Pointes' Pride Instilled by Longtime Leaders
By
Tom Markowski
Special for Second Half
May 31, 2017
GROSSE POINTE – Neither Frank Sumbera nor Dan Griesbaum were raised in Grosse Pointe.
But no one, at least at the high school level, has done more to enhance and promote baseball in the Pointes than this long-serving pair.
Sumbera, 69, is in his 45th season as coach at Grosse Pointe North and Griesbaum, 64, is in his 34th season at Grosse Pointe South. In this sport the rivalry that exists between Grosse Pointe’s two public high schools is as good as it gets. Sumbera holds the upper hand in MHSAA Finals titles, 2-1, and Griesbaum has the edge in District titles, 23-14.
This last statistic is notable in a sense that the two programs are often paired in the same District, as they are this season. South will host North in a Division 1 District Semifinal at 10 a.m. Saturday.
This season there is an added twist to the much-anticipated community showdown. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, for the first time, will compete in the Division 1 tournament lined up on the other side of the bracket from North and South. University Liggett will play Detroit East English in the other Semifinal at 11:30 a.m. The winners will play for the title approximately 2 p.m.
University Liggett won four MHSAA Finals titles the past six seasons, two in Division 4 and two in Division 3, including last season in the latter. Coach Dan Cimini, knowing he had a strong team returning, petitioned the MHSAA to opt up to Division 1 for this season and 2018.
So far the Knights have proven they can hang at the Division 1 level. They are ranked No. 2 in the latest poll released by the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association.
And Cimini’s group received a break in the draw as it won’t have to defeat both North and South to win the District title.
This is Cimini’s 14th season as head coach, and he tips his hat to the job Sumbera and Griesbaum have done in laying the groundwork.
“Frank has been there forever,” Cimini said. “Dan has been there a long time. I feel old, and I’m 48. I’ve coached 22 years. No doubt about it, those guys have set the standard.”
Cimini grew up in Grosse Pointe and competed in the city’s strong Little League program. He played for Griesbaum at South and played four years in college, two at Macomb College and two at University of Detroit Mercy. He was part of the 1987 South team that reached the MHSAA Semifinals for the first time in school history.
Cimini said the quality of baseball has remained strong in the community over the years but noted there have been some changes.
“The Little Leagues are phenomenal,” he said. “The Federation ball is phenomenal. But there aren’t as many kids playing. Now there are seven teams playing in the (Little League) majors. Back when I played there were 13 of 14. I miss those days. If I could take myself back, that’s where I’d go.”
At least in the modern era, one must point to Sumbera as the person most responsible for the quality of baseball being played at the high school level.
Sumbera played three sports at Chesaning High – baseball, basketball and football – and then went on to Central Michigan where he played basketball.
Upon graduation Sumbera went looking for a job and received a tip from a college roommate. Sumbera was told that Grosse Pointe High would be splitting into two schools, North and South, and that they needed teachers, and, naturally, coaches. North opened for the 1968-69 school year, and Sumbera was hired as an assistant junior varsity football coach. In 1973 he became the assistant varsity baseball coach, and the next season he took over the baseball program.
“We won the District that year,” he said. “I’ll never forget it. We beat (then Detroit, now Warren) DeLaSalle, 2-1, in the final.”
Sumbera has coached some of the best teams in the state. His 2006 Division 1 championship team was 38-1. His 1980 Class A championship team was probably his best. Five players on that team were selected in the Major League Baseball amateur draft including Bill Babcock, one of the top pitchers on that team. Babcock’s son, Luke, will enter the ninth grade next fall is expected to enroll at North and play for Sumbera.
That’s the way it is in the Pointes. This large community that borders Detroit’s eastside is infectious. It’s common for someone who grew up here to remain in the area and raise his or her own family.
“A lot of the kids I coached in the 80s, I’m coaching their sons,” Sumbera said. “They play a lot of baseball here. As they grow through the ranks to high school, (Griesbaum) and I have to make cuts. You might have 250 at the Little League level, and by the time I get them we have like eight.
“The North-South rivalry is as good as any around. I coach football, and it’s intense every year. In baseball it’s as good a rivalry as there is in the state. It’ll be the fifth time we will have played South (this season). In our last doubleheader we won the first, 12-6, and lost the second, 3-2, in eight innings. That was a crusher. It’s big. The kids know it. The families know it. They all go to church together and play against each other during the summer.”
Griesbaum, a graduate of St. Clair Shores South Lake and Central Michigan, where he played baseball, said the level of competition is remarkable especially when one considers the schools do not have open enrollment. The only way one can play for North or South is to live in the school district.
Griesbaum got his start as an assistant under Sumbera (1980-83) before going to South in 1984.
“There’s nothing like a North-South game,” he said. “Our rivalry is one of the best. It’s a baseball community. My 6-year-old grandson plays T-ball. You look at what North and South have accomplished. There’s the (Grosse Pointe) Farms and City (Little League) teams. Then there’s the success of the Redbirds that (former Detroit Tiger) Dave Bergman ran. We run a (Christmas) Holiday hitting camp. We have 75 kids the first day and 75 more the next. It’s for the second through the sixth grades. We want to expose baseball at an early age.”
