Kestrels' Ace Off to Near-Perfect Encore
By
Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
May 12, 2016
By Chip Mundy
Special for Second Half
MONROE – Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central junior pitcher Meghan Beaubien is a self-proclaimed perfectionist playing in a sport that rarely sees perfection.
She comes close enough. Actually, she is such an outstanding softball pitcher that she recently was named the No. 5 high school softball player of the 2017 graduating class in the country by one publication, and last year she was the Gatorade state Softball Player of the Year for Michigan.
Beaubien, who stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall, capped her sophomore season by leading SMCC to the Division 3 championship. She threw her 10th no-hitter of the season in the Semifinal against Pinconning, and then flirted with a perfect game before settling for a one-hitter in the title game. She also had a two-run home run in the finale – a 2-0 victory.
The numbers are eye-popping:
As a freshman, Beaubien was 19-9 with a 0.69 ERA and 254 strikeouts.
As a sophomore, she was 33-3 with a 0.31 ERA and 456 strikeouts.
So far this year, Beaubien is 9-0 with a 0.51 ERA and 141 strikeouts.
Beaubien, however, is not consumed with the numbers. She doesn’t even know them.
“I don’t look at my numbers,” she said. “Maybe I’ll look at them at the end of the year.”
She also knows the expectations that come with such numbers.
“I’m a bit of a perfectionist myself in school and in sports,” she said. “There is no way you can be perfect, so you just have to forget what other people expect you to do and just go out there and do what you’re trying to do one pitch at a time.”
Bread-and-butter pitch
Beaubien, obviously, isn’t a typical high school softball pitcher. However, she isn’t even a typical elite high school softball pitcher. Although she throws hard, the change-up is her go-to pitch, and she is left-handed.
“It is a predominantly right-handed pitching game,” SMCC softball coach John Morningstar said. “You don’t see a lot of lefties, and when you bring the speed that she brings it at – even to right-handed hitters – it’s still very deceptive. She can go in and out and up, and then you have the change-up, so coming from the left side is a look that you don’t see very often. You can’t create that.”
Beaubien’s parents, Jason and Kimberly, recognized her talent at an early age and encouraged her to become more than just a hard thrower.
“She started playing grade-school ball, and I knew then that she had talent, so I started getting her to the right coaches,” Jason Beaubien said. “She had a lot of good pitching coaches along the way, but it all started with speed, which is how it all starts.
“As things progressed, speed is the prerequisite to all of the other things you have to do to become at a high level. Then the movement and changing speeds comes into it. She hit 65 on the radar gun when she was 13, and I knew at that point that she really needed to have some off-speed pitch to complement the other parts of her game.”
To throw the change-up effectively, a pitcher has to deceive the batter into thinking the pitch will be thrown harder. That is a science all in itself.
“Her change-up is one of the best I’ve ever seen, particularly because you don’t know it’s coming,” Morningstar said. “It is coming from the left side, the arm speed never changes, the mechanics never change.
“A lot of kids can throw hard, but when you can throw hard and have that mix of speed and the command, which she has, that’s special.”
Beaubien was asked which was more fun, overpowering a batter with heat or fooling them with the change-up. She thought about it a minute and said, “I have fun with the change-up.”
“I probably started working with that in seventh or eighth grade, and in the summer after my freshman year it got good, but it really got to where it’s at now after my sophomore year,” she said. “The whole point of a change-up is to make the batter expect something hard and throw something not hard. You have to be able to sell it and make your motion look like you’re going to throw it hard.
“Also, if you release it the right way and you get good downspin on it, the ball is going to drop off the table, too.”
Hitting counts, too
Because Beaubien is such an outstanding pitcher, it is easy to think of her as just a pitcher. But she can hit, too, as she showed last year with the two-run homer in the championship game.
Last year, she hit .430 with three home runs, 29 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .640.
However, hitting did not come as naturally to her as pitching did.
“At the plate, I used to just be a slapper, and I never used to swing away,” she said. “I think it’s because I focused a lot more on my pitching, and now I focus on my hitting as well. I want to be equally recognized as both a hitter and a pitcher because I don’t want to be a one-dimensional player.
“I want to be able to help our team out as many ways as I can.”
It also helps her relate to stepping into the batter’s box to face an above-average pitcher and the mental approach that goes with it.
