all-state first teamers from that lineup. They earned the opportunity by defeating No. 9 Charlevoix in the Regional Final and No. 13 Gladstone in the Quarterfinal, and they entered the postseason coming off a split with Division 2 No. 5 Bay City John Glenn. This team has only four seniors total, but high hopes beyond this weekend with four sophomores and two freshmen in the expected lineup.
Division 4
BEAL CITY
Record/rank: 29-8, No. 4
Coach: Brad Antcliff, 11th season (337-72-5)
League finish: First in Highland Conference
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jack Fussman, sr. OF (.484, 50 R, 45 RBI, 25 SB); Blake Walcutt, fr. OF (.342, 34 R, 28 RBI, 14 SB); Cayden Smith, jr. P/SS (.400, 54, 36 SB, 5-2 pitching, 1.66 ERA); Josh Wilson, jr. P/1B (.466, 41 R, 11 2B, 48 RBI, 15 SB, 7-3 pitching, 2.01 ERA).
Outlook: Last season’s runner-up is led again by two-time championship-winning coach Antcliff, who directed the program from 2007-16 and returned this spring. The Aggies graduated five all-state honorees a year ago but did return Wilson, who joined four teammates on the first team last season. He’s second only to Fussman as Beal City has a .334 team batting average, and Aggies have put up a combined 53 runs over five postseason wins while giving up just four. That’s made more impressive given three of those wins were over No. 3 Fowler, No. 11 Maple City Glen Lake and No. 12 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.
KALAMAZOO HACKETT CATHOLIC PREP
Record/rank: 24-14-1, unranked
Coach: Smiley Verduzco, third season (76-34-1)
League finish: Tied for third in SAC Valley
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2021.
Players to watch: Brooks Basler, soph. P/3B (5-4 pitching, 0.88 ERA); Andrew Rann, jr. 1B (.408, 36 RBI); Nick Verduzco, sr. SS (.525, 55 R, 19 2B, 42 RBI, 48 SB); Eli Backman, jr. IF (.415, 51 R, 31 SB).
Outlook: The 2021 champion didn’t advance past its first District game a year ago but stormed back this spring with a run that’s included victories over No. 6 Decatur and No. 20 Byon Center Zion Christian. The Irish ended this regular season losing three of their final four games, but have rebounded to outscore their five postseason opponents by a combined 45-10. Nick Verduzco made the all-state first team last season and will play next at Ashland; he’s one of only three seniors in the starting lineup. The team’s 183 stolen bases – and the Irish have been caught just 13 times – rank 11th all-time.
PLYMOUTH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY
Record/rank: 33-7, No. 2
Coach: Joe Bottorff, 16th season (221-117-2)
League finish: First in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Noah Etnyre, sr. C/IF/P (.540, 48 R, 22 2B, 46 RBI); Tyler Scott, soph. P/OF (.388, 28 RBI, 9-0 pitching, 0.80 ERA, 70 K/52 2/3 IP); Jordan Scott, sr. P/IF/OF (.496, 37 R, 12 2B, 54 RBI, 11-2 pitching, 1.97 ERA, 100 K/64 IP); Riley Brodhagen, sr. P/OF (.252, 34 R, 6-1 pitching, 1.26 ERA).
Outlook: After winning a sixth-straight District title and second Regional title over the last five seasons, Plymouth Christian will make its first trip to the Semifinals thanks to defeating No. 16 Royal Oak Shrine Catholic in a Quarterfinal. Etnyre made the all-state second team as a catcher last season and is one of five senior starters. Sophomore Micah Lavigne (.330, 32 R) and freshman Luke Janigian (.329, 26 R) are two more key bats at the bottom of the lineup; Lavigne also is 5-0 on the mound.
RUDYARD
Record/rank: 19-19, unranked
Coach: Billy Mitchell, third season (56-38)
League finish: Third in Straits Area Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Aiden Bickel, jr. IF/P (.458, 37 R, 32 SB, 6-2 pitching, 3.76 ERA); Kallan Lawlor, jr. OF/P (.299, 26 R, 18 SB); Cam Peterson, jr. IF/P (.450, 33 R, 29 RBI, 29 SB); Landen Mayer, jr. IF/P (.380, 31 R, 23 RBI, 24 SB).
