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).

Britton Deerfield, Whiteford Administrators Provide Diamond Leadership As Well

By Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com

April 15, 2025

Victoria Fraley has two new softball coaches this spring.

Southeast & BorderIt’s nothing new to the Britton Deerfield senior. Every year of her high school career, a new coach has welcomed the team come springtime.

But this year’s coaching duo – while two people she’s become very familiar with at the Class D high school of 140 students in Lenawee County – is a bit different.

It’s her superintendent, Stacy Johnson, and high school principal, Jeff Scott.

“I was so excited when I found out,” said Fraley, a pitcher for the Patriots. “I knew they had coached previously, and Mr. Scott has coached so many sports before. I was excited for the change because I knew they would hold us to higher standards than other coaches in the past.”

Fraley said the difference became noticeable the first practice of the spring.

“In years past, some people have been okay with losing,” she said. “Now, people are being held accountable.”

Johnson and Scott decided to co-coach this season after a lack of candidates surfaced to replace last year’s coach.

Britton Deerfield athletic director Erik Johnson is the husband of the superintendent and co-softball coach, and he’s already signed on to coach golf this spring. Superintendent Johnson said Erik started hinting about her coaching months ago.

“He plants a seed, right? He kept building upon that,” she said. “He’d say ‘There are no candidates.’”

Finally, Johnson and Scott – who have coached together previously – decided on coaching together again.

“We’re never going to let our kids go without,” Stacy Johnson said. “We’ll never let them go without the same opportunities that some kids in other districts have, so we just step up. That’s what we do.”

Both are at every practice and bring different perspectives.

Scott was the softball coach for BD several years ago. He’s also coached girls basketball and football – with Erik Johnson, also currently the varsity football coach.

“When I left the program, it was in pretty good shape,” Scott said. “The secret to softball is to have a program that develops a pitcher. Pitching comes with a lot of time and dedication and commitment. You can teach the hitting and fielding; you can practice that and get better.

“When I first took over back in the day, there were probably five girls who were travel ball players. With that comes experience – girls play all summer. They get a lot of work in. I don’t think there is anyone in our program now who has played a game of travel ball. Teams who have two, three, four travel ball players will have an advantage on us.”

Scott said the 11 girls on BD’s varsity softball roster are green, but willing to learn.

Johnson points something out to senior Victoria Fraley. “I have some girls who are learning to run bases and some girls who are learning the rules – how to tag up and things,” he said. “I had to back up a little bit, slow down a little. I am going to teach them college-level skills. We do have some young ladies who are willing and dedicated to learn.”

Johnson grew up in Monroe, where she played high school softball for one of the winningest coaches in state history in Vince Rossi.

“They don’t come any better than Coach Rossi,” she said. “I learned from him. I love this. I like being out here. I feel like I still have some knowledge to pass along to the girls.”

BD opened its season last week, being swept by Sand Creek in the Tri-County Conference opener for both schools. The Aggies scored most of their runs without hitting a ball out of the infield, taking advantage of walks and a couple of misplays. Scott, however, was encouraged by the determination he saw in the BD girls.

“We’re going to have bumps and bruises, but I can’t wait to see where we are going from the first game to the last game,” he said. “This is fun. I have 11 players, 22 sets of eyes looking at me every time.”

Another Tri-County Conference school, Ottawa Lake Whiteford, had a similar situation this spring when a lack of candidates for the junior varsity baseball coaching job led to Scott Huard, the superintendent in that district, putting his name into the running. He was hired.

“When I made the decision 18 years ago to move from the classroom to school administration, I also gave up coaching understanding that being a school administrator is demanding of your time,” Huard said. “As a school administrator, you have a greater reach and influence on the number of students, staff, and the families you serve. However, with this greater responsibility, you often lose out on creating those close relationships with your students or athletes as a teacher or coach might do from being with them daily.”

Huard’s return to the diamond has been welcomed.

“What I have found this spring in coaching is that my passion for coaching and teaching baseball has returned after being idle for many years,” he said. “It has also afforded me the opportunity to really get to know 15 of our students in a much different way than being a superintendent.”

Johnson and Huard said getting away from the day-to-day pressures of being a superintendent has been a bonus.

“I love the kids,” Johnson said. “So much of my job is about the district. It relates to kids, but it’s not necessarily dealing with them 1-on-1. This gives me that opportunity. For a couple of hours every day I can catch my breath a little bit and be out here with the girls.”

Huard echoed those sentiments.

“It has been nice to slip away for a couple of hours to practice with the boys, which allows me to rejuvenate my energy, which I believe has made me a better superintendent and avoiding potential burnout,” he said.

As a player, Fraley loves having the school administrators at the softball field.

“They will treat you the same no matter what,” she said. “They are both so encouraging – on the field and in the school. Because we are now their athletes and students, I think they hold us to a higher standard. You can really see the shift. It’s a different atmosphere out here.”

Huard, who coached in Bryan, Ohio, before becoming an administrator, isn’t sure if he will continue coaching in the future, but is having fun with it this spring. Being superintendent of the district is his No. 1 priority.

“I don't feel that the boys treat me any differently since I am the superintendent and their coach,” he said. “(And) I am treating them like any other baseball team that I have coached at the high school level. I am attempting to prepare these boys for future success at the varsity level by ensuring they are fundamentally sound in all aspects of baseball as well as understanding game situations.”

Doug DonnellyDoug Donnelly has served as a news and sports reporter at the Adrian Daily Telegram and the Monroe News for 30 years, including 10 years as city editor in Monroe. He's written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. He is now publisher and editor of The Blissfield Advance, a weekly newspaper. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Britton Deerfield varsity softball coaches Stacy Johnson, far right, and Jeff Scott announce their starting lineup to their players before a recent game. (Middle) Johnson points something out to senior Victoria Fraley. (Photos by Doug Donnelly.)