“I can tell with individual hitters what their attitude is by their body language, how they carry themselves and how they look when they step into the box,” she said. “I’ve been there, I’m a hitter, too, and sometimes I go in confident that I’m going to get a hit off a pitcher and sometimes you are kind of thinking, ‘Oh gosh, I hope I don’t strike out.’
“You can tell when a hitter is not feeling confident or they are a little intimated. Then you know, ‘OK, I’m coming right at this person.’ ”
Michigan all the way
Beaubien had never thrown a pitch as a high school pitcher when she gave a verbal agreement to accept a scholarship to play at the University of Michigan. She received her offer letter on the field at Michigan Stadium prior to the Ohio State football game on Nov. 30, 2013.
“That was really cool,” Jason Beaubien said. “Michigan came up short by a point that day, but she didn’t. That was a very exciting time for her mother and me.”
Michigan had always been her first choice, so the decision was an easy one for her, but there was still a process.
“A lot of the recruiting process is hard,” she said. “I was 14, and it’s hard to make that big of a decision about your life at that point. A lot of schools will give you deadlines when they offer scholarships, and I didn’t have any schools tell me, ‘You need to decide by this date.’ I didn’t have any of that, thankfully.
“That was the age that the pitchers I knew were committing, so I knew I had to make a decision. I visited enough schools and knew what I wanted, so the decision was easy for me.”
Beaubien is an outstanding student – again with eye-popping numbers. Her GPA is 4.7, and she scored a 34 on her ACT. So her desire to find a school with top-notch academics as well as a top-notch softball program fit perfectly with Michigan, and Michigan wanted her.
“There is a stereotype that if you are a really good athlete, then you are not going to be smart in school,” she said. “I want to be both. I want to be successful in school and in softball.
“My parents taught me at a young age that my grades come first, and that is what will get you through the rest of your life, so I’ve always put a lot of emphasis on being successful in school. I don’t let that slide.”
The work in the classroom has attracted attention from some of the finest colleges in the nation.
“She is probably most proud of her grades,” Jason Beaubien said. “She is getting letters from Harvard and Princeton and all the Ivy League schools, which would be awesome, and she would love to go to those schools, but she also loves softball.
“She has the best of both worlds at Michigan.”
Staying grounded
The summer travel leagues offer players a chance to play at a different level and in different surroundings. Last summer, Beaubien played on a team based in Chicago, leaving her a five-hour, one-way trip to the games.
The Bandits 16 and under team lost its first game in the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) Nationals before winning 10 games in a row to get into the championship game in the double-elimination tournament. The Bandits lost 1-0, but she finished the tournament with a 7-2 record and a 1.12 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings.
Beaubien handled all of the pressure quite well, and her father said she might have handled it better than he did.
“It was stressful,” he said. “We were travelling and there were a lot of showcases in the fall, and it’s tough. There were times when she was out there competing with 25 coaches behind the fence all clocking her and watching her.
“That’s a lot of pressure to put on any kid in that spot, and that’s just how it is. She has competed under pressure situations that I would wilt under. I can barely watch, and she’s out there competing and executing. It’s cool to watch and cool to see.”
The kind of success that Beaubien has enjoyed easily could go to the head of a teenager, but she has showed maturity and leadership beyond her years. After a game this week, she joined the rest of the team raking the infield.
That sort of thing is not something that happens by accident with Morningstar.
“The biggest thing I’ve ever learned is that you use the team as the catalyst and revert everything back to the team,” he said. “I set a premise that nobody is above the team, and she does a very good job as far as leadership is concerned and taking it seriously.
“She leads by example and works hard and shows the rest of the girls what it takes to compete at the next level. She’s a fun kid to coach.”
Beaubien is talented and successful on the field and in the classroom. And as focused as she is, there is little time for other activities. She still is able to find time for other things.
“When she does have some free time, she just wants to relax,” Jason Beaubien said. “Like any kid, she will watch Netflix or hang out with her friends. She’s a big Star Wars geek – she likes that.”
She also said she enjoys watching baseball, and she watches the Detroit Tigers on television as much as possible.
It hasn’t all been easy, either. She did lose nine games as a freshman, even though her numbers were fantastic.
“There are days when she struggles, but her struggle is someone else’s best game,” Morningstar said. “She picks the team up and puts it on her back when she wants to, and that’s what you want out of a leader.”
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) Meghan Beaubien launches a pitch; she has a combined 851 strikeouts over her first three high school seasons. (Middle) Beaubien also is a strong hitter and had a home run in last season's Division 3 championship game. (Photos courtesy of the Beaubien family.)
