Top-Ranked Saline Learns from 2015
By
Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
May 26, 2016
By Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
SALINE – Players and coaches on the Saline baseball team know how it feels to enter the MHSAA Tournament as the top-ranked team in the state. They did it last year and just might do it again this year.
They also know how it feels to be the top-ranked team and end up four victories short of the title. Obviously, there is no hope for a repeat there.
Saline will be at or near the top of the Division 1 rankings again this season when next week’s District tournament begins, and the memories of the bitter end last year have not been forgotten.
“There are a lot of kids who sat in that locker room last year,” Saline coach Scott Theisen said. “They realize that they don’t want to be in that spot again, and they will do anything they need to do. They will be able to live with the result if they at least know they have done everything in their powers.
“They learned last year that no matter how good you are, it’s a one-day thing. Or even a one-inning thing, and it can be over.”
Regrouping with a new group
Saline lost in the Division 1 Regional Final last year. It was a tough 1-0 loss to Taylor Kennedy that left the Hornets with a 36-3 record but without a berth in the Quarterfinals.
The Hornets lost their starting first baseman, third baseman, catcher, center fielder and three starting pitchers to graduation – but have plugged those spots nicely.
“The program is in such good shape – Scott does such a good job – that you just kind of re-energize it,” assistant coach Dave Sontag said.
The program seemingly does re-energize itself. Saline won its fifth consecutive Southeastern Conference title this season. And the Hornets were not devoid of talent from last year’s team. The starting middle infielders (shortstop Thomas Miller and second baseman Zachary Owings) are back, and starting left fielder Zach Schwartzenberger, a junior, made the switch to center field.
Among the newcomers who have helped fill the voids are senior catcher Cal Livesay, junior first baseman/pitcher Sean O’Keefe, third baseman Jake Finkbeiner, junior left fielder Ryan Foley and pitchers Cole Daniels, John Hovde and Ted Eppinga.
It all has added up to a 28-6 record – not as stunning as last year’s but quite impressive considering how much talent was lost. The team batting average is an amazing .346, a higher average than in 2015.
“It’s funny because I think maybe we had a little more talent at the plate last year,” Theisen said. “But this team has just bought into being more aggressive and trying to have better approaches at the plate. Maybe they are playing a little more to be dangerous than worrying about maybe what happens if we fail.
“I think as coaches we can learn from that. I think we had some talented kids at the plate last year who didn’t have poor years but probably didn’t achieve as well as they could have, and some of that was the pressure they put on themselves. So, we are trying to be more positive.”
Coach Sontag preaches positive.
“We lost some bullets that were pulled off of this team last year, and for guys to step right in and not create much of a void, that’s the story of the season,” he said. “And you know what? It’s not going to be much different next year, either, because the sophomores and this year’s juniors who are going to be seniors are going to do the same thing again.”
Coach T
Theisen has quite the resume as a high school baseball coach in Michigan. Last year, he became just the 22nd baseball coach to win 600 games in a career. His career record is 653-303, including 630 at Saline. He started his coaching career with a one-year stint at Walled Lake Central before going to Saline, his alma mater.
There is one glaring omission on his record, however: The lack of an MHSAA Finals championship.
“We’ve been to the Finals four times, and I’m 0 for 4 right now. I’m Marv Levy,” he said, referring to the former Buffalo Bills head coach who lost four Super Bowls in a row.
Although Theisen’s teams didn’t lose four in a row, they did lose three in a row from 2008-10 and also lost in 1998.
“It used to bother me more than it does now,” he said. “I think when you’re younger, you’re more competitive in trying to do things and try to win titles and championships. Now that I’m getting older, I get more satisfaction out of the relationships with the coaches and the growth we see in our players.
“Yes, you still have the drive that you want to get there and win it, but you know it may never happen, and if it doesn’t, I’m OK with that because of what we’ve done as a program and what we do to try to help the kids be better players and better people.
“I get more satisfaction out of that now, and maybe I didn’t see that as a younger coach.”
The players look up to him and respect his experience and knowledge – and as much as they would like to win the Division 1 championship for themselves, they also want to win one for him.
