Pair Powers Mercy Softball to Semifinals
July 16, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Farmington Hills Mercy advanced to this spring’s Division 1 Softball Semifinals on the bats of two powerful hitters – one a senior recently recognized as the best in Michigan this season, and the other a junior likely to be a candidate for the same award in 2016.
Alex Sobczak earned the Miss Softball position player award from the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association and finished her fourth and final varsity season with five career totals in the MHSAA record listings – a .524 batting average, 40 doubles, 40 home runs, 210 runs scored and 112 walks. Her 40 home runs are fifth on that career list and include 17 she hit as a sophomore to tie for third on the single-season list for that category. Sobczak, Mercy’s catcher and leadoff hitter, will continue her career at the University of Michigan.
Teammate Abby Krzywiecki finished her third varsity season making the single-season home runs list with 12 and moving up the career list with 28 to tie for 19th with one more spring to play. She’s also in the MHSAA records four times with at least six RBI in a game plus hit three home runs in a game including two straight in a May 16 win over Mattawan. A first baseman, she’s approaching the career records lists in hits, RBI, batting average and doubles, and hit .574 this season.
As a team, Mercy again made MHSAA lists with 28 home runs this season and 254 RBI over 31 games.
Click the “Softball” heading below to see that sport's record listings in full, and read on for more of this week’s additions in baseball, boys lacrosse and girls lacrosse.
Baseball
- Montague’s 21-9 finish this season included a handful of performances notable for record book inclusion. Junior Jacob Buchberger hit .583 with 11 triples to make those individual lists, while junior Cameron Brayman also made the triples list with eight – those two played large roles as the team finished with 20 triples to tie for third as a team on the single-season list. Junior pitcher Andrew Bobian joined an elite group, walking only five batters in 61 innings pitched. He finished 5-5 despite a 2.52 ERA.
- Mitchell Weber joined a group of players tied for 12th-most doubles in one season, hitting 21 in 37 games this spring. A senior, Weber hit .505 and will play next spring at Kellogg Community College.
- Kaydon Reimer made the single-season hit-by-pitch list with 15 as a junior for Hale, and finished his career in 2014 having been hit with 35 pitches total over four seasons to rank 11th on that career list.
Boys Lacrosse
- Nicholas Lucci continued his climb up the MHSAA career records lists in goals, assists and points with his best season this spring. The Bloomfield Hills junior had 69 goals and 43 assists for a combined 112 points – which tied for ninth on the season points list. He also made the single-game points list with 10 three times and the single-game goals list with eight against Walled Lake Central on March 25. His 221 career points rank 12th with a season to play.
Girls Lacrosse
- Amy Longe finished her four-season varsity career at Hartland as one of the leading scorers in MHSAA history and with 12 entries in the record book. She made the single-season goals list for the second time, this time with 80, and moved up to third on the career goals list with 254. She again made the single-season points list with 112 and moved up to fourth on the career list for that category with 319. Teammates Annelise Kulpanowski and Maddie Thornley both also made records listings multiple times for single-game assists and single-game saves, respectively.
Softball
- Caledonia as a team and freshman Samantha Gehrls among standouts created plenty of buzz this spring as the team advanced past the regional round for the first time, finishing Division 1 runner-up. Gehrls made the record book with seven RBI in a game against Jenison on April 22, and her 15 home runs on the season tied for eighth all-time. Total, Caledonia hit 49 homers – tied for second most by a team, drove in 322 runs to rank sixth on that list and made the team hits list with 429 over 39 games.
- Hudson’s Shian Beekel finished her career with a power-hitting season this spring for the Tigers, driving 23 doubles, which tied for seventh-most for one season. Beekel hit .494 total and also knocked eight home runs.
- Clinton Township Clintondale set a team record for wins in finishing 21-4, and senior Morgan Duda played a starring role. In addition to posting an 11-2 pitching record, she scored the third-most runs in MHSAA history (79), finished the seventh-longest hitting streak (32 games dating to 2014), made records listings with 19 doubles, 10 home runs, and eight RBI in one game and posted the eighth-highest batting average (.692). She will continue her career at Division II University of Minnesota-Crookston.
