St. Mary's Record Run Recalls Homer's 'Small-Town Baseball Odyssey'
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 21, 2023
As Orchard Lake St. Mary’s celebrated setting the MHSAA record for longest baseball winning streak at 77 and counting over the weekend – and with a national record certainly within reach this season – we can recall just two decades ago when Homer’s similar streak and the two seasons of buzz it stirred was on the verge of its start.
Homer, representing a community of about 1,700 residents, finished 38-0 on the way to winning the Division 3 championship in 2004, and then returned to win its first 37 games of 2005 before falling to Saginaw Nouvel 7-6 in that season’s Division 3 Final at Battle Creek’s C.O. Brown Stadium.
Along the way over those two seasons, the Trojans smashed the previous MHSAA baseball consecutive wins record of 56, and went on to set a national record of 75 straight wins that stood until 2011, when it was surpassed by both Martensdale St. Mary’s of Iowa and Portsmouth, N.H. The latter has topped the national list since 2012 after extending its winning streak into 2012 to the current record of 89 games.
Battle Creek Enquirer reporter Jeff Karzen followed Homer’s record run through many of its most notable moments, and that coverage and the relationships built during that time – and as the Trojans came back to win the Division 4 title in 2006 – led to his first book “Homer: The Small-Town Baseball Odyssey” published in 2011.
Below is an excerpt highlighting the small school’s run to national stardom – followed by updates on a few of the major players who helped the Trojans become unforgettable.
Buy the book here: JeffKarzen.com
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Homer: The Small-Town Baseball Odyssey
August Publications
Copyright © 2011 Jeff Karzen
All rights reserved
First edition published 2008
Second edition published 2012
Homer began the 2005 season ranked No. 1 in Division 3, a spot it had grabbed and held onto for the second half of ’04. Seven starters returned from a team that had made history with a 38-0 season. Still, Homer had some things to prove to itself.
So far in high school, and even as Little Leaguers, this group of Homer players had been largely defined by Josh Collmenter and Matt Powers. In big postseason games, Collmenter and Powers would take the pressure off their younger teammates and welcome it squarely on their shoulders. Collmenter was always the big-game pitcher. Powers could always be counted on in the middle of the batting order. How would Homer deal without having its two leaders?
“They definitely set the mindset for our team,” Dan Holcomb said of Collmenter and Powers. “When you’re a freshman coming up you don’t really know what varsity is all about or what Homer baseball is all about. You get up there and having those young guys playing against teams like Blissfield is kind of overwhelming. But having guys like Josh and Matt kept you loose and didn’t let you think about Blissfield, or think about seven state titles [won by the Royals]. They just said, ‘Hey guys, let’s have some fun. We’re going out to play some baseball today.’ They just made sure everyone had their mind right.”
Whether it was nerves about following up the unbeaten season with a good showing or an uneasy feeling taking the field without their two leaders, the Trojans began the new season with a close call in a doubleheader against Marshall and its star, Evan Sharpley. Marshall was a good team and a much bigger school, but Homer simply didn’t have it. Somehow, the Trojans escaped with a 14-13 win in eight innings (the most runs it had given up in years) and then a 4-2 triumph in Game Two. With the first two wins under their belt, the Trojans began to roll. Over the next 12 games, they gave up a total of 13 runs, proof that the season opener was nothing more than a fluke. Collmenter and Powers were missing, but junior-dominated Homer began to form its own identity.
The state record for consecutive wins was 56, set by Grand Haven High School from 1960-62. Homer’s Trojans were quickly nearing the record. The streak had reached 49 games when Homer took the short drive west on M-60 for a Big Eight tilt with the Union City Chargers. By now, the other teams in Homer’s conference had basically ruled out beating the powerhouse. Goals such as scoring runs, playing all seven innings without the mercy rule, and even putting the ball in play against Homer’s overpowering pitchers had become the scaled-down aspirations for the opponent.