“That would mean a lot,” said Foley, a junior left fielder. “I know how much it would mean to him, and for us to get it for him would be great. He’s such a good coach.”
Nelson, the No. 1 pitcher, said, “He brings a lot of motivation and experience to the team. He has so much knowledge about the game. He knows what to do in all of the situations and how to coach somebody from their freshman year to their senior year.”
Senior shortstop Miller said, “It would feel great to win one for Coach T. It would mean the world to him, and to do it in my senior year along with the rest of the guys, it would be the best.”
Although Theisen said he could live with never winning an MHSAA championship, that doesn’t mean the desire to do so runs deep.
“If we never get it done, I would still feel really proud of everything that we’ve done,” he said, “but I sure would like to see what it feels like.”
Learning from a loss
The loss in the Regional Final last year is something the coaches and players can’t forget, and they don’t want to forget it, either. It provides motivation and a valuable lesson.
Theisen and the players made it known that they don’t want to offend anyone, but they felt they were the team that should have won Division 1 last year – and certainly should not have been stopped in the Regional Final.
“It’s a natural tendency of young kids to maybe let up, and we’ve been snake-bitten by doing that,” Theisen said. “We got beat last year in the tournament by a team that we felt – no offense to them – that we were better than. It also happened over at Ann Arbor Huron to us, so I think the kids understand that if you let your guard down, you have a good chance to get beat.
“To win the state tournament, you have to win seven in a row to do it. You can’t be up and down during those seven games, so you have to learn how to practice and play at a high level consistently or that seven-game stretch is going to be even more difficult.”
It is that lesson that Theisen turns to when he sees the team taking it a little lax.
“It isn’t over and forgotten about,” he said. “It was a tough pill to swallow. We expected to win the state title – we expected to win the last game – and that’s the same thing we expect this year.
“They’ve been reminded on multiple occasions, and it won’t be the last time we tell them. We have to be ready no matter who we are playing.”
Has the lesson been learned? The jury is still out. Has the lesson been delivered and absorbed? Well, let the players give the answer.
Foley: “Ratings mean nothing to us, and we understand that anybody can beat anybody at any time, just like last year with Taylor Kennedy. We’ll bring it up because we have to keep it in our head that anybody can beat anybody. We have to try to get over that hump because it is lingering a little bit, but we don’t try to dwell on it too much.”
Nelson: “We’re obviously thinking about that because we’re on the same level and we can do the same things that we were supposed to do last year. We just have to play better as a team every single game and keep getting better every game in the playoffs so we can avoid having that happen again.”
Livesay: “It’s definitely there for us, and coach always brings it up when it seems like we’re not motivated during practice or during games. What you are ranked before the playoffs doesn’t mean anything. The loss was definitely eye-opening for us. We weren’t expecting them to beat us.”
Miller: “You can’t overlook any team that you are playing. We saw some other teams lose ahead of us, and we got a little giddy. We have to play the game that we’re in and focus on one game at a time.”
Unexpected spark
When the final cuts were about to be announced, Foley was on the bubble, and he knew it.
“I was just doing everything I could to be on the team,” he said. “I never knew until the last day whether I was going to make it, so I just did everything I could to please the coach.”
It was enough.
“When we chose our team in March, Foley was one of the last kids chosen, and now we can’t get him out of the lineup,” Theisen said. “He’s been a sparkplug for all of us. He’s a kid who kept his mouth shut and kept saying to himself, ‘I’ll show them, I’ll get my chances,’ and when he got his chances, he capitalized.”
Foley’s chance came when O’Keefe, the starting first baseman, went down with a hamstring injury. That forced a corner outfielder to take over at first and opened a spot in the outfield. Theisen turned to Foley.
Although Foley bats ninth, he leads the team with a .423 average and 17 stolen bases. And if there were hustle stats, he’d be near or at the top there, too.
“Ryan is going to get on base and cause problems because he can run really well,” Theisen said. “He is one of the better base runners we’ve ever had, and he’s got a little bit of being a thorn in the side of the other team. He’s not disrespectful, but if you’re going to give him an inch, he’s taking a foot.”