- Skylar Reed joined an impressive list of Howard City Tri-County players in the MHSAA records with 16 doubles this season, and Alexis Holappa made the list for RBI in a game for the second time, with six April 1 against Evart. They were joined by an older entry now verified – Theresa Dillon had 102 walks from 1983-86, the eighth most now and third most for a career when she graduated. As a team, Tri-County had 397 hits and 249 RBI this season in finishing 16-22.
PHOTO: Abby Krzywiecki (left) and Alex Sobczak teamed up to lead Mercy to a Division 1 Semifinal against Caledonia in June.
Northville Slugger Makes Memorable Marks on Way to Pro Baseball Stardom
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 16, 2026
Dante’ Nori capped his high school baseball career in 2024 by leading Northville to the Division 1 championship – and cementing himself in the record book for a handful of individual accomplishments.
He finished his four seasons fourth all-time with 120 walks, fifth with 21 triples and 10th with 193 runs scored, plus is listed twice for single-season triples with a high of eight as a junior.
Nori was drafted in the first round of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft by the Philadelphia Phillies and reached Class AA last season.
See below for several recently-added listings to the baseball record book, and click the heading to see the record book in full. Several more applications have been received and are in the process of being confirmed.
Baseball
A pair of Montague standouts made the records during the 2023 season . Then-senior Nick Moss was added for hitting safely in 13 straight at bats from May 6-16, and classmate Kade Johnson made the single-season triples list with seven. Moss is slated to play next at Milligan in Tennessee.
Niles Brandywine basketball standout Jamier Palmer made the record book as a junior in 2023 with 55 stolen bases, stole 52 a year later, and finished his four-year career with 177 (tied for third-most) among four record book career listings – he also had 154 runs, 26 times hit by pitches and a .464 average over 109 games. He was joined by senior Owen Hulett, who is listed for a 1.13 career ERA over three seasons. Hulett played at Lake Michigan College, and Palmer played baseball and basketball at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
White Cloud’s Alex Cruzan made getting hit by pitches a key way to get on base during his three-season varsity career that ended in 2023. He was twice added for the HBPs in a game as a senior and for 16 total that spring – plus 42 for his career, which ranks 12th all-time.
Alex Fenkell finished his Birmingham Groves career in 2022 on the career batting average list at .459 and also on the single-season triples list with eight as a junior. Those eight contributed to Groves making the team triples list with 20 that season, and they also stole 12 bases in a game that spring. Fenkell is continuing at Kalamazoo College.
Portage Northern was menacing on the basepaths during the 2023 season, stealing 182 bases over 32 games. That total tied for 11th-most for one season.
Thomas Fox had seven hits last season as a junior in 2023, but led Johannesburg-Lewiston with a .644 on-base percentage in part thanks to being hit by 35 pitches over 33 games. That set a single-season MHSAA record in the category, and he also was listed four times for three HBPs in one game – including in both halves of a doubleheader.
Farmington earned six total entries for stolen bases in 2024, led by then-senior Owen Matteson’s two for stealing six in one game and 56 total. Farmington also made the team record book with 16 stolen bases in a game twice and 170 for the season over 34 games. Matteson is continuing his career at Jackson College.
Algonac standout Josh Kasner finished his four-year varsity career in 2024 on the career wins list with a 33-5 record, on the career ERA list at 1.06 and on the career strikeouts list with 449 over 257 1/3 innings pitched. He appears on the single-season ERA list three times including with a career-best 0.59 as a senior, and was joined that season by teammate Bryce Simpson at 0.93. Teammate Cole Thaler also was added for being hit by three pitches in one game that spring. Kasner plays at Michigan, Simpson graduated in 2025 at plays at Wayne State and Thaler is a senior this school year. Algonac as a team also was added for a 37-4 record, 352 strikeouts and 1.47 ERA during the 2023 season.
Rudyard earned its first team record book entry on May 25, 2021, when the team stole 15 bases in a 7-4 win over Pickford. Seven players contributed to the total, which is tied for 15th all-time for a single game.