One rival coach, Quincy’s Brett Allman, didn’t let his team watch Homer’s impressive pregame routine where the Trojan players showed off their big-time throwing arms and precision fielding. “When they warmed up, I talked to my team outside the dugout, or had them hit Wiffle balls or something,” Allman said. “Something besides watch them take infield. They put on a show. And they were proud of the way they took infield, and rightfully so. I don’t need to watch Dusty Compton throw the ball across the infield because I know what they can do. I didn’t think it would be real beneficial for my guys to watch them take infield.”
Under gray, rainy skies in Union City, both teams finished their warm-ups and looked around. Something was missing. It was going to be hard to play this game without any umpires in sight. They waited and waited. Finally, around 5 p.m., 30 minutes after the scheduled start time, one ump arrived. Knowing how much less is seen on the field with only one umpire (regular- season high-school games have two), Salow was hesitant to let the game begin. The lone umpire told both coaches that his partner was on the way, so the coaches acquiesced and allowed the game to start with one set of eyes in charge of the entire field. Union City must’ve forgotten that its opponent that day had won 49 consecutive games. The Chargers came out like they were the team to beat and jumped all over Homer. A few innings into the game, Homer was stunningly down 7-0. “I said to Tom, ‘Not only are we going to lose our streak but we’re going to get 10-runned (a mercy rule loss),’” Salow said.
Of course, Homer started chipping away at the lead. But seven runs was a lot to come back from, even for these Trojans. In the fifth inning, with Homer still trailing by a few runs, C.J. Finch decided it was time to take control of the perilous situation. “Not today! Not today!” Finch screamed. “This is not going to happen today.”
With rain continuing to fall, Homer got within one run in the sixth inning. That’s when the umpire, who worked alone all game, walked over to Homer’s dugout to speak with Salow.
“It’s not looking good, starting to rain harder. Not sure if we’re gonna be able to finish this thing,” the ump told Salow.
“Absolutely not,” the coach fired back. “We started this game 40 minutes late and if we’d started on time, it would be over by now. Not only that, but we have a streak going. These kids have worked too hard to put this streak together and they’re not going to lose it this way.”
The umpire caved in and so did Union City. Homer rallied to win 9-7, extending the winning streak to 50 games. Seven more remained to break the state record that had stood for 44 years.
“I was on pins and needles,” Union City coach Joe Tinervia said of his team’s near-miss. “I was playing that game like it was 1-0. That shows you what I think of Homer.”
A few weeks later, Homer easily topped Concord 10-0 to tie Grand Haven’s state record of 56 straight wins. The stage was set for the talented boys from the one-stoplight town to make history. A Friday doubleheader against Reading, one of the conference’s better teams, would be the record-breaker. It seemed fitting, too, because Reading had handed Homer its last loss in a regional playoff game in 2003. Homer made history in a rather ho-hum affair, winning Game 1 of the doubleheader, 12-2. “It wasn’t breathtaking or staggering or awe-inspiring,” a Battle Creek Enquirer columnist wrote the next day. “But it was efficient. Forgive Homer if it didn’t stage a large celebration for the new record. It’s just that the boys are used to winning.”
“It was just good enough, not flashy,” Salow said after his team won its 57th straight baseball game. “I’d like to think we’re a blue-collar club. It’s the way guys are taught in practice and in the classroom. We try and never get too high or too low.”
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Where are they now?
- Josh Collmenter pitched in Major League Baseball for seven seasons, the first five-plus for Arizona before finishing his career with Atlanta. He won a career-high 11 games in 2014 and finished his pro career with a 38-35 MLB record. He currently is living in Phoenix and doing radio and TV for Diamondbacks broadcasts.
- Scott Salow left Homer and became superintendent at Petersburg Summerfield in 2021. He coached the Trojans through 2019, building a career record of 577-157.