Theisen says that sort of attitude can be the difference between a good team and a great team.
“There was a point in the season when we talked about being good,” Theisen said. “We knew we would win a lot of games because we were talented – but if you want more, you have to have some moxie in your game. Foley probably exhibits that more than anybody. He’ll take second on a bobbled ball in the outfield, and he’ll dive for a ball. He’s more aggressive in practice and gets dirty diving and just running everything out hard and playing the game the way it should be played.
“It’s fun to watch that start to spill over to other kids. He gives us energy, and it is snowballing. That’s something our talented teams in the past might not have had.”
Foley gets great satisfaction out of going from being on the bubble to being the main spark.
“It feels great to know that you’ve worked so hard and are making an impact on the team,” he said. “Coach has taught me that no matter what the talent you have, you can always make an impact on the team. He really emphasizes that. Even with the little things, it really means a lot for everybody to do a little bit.”
Theisen said he learned a lesson in the process as well.
“When you are choosing the team, you sometimes have to look at those intangibles that a kid can bring,” he said. “They might not light up the radar gun, so to speak, but what else do they bring to the team to help you become a better team? You have to look at those things, too.”
Well-rounded team
There has never been a team that can’t improve, and Saline is no different. However, the Hornets have all their bases covered. They can hit. They can field. And they can pitch.
Nelson, a senior right-hander who is headed to Wayne State, is 8-0 with a 0.61 ERA. He has allowed just 25 hits in 47 1/3 innings with 56 strikeouts.
“I never expected to come out here and dominate like I have,” he said. “I throw a fastball, slider and a change-up. My best pitch is the slider. I throw it about 30-40 percent of the time. It’s my out pitch.”
Saline is not a one-pitcher team, either. O’Keefe, who missed half the season with a hamstring injury, threw a perfect game and is 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA. Daniels, a sophomore, is 6-2 with a 0.95 ERA. Eppinga is 3-1 with a 1.72 ERA, and Hovde is 2-1 with a 0.60 ERA.
Finkbeiner, a third baseman who bats fifth, provides a lot of pop as he has a team-leading four home runs and 33 RBI to go with a .419 average. Second baseman Owings also is hitting .419, while Daniels, the sophomore pitcher, is batting .405.
Although he missed half the season with an injury, O’Keefe is at .391 with one home run and 10 RBI in just 17 games. Miller, the four-year starter at shortstop who is headed to Oakland University, is hitting .353.
“We’ve seen a lot of different ways to win, from a perfect game one day to a seventh-inning comeback at Bedford to 15 runs in four innings at Ann Arbor Huron,” Theisen said. “It’s been interesting because on many days it has been different people who get it done. It’s not just one or two guys, and sometimes it’s the guys who are not even our regular starters.
“There is a lot of depth and competition in the group.”
And quite a bit of confidence as well.
“I think we’ve played some teams that could make runs to the state title, and we’ve beaten them,” Miller said. “We came back against Bedford. We were down 4-2 in the seventh and came back and won 5-4. We just beat Northville the other day, and that’s a very good club. We just build off of that.
“We have the talent for sure to win a state title.”
Chip Mundy served as sports editor at the Brooklyn Exponent and Albion Recorder from 1980-86, and then as a reporter and later copy editor at the Jackson Citizen-Patriot from 1986-2011. He also co-authored Michigan Sports Trivia. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Saline shortstop Thomas Miller prepares to apply a tag during a game this season. (Middle top) Zachary Owings slides into the plate just ahead of a throw home. (Middle below) Senior Josh Nelson is an impressive 8-0 this spring. (Below) Jake Finkbeiner rounds third base on his way home. (Photos by Terry Owings.)
Preview: Right Place, Right Time
June 12, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
While it’s an obvious statement this spring’s 16 MHSAA baseball semifinalists have peaked at the right time, it might mean a little more this weekend at Michigan State University’s McLane Baseball Stadium.
Five teams – including half the final fields in Divisions 1 and 2 – were unranked at the start of Districts. The fifth team, Saginaw Nouvel, is riding one of the most impressive playoff streaks in any division despite entering the playoffs below .500.