Preview: 4 Take Next Step for 1st Time
June 10, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Most teams journeying to Secchia Stadium at Michigan State University this weekend will be doing so for the first time, as this is only the second season MSU has hosted MHSAA Softball Finals weekend.
But for Caledonia, Carleton Airport, St. Clair and Montague, the trip will be a little more special – all four will be playing in an MHSAA Semifinal for the first time in their histories.
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
Caledonia vs. Farmington Hills Mercy, 3 p.m.
Warren Regina vs. Mattawan, 5:30 p.m.
Division 2
Frankenmuth vs. Carleton Airport, 10 a.m.
Wayland vs. St. Clair, 12:30 p.m.
Semifinals – Friday
Division 3
Pinconning vs. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, 3 p.m.
Bronson vs. Montague, 5:30 p.m.
Division 4
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Hillman, 10 a.m.
Holton vs. Unionville-Sebewaing, 12:30 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1: 12:30 p.m.
Division 2: 10 a.m.
Division 3: 5:30 p.m.
Division 4: 3 p.m.
Tickets cost $8 per round and include admission to baseball and girls soccer games that day 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.
All statistics below are through at least the regular season, with most through teams' Regionals. (Click for links to brackets and scores.)
DIVISION 1
CALEDONIA
Record/rank: 33-4, No. 3
Coach: Tom Kaechele, 14th season (288-165)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference White.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Samantha Gehrls, fr. P (.582, 35 R, 10 2B, 14 HR, 56 RBI, 19-1 pitching, 1.11 ERA, 159 K); Ashley Miller, sr. SS (.454, 53 R, 9 3B, 12 SB); Hannah Horvath, jr. 2B (.443, 49 R, 11 2B, 31 RBI, 13 SB).
Outlook: Caledonia won its first Regional title last weekend and eclipsed 30 wins for the second straight season despite replacing graduated all-state pitcher Morgan Swift. Freshman Gehrls has been phenomenal keying this program-best run; the Fighting Scots eliminated No. 4 Hudsonville in the Regional Final and honorable mention Midland in the Quarterfinal. She’s surrounded by strong bats – six Scots are hitting at least .396, including junior catcher Lexi Lieske (.396), junior first baseman McKenna Dixon (.406) and senior designated player Danielle Oracz (.451).
FARMINGTON HILLS MERCY
Record/rank: 27-3, No. 5
Coach: Alec Lesko, first season (27-3)
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Championship history: Division 1 runner-up 2002.
Players to watch: Abby Krzywiecki, jr. 1B/P (.594, 12 HR, 56 RBI, 10-1 pitching, 2.98 ERA); Alex Sobczak, sr. C (.436, 55 R, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 11 SB); Sophia VanAcker, soph. LF (.545, 32 R, 26 RBI, 11 SB);
Outlook: Mercy won its first Regional title since 2007 with a team that should have an opportunity at multiple trips to Finals weekend. Sobczak was an all-state first-teamer last season but is one of only two seniors who start and three total on the team. Krzywiecki earned all-state honorable mention last season and will finish this one with multiple entries in the MHSAA records for her offensive prowess. She provides another strong arm to ace junior Andrea Elmore, who came into the week 15-2 with a 1.44 ERA and 143 strikeouts in just under 112 innings pitched.
MATTAWAN
Record/rank: 31-12, honorable mention
Coach: Alicia Smith, 15th season (400-177-1)
League finish: First in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East.
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2013 and 2011, runner-up 2012.
Players to watch: Joanna Bartz, soph. 3B (.433, 51 R, 13 2B, 12 HR, 63 RBI); Genny Soltesz, jr. 2B (.544, 66 R, 15 SB); Alexis Taube, soph. SS (.504, 49 R, 16 2B, 11 HR, 65 RBI).
Outlook: Mattawan was an extra-inning run in the 2012 Final from winning three straight titles, and after a year away is back at Finals weekend. Bartz earned an all-state honorable mention last season as a freshman, and she and Taube are the main run producers in a lineup loaded with five hitters batting .at least .433. The team has scored 415 runs – good for 11th in MHSAA history – and despite playing a loaded regular-season schedule and having to eliminate No. 1 Portage Central and No. 10 Plymouth during the playoffs. Junior first baseman Amber Mazahem (.455) and freshman pitcher Emily Koperdak (.441) are among additional top hitters, with Koperdak also 19-8 with a 3.28 ERA.