- Dan Holcomb lives in Nashville, Tenn., and has been a Seattle Mariners scout for six seasons, covering Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi. He spent six years as a college coach prior to scouting. He pitched collegiately at University of Evansville, Grand Valley State University and Huntingon University (Ind.).
- Dale Cornstubble is married with two kids and living in Homer. He is an electrician and teaches catching lessons on the side. He played at Central Michigan University and was drafted and played briefly in the minor leagues for the Kansas City Royals.
PHOTO Homer players meet on the mound during their 2004 Division 3 Semifinal win over Muskegon Oakridge.
Forest Hills Eastern, Standish-Sterling Celebrate 5-4 Wins to Set Up Saturday Matchup
By
Drew Ellis
Special for MHSAA.com
June 12, 2025
EAST LANSING – Seeing its championship hopes slip away, Ada Forest Hills Eastern turned to a pair of juniors Thursday to give it a boost.
A relief effort from Colton Brinks and a timely hit from Ben Fausey allowed the Hawks to fight past Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in a Division 2 Semifinal, 5-4, at McLane Stadium on the campus of Michigan State University.
The win moved Forest Hills Eastern to Saturday’s Division 2 Final at 11:30 a.m., where it will face Standish-Sterling. The Hawks will be seeking their second title in program history, with the last coming in 2022.
“It’s just playing another game, that’s it,” Forest Hills Eastern coach Ian Hearn said of advancing to the MHSAA Final. “We really haven’t focused on the magnitude of the possibility of winning. The game is the same, people change, so we’re just going to keep approaching it the same way.”
The Hawks (41-1) held a 4-0 lead after one inning, but saw Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (26-13) slowly crawl back.
In the fifth, up 4-3, Hearn went to Brinks on the mound in relief of starter Cam Pallo with one out, and the junior got out of a bases-loaded jam.
“He has done that multiple times and been very successful,” Hearn said of bringing in Brinks. “I don’t want to say (OLSM) was starting to time (Pallo) up or whatever, but he was starting to get tired. He was hard with his fastball, and his slider and curve ball. So, everything was firm, firm, firm. Colton came in a little bit more over the top and was able to change a lot of speeds and hit his spots. It typically takes a moment to adjust, so we’ve been fortunate that Colton has been able to get us a lot of soft contact.”
The Eaglets would tie the game in the sixth inning on an error, but Eastern responded in the seventh when Fausey hit a leadoff double. Senior James Dempsey then laid down a bunt that forced a St. Mary’s throwing error and allowed Fausey to score to give the Hawks the lead back.
“My first three at-bats, I was getting some nerves out, but I know I am a good hitter,” Fausey said of his double. “I was hunting a fastball on the first pitch, and thankfully I was on time.”
In the bottom of the seventh, the Eaglets put the first batter on base, but Brinks forced a double play, followed by a flyout to end the game.
“I’ve done this in every single playoff game except for one, so I am kind of getting used to it,” Brinks said of locking up the game late.
Forest Hills Eastern didn’t waste much time getting on the scoreboard, as it posted four runs in the first inning. The first two Hawks were walked, followed by a bunt single from Dempsey.
Brendan Thompson, another senior, then came through with a two-run single up the middle to make it 2-0. Junior Kenric Penkevich brought in another run on a fielder’s choice, then Pallo had an RBI single to cap the scoring in the first.
“I think our guys came out very motivated, with a lot of positive energy,” Hearn said. “It was very good to get started with the lead, that’s for sure.”
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s had its first five batters retired before junior Tyler Shubnell laced a double to left field. Shubnell would advance to third on an error from a pickoff attempt, then score on a balk to make it 4-1 through two innings.
Junior Luke Crighton took the mound for Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in the second inning and retired the first eight batters he faced. Ultimately, he held the Hawks scoreless for five innings.
“He’s done that all year for us. He’s really a superb two-way guy,” St. Mary’s coach Nick Di Ponio said. “He does it at the plate, does it on the mound, does it defensively, does it running the bases. I can’t say enough good things about what he means to this team.”