Meanwhile, seven teams are playing for their first championships this weekend – including the highest-ranked remaining in three divisions.
See below for a schedule of this weekend’s games, plus glances at all 16 teams that will take the field beginning Thursday.
Semifinals – Thursday
Division 1
Macomb Dakota vs. Rockford, 9 a.m.
Portage Northern vs. Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, 11:30 a.m.
Division 2
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s vs. Muskegon Oakridge, 2:30 p.m.
Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs. Trenton, 5 p.m.
Semifinals – Friday
Division 3
Pewamo-Westphalia vs. Homer, 9 a.m.
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett vs. Gladstone, 11:30 a.m.
Division 4
Petersburg Summerfield vs. Gaylord St. Mary, 2:30 p.m.
Saginaw Nouvel vs. Decatur, 5 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1: 9 a.m.
Division 2: 11:30 a.m.
Division 3: 2:30 p.m.
Division 4: 5 p.m.
Tickets cost $8 per round and include admission to softball and girls soccer games those days also at MSU’s Old College Field. Radio broadcasts of all games can be heard online at MHSAAnetwork.com. All games will be streamed live online at MHSAA.tv and viewable on subscription basis. Click for links to brackets, scores and a parking map.
Division 1
BLOOMFIELD HILLS BROTHER RICE
Record/rank: 25-12, unranked
Coach: Bob Riker, 22nd season (603-215)
League finish: Third in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2008), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Tito Flores, sr. OF/1B/P (.368, 44 R, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 26 SB); Sterling Hallman sr. IF/P (.330, 5 HR, 34 RBI); Jack Orlowski, sr. 3B/P/DH (.321, 11 2B, 6 HR, 34 RBI); Tyler Sarkisian, sr. P/OF/IF (3-1, 1.54 ERA, 63 K/50 IP).
Outlook: Brother Rice opened this season ranked No. 1 by the coaches association after making the Semifinals a year ago, but fell out of the list with a 7-7 start. The Warriors have won eight straight, with a District Final victory over No. 8 Birmingham Seaholm and Regional Final win over No. 5 Romeo among postseason highlights. Flores made the all-state second team last season and leads off a lineup that begins with four seniors and ends with five underclassmen. He will continue his career at University of Michigan, and Sarkisian will play at University of Chicago.
MACOMB DAKOTA
Record/rank: 21-16-1, unranked
Coach: Gerald Carley, ninth season (208-99-1)
League finish: Fifth in Macomb Area Conference Red
Championship history: Has not appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Greg Guzik, soph. IF (.359, 25 R, 19 RBI, 11 SB); John Sovey, sr. IF/P (.324 20 R, 5-3 pitching, 2.60 ERA, 50 K/51 IP); Andrew Wouters jr. OF (.315, 25 R), Mike Biebuyck, sr. P (5-4, 2.60 ERA).
Outlook: Dakota is another team that was ranked early – the Cougars have regular-season wins against Brother Rice and Romeo to their credit – but also played in a league with three teams ranked among the top 17 in Division 1 heading into Districts. They got past a big obstacle with reigning Division 1 champ Grosse Pointe South in the Super Regional Final – GPS beat Dakota three times during this regular season and also in last year’s Quarterfinal matchup. This will be Dakota’s first trip to the Semifinals and comes as the team is riding an 8-2-1 wave.
PORTAGE NORTHERN
Record/rank: 37-7, No. 2
Coach: Chris Andrews, 19th season (492-208)
League finish: Second in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2015.
Players to watch: Zach Quinn, sr. OF/P (.434, 44 R, 36 RBI, 13 SB, 2-0 pitching, 0.82 ERA); Nolan McCarthy, jr. SS/P (.430, 45 R, 13 2B, 48 RBI, 16 SB); Cam French, sr. P/1B (10-0, 1.26 ERA, 49 K/61 IP, .301, 23 RBI); Tyler Helgeson, sr. OF/P (.355, 50 R, 30 SB, 27 RBI, 4-3 pitching, 2.12 ERA, 40 K/33 IP).