WARREN REGINA
Record/rank: 25-16, honorable mention
Coach: Diane Laffey, 45th season (1,116-439-3)
League finish: Third in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2007).
Players to watch: Gina Munson, sr. C/3B (.333, 31 RBI); Marissa Tiano, sr. P/DP (.403, 13 2B, 25 RBI); Riley Hison, sr. 2B (.431, 37 R, 22 RBI).
Outlook: Regina won its 19th straight District title this spring, but is back at the Finals for the first time since finishing a run of four straight MHSAA titles from 2004-07. Laffey is the winningest coach in Michigan softball history, predating the start of the MHSAA tournament by more than a decade. Regina may have more losses than anyone left in Division 1, but it also has handed Mercy its only three losses this season. Munson earned an all-state honorable mention in 2014 and catches Tiano and junior Nicole Roeske, who was 10-6 with a 2.84 ERA entering the week.
DIVISION 2
CARLETON AIRPORT
Record/rank: 36-4, honorable mention
Coach: John Warren, 21st season (520-222)
League finish: Tied for first in Huron League.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Emily Bindus, jr. P (.513, 37 R, 17 2B, 52 RBI, 23-1 pitching, 0.75 ERA, 216 K); Lauren French, sr. SS (.439, 52 R, 14 2B, 48 RBI); Alyssa Lang, soph. 2B (.496, 54 R, 16 2B, 39 RBI).
Outlook: Airport has been surging over a few years to reach this point, winning its first Regional title since 2009 and earning its first Semifinal berth after winning a third straight District and second league title in three seasons. The Jets scored in double figures in nearly half its wins, 16, with five hitters scoring at least 30 runs total this season. Senior catcher Carleigh Cousino adds another big bat, entering the week hitting .437 with 33 runs scored and 38 driven in. Airport has won 25 of its last 26 games; that only loss was in the regular-season finale, 1-0 to Division 3 No. 1 Monroe St. Mary.
FRANKENMUTH
Record/rank: 36-3-1, No. 10
Coach: Brad Walraven, sixth season (186-49)
League finish: First in Tri-Valley Conference East.
Championship history: Class C champion 1991, Division 3 runner-up 2011.
Players to watch: Amariah Wright, sr. P/1B (.472, 13 2B, 6 HR, 58 RBI, 22-1 pitching, 1.00 ERA, 198 K); Andrea Perlberg, sr. 3B (.440, 51 R, 35 SB); Makenzie Sipes, sr. 2B (.409, 38 R, 31 RBI).
Outlook: The Eagles eliminated honorable mention Saginaw Swan Valley in the Regional Final and then No. 6 Escanaba in the Quarterfinal with a lineup boasting six strong seniors led by one of the most successful coaches in MHSAA history in Walraven (1,093-302 in 36 seasons overall). Senior Kayla Brooks (13-2, 1.74 ERA) gives the team deeper pitching than most and also plays first base – she made the all-state first team last season – and senior left fielder Alyssa Jarlock adds a .371 average to the middle of the lineup. Sophomore shortstop Hannah Karwat is the lone non-senior among the top six, cleaning up with a .394 average.
ST. CLAIR
Record/rank: 23-12, unranked
Coach: Kevin Mahn, ninth season (196-93-1)
League finish: Third in Macomb Area Conference Red.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Chelsea Schweiger, sr. CF (.500, 41 R, 15 SB); Hannah Gomola, sr. P (.453, 32 R, 10 2B, 30 RBI); Avary Humes, sr. SS (.408, 12 2B, 32 R).
Outlook: St. Clair made Quarterfinals in 2012 and 2013 and won a District title last season before breaking through this spring for its first Semifinal berth. The Saints eliminated No. 7 Croswell-Lexington in the Regional Final and have outscored its five tournament opponents by a combined 51-14. Schweiger earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is one of five senior starters. Another, Miranda Greig, hits .367 and was 8-5 pitching with a 2.63 ERA heading into this week.
WAYLAND
Record/rank: 34-2, No. 1
Coach: Cheri Ritz, 20th season (670-132)
League finish: First in O-K Gold.
Championship history: Division 2 champion 2006.
Players to watch: Mallory Teunissen, sr. P/OF (.349, 30-2 pitching, 0.23 ERA, 365 K); Abby Merice, fr. P/OF (.509, 43 R, 11 2B, 38 RBI, 17 SB); Morgan Teunissen, sr. 1B (.422, 41 R, 20 RBI, 11 SB); Caroline Miller, sr. 2B (.450, 47 R, 34 RBI, 15 SB).
