By BUTCH HARMON
Although it’s usually one of the top Division 1 baseball programs in the state, expectations for the Grand Ledge baseball team were a little lower this season. With just four seniors returning, the Comets were anticipating going through some retooling this spring.
That retooling took place much quicker than expected and instead of suffering some growing pains, Grand Ledge has inflicted plenty of pain on its opponents. After sweeping a doubleheader from rival Holt, the Comets added to their string of Capital Area Conference Blue division titles. The league title was frosting on the cake for the Comets, who entered the final week of the regular season with a 23-1 overall record.
“We are a pretty young team, and I didn’t think we would have this kind of success,” coach Pat O’Keefe said. “It has been a pleasant surprise.”
The keys to success for the Comets this season have been the normal standbys in high school baseball. “We’ve been getting pretty decent pitching, playing good defense, and getting some timely hits,” O’Keefe said. “That is usually the magic formula for success in high school baseball.”
The Comet pitching staff has been anchored by a quartet of solid hurlers. Tyler Waldroup leads the way with a 0.50 earned run average, while senior Corbin Clouse sports a 0.70 ERA. Nick Kamrada and Cody Sollid have also been logging key innings.
“We have good depth in our pitching staff,” O’Keefe said. “That is another reason we’ve had so much success this season.”
At the plate, Clouse has been leading the way along with leadoff hitter Kiefer Johnson and Nathan Langenfeld.
If there is a team leader, it would be Clouse. One of the top returning seniors in the state, he has committed to playing at Davenport University next spring, but his play has attracted the attention of bigger names as well. A switch hitter with power, Clouse has totaled five home runs and 28 RBI this season.
“Corbin is definitely our top player,” O’Keefe said. “We’ve had a couple of pro scouts in looking at him. He is a switch hitter and he is the probably the best switch hitter I’ve had in my 45 years of coaching. Usually a switch hitter will favor one side or the other, but Corbin is solid from both sides of the plate and he hits with power from either side. He plays center field when he’s not pitching, and he’s the real deal, there is no doubt about it. He has good power from both sides of the plate, runs real well, and has a great arm.”
The Comets as a team hit the ball well, and that was evident when they swept the CAC showdown with Holt. Grand Ledge defeated Holt 6-0 in the opening game of the twin bill and then came back and won a 16-12 slugfest in game two.
Grand Ledge’s lone loss this season came against Lansing Catholic.
The Comets look to continue their success in the postseason as they travel to Lakeview High School in Battle Creek for the Division 1 district.
“Obviously at this time of the year, it’s all about who peaks and who is playing well,” O’Keefe said. “The tournament is one and done. That is a lot of pressure to put on kids. When we won it in 1995 we had three sophomore pitchers and nobody expected us to do much. Two years later when those kids were seniors we got knocked out in the districts, so you never know what is going to happen.”