Outlook: Portage Northern emerged from a Super Regional that included top-ranked Brownstown-Woodhaven, No. 15 Saline and No. 18 Grand Ledge and has won 22 of its last 23 games. The lineup is junior heavy and loaded with hitters: juniors Greg Lapetina (.390, 42 R, 31 RBI, 13 SB), Gannon Andrews (.402), Jack Beffel (.441), Parker Brey (.387, 37 RBI) and Malcolm Gaynor (.344) also stick out as the team hits .373 as a whole. Sophomore Xander Morris (9-0, 1.44) gives Northern another ace as well. Helgeson will continue his career at Eastern Michigan University.
ROCKFORD
Record/rank: 27-9, No. 10
Coach: Matt Vriesenga, fifth season (124-50)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Red
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2011.
Players to watch: Joe Kelley, sr. OF (.409, 34 R, 10 2B, 10 HR, 43 RBI); Alex Miller, sr. OF (.371, 18 R, 13 SB); Zach Schamp, sr. OF (.324, 34 R, 21 RBI); Zach Marshall, sr. P/OF (.318, 8-4 pitching, 2.25 ERA, 83 K/62 1/3 IP).
Outlook: The Rams will play in the Semifinals for the first time since that championship season in 2011, and Vriesenga previously led Grand Rapids Christian to a Division 2 runner-up finish in 2005. Rockford has won 12 of its last 13 games since a regular-season defeat to Byron Center, which it avenged in the Regional Final. Kelley is an incredible story – as reported by the Grand Rapids Press, he broke the school’s home run record this season after being cut as a junior. He’s one of six seniors in the starting lineup, and senior Grant Martin (6-1, 1.36) is the team’s second-winningest pitcher. Sophomore Luke McLean (5-1, 2.06) is another important arm.
Division 2
GRAND RAPIDS CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 26-10, unranked
Coach: Tim MacKinnon, third season (54-43)
League finish: Second in O-K Blue
Championship history: Class B champion 1985, two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Myles Beale, jr. SS/P (.330, 42 R, 10 2B, 30 RBI, 41 SB); Joe Collins, sr. P/3B (.420, 6-3 pitching, 1.08 ERA, 50 K/51 2/3 IP); Ben Joppich, sr. P/OF (8-1, 0.73 ERA, 75 K/67 IP); Kyle Tepper, jr. CF/P (.378, 29 R, 15 SB, 2-1 pitching, 2.63 ERA).
Outlook: GRCC owns a 28-7 combined margin of victory over five postseason games including wins over No. 3 East Grand Rapids, No. 4 Holland Christian and reigning Division 2 champion Stevensville Lakeshore in the Super Regional Final. MacKinnon, who previously coached East Kentwood from 2005-15 and overall has a 256-186-2 record, took this program from 13-18 his first season to two wins from the title in his third. Senior Jack Nawrocki is another big contributor, hitting .342 from the clean-up spot and going 6-1 with a 2.19 ERA on the mound, and junior Zach Grabowski (.407) and senior Luke Passinault (.330, 10 2B) are two more key bats in the middle of the lineup.
MUSKEGON OAKRIDGE
Record/rank: 26-7, unranked
Coach: Brandon Barry, 27th season (499-286)
League finish: First in West Michigan Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Koleman Wall, sr. P/SS (.461, 30 R 13 2B, 30 RBI, 8-2 pitching, 1.07 ERA, 129 K/73 IP); Ethan Miller, soph P/1B (.375, 6-1 pitching, 1.06 ERA, 43 K/41 2/3 IP); Kolbe Stewart, jr. LF (.347, 25 RBI, 18 SB); TJ Ruel, sr. P/1B (5-0, 2.15 ERA, 55 K/40 1/3 IP).
Outlook: Oakridge won its fifth Regional title this decade and will play in the Semifinals for the first time since 2011 after beating No. 10 Essexville Garber in the Super Regional Final. Wall came back from injury to shine in that game and has had an all-around stellar season, while Ruel was an all-state pitcher as a junior and with Miller provides intriguing options should Oakridge advance to Saturday. Junior shortstop Austin Fairchild has seen the mound in 10 games, and with a 0.23 ERA also could provide some solid help during the final weekend.