Some have expressed displeasure that all three Grosse Pointe schools are in the same district. Cimini scoffs at that thought. He said there are many districts throughout the state that have more than their share of quality teams.
The last two seasons North and South were in separate Districts, and they won their respective Districts both years. In 2015, they met in a Division 1 Quarterfinal, and South won. It was the Blue Devils’ seventh trip to the Semifinals, a record (tied with Saline and Grand Ledge) for a public school in Division 1/Class A.
Cimini said he’s looking forward to seeing what his team can do against the established powers.
“I can’t wait,” Sumbera said. “The whole thing is, come June 3 you have to be ready to play.”
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area and contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Grosse Pointe South's Dan Griesbaum, left, and North's Frank Sumbera both have led their respective programs for more than three decades (Sumbera for more than four). (Middle) University Liggett coach Dan Cimini played for Griesbaum at South and has built a top program in the community as well. (Photos courtesy of the Griesbaum family, C&G Newspapers and the University Liggett baseball program.
Preview: First-Time Winner Guaranteed
June 15, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Reigning MHSAA champions Hartland and Jackson Lumen Christi will return to Michigan State University's McLane Stadium this weekend hoping to enjoy another celebration on the final weekend of the 2015-16 school year.
But nine of 16 contenders at this season's Semifinals are seeking their first MHSAA title in baseball, and three are hoping to play in a championship game for the first time. It's guaranteed the Division 4 champion will be a first-time winner, as none of the four contenders have claimed an MHSAA title before.
See below for a schedule of this weekend’s games, plus glances at all 16 teams that will take the field beginning Thursday.
Semifinals – Thursday
Division 1
Traverse City West vs. Warren DeLaSalle, 2:30 p.m.
Saline vs. Hartland, 5 p.m.
Division 2
Holland Christian vs. DeWitt, 9 a.m.
Linden vs. Dearborn Divine Child, 11:30 a.m.
Semifinals – Friday
Division 3
New Lothrop vs. Jackson Lumen Christi, 2:30 p.m.
Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett vs. Scottville Mason County Central, 5 p.m.
Division 4
Centreville vs. Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, 9 a.m.
Gaylord St. Mary vs. Portland St. Patrick, 11:30 a.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1: 11:30 a.m.
Division 2: 9 a.m.
Division 3: 5 p.m.
Division 4: 2:30 p.m.
Tickets cost $8 per round and include admission to softball and girls soccer games those days also at MSU’s Old College Field. Radio broadcasts of all games can be heard online at MHSAAnetwork.com. All games will be streamed live online at MHSAA.TV and viewable on subscription basis. Click to order tickets in advance and for a parking map.
All statistics below are through Regionals. (Click for links to brackets and scores.)
Division 1
HARTLAND
Record/rank: 36-5-1, No. 10
Coach: Brian Morrison, 15th season (397-158-4)
League finish: Second in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2015.
Players to watch: John Baker, sr. 1B/P (.405, 4 HR, 43 RBI; 10-1, 0.83 ERA, 105 K pitching); Hunter DeLanoy, jr. 2B (.403, 26 RBI, 38 R); Nathan Lohmeier, sr. P (8-0, 0.54 ERA, 96 K pitching).
Outlook: Hartland is already eight wins better than the team that won last season’s championship. Baker – who has signed with Ball State University – starred in throwing 10 innings of one-run ball in the Final against Portage Northern, and seven hitters from last season’s lineup are back this weekend. The Eagles have given up only seven runs total in five postseason games during this run.
SALINE
Record/rank: 34-6, No. 2
Coach: Scott Theisen, 24th season (636-239-8)
League finish: First in Southeastern Conference Red
Championship history: Four runner-up finishes (most recent 2010).
Players to watch: Josh Nelson, sr. P (10-0, 0.63 ERA, 67 K pitching); Jake Finkbeiner, jr. 3B (.409, 4 HR, 38 RBI); Cole Daniels, soph. P/1B (.424, 29 RBI; 8-1, 1.55 ERA, 45 K pitching).
Outlook: Saline has won at least 30 games four of the six seasons since its most recent trip to an MHSAA championship game, and is back in the Semifinals for the first time since 2012. The Hornets have scored 49 runs over five tournament games the last three weeks, and all nine in the lineup hit at least .333 – with Ryan Foley (.412) adding a third over .400.
TRAVERSE CITY WEST
Record/rank: 41-2, No. 9
Coach: Matt Bocian, eighth season
League finish: First in the Big North Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Nick Brzezinski, sr. CF (.504, 14 2B, 8 3B, 52 RBI, 67 R, 16 SB); Alex Strickland, sr. C (.496, 10 2B, 73 RBI); Jake Newhouse, sr. 3B/C/P (.417, 39 RBI; 5-0, 0.56 ERA pitching).