Outlook: Rudyard is making a second-straight trip to the Semifinals, but this one was a little unexpected after graduating three all-state honorees and entering the postseason at 14-19. Nearly all of those losses came to larger schools including a handful from Divisions 1 and 2, and during the playoffs the Bulldogs have eliminated top-ranked Indian River Inland Lakes, No. 7 Painesdale Jeffers and No. 19 Mackinaw City. Peterson made the all-state second team last season and hits third in a lineup with just one senior.
PHOTO Novi’s Andrew Krummer takes a lead off first during his team’s Quarterfinal win Saturday over Battle Creek Lakeview. (Photo by Terry Lyons.)
Despite Annual Early-Season Challenges, Northern Teams Carve Space Among Contenders
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
June 4, 2025
It may be 35 years later, but whenever Brian Endres touches base with old Traverse City St. Francis baseball teammates, the conversations invariably turn to one unpleasant topic.
They still wonder how they survived Michigan's brutal early spring ballgames played in temperatures which barely crept over the freezing mark, while wearing a sweatshirt beneath their uniforms offered little help or when a hitter prayed he wouldn't take a fastball off the handle of his bat.
They remember games played in a cold rain, dodging swirling snowflakes and trying to survive blustery, bone-chilling winds.
It's a wonder, the players reminisce now, how they ever shivered through baseball in northern Michigan in April.
"You just never knew about the weather," said Endres, a senior outfielder on the 1990 Traverse City St. Francis team that defeated Climax-Scotts 7-6 to win the Class D title. "You never knew what you'd have to deal with. You just took note of it and played; it was part of the game. You would get to a game and it'd be pouring rain, but you played because it was tough to find a day to squeeze in a game. It was always tough to get in a flow."
Getting in a flow of a northern Michigan baseball season is a slow process which begins with the official start of practice in gyms – this season kicking off March 10.
While teams in southern Michigan will enjoy a handful of days when they can escape outside to practice, teams in the northern part of the state are confined to limited drills in often undersized gymnasiums. It's not uncommon, coaches say, that the first time getting outside coincides with the team's opening game.
Until teams finally step on a baseball field, coaches prioritize fundamentals, utilize drop-down indoor batting cages, round pitching arms into shape, roll ground balls in carpeted school hallways, conduct Wiffle ball home run derbies and even teach seminars on how to score a baseball game just to break up the monotony. Some coaches even bring umpires into the gym during practices to help players sharpen their batting eyes.
Coaches say finding a variety of work to keep ballplayers interested after they've chased Wiffle around a gymnasium for a month is an annual challenge.
"We maximize every space," current St. Francis coach Tom Passinault said. "You're in small gyms so you have to be creative. But it's tough."
Maple City Glen Lake coach Kris Herman, who recently won his 500th game, has witnessed high school baseball from both a downstate perspective and from coaching in the north. A former assistant for legendary Blissfield coach Larry Tuttle, Herman said he's had teams which can't get outside for the first eight weeks of the season. Herman recalls one season when the team didn't open until May 1 and a game where the team played in rain, sun and snow – at the same time. His team has been snowed out as late as May 10.
Herman said being stuck in a gym when southern teams have already been outside gaining valuable work in for several weeks can get old.
"I tell people we are the best bunt-scrimmage team in America," Herman said. "Everyone is used to it, but we still grumble. Nobody wants to play an outdoor sport indoors. What you want is for things to be in place for when there is good weather."
Former St. Francis coach Craig Bauer, who brought baseball to that school in 1979 then won that Class D title 11 years later, said northern coaches have the same goals and priorities as southern Michigan coaches, but those ideas must be implemented along a different timeline. He said northern teams often have a couple of credible pitchers, but can use inside time to find up 4-6 more arms. Batting cages and hitting machines are helpful, but because of a hitter's timing, can only mimic live pitching to a certain level.
The only true solution is getting outside, which doesn't happen until mid-April – and that's with a seasonable spring.
"The weather is continually a factor. It's usually well into April when you're getting out for the first time," Bauer said. "Sometimes your opening game is the first time you've got outside. But you get into a season and make do."
It's even worse for the smattering of Upper Peninsula teams. Rudyard coach Billy Mitchell, the 2023 Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, said it's a major challenge trying to field a program north of the Mackinac Bridge. In fact, it may sound crazy, but when it comes to besting horrible weather, ignorance is bliss, Mitchell said.
"Weather plays a big factor," he said. "But the players don't know any different. They know Rudyard wants to play the best competition, and we have to travel to do it. A lot of northern schools, whether it's just the school (philosophy) or the administration, they don't play a lot of games. We try to load up on games."