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 32-9-2, No. 2
Coach: Matt Petry, ninth season (181-128-2)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2015), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Dillon Kark, sr. IF (.352, 33 R, 26 RBI); Alex Mooney, soph. IF (.444, 48 R, 15 2B, 42 RBI, 21 SB); Logan Wood, jr. P (9-0, 1.16 ERA 128 K/72 2/3 IP); Nolan Schubart, fr. OF (.393, 25 R, 13 2B, 42 RBI).
Outlook: St. Mary’s finished Division 2 runner-up in 2015 and made the Semifinals a year ago, and has the pitching in particular to take on anyone this weekend. Wood was an all-state first-team selection a year ago, and he’s joined by freshman Brock Porter (8-2, 1.20 ERA, 78 K) and juniors Anthony Fett (6-3, 1.53 ERA, 79 K) and Mikey Gall (4-2, 2.43 ERA) on a strong staff. Kark also was an all-state first-team selection last season and is one of six regulars hitting at least .323. Senior Harrison Poeszat (.323, 32 R, 30 RBI) and freshman Jack Crighton (.379, 10 2B) with Schubart fill out the middle of the lineup.
TRENTON
Record/rank: 32-9, No. 15
Coach: Todd Szalka, 12th season (283-157-1)
League finish: Second in Downriver League
Championship history: Class B champion 1994.
Players to watch: Adam Wilding, jr. P/IF (.458, 43 R, 25 2B, 38 RBI, 22 SB, 5-2 pitching, 2.77 ERA); Jay Solano, sr. P/IF (.427, 33 R, 11 2B, 27 RBI, 12 SB, 4-1 pitching, 2.00 ERA); Kyle Richey jr. P/1B (10-3, 1.09 ERA, 92 K/71 IP); Gabe Cavazos, jr. P/OF (.425, 32 R, 31 RBI).
Outlook: Trenton is playing in its first Semifinal since 2001 and riding a 10-game winning streak. Another reason for excitement is this team has only three seniors – but makes up for any tournament inexperience with assistants Gary Szalka and Bob Jones, who have a combined 90 years of coaching experience in varsity baseball; Szalka ranks 20th all-time with 648 wins from his 37 seasons at Melvindale (1971-2009). Trenton finished second in its league only to Division 1 top-ranked Brownstown Woodhaven. Junior Brenden Donovan (.387, 41 R) and sophomore pitcher Micah Ottenbreit (8-1, 1.32 ERA, 83 K) are others who are likely to play big roles this weekend.
Division 3
GLADSTONE
Record/rank: 29-7, No. 13
Coach: Kelly Shea, first season (29-7)
League finish: First in Great Northern Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Carson Shea, sr. P (.429, 22 SB, 10-1 pitching, 0.63 ERA); Cooper Cavadeas, sr. C (.378, 23 RBI); Cody Frappier, sr. RF (.382, 30 R, 29 RBI); Daniel Martin, sr. DH (.347, 36 R, 28 RBI, 25 SB).
Outlook: Gladstone is back at the Semifinals for the second straight season and fifth time in six years. The Braves have won 13 of their last 14 games and advanced with a Super Regional Final victory over No. 7 Beaverton. Frappier and Carson Shea were among key cogs on last season’s Semifinals team as well, and junior shortstop Zach Hanson (.346, 19 SB) is another impact bat from the lead-off spot and also is 4-1 on the mound. Kelly Shea formerly coached the junior varsity and as a varsity assistant before taking over the program this spring.
GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT
Record/rank: 23-9, No. 4
Coach: Dan Cimini, 16th season (438-99)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League AA
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2016), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Billy Kopicki, sr. SS/P (.411, 25 R, 15 2B, 24 RBI, 16 SB, 2-1 pitching, 2.10 ERA); Alec Azar, sr. P (.357, 11-3 pitching, 1.46 ERA, 104 K/91 IP); Logan King, sr. P/OF (.365, 17 2B, 28 RBI, 6-2 pitching, 2.42 ERA, 73 K/63 2/3 IP); Drew Zelenak, jr. P/OF (.325, 19 RBI).