More than a half-century later, one of the most magnificent pitchers’ duels has taken its place in the record book. On June 6, 1969, Hamtramck St. Ladislaus defeated Detroit St. Hedwig 1-0 in 14 innings to decide a Catholic High School League championship at Tiger Stadium. Doug Konieczny struck out 28 for St. Ladislaus – that total ranking fourth all-time – and St. Hedwig’s Carey Wyler struck out 22. Wyler, a senior that season, also made the single-season ERA list with a 0.15 across 62 innings. Konieczny went on to play at St. Clair County Community College and was drafted by both the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros, the latter with the third overall pick in the 1971. He played four seasons with Houston.
Conor Rentfrow earned Brooklyn Columbia Central’s second baseball record book listing with 19 doubles in 2024. He’s a senior and committed to Taylor (Indiana).
Holt’s Mitchell Dubois became his program’s latest to reach the record book, pitching to a 0.69 ERA in 2024 over 61 1/3 innings. He graduated last spring and is playing at Spring Arbor.
Kingsley’s Garrett Martz found an additional way to pump up his on-base percentage as a junior in 2024. In addition to hitting .326, Martz was hit by pitches 19 times, which is tied for 15th-most for a single-season.
East Jordan’s Korbyn Russell finished his three-season varsity career this spring with six record book listings including some of the highest strikeout-per-game averages of all time. He had a 0.34 ERA as a senior and 1.14 ERA for his career, striking out 15.6 batters per game both as a junior and senior. He totaled 392 strikeouts over his three seasons and finished with an average of 13.9 strikeouts per game for his career, which ranks third all-time. He’ll continue his career at Aquinas.
Paw Paw earned its second and third listings in 2024 for being hit by pitch, on the team list with 49 over 35 games and with senior Jacob Major on the individual list with 30 over four seasons. Teammate Jake Hindenach made the single-season triples list with eight. Major is continuing at Lake Michigan College, and Hindenach at Kellogg Community College.
Frankfort’s Rylan Lewis was added for eight triples over 32 games in 2024 as a sophomore.
Millington made the team record book lists two straight seasons for stolen bases, swiping 169 over 31 games in 2024 and 170 over 40 games in 2023. Then-junior Truk Terbush made the individual list with 50 steals in 2023 and is continuing at Delta College.
Onsted’s Alex Schmidt tied for the 10th-most times being hit by a pitch last season, with 21 over 34 games as a senior in 2024.
Powers North Central’s Adrian Mercier completed a four-year varsity career in 2024 among the leaders in career batting average at .522, which ranks ninth. His .619 hit during his junior season, which continues to rank 10th all-time. He’s playing at Lakeland in Wisconsin.
Daniel Robinson had 76 hits for Grosse Pointe North in 2015, at the time ranking fifth and still tied for ninth-most all-time. A senior that season, he went on to play at Central Michigan and two seasons with Los Angeles Dodgers minor-league affiliates.
Schoolcraft’s Jacob Taylor finished sophomore year in 2024 tying for the fifth-most times hit by pitch during a season – 24 over 39 games. Now a senior, he will continue at Aquinas.
Flint Powers Catholic won the Division 2 championship in 2024 in part on the arm of Grant Garman, who capped a four-year varsity career with nine record book listings. He was 14-0 as a senior to make the single-season wins list and finished tied for fourth on the career wins list with 45. His 0.71 career ERA ranks fifth, and his 446 strikeouts over 284 innings rank 16th. He played at Oakland and will continue at Hawaii.
Fran Love earned Ann Arbor Greenhills’ first record book listing in this sport with a 0.81 ERA during the 2024 season, when he finished 7-1. He graduated last spring and plays at Alma College.
Ryan Zweng capped his four-year varsity career at Union City in 2024 on four career lists, with 175 hits, 159 runs, 131 RBI and 27 times hit by pitch over 134 games. He made the Division 3 all-state first team in 2024, his school’s first first-team all-state selection since 2000.
Bridgman’s Alec MacMartin added 26 more hit-by-pitches as a senior in 2024 for this third single-season listing in that category – and finished with a record 83 over three varsity seasons.
Ottawa Lake Whiteford ranked 13th for strikeouts as a team during the 2024 season. The Bobcats fanned 314 over 36 games.
