Baseball state tournament preview
By Butch Harmon
The baseball state tournament gets underway the final week of May with district play. The regionals take place the first weekend of June, with the state finals the following week. High School Sports Scene takes a look at the upcoming marquee district and regional tournaments:
DIVISION 1 DISTRICTS
@HERITAGE: It’s too bad that Bay City Western and Bay City Central can’t be seeded to possibly meet in the finals, but the first-round matchup between these two teams will be a thriller and the final act in a series that has seen some tremendous games this season. Western is ranked No. 1 in Division 1 and is the defending state champion, but Western split the SVL doubleheader and will give Western everything it can handle. This district is one of the best in the state and also includes a solid Heritage team that proved during the season it can hang with Western and is capable of pulling off an upset. A scrappy Midland Dow squad will also be present. The winner of this district heads to the Heritage regional, where it will be favored.
@LOWELL: The host Red Arrows have played some outstanding baseball this season and are capable of pulling off an upset at the district level. Rockford has the most outstanding talent in the area, led by the dynamic junior pitching duo of lefthander Bryce Kelley and righthander Jake Weisenburger. The Rams also have plenty of offense at their disposal. The winner of this district heads to the power-packed regional at Hudsonville, where Grandville has one of the top teams in West Michigan.
@HOLT: Grand Ledge has been turning in a big season and is a heavy favorite at this district. Jake Ellis is one of the premier hitters in mid Michigan and paces the offense. Grand Ledge also has a deep and talented pitching staff, headlined by Tyler Waldrop and Jordan Goebel.
@OKEMOS: St. Johns and East Lansing will be battling it out for district supremacy. St. Johns has a nice blend of hitting and pitching. Addison Swarthout and Avery Mauer pace the Redwing offense, while Ethan Webster and Jimmy McKane have been solid on the mound. The winner of this district heads to the Grand Ledge regional, where the host Comets could be looming.
@BIRMINGHAM SEAHOLM: This is arguably the toughest district in the state, with 7th-ranked Brother Rice and 9th-ranked Bloomfield Hills. The opportunity to see possible first-round draft pick Nick Plummer of Brother Rice will make this a must-see district.
@LAKE ORION: Clarkston, Lake Orion, and Oxford have solid squads that will be in the mix at what will be a very competitive district.
@BRIGHTON: The host Bulldogs are ranked among the top ten teams in the state and have enjoyed a big spring. Brighton has a senior-dominated team with plenty of pitching. The winner of this district heads to the Novi regional.
DIVISION 2 DISTRICTS
@BIG RAPIDS: It will be showdown time for two of the area’s top programs, as Mt. Pleasant and Chippewa Hills will be battling it out for the district title. Defending state champion Mt. Pleasant has a talented squad, led by Hunter and Logan Buczkowski and shortstop Obie Ricustrict. Chippewa Hills, which defeated Mt. Pleasant two years ago in the state quarterfinal round, has a talented squad led by seniors Hunter Conley and Tyler Kelsey, who were part of the state semifinal team that defeated Mt. Pleasant. Sophomore pitcher Brett Walcutt has developed into the staff ace.
@FRANKENMUTH: Keep an eye out for Birch Run at this district. The Panthers have a potent offense that is led by Tom Fortney, who has hit over .600 this spring, along with Anthony Reining and Joe Okopien, who are hitting over .400.
@ALMA: Alma will be tough to beat with senior ace Zach Hanson on the mound. The Panthers also have some talented young hitters and are the favorite to make it out of the district and on to a power-packed regional at Eaton Rapids. Portland will also be a major factor at the district, thanks to the dominating one-two pitching punch of Trevor Trierweiler and Haydin Brandt. Cory Gensterblum leads the Portland offense.
@MASON: DeWitt and Mason will be battling it out for the top spot. DeWitt has a strong core of hitters, led by Connor Grice and Will Nagel.
@FOWLERVILLE: The host Gladiators have been one of the top young teams in the area this year, led by sophomore Eric Fritz and junior Alex Montrose. Corunna has a talented offensive squad and is led by Brandon Michalec, who has hit over .500 for much of the spring, and Spencer Mort. Haslett is another team that has a host of sluggers, led by Trace Woodworth, Hunter Ruhstorfer, and Zach Berry. Berry and Woodworth are also solid pitchers and make the Vikings a favorite to win the district and head to the Eaton Rapids regional.
@WESTERN: Eaton Rapids is ranked third in the state and is primed for a long post-season run. The Greyhounds have plenty of pitching, led by Jared McDaniel, Nate Laginess, and junior standout Vann Acker. They can also rake at the plate, with hitters like Blaine Milheim, Lewis Beals, McDaniel, and Laginess capable of doing major damage.
@NOTRE DAME PREPARATORY: The premier Division 2 district in the state features No. 6-ranked St. Mary’s Preparatory and No. 7-ranked Notre Dame Preparatory. Notre Dame Prep has a devastating one-two pitching punch in Will Mullen and Luke Shilling, while St. Mary’s counters with senior ace Greg Loukinen.
DIVISION 3 DISTRICTS
@LAINGSBURG: Pewamo-Westphalia has a strong blend of hitting and pitching and is set for a deep playoff run. It has plenty of offense, led by Trey Bauer, Jay Thelen, and Simon Rademacher. It also has a solid pitching staff that is led by Austin Lewis and Thelen. The winner of this district will head to what will be a rugged Lansing Catholic regional.
@LESLIE: Lansing Catholic is ranked ninth in the state and features one of the top all-around players in Division 3 in Riley Creamer. Creamer is a standout pitcher who has hit around .500 all season. Keep an eye out for Maple Valley and its strong pitching duo of Beau Johnson and Andrew Brighton.
@SHEPHERD: This is a wide-open district, with a number teams capable of winning it. Host Shepherd has a solid team, with good pitching and a potent offense. Ovid-Elsie is paced by Keeshan Sutlif, who is a standout at the plate. Carson City-Crystal has turned in a big spring. Zach Pringle leads the Eagles offense, while sophomore Jeremy Bigford has developed into the ace of the pitching staff.
@CLARE: Host Clare will be tough to beat on its own field. Charlie Bugbee, Camden Dice, and Max Swan lead the way at the plate and on the mound for the Pioneers.
DIVISION 4 DISTRICTS
@BEAL CITY: Beal City has bounced back strong in a rebuilding year and is poised to make another deep tournament run. Junior Tucker Gross is a talented pitcher and leading hitter, while senior Luke Farrell has also come up big. Freshman Brett Upton is strong at the plate. Montabella will be one of Beal City’s main challengers in this district. Senior Dan Cutler and junior Colby Butler lead Montabella at the plate and on the mound.
@BRECKENRIDGE: Led by standout senior Wade SanMiguel, Breckenridge has been one of the top area teams in Division 4 this spring. SanMiguel gets the job done at the plate and on the mound. Mitch Miller has also been a big hitter for Breckenridge. Sacred Heart Academy will give Breckenridge a major challenge, with its strong group of pitchers that are led by Max Kornexl, Ben Goenner, and Jackson Reetz.
@PORTLAND ST. PATRICK CATHOLIC: Host St. Patrick has been one of the premier area teams in Division 4 this spring. It has a strong group of pitchers, led by Travis Moyer and Graham Smith. St. Patrick can also score runs in bunches, with an offense paced by Brendan Schrauben and Joe Mackowiak. The running game has been a big part of the offense this season.