The Eaglets manufactured a run with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning as junior Andrew Tribul drew a walk and then was singled over to third by senior Wyatt Borbi. Shubnell then reached base on an error that allowed Tribul to score, making it 4-2.
OLSM got within a run in the fifth as a leadoff single from Anthony Elezaj was followed by two walks and a wild pitch to make it 4-3.
In the sixth, Forest Hills Eastern stranded the bases loaded, and St. Mary’s tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Shubnell hit a leadoff single and would score on a throwing error with two outs, putting the score at 4-4.
“He swung really, really well today,” Di Ponio said of Shubnell. “He squared up the bat well and helped get some big runs for us.”
Brinks got the win in relief, his ninth of the season. Crighton finished with eight strikeouts and one run allowed over six innings of relief.
Standish-Sterling 5, Mason 4
The third time proved to be the charm for Ryan Raymond and the Standish-Sterling baseball team.
After coming up shy two of the last three seasons in Semifinals, the Panthers punched their ticket to their first MHSAA Final on Thursday with a 5-4 win over Mason.
“It feels really good,” Raymond said. “We didn’t play our best game. Give Mason a lot of credit. They battled. We made a few errors and we are going to have to play clean on Saturday, but it feels really good to be in the Finals.”
The game was scoreless for four innings, but the Panthers (36-5-2) got a momentum-swinging play when Mason (31-7) was threatening in the top of the fifth.
With a runner on and one out, the Bulldogs had a single go into right field. However, Mason’s lead runner got caught in a rundown and eventually was tagged out, and the trailing runner then got caught in a rundown of his own and was tagged out to end the inning.
“It’s one of those things where you try to prep your guys, and every pitch we need to stay as focused as possible,” Mason coach Kohl Tyrell said. “It’s one of those things where we just got a little too aggressive. We tried to hold (the lead runner) up, so it backfired and he got caught. It’s a great teaching moment for us. Sometimes those teaching moments come in wins, sometimes they come in losses.”
That defensive play sparked the Panthers, as they would go on to score all five of their runs in the bottom of the inning.
“I think that defensive play where we turned a very awkward double play, I think that got us all out of a tense funk,” Raymond said. “It loosened us up a little bit.”
Playing looser, Standish-Sterling utilized its bunting to get the offensive surge. Senior Kasen Wendel put a perfect bunt single down the third base line to load the bases. Junior Ben Briggs then followed with a bunt of his own, which forced a Mason error at home plate and brought two runs across for the Panthers.
“We play small ball. I think that is the way the game should be played,” Raymond said. “You see how it works when it is executed correctly. My boys are good at doing that, because we work on it a lot.”
A sacrifice fly from senior Trace Collins was followed by a two-run single from senior Brock Bartlett to cap Standish-Sterling’s scoring.
Mason didn’t go quietly, as it posted two runs in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from junior Travis Davis and a Panthers error. In the seventh, Mason scored another two runs thanks to another error while Standish-Sterling was attempting what would have been a game-ending double play.
“That’s this team,” Tyrell said of Mason battling to the end. “That’s why this is super emotional. It’s not the outcome, it’s hard to leave a team like this. The boys wanted it, and the fight never stops. They’re Bulldogs.”
With the tying run at second base, Raymond turned to senior Sam Briggs to record the final out, which he did by forcing a ground ball. Briggs got the save in place of starter Preston Kann, who pitched 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven in a winning effort.
“I am fortunate to have a lot of good arms, but two exceptional ones,” Raymond said. “They are both touching 90 (mph), but they are pitchers and they are baseball players. That helps a lot. They put a ton of time into their sport. Sam and Preston are dudes when it comes to pitchers.”
PHOTOS (Top) Ada Forest Hills Eastern players celebrate their Division 1 Semifinal win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s on Thursday. (Middle) Standish-Sterling’s Brock Bartlett (15) applies a tag on a Mason runner attempting to get back to second base.