D2 Baseball: Memories Pay Off in Motivation
June 15, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
BATTLE CREEK – Grand Rapids Christian’s line-up returned nearly intact this season after finishing runner-up in Division 2 a year ago.
And every player on the field after that 4-1 loss remembers St. Clair piling on each other in celebration of the ultimate championship.
On Saturday, the Eagles will get another chance to do the same.
Junior Alex VandeVusse and senior Kurt Hoekstra combined for a three-hitter Friday as Grand Rapids Christian advanced again with a 4-0 Semifinal win over Dearborn Divine Child at Bailey Park.
“This was always our goal,” VandeVusse said. “Last year, we remember looking and seeing St. Clair partying on the field and enjoying it, and we knew we wanted that. We were looking forward to this. We knew our goal, knew we could do it, and we came to this game ready.”
Grand Rapids Christian (35-5), ranked No. 2, will take on No. 3 Bay City John Glenn in Saturday’s 3:30 Final. Neither has won an MHSAA title; the Eagles have finished runners-up twice, and John Glenn will be making its first Final appearance.
The Eagles patiently chipped away at Divine Child (22-16), scoring one run each in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Falcons senior Justin Chandler struck out four and gave up only six hits, but they were spread among five Grand Rapids Christian hitters. Senior infielder Taylor Pruis had two and scored a run.
VandeVusse gave up three hits and struck out two before Hoekstra came on to get the final four outs on 14 pitches. Click for a full box score.
“We’re one away,” Eagles coach Brent Gates said. “We didn’t want to come here for this game. We’re here to win this whole thing.”
Bay City John Glenn 6, St. Joseph 5 (8 innings)
Senior centerfielder Aaron Martin scored on junior Zach Olszewski’s single in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the Bobcats in a championship game for the first time.
John Glenn (35-7) also needed an earlier rally after falling behind 4-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
Senior third baseman Brendan Seymour had three RBI and drove in a run, and senior leftfielder Jack Frederick had three hits. Olszewski went the distance on the mound to get the win, striking out eight.
Senior centerfielder Joseph Fratzke and sophomore third baseman Anthony Montoya each had two hits for St. Joseph (32-10). Both were among five pitchers used by the Bears. Click for a full box score.
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Rapids Christian's Kurt Hoekstra fires a pitch as he closes out the Eagles' win over Dearborn Divine Child. (Middle) Bay City John Glenn's Zach Olszewski threw all eight innings of his team's Semifinal win over St. Joseph.
Performance of the Week: Bridgman's Chuck Pagel
June 23, 2023
Chuck Pagel ♦ Bridgman
Sophomore ♦ Baseball
Pagel threw a complete game, striking out five batters while allowing only three hits and a walk, as Bridgman defeated top-ranked Algonac 7-1 in the Division 3 Final to clinch the Bees’ first baseball championship since 1987. Bridgman had entered the postseason ranked No. 16 in the Division 3 state coaches poll and finished 33-9.
The team’s cleanup hitter, Pagel had gone hitless in Bridgman’s 3-2 Semifinal win over Standish-Sterling. But he rebounded at the plate in the Final going 2 for 3 at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in one. He was named to the Division 3 all-state second team as a first baseman and finished the season hitting .395 with 36 runs scored, 15 doubles and 44 RBI. He also was 8-4 pitching with a 2.21 ERA. Pagel also has played basketball and football for the Bees.
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2022-23 Honorees
June 15: Hadley Keating, Detroit Country Day lacrosse - Report
June 8: David Kozisek, Pickford track & field - Report
June 1: Helena McLellan, Northville soccer - Report
May 25: Mitchel Luck, Linden lacrosse - Report
May 18: Ahava Le Febre, Holland tennis - Report
May 11: Gracie Maloney, Macomb Dakota softball - Report
May 4: Braxton Brann, Ann Arbor Huron track & field - Report
April 27: Owen Patton, Vestaburg track & field - Report
April 20: Lilly Damm, Millington softball - Report
April 13: Larissa Huffman, Mackinaw City track & field - Report
April 6: Darius Acuff, Detroit Cass Tech basketball - Report
March 23: Regan Finkbeiner, Hemlock basketball - Report
March 16: Alaina Yaney, Grand Ledge gymnastics - Report
March 9: Braeden Davis, Dundee wrestling - Report
March 2: Gabriel Sanchez-Burks, Ann Arbor Pioneer swimming - Report
Feb. 23: Grace Sobczak, Marquette swimming - Report
Feb. 16: Kaitlynn Demers, Gibraltar Carlson competitive cheer - Report
Feb. 9: Indya Davis, West Bloomfield basketball - Report
Feb. 2: Braydon Sorenson, Onekama skiing - Report
Jan. 26: Shayna Hruska, Iron Mountain wrestling - Report
Jan. 19: Kayla Tafanelli, Warren Woods-Tower bowling - Report
Dec. 20: Brenden Paden, Riverview Gabriel Richard hockey - Report
Dec. 16: Tuff Scott, Holton bowling - Report
Dec. 9: Macey Fegan, Standish-Sterling basketball - Report
Dec. 2: Treyton Siegert, Gladwin football - Report
Nov. 24: Lily Witte, Dexter diving - Report
Nov. 17: Navea Gauthier, Shelby volleyball - Report
Nov. 10: Derek Huisman, Holland Christian soccer - Report
Nov. 3: Thomas Westphal, New Baltimore Anchor Bay cross country - Report
Oct. 27: Justin Wickey, Colon football - Report
Oct. 20: Owen DeMuth, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood tennis - Report
Oct. 13: Mia Melendez, Ann Arbor Greenhills golf - Report
Oct. 6: Shawn Foster, Grand Ledge football - Report
Sept. 30: Hannah Smith, Temperance Bedford swimming - Report
Sept. 22: Helen Sachs, Holland West Ottawa cross country - Report
Sept. 15: Nina Horning, Lake Orion volleyball - Report
Sept 8: Arturo Romero, Muskegon Oakridge soccer - Report
Sept. 1: Austin King, Midland Dow tennis - Report
Aug. 25: Olivia Hemmila, Troy Athens golf - Report