Outlook: The Wildcats returned to the Semifinals in 2014 for the second time in three seasons and fell by a run in 10 innings; they could take the next step led by Mallory Teunissen, who is striking out an average of two batters per inning. Wayland has an argument as the best team of the regular season, having shut out both Division 1 No. 1 Portage Central and eventual semifinalist Mattawan. The lineup is a mix of strong seniors, one of only two juniors, and dynamic underclassmen; senior shortstop Hailey Houck (.414, 40 RBI) and freshman outfielder Sydney Urban (.418, 38 RBI) are among more dangerous hitters.
DIVISION 3
BRONSON
Record/rank: 36-7, unranked
Coach: Becky Gray, 10th season (294-86-1)
League finish: First in Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference East.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Kinslea Blouin, sr. SS (.556, 52 R, 15 2B, 68 RBI, 16 SB); Skyler Sobeski, sr. P (.547, 62 R, 20 2B, 11 HR, 65 RBI, 24-3 pitching, 0.65 ERA, 209 K); Kelsey Robinson, jr. CF (.486, 63 R, 23 SB).
Outlook: Bronson has won 17 straight including 5-0 and 5-1 wins over No. 5 Buchanan near the end of the regular season; the Vikings outscored their five playoff opponents by a combined 44-1 and haven’t given up a run since Parchment scored the lone one in Bronson’s first District game. Sobeski was all-state first team and Blouin earned an honorable mention last season, but Hannah Hoover (.352) is the only other upperclassmen. There are nine underclassmen including eight freshmen, four who start.
MONROE ST. MARY CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 35-5, No. 1
Coach: John Morningstar, first season (35-5)
League finish: Tied for first in Huron League.
Championship history: Three runner-up finishes (most recent 2007).
Players to watch: Meghan Beaubien, soph. P; Ellie Cepo, sr. C. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: St. Mary won its first league title since 2008 and first District and Regional titles since that last runner-up season of 2007. The Kestrels eliminated No. 3 Napoleon in the Quarterfinal, and two of its losses were to teams playing in semifinals in bigger-school divisions (Airport and Mercy). They haven’t given up a run in five MHSAA tournament victories. Beaubien made the all-state first team last season as a freshman.
MONTAGUE
Record/rank: 22-12, unranked
Coach: Doug Rice, second season (36-24)
League finish: Third in West Michigan Conference.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Kenadee Shugars, sr. P (.422, 50 R, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 14-10 pitching, 2.61 ERA, 208 K); Linze Neubauer, sr. 1B (.432, 31 R, 33 RBI); Hannah Smith, soph. 2B (.410, 33 R).
Outlook: Montague has improved eight wins so far from Rice’s first to second season and will play in the Semifinals for the first time in program history. The Wildcats have won eight straight and 12 of their last 13 games after starting the spring 7-8. All 11 regulars hit at least .293 and seven hit at least .362; sophomore McKenna Lohman and junior Brandi Rice add punch in the middle of the lineup hitting .396 and .390, respectively. Shugars had 21 extra-base hits total entering the week – nine doubles and five triples to go with her seven home runs.
PINCONNING
Record/rank: 30-13, No. 8
Coach: Fred Yanoski, third season (79-42)
League finish: First in North East Michigan Conference.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2000), one runner-up finish.
Players to watch: Josie Lavrack, sr. OF (.471, 56 R, 13 2B, 28 RBI); Gabby Yanoski, sr. 2B (.420, 50 R, 51 RBI); Malinda Talaga, sr. SS (.413, 46 R, 10 2B, 6 HR, 50 RBI).
Outlook: Pinconning has a rich softball tradition, with 27 straight league titles, but is returning to Finals weekend for the first time since 2004 after winning its first Regional title since 2010. The Spartans advanced in part by eliminating honorable mention Harrison, No. 4 Saginaw Valley Lutheran and No. 7 Reese. Talaga earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is among a strong group of five seniors, four who start. Junior Danielle Amlotte (20-10, 2.86 ERA) and sophomore Tegan Ferguson (9-3, 2.22) have handled the pitching duties, and junior Kayla Gauthier (.407, 48 RBI) adds another big bat to a lineup that had 25 home runs total entering the week.
