Schoolcraft Hopes Hoops Title Experience Feeds Another Deep Diamond Run
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
April 26, 2022
SCHOOLCRAFT — Accompanied by fire trucks and greeted by friends and families, the Schoolcraft boys basketball team arrived back in town last month on a state basketball championship high.
But several athletes did not have much time to celebrate.
Eight of those players are also on the Eagles baseball team, and coach Scott Muffley found his guys a bit behind schedule to start the season.
“I’m very excited for them, but one thing (the extended basketball season) did for us, we’re trying to build our pitch counts up with our pitchers and if we didn’t throw a lot during the wintertime, we’re kinda behind schedule,” he said.
“It does affect what we do on the mound and getting guys the number of reps.”
Two of those hoopsters, Luke Housler and first-team all-stater Tyler DeGroote, are the only seniors on a young baseball squad. Another, Eli DeVisser, is one of only two juniors, with Austin Jones.
“I’ve got some freshmen. I’ve got many, many, many sophomores, like two juniors and two seniors,” Muffley said.
On the plus side, “I’ve got a great group of guys, and they brought the love of the game back for me again.”
DeGroote, Housler and DeVisser were also on the baseball team that made the Division 3 Regional Finals last year in spite of starting the postseason with a losing record. The Eagles lost 4-0 to Pewamo-Westphalia in their Regional Final.
All three athletes said they hope to use that experience plus the hoops success to take the baseball team even farther.
With the Michigan weather impacting the schedule, the Eagles have played just four games so far, posting a 2-2 record after a Monday defeat at Paw Paw.
“We know how tight-knit the (basketball) team was,” Housler said. “There was a camaraderie with the team.
“I’m hoping to carry that team chemistry over (to baseball) with the eight guys from the basketball team. That’s what it takes to win a championship.”
Switching from the fast-paced basketball competition to baseball was not difficult, Housler said.
“Basketball is fast-paced, but I played baseball my whole life,” he said. “There’s a picture on the wall at my house of me holding a baseball when I was 2 years old.”
DeGroote said that even though a few of the eight did not see minutes in the championship basketball game, they still should help the baseball team based on their hoops experience.
Schoolcraft’s basketball run concluded with a 55-39 win over 2021 Division 3 champion Flint Beecher in the Semifinal, followed by a 59-49 victory over Menominee in the title game at Breslin Center.
“We all know how to win; we all know how to buy into something,” he said. “Maybe some of those kids didn’t get any minutes in the game, but they really helped us out in practice.
“That’s really what helps you go on, the kids who are willing to be there every day, even though they may not get any playing time.”
Muffley, who has coached for more than 20 years, skippered the Three Rivers baseball team before stepping down to spend time with his family.
He was also an MHSAA official and received a 20-year award three years ago, officiating football, baseball, basketball and softball.
His son, Jordyn Muffley, played in the minor leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays organization, and daughter Josie Muffley is the starting shortstop at Florida State. Both played at Portage Central.
“I stopped coaching for about five years to watch my kids grow,” he said. “That’s when I did a lot of officiating.”
Looking at this year’s team, Scott Muffley will rely heavily on returnees DeGroote, Housler and DeVisser to lead the team.
“All three are starters with the experience from the basketball team and winning a state championship,” Muffley said. “Eli was a sophomore last year and was one of the main contributors as far as batting average.”
DeVisser, a shortstop, agreed winning the basketball championship will help this spring.
“We know what it feels like to make it far into a tournament, so it gives us confidence,” he said. “It helps us once we get further into our season; it helps us play better because we don’t get as nervous because we made it far.”
Housler, who plays second base, is headed next to University of Tennessee, but not as an athlete.
“I just want to be a student,” he said. “It’s going to be weird without sports, but I’m excited. I’m ready to get out of state and go to a warmer area and experience a different culture.”
Muffley said Housler is “a very polite, mild-mannered kid.
“I’m really looking forward to what Luke’s going to do for us as a leader on the team.”
DeGroote, who pitches and plays first base, plans to play basketball and baseball at Division II Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo.
“Tyler brings a lot of leadership to the team, and he has a lot of athletic ability as well,” Muffley said.