Watervliet recent run of success has included a lot of success running the base paths, as the team was added for 222 stolen bases during its Division 3 championship season in 2024 and 208 stolen bases in 2023, with Wyatt Epple (121) and Chase Tremblay (112) both added to the individual stolen base career list for their four-year runs ending that title-winning spring. Epple also was added for 183 career hits, 182 career runs, 48 career doubles and 12 career triples. Travis Bolin was added for 13 career triples and 106 career stolen bases from 2010-13, which also included Watervliet as a team making the stolen bases list again with 214 in 2012. Epple is playing at Davenport, and Bolin played there as well.
Three Rivers’ Gabe Young made the single-game stolen bases list with five against Coldwater last April 17. He’s currently a junior. Plainwell’s Andrew Hampton also made the single-game stolen bases list, with seven against Sturgis on April 29 to tie for third-most in one game. He’s a senior. Jadn’ McGowen made the single-game stolen bases list for Wyandotte Roosevelt with six against Plymouth Christian Academy on April 4. He was a senior and is continuing at Madonna. Haslett’s Ayden Smith also was added for five stolen bases in his team’s win over Jackson Northwest on May 15. Smith has committed to continue at Henry Ford College after this upcoming season.
Stockbridge’s Jayden Pilch tied for third on the single game hit-by-pitch list, getting hit by three against Reading on May 1. The then-senior also made the single-season list with 21 HBPs over 31 games.
Richland Gull Lake ranked fourth all-time last spring in being hit by pitches 82 times. The Blue Devils finished 31-7.
Bangor’s Jaret McCoy stole 62 bases in 63 attempts in 2025 to tie for 10th-most steals. He’s a junior this school year. Wyoming’s Donnie Petree also made the single-season steals list last spring with 49 to cap his career.
Kingston’s Isaiah Helton’s dominance on the mound resulted in some of the most impressive strikeout numbers in MHSAA history. He posted 456 strikeouts in 222 1/3 innings from 2021-24, making the career total strikeouts list but also the career strikeouts per game list at 14.4. He made the single-season strikeouts per game list as both a junior (15.95) and senior (16.15).
Napoleon’s Collin Bradley completed his four-year varsity career in 2019 all over the record book on the way to finishing with a 36-6 career pitching record. He had eight shutouts over his career, including three no-hitters as a senior, and made ERA lists at 0.23 as a senior and 1.59 for his career. He also totaled 20 strikeouts in a seven-inning game, 15.8 per game as a senior, and 364 for his career. He went on to play at Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State. Younger brother Grant Bradley earned seven record book listings during his career from 2021-24, including for eight shutouts, five no-hitters, a career 1.61 ERA and 845 strikeouts over 226 2/3 innings pitched. Grant Bradley is continuing at Michigan.
Hudsonville batters were hit by pitches 99 times over 41 games last spring, the second-highest total in MHSAA baseball history. Braylon Miller made the individual list with 16; he’s a senior this school year.
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart’s Grady Pieratt earned nine record book listings over his four seasons and 149 games ending last spring, including a few of the highest in their respective categories. He finished third in career runs with 238, sixth in career hits at 210, second in career stolen bases with 178, and tied for 11th with 17 career triples, including 11 (tying for sixth-most for a season) as a senior. His 60 stolen bases as a junior tied for 12th on that list. Teammate Connor Stempky was added for 158 career runs, 140 career RBI and 98 career walks from 2021-24, and Aidan Halliday was added for 141 career RBI also from 2021-24. Pieratt is playing at Alma College, and Halliday plays football at Northwood.
Benji Allen finished his Maple City Glen Lake career last spring with 11 record book listings including for a .500 career average, 150 career runs scored, 48 times hit by pitch (ranking seventh) and a career ERA of 1.63. He was joined by teammate Cooper Bufalini, who was added for 44 times hit by pitch and a 1.10 career ERA; both played from 2022-25. Peter Gelsinger was added for being hit by pitches 33 times during the same career tenure, while Isaac Hlavka was added for a 0.99 ERA this past season. Glen Lake also was added several times for team record categories, and coach Kris Herman was added to the all-time wins list with a record of 504-242-8 since 2005. Allen is playing football at Grand Valley State.
PHOTO Northville’s Dante Nori (6) turns on a pitch during his team’s 2024 Division 1 championship game win over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice.