Multi-Sport Standouts Again Helping Watervliet Diamond Teams Shine
May 22, 2023
Watervliet has two seniors who have made a positive impression in the classroom, on the athletic playing fields, and in the community over the past four years – and this spring, they’ve helped their respective teams to back-to-back-to-back baseball and softball league championships.
Tyson Williams and Samantha Dietz have been a great example of scholar-athletes at Watervliet High School over the past four years. Williams will earn his 11th varsity letter this spring, and Dietz will earn her 12th. Both are outstanding students as well; Williams has a 3.98 GPA, while Dietz has a 4.13 as they rank ninth and third, respectively, in their senior class.
Both have been exceptional role models for future Panthers; they both spend many days and hours at the elementary schools having lunch, reading, or just hanging out with the elementary students at recess. Both student-athletes are National Honor Society and student council members.
Their teams have achieved plenty during their four years at Watervliet, including combining on a couple of memorable accomplishments – notably, the baseball and softball teams went a combined 73-1 in league play over the last three seasons, and this winter saw the girls and boys basketball varsities both win 20 games for the first time.
Williams is headed to Hope College in the fall to play football. As the quarterback at Watervliet for four years, He threw for more than 5,000 yards and 52 touchdowns. He also led the team in scoring and rebounds this past basketball season and helped the team to a 20-win season after last year's 19-win campaign. Williams was named first-team all-state by the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan.
In baseball, the Panthers recently clinched the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title for the third-consecutive season, and the team has gone undefeated in league play during his 10th, 11th and 12th-grade seasons (with his freshman season canceled due to COVID-19. As of May 15, Williams had pitched a total of 132 career innings and tallied 188 strikeouts, with a 24-6 record, three saves and a 1.77 ERA.
Dietz will continue at Arizona State University this fall. She was a member of the volleyball team which won two SAC division titles, two District titles, and a Regional championship. during her volleyball career, she tallied 1,433 kills and earned all-state honorable mention as a sophomore and made the first team as a junior and senior. During basketball season, Samantha was a part of a back-to-back-to-back SAC Lakeshore championship teams that finished a combined 25-1 in league play and won the program’s first District title since 2006. Dietz scored 1,279 career points and grabbed 1,009 career rebounds. She earned honorable mention all-state twice, and made the first team once.
In softball, Dietz has been a part of the SAC Lakeshore championship team for three seasons (with her freshman season also canceled due to COVID). She is in the MHSAA record book for stolen bases, with 74 in 2022 and 62 in 2021. Her teams also have won back-to-back District titles.
PHOTOS From left, Samantha Dietz and Tyson Williams. (Photos courtesy of the Watervliet athletic department.)
Unionville-Sebewaing, Mendon Earn Highly-Anticipated Title Game Rematch
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
June 13, 2025
EAST LANSING — Rain delays usually produce moans and groans for many, but a storm break during Friday’s first MHSAA Division 4 Semifinal seemed to be beneficial for Unionville-Sebewaing.
Before the skies opened up, Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary seemed to have all the momentum, holding a one-run lead with runners on second and third base and one out in the bottom of the second inning.
When play resumed one hour and 15 minutes later, it was all USA.
The Patriots’ dominated from there, rolling to a 4-1 win and continuing their bid for a record sixth-straight Finals title.
“I told the girls that we outdanced them,” quipped USA head coach Marc Reinhardt, referring to the dancing both teams were doing in their dugouts to pass the time during the delay. “It came at a good time. The momentum was all on their side.”
After play resumed, USA pitcher Olivia Green first got her team out of the jam in the bottom of the second with two strikeouts, stranding the bases loaded for a second consecutive inning.
In the top of the third, USA (21-15) implemented a small ball strategy to perfection. A bunt single by freshman Morgan Armbruster and a sacrifice bunt put Armbruster at third base with one out, and then junior Kate Beagle laid down another bunt that scored Armbruster after she beat the throw home.
Green then delivered an RBI double to score Beagle and make it 2-1 USA.
“When we got (batting), we were in a perfect spot to start doing what we ended up doing,” Reinhardt said. “The girls executed like we worked on all year long. I get kids who come in as freshmen and say, ‘I don’t bunt, Coach.’ I say, ‘You will.’ Sometimes it’s necessary.”
The Patriots added a run in the fifth inning on an RBI triple by junior Macy Prime and another in the sixth on an RBI double by sophomore Nataley Harder.
It was more than enough support for Green, who finished with 15 strikeouts and tossed a three-hitter. She didn’t allow a hit after the rain delay.
“I would say it was more of a strategic reset,” Green said of the delay. “I was talking to our coaches about what we should do with the top of their lineup because they had good hitters coming up. It was just knowing how to set up for them and what to throw to them.”
Alley Coffey stuck out 10 batters for Michigan Lutheran Seminary (32-11), which was seeking its first appearance in a championship game.
“We still had an opportunity with the bases loaded,” MLS head coach Seth LaBair said about the scenario when play resumed after the delay. “We needed to come up with a hit, and that probably would have given us more momentum too. The rain delay, maybe it did change things a bit. But that happens. USA had to come back and go through that too.”
Mendon 4, Hillman 2
To win its first Finals championship in school history, Mendon will have to go through the state’s gold standard in USA. But it’s a challenge the Hornets will relish.
“These girls are dying for another opportunity,” Mendon head coach Steve Butler said. “It’s all we’ve thought about for the last year, and they’ve got it.”
Mendon lost to USA in the championship game two years ago and in the Semifinals last year, and will get a crack at the Patriots again after grinding out a win over a Hillman team that also played in the Semifinals last year.
Mendon (35-2) committed two errors in the top of the first inning, which led to a pair of Hillman runs. Autumn Lis had an RBI single during that first inning rally for Hillman (33-8).
In the third inning, it was Mendon’s turn to capitalize on mistakes. Hillman (33-8) committed a pair of errors, one a throwing error that allowed two runs to score and made it 3-2 Mendon. The Hornets got on the board earlier in the inning on an RBI triple by junior Jadyn Samson.
Mendon rounded out the scoring in the fifth inning on an RBI groundout by Taya Bingaman.
All game, Mendon rode the pitching of junior Rowan Allen, who struck out 12, walked one and allowed just five hits.
“I was feeling pretty good today, and I knew I could attack the batters and go after them because I have a great defense behind me,” Allen said.
Hillman pitcher Gretchen Weiland allowed just six hits, striking out eight and walking two in six innings of work.
Hillman head coach Jason Weiland said his team was in a familiar position of jumping ahead quickly, given it lost the coin flip before every game of the postseason and thus was the road team for the entirety of its playoff run.
Ultimately, Mendon’s experience and resolve prevailed.
“We just fell short,” Weiland said. “I’m happy with this team’s success after graduating four seniors last year. They really instilled that they wanted to go (back) to the Final Four. We were hoping to take one step beyond, but back-to-back Final Four trips for us is the first time in history. I’m really proud of the girls.”
PHOTOS (Top) Unionville-Sebewaing’s Olivia Green blasts a drive during her team’s Division 4 Semifinal win over Michigan Lutheran Seminary. (Middle) Mendon’s Rowan Allen makes her move toward the plate.