The other five players making the transition from basketball to baseball are all sophomores: Bennett Ellison, Fischer Holmes, Colin Hotrum, Thomas Rutkoskie and Jaden VanderWiere.
Other sophomores are Easton Poulsen and Carsten Svoboda. The team’s freshmen are Gavin Hart, Gavin Knowlton, Ryley Bruner, Nyan Wonders and Ethan Goddard.
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Schoolcraft’s Eli DeVisser awaits a throw with Luke Housler (20) backing him up during Monday’s game against Paw Paw. (Middle) Clockwise from top left: Schoolcraft baseball coach Scott Muffley, Tyler Groote, DeVisser and Housler. (Below) DeGroote stretches to make the play at first. (Action photos by Stephanie Blentlinger/Lingering Memories Photography. Head shots by Pam Shebest.)
Union City to Omaha: Skirka Takes Murray State Baseball to 1st College World Series
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
July 28, 2025
UNION CITY – From his days fielding ground balls at Alumni Field in Union City to coaching the Murray State Racers at the 2025 College World Series in Omaha, Neb., Dan Skirka has never taken the game of baseball for granted.
A 2003 Union City graduate, Skirka credits his experience of growing up with three older brothers as playing a major impact in his athletic development.
"I played all three sports – football, basketball and baseball – when I was younger while growing up. After my freshman year, I began to concentrate solely on basketball and baseball," he said.
Inspired by watching his older siblings Darren (graduated 1995), Justin (1999) and Brian (2001) compete for the Chargers, Dan couldn't wait to be just like them when he reached the high school level.
"I would attend my brothers' games and I was always trying to emulate them and their teammates,” Dan Skirka said. “The desire to compete for my school when I got the chance helped turn me into the person I am today. It was just really special being on that field, and I never take the game for granted."
While his older brothers played multiple positions, Dan began his career as a pitcher, but an arm injury his freshman year convinced him to switch to shortstop, where he started his last three years for the Chargers.
Skirka was brought up to varsity his freshman year in both baseball and basketball. He played baseball under Joe Tinervia, earning all-conference at shortstop his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. As a senior, Skirka batted .520 in earning all-region as well.
He also was selected all-conference in basketball his sophomore, junior and senior years. A small forward, Skirka remembers well the thrill of winning a District championship his junior year before losing in the Regional Final. Being able to share that experience with guys he grew up with was priceless.
"I learned a lot about leadership skills and how necessary they were in my growth and maturity as a player in high school and college. I learned a great deal from the example the older guys set," Skirka said.
After graduating from Union City, Skirka became a two-year starter at shortstop at Kellogg Community College for head coach Russ Bortell. The Bruins captured a Michigan Community College Baseball Association title during Skirka's sophomore season. The Bruins also reached the regional semifinals that spring after falling in the regional final his freshman year.
"We had a great program at Kellogg, and I learned a ton about baseball from the coaching staff there.” Skirka said. “Grand Rapids Junior College won the regional both years I was at Kellogg. They had a tremendous team and were tough to beat."
Skirka received a Division II baseball scholarship to Grand Valley State University, where he played under Steve Lyon and helped the Lakers win two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles. As a senior, Skirka was selected GVSU's Scholar-Athlete of the Year and named to the Division II all-region team, one step away from All-America honors, after hitting .400. He graduated from GVSU majoring in social studies with future plans to become a high school teacher and coach.
Skirka helped his teams at Kellogg and GVSU win a combined 173 games. He credits then-assistant coaches Eric Laskovy (Kellogg) and Jamie Detillion (GVSU) as being heavy influences in his decision to pursue a career in coaching college baseball.
"Laskovy and Detillion were both great assistant coaches who later became head coaches at those schools, and they served as great mentors to me. They both felt that I'd make a good college coach,” Skirka said. “I had always had good relationships with my college coaches, and I served as a team captain at each school. I learned a lot of lessons about toughness and loving the game. Sometimes we played in front of no spectators, and there were a lot of long bus rides."