Outlook: After two seasons playing in Division 1, Liggett is back in Division 3 and a contender for its fifth championship this decade after winning Division 3 in 2014 and 2016 and Division 4 in 2011 and 2013. Azar was an all-state first-team selection in Division 1 last season and this spring one of just five seniors – although all five start. Four losses were to teams either ranked in Division 1 at the end of the regular season or playing in the Semifinals on Thursday, and Liggett has wins over Brother Rice, Portage Northern and Grosse Pointe South among other larger programs. Kopicki will continue his career at Miami University at Ohio.
HOMER
Record/rank: 31-3, No. 6
Coach: Scott Salow, 19th season (559-128)
League finish: Second in Big 8 Conference
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2006), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Zach Butters, sr. P/UTY (. 419, 36 R, 10 2B, 41 RBI, 10 SB, 9-1 pitching, 1.16 ERA, 75 K/60 1/3 IP); TJ VanderKuyl, jr. SS/P (.377, 38 R, 21 RBI, 23 SB, 5-1 pitching, 2.00 ERA); Jacob Wilson, jr. P/OF (.393, 36 R, 19 RBI, 10-1 pitching, 0.82 ERA, 103 K/59 2/3 IP); Kyle Compton, sr. 2B (.449, 38 R, 25 RBI, 10 SB).
Outlook: Homer will follow its third Quarterfinal this decade with its first trip back to the Semifinals since 2006. The Trojans have earned their way with their last three wins over No. 5 Ann Arbor Greenhills, No. 12 Michigan Center and No. 16 Blissfield, and they beat Division 2 No. 6 Edwardsburg during the regular season. Butters made the all-state second team as a pitcher last season, and six pitchers total have at least one win for Homer this spring. Nine regulars are hitting .323 or better; seniors Seth Deigert (.364, 40 RBI) and Gabe Farmer (.356, 34 RBI) and sophomore Damaso LeBron (.351, 40 R) also are main run producers.
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record/rank: 31-2, No. 1
Coach: Mark Rademacher, 35th season (554-325)
League finish: Tied for first in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Class C runner-up 1991.
Players to watch: Anthony Pohl, sr. C (.376, 28 RBI); Brendan Thelen, sr. P/OF (.381, 36 R, 19 SB, 14-0 pitching, 0.73 ERA, 101 K/77 IP); Keegan Smith, jr. P/IF (.410, 29 R, 25 RBI); Tanner Wirth, fr. OF (.441, 35 R, 31 RBI, 18 SB).
Outlook: Pewamo-Westphalia has followed its first Regional title since 1991 with its first trip to the Semifinals since that runner-up season and built its highest win total in Rademacher’s 35 seasons leading the program. The Pirates shared their league title with Portland St. Patrick, top-ranked in Division 4 at the end of the regular season, and their only losses were to the Shamrocks and Division 1-ranked Grand Ledge. Junior shortstop Ethan Thelen is another significant contributor, hitting .351 from the fifth spot, and junior third baseman Ethan Smith is hitting .329 from clean-up and is 11-1 with a 1.55 ERA on the mound.
Division 4
DECATUR
Record/rank: 32-6, No. 5
Coach: Ben Botti, 25th season (543-241-1)
League finish: First in Southwest 10 Conference
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2012), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Jakob Southworth, sr. P/1B (.438, 38 R, 11 2B, 27 RBI, 17 SB, 12-1 pitching, 0.93 ERA, 103 K/67 2/3 IP); Travis Hunsberger, sr. P/OF (.301, 33 R, 25 RBI, 14 SB, 8-3 pitching, 1.47 ERA, 79 K/57 IP); Benjamin Cerven, jr. 2B (.388, 46 R, 11 2B, 24 RBI, 28 SB, 3-0 pitching, 0.00 ERA); Justin Gale, sr. IF/P (.410, 29 R, 13 2B, 43 RBI, 16 SB, 1-0 pitching, 0.68 ERA).