With this year's 44th MHSAA Tournament underway – and set to conclude June 14 at Michigan State’s McLane Stadium – the question arises how northern Michigan teams have fared since the first in 1971. If you define "northern" schools as ones located north of the east/west M-55 corridor from Manistee in the west through Cadillac to Tawas City in the east, only four schools – Cheboygan Catholic Central (1973-74), Mesick (1982), Traverse City St. Francis (1990) and Hillman (1992, 1994, 1997)) – have won MHSAA Finals championships.
Granted, there have been myriad near-misses by northern teams such as the 1981 Mesick team which lost 1-0 to Reading in the Class D Final, or the 2017 and 2021 Traverse City St. Francis clubs that lost in Division 3 championship games. Frankfort finished second in Class D in 1978 and 1979, losing those two Finals 4-1 and 4-3, respectively. Gaylord St. Mary was the Class D runner-up in 1988 and 1989.
Considering that tournament history, a natural question arises as to whether northern teams are at a disadvantage, even though the tournament doesn't start until late May. Coaches don't necessarily have a definitive answer, but most believe their programs have caught up to the rest of the state in terms of games by District time.
Numbers bear that out. For instance, according to the May 14 MHSBCA poll, the top eight ranked teams in Division 1 have played an average of 28 games while the same number of ranked Division 2 teams have averaged 24. The seven Division 3 and 4 schools considered "northern" schools ranked in the polls have averaged 23 games this season.
While competition and a challenging schedule are factors in postseason success, coaches believe they're on par with downstate schools by June 1.
"By May we're playing good baseball, we can compete with teams downstate," Herman said. "(The MHSAA Semifinals) is absolutely a goal, and you should be shooting for the ultimate goal. But if you don't make it, you're still satisfied by how far you got. We're got environmental things to work around, but we're starting to build programs up here and people are enthusiastic about it."
Passinault said scheduling plays a major factor. To compensate for the weather, St. Francis travels south to Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Lansing and even Detroit for games. When the weather improves, the schedule changes to playing teams closer to Traverse City.
"We're caught up by then," said Passinault, whose team once won 53 consecutive Lake Michigan Conference games. "I've never heard anyone up here say we can't win."
Bauer and former Mesick coach James Linna say winning a championship can come down to a single, Cinderella-type season where all the chips fall into place. Considering that many northern schools are among the smallest in the state, most of the programs get only a single, once-in-a-generation shot at a championship.
For instance, Bauer recalls the 1990 team getting a couple of key transfers, a freshman and a junior who had played in southern Michigan and who became the starting shortstop and second baseman. The team relied on a deep bench, benefitted from playing only two games against Class C and D teams, and had a powerful lineup that combined to hit nearly .350 for the season while scoring a combined 14 runs across the Semifinal and Final games.
"All the cards fell together," Bauer said.
Linna, now 90 years old, actually had two once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. The 1981 Mesick club lost in the Finals before going 30-0-1 with a tie against Frankfort en route to the Class D championship the next season.
"We had pretty decent weather that year and once it was warm, it was so much easier to play by late April," said Linna, who coached from 1967-98. "But you've still got to have the players to win. We had kids who wanted to play and win, and I wasn't going to hold them back.
"But we just don't have the same weather that the teams in the south have, and that makes for a difficult time. Put it this way: Upper Michigan teams have to deal with disadvantages more than southern teams. They definitely have an advantage, but we hang in there."
Like Traverse City St. Francis, Mitchell said Rudyard will travel south early to play games, a choice that ultimately helps a program at tournament time. Rudyard plays at places such as Mount Pleasant, Alpena, Gaylord and Cheboygan – basically utilizing the I-75 corridor – to strengthen its schedule. That's much of what Mitchell credits for four District and two Regional titles and two Semifinals trips since 2020.
"It's like being a college team," he said. "You go south early and play, come back home to practice, then go south again. People look at us and see an Upper Peninsula team, but our goal is to make it to Michigan State.
"Just because we're a U.P. team, that doesn't hold us back."
PHOTOS (Top) Traverse City St. Francis players hold up a banner after clinching the 1990 Class D baseball title at Battle Creek’s Bailey Park. (2) Maple City Glen Lake players gather around coach Kris Herman to celebrate his 400th victory during the 2022 season. (3) Rudyard’s Eli Sprague, left, fist-bumps his first-base coach during a 2023 Division 4 Semifinal. (4) The Mesick baseball team won the 1982 Class D title. (St. Francis and Glen Lake photos are courtesy of those respective programs’ past/current coaches.)