Laskovy, now a highly-successful head coach himself at Kellogg, describes Skirka as the same genuine and humble person that he was during his playing career.
"Dan was quiet, but real confident and he handled himself well on the field. His strong work ethic as a player made him a coach's dream. He had good leadership skills and he always led by example,” Laskovy said. “That shows up now in his personality as a head coach. He knows the game well and won't get outworked by anyone, and he's seen every situation there is to see in baseball. He knows his stuff, and he's earned the respect of every one of his players and they love him. I couldn't be any prouder of him and the success he's went on to enjoy."
Detillion, who served as GVSU's head coach for 12 seasons before joining Henry-Scheim as a dental sales rep, described Skirka as being another coach on the field during his playing career.
"Dan went from being a good contact hitter to being a power hitter his senior season at GVSU. He was another coach on the field and he outplayed others by how well he prepared," Detillion said. “He always does the right thing, and his mannerisms and the way he goes about his business reveal his high character.”
While student-teaching before graduating from GVSU, Skirka served as an assistant coach in 2008 at GRJC before becoming an assistant coach in 2009 for Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas. He joined Murray State's coaching staff as an assistant from 2010-2015 before leaving to become the recruiting coordinator at Walters State Community College (Tenn.), which finished as national runner-up in 2018.
Skirka accepted the position of head baseball coach back at Murray State on July 2, 2018. He’s only a few weeks removed from leading the Racers to a historic season.
Murray State, which is 206-151 under Sirka, finished with a school-record 44 wins this spring, winning the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships. The Racers earned their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2003 and fourth in program history. Murray State then upset host Ole Miss to claim the school's first NCAAA Regional crown, followed by a Super Regional victory over Duke that earned the Racers' their first trip to the College World Series. Murray State ended the season 44-17 after CWS losses to UCLA and Arkansas.
Skirka, who received Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Mike Martin National Coach of the Year awards, turned down several coaching offers at other schools to remain at Murray State. He recently received a four-year contract extension that came with a substantial pay raise to become reportedly the highest paid coach in the MVC.
Skirka stated that his decision to stay on at Murray State was a simple one.
"Murray State is a real special place. I love the guys and people in this community, and it just feels like home,” Skirka said. “College baseball presents a lot of challenges. The game is difficult sometimes, and guys need to remember to be patient. It takes weeks, months and sometimes years to earn your time and develop a winning program."
Skirka pointed out clutch performances this season from his senior duo of outfielder and lead-off hitter Jonathan Hogart and third baseman and No. 3 hitter Carson Garner. Hogart hit a school-record 22 home runs, and Garner had 17.
"We have tough kids who grinded out and won 14 games by one run. We were never out of any game with a good mixture of veterans and underclassmen,” Skirka said. “It was a group of guys that loved one another and went out every day and had fun. This group worked hard and competed like crazy. They play the game the right way, and do it with a smile on their face. Our coaching staff is great as well. We meshed pretty well together."
Skirka and his wife Kelsey (Hanson) – also a 2003 Union City grad and a standout in volleyball, basketball and softball – have a 9-year old son, Keagan.
2025 Made In Michigan
July 22: TC West's Wheelock Still 'Living My Dreams' as CMU Assistant Soccer Coach - Report
July 17: Stevenson's Travels Following Lake Orion Success Include Space Force, Penn, NYC - Report
July 15: 'Who Will Cheer for the Nimrods?' Peterson IV, Watersmeet Found Fans Worldwide - Report
July 10: Feeding 'Drive to Win,' Loy Norrix Grad Morgan Impresses with Strong USBC Showing - Report
July 9: After Blazing Multiple Volleyball Trails, Bastianelli Charting Next Career Path - Report
PHOTOS (Top) At left, Union City sophomore shortstop Dan Skirka makes a throw to first base after fielding a grounder in 2001. At right, Skirka dons headphones for a postgame interview this past season. (Middle) Skirka (32) lays the ball up for two points while playing for Union City against Athens. (Below) Skirka is pictured with wife Kelsey and son Keegan before a game this spring. (Union City photos courtesy of Union City High School. Murray State photos courtesy of ProfEatonPhoto/Murray State athletics.)