GR Christian Makes Good on Season-Long Goal: Finish as D2's Best
By
Keith Dunlap
Special for MHSAA.com
June 17, 2023
EAST LANSING – Ever since losing in the Division 2 championship game a year ago, there was one mantra for Grand Rapids Christian: Finish the job.
“That was our goal all year,” Grand Rapids head coach Brent Gates said. “We wanted the dogpile at the end.”
Consider the job finished.
This time, it was Grand Rapids Christian’s players piling on each other in celebration at Michigan State’s McLane Stadium after gutting out a 2-1 win over Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett.
It was sweet redemption for the Eagles (36-5), who won their first Finals title since 2013 and third overall, and fell to Ada Forest Hills Eastern 3-0 in last year’s deciding game.
Ranked No. 1 in the state entering the tournament, the Eagles outscored their opponents 57-8 during their run.
“We talked about it all year, and this is what we worked for,” said senior Cam Seth, who played the biggest role in the championship game.
In the first inning, Seth came to the plate with two runners on and two out following a pair of errors by Liggett. Seth then drilled a 2-run triple to right field to give Grand Rapids Christian a 2-0 lead.
“He threw a curveball, so I knew he was coming fastball,” Seth said. “He put it right where I liked it.”
As it turned out, that would be the only runs Grand Rapids Christian would need thanks to some clutch pitching by senior starter Ty Uchman, and then Seth in relief.
In the top of the second, Liggett loaded the bases with two outs for Clemson-bound Jarren Purify, but Uchman got Purify to hit a hard grounder to short for a force out that ended the threat.
In the fourth, Liggett had runners on first and third with two outs, but a groundout ended the inning.
Finally in the fifth, Liggett pushed a run across on a fielder’s choice by senior and University of Texas-bound catcher Oliver Service, cutting Grand Rapids Christian’s lead to 2-1.
After the first two runners for Liggett reached that inning, Uchman was pulled for Seth, who helped his team preserve the lead by getting three outs.
Following a 1-2-3 sixth, Seth had the daunting task in the seventh of facing the top of Liggett’s order – Purify, junior Reggie Sharpe and Service.
Purify laced a rope to left, but it hung up and was caught for the first out. Sharpe then grounded out on a close play at first for the second.
Service faced a 1-2 count, but eventually worked a walk and took second with two outs after a wild pitch.
But Seth beared down and induced a groundout to end the game.
“Great players, and I just wanted to attack them,” Seth said. “Just give them everything I got and leave it all out there. That’s what I tried to do.”
Liggett will lament not being able to come up with the big hit. The Knights finished 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.
Junior ace Preston Barr allowed only four hits, struck out three and walked just one for Liggett (26-12).
“We just didn’t get a hit with guys on base,” Liggett head coach Dan Cimini said. “You’ve just got to tip your cap to them. Their pitchers, both of them, did a really good job. We put the ball in play, we just didn’t get big hits. It happens. It’s baseball.”
PHOTOS (Top) Grand Rapids Christian players celebrate their Division 2 championship Saturday at McLane Stadium. (Middle) The Eagles’ Cam Seth (8) delivers after coming on in relief. (Below) A Grand Rapids Christian hitter connects. (Photos by John Castine/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)
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