Outlook: Decatur will play in its first Semifinals since finishing Division 3 runner-up in 2014, and this team has made significant strides with the program’s first league title since 2016 while continuing a District streak that now stretches nine seasons. The Raiders have won 17 straight games, with postseason victories over No. 12 Kalamazoo Christian, No. 14 Three Oaks River Valley and No. 18 Colon highlighting the run. The team has only four seniors, but they are high-impact – in addition to Hunsberger, Southworth and Gale mentioned above, shortstop Garrett Smith is hitting .354 from the nine spot in the lineup, another of eight regulars at .300 or higher from the plate.
GAYLORD ST. MARY
Record/rank: 26-5, No. 7
Coach: Matt Nowicki, 15th season (268-171)
League finish: First in Ski Valley Conference
Championship history: Class D runner-up 1988 and 1989.
Players to watch: Drew Koenig, jr. P/C (.400, 10 2B, 37 RBI, 11-4 pitching, 2.56 ERA, 95 K/71 IP); Brady Hunter, jr. CF (.427, 47 R, 10 2B, 33 RBI, 25 SB, 3-0 pitching, 1.88 ERA); Andrew Zielinski, jr. 3B (.356, 39 R, 25 RBI, 14 SB, 2-0 pitching, 1.57 ERA); Alex Pudvan, jr. 1B (.356, 35 RBI).
Outlook: St. Mary is making its fourth straight trip to the Semifinals. This team is led in part by Koenig, an all-state first-team selection as a pitcher last spring, and junior Joseph Moeggenberg (9-0, 1.48 ERA) could take the mound Saturday if the Snowbirds reach their first Final. St. Mary has scored double-digit runs in 13 games this season, including four of five during the playoffs and 14 runs against No. 16 Norway in the Super Regional Final. Moeggenberg (.347) and junior shortstop Steven Koscielniak (.330, 33 R) are two more run producers for a team hitting .335 as a whole.
PETERSBURG SUMMERFIELD
Record/rank: 26-4, No. 3
Coach: Travis Pant, fifth season (87-69)
League finish: First in Tri-County Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Derek Clark, jr. P/OF (.494, 44 R, 52 SB, 12-0 pitching, 0.22 ERA, 105 K/63 IP); Ethan Eyler, soph. RF (.418, 31 R, 37 RBI, 18 SB), Mark Keller, sr. 1B/P (.415, 34 R, 11 2B, 26 RBI, 10 SB); Brendan Dafoe, jr. SS (.402, 32 R, 18 SB).
Outlook: Summerfield took a step from last season’s Quarterfinal loss to make the Semifinals for the first time this spring, in part on the strength of a pitching staff led by Clark but also including sophomore Brock Olmstead (6-1, 0.76 ERA) and junior Brandon Tyler (4-0, 0.48 ERA). Clark made the all-state first team last season, and Dafoe made the second. They help drive an offense that has outscored its six postseason opponents by a combined 75-2 – including an 11-0 win over No. 15 Marine City Cardinal Mooney in the Super Regional Final. What’s more, Keller is the team’s only senior starter.
SAGINAW NOUVEL
Record/rank: 14-16-1, unranked
Coach: Shawn Larson, second season (33-26-1)
League finish: Sixth in Tri-Valley Conference West
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2005), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Justin Osmond, jr. IF (.418, 25 R, 27 SB); Brady Alverson, soph. IF/P (.378, 24 R, 11 2B, 27 RBI); Harrison Dwan, jr. CF/P (.344, 30 R, 36 SB), Jacob Burr, sr. P/IF (3.16 ERA).
Outlook: Nouvel has been in the mix plenty over the years, most recently making the Semifinals in 2012 in Division 3. However, this has been an incredible run. Nouvel so far this tournament has eliminated No. 8 and reigning champ Beal City, No. 11 Marlette and No. 19 Bay City All Saints, a memorable send-off for five seniors who all play significant roles and important experience for a team that should return its top hitters in 2020.
PHOTO: Portage Northern ace Cam French winds up during his team’s Super Regional win over Brownstown Woodhaven on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of the Portage Northern baseball program.)