DIVISION 4
HILLMAN
Record/rank: 30-3, honorable mention
Coach: Rich Price, first season (30-3)
League finish: Second in North Star League.
Championship history: 1996 Class D runner-up.
Players to watch: Vanessa Schook, soph. P/SS (.528, 45 R, 14 2B, 22 SB, 10-1 pitching, 1.31 ERA); Morgan Armon, soph. SS/3B (.500, 37 R, 23 RBI); Alissa Jones, sr. CF (.500, 35 R, 14 2B).
Outlook: Price took over the program this season after nine years as an assistant and has led the team to its first Regional title since 1999 and first Semifinal since 1996. Five regulars hit at least .400 and six hit at least .363 including the team’s three seniors, Jones, Eden Hunt (.403) and Courtney Sauer (.363). Schook is expected to get the start pitching, but has split those duties with sophomore third baseman Morgan Dove (.435, 14-2 pitching, 2.42 ERA); they are two of eight underclassmen on the roster.
HOLTON
Record/rank: 37-0, No. 3
Coach: Kirk Younts, first season (37-0)
League finish: First in Central State Activities Association Silver.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Ashley Friend, sr. C (.661, 18 2B, 63 RBI); Rachel Younts, sr. P (.320, 13 2B, 26-0 pitching, 0.84 ERA, 185 K); Jacki Stone, sr. OF (.617, 52 R, 17 2B, 50 RBI).
Outlook: Holton has made a Semifinal once before, in 2013, and can finish off one of the most tremendous seasons in MHSAA history if its closes with a championship. The Red Devils advanced by beating No. 7 Coleman in the Quarterfinal and won a league filled with larger opponents while keeping opponents at two runs or fewer in 29 games. Stone made the all-state first team last season, and Friend and Rachel Younts earned honorable mentions. The lineup opens with two more .400-plus hitters in sophomore rightfielder Emily Larabee (.487, 60 R) and senior shortstop Katie Wildfong (.431, 60 R), who also was 8-0 pitching with a 1.60 ERA heading into the week.
KALAMAZOO CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 28-14, No. 8
Coach: Terry Reynolds, second season (56-31)
League finish: First in Kalamazoo Valley Association.
Championship history: Seven MHSAA titles (most recent 2013), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Kara Gjeltema, jr. SS (.541, 48 R, 17 2B, 9 HR, 66 RBI); McKena Razenberg, jr. OF (.504, 63 R, 32 RBI, 24 SB); Aliyah Lemmer, soph. P (.369, 14 2B, 37 RBI, 15-13, 2.61 ERA).
Outlook: Kalamazoo Christian was Division 4 runner-up last season after winning the title in 2013, and no team in MHSAA history has played in more softball championship games. Gjeltema and senior second baseman Hannah Rozeveld (.285, 35 R, 25 RBI) are returning all-state first-team selections, and those two plus Lemmer and Razenberg played in last season’s Final, a one-run loss to Rogers City. Junior Haley Sikkenga provides another useful pitching option, sitting at 12-1 with a 3.35 ERA heading into this week.
UNIONVILLE-SEBEWAING
Record/rank: 36-3, No. 1
Coach: Steve Bohn, fourth season (154-13)
League finish: First in Greater Thumb Conference West.
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Breanna Dinsmoore, sr. C (.479, 52 R, 15 2B, 11 HR, 55 RBI); Nicole Bauer, jr. P/1B (.463, 33 R, 17 2B, 46 RBI, 23-0 pitching, 0.38 ERA, 191 K); Erica Treiber, sr. CF/P (.429, 15 R in 12 games, 4-1 pitching, 1.27 ERA).
Outlook: After two straight runner-up finishes in Division 3, one a one-run loss and the other coming after nine innings, USA is back in Division 4 where it won its most recent title in 2009 and finished runner-up in 2011. The Patriots have eliminated No. 6 Ubly, No. 9 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett and No. 10 Waterford Our Lady during this run. Treiber also is back after losing most of her season to an injury – she, Dinsmoore and Bauer all made the Division 3 all-state first team last season. Two others hit better than .400 – junior second baseman Kayla Gremel (.414, 30 RBI) and freshman outfielder Brianna Osentowske (.417), who was promoted when Treiber was injured in April.
PHOTO: Holton third baseman Kaitlynn Mock anticipates a play as a Coleman runner turns toward home during their Quarterfinal on Tuesday. Holton won to remain undefeated and advance to a Division 4 Semifinal. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com).