Outlook: West has built on its first Regional title with this trip to the Semifinals, eliminating No. 3 Bay City Western, No. 4 Rockford and honorable mention Saginaw Heritage during the tournament run. A roster loaded with nine seniors boasts a one-two pitching combination of Keegan Kenny (10-1, 1.40 ERA) and sophomore Ryan Hayes (10-0, 0.64 ERA) and a 2.01 team ERA.
WARREN DELASALLE
Record/rank: 26-13, unranked
Coach: Matt Cook, sixth season (122-101-3)
League finish: Fourth in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2009), runner-up 2012.
Players to watch: Rob Zurawski, sr. 3B/OF (.389, 11 2B, 30 RBI); Mac Graybill, soph. C/IF (.344); Easton Sikorski, soph. P/IF (7-2, 1.84 ERA pitching).
Outlook: The Pilots have won 10 of their last 11 with victories over honorable mention Grosse Pointe North and Division 2 No. 10 Detroit Country Day during the streak after emerging from the always-tough Catholic League Central. DeLaSalle went a combined 4-5 against Division 1 No. 1 Birmingham Brother Rice and Division 2 No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s during the regular season. These are the most wins under Cook, who led a team with a sub-.500 record to the Division 1 Final in his second season, 2012.
Division 2
DEARBORN DIVINE CHILD
Record/rank: 26-15, unranked
Coach: Tony DeMare, 17th season (453-199)
League finish: Third in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2010).
Players to watch: Frankie Lucska, sr. 2B (.384, 17 2B, 37 RBI); Nick Gurney, jr. P/OF (.357, 22 RBI; 6-1, 1.55 ERA, 53 K pitching); Torey DeMare, sr. 1B (.328, 20 2B, 34 RBI).
Outlook: Divine Child is riding a 10-game winning streak and beat No. 10 Detroit Country Day in the Quarterfinal to advance. The Falcons prepared against the treacherous Catholic League Central, earning wins against ranked Brother Rice, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and Division 1 semifinalist Warren DeLaSalle. Senior left fielder Danny Blade (.315) made the all-state second team last season and leads off, and junior Daniel Bullard (6-2, 1.45 ERA) provides another proven arm.
DEWITT
Record/rank: 30-9-1, honorable mention
Coach: Alan Shankel, seventh season (164-80-2)
League finish: Second in Capital Area Activities Conference Red
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 1993), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Michael Stygles, jr. OF/P (.508, 12 2B, 4 HR, 45 RBI; 1.26 ERA, 37 K pitching); Donovan Tarn, sr. 3B/P (.429, 13 2B, 5 HR, 39 RBI; 2.30 ERA, 79 K pitching); Will Nagel, jr. SS/P (.354, 14 2B, 6 HR, 45 RBI; 2.33 ERA 33 K pitching).
Outlook: DeWitt won its third straight Regional title and will return to the Semifinals after reaching in 2014 but missing last season. The Panthers’ 30 wins are their most under Shankel and came with nine sophomores but only three seniors on the roster. DeWitt picked things up quickly this spring, splitting with No. 6 Haslett midway through and taking a win over No. 10 Marshall before the postseason began. Sophomores Mark Connelly (.366), Nolan Knauf (.417) and Josh Robinson (.408) fill out the top six in the lineup along with Stygles, Tarn and Nagel.
HOLLAND CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 34-6, No. 3
Coach: Jim Caserta, third season (78-24)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Mike Mokma, sr. P/1B (.441, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 15 HBP); Brandon Riemersma, sr. CF (.319, 34 R); David Williams, sr. C (.354, 6 HR, 32 RBI).
Outlook: Holland Christian is making its first Semifinal appearance after winning its second Regional title ever, and with an all-state catcher and arguably the best pitcher in Michigan. Although his stats on the mound were unavailable, Mokma has thrown multiple perfect games (the second one shortened) this season and will play collegiately at MSU. Holland Christian beat honorable mentions Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills and Ada Forest Hills Eastern along the tournament path.
LINDEN
Record/rank: 28-9-1, No. 5
Coach: Steve Buerkel, sixth season (140-73-1)
League finish: First in Flint Metro League
Championship history: Division 2 runner-up 2004.
Players to watch: Chris Kitch, sr. 1B (.336); Kevin Bates, sr. SS (.316, 11 SB); Jack Shore, jr. P (12-1, 0.31 ERA, 111 K pitching).
Outlook: Linden is making its second run to the Semifinals ever after winning its fourth straight District title. The Eagles entered the postseason having lost six of their last nine (and closing with Division 1 semifinalist Hartland), but have given up only one run in five tournament games, outscoring those opponents by a combined 18-1. Junior center fielder Ryker Rivera adds another spark to the lineup hitting .319 with 23 stolen bases.
Division 3
GROSSE POINTE WOODS UNIVERSITY LIGGETT
Record/rank: 29-4, No. 1
Coach: Dan Cimini, 13th season (355-79)
League finish: First in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: William Morrison, soph. CF (.400, 12 2B, 51 RBI, 12 SB); Connor McCarron, jr. SS (.505, 17 2B, 64 R, 21 SB); Sean Fannon, sr. OF (.351, 15 2B, 27 RBI); Matthew Gushee, sr. P/OF (.325, 12 2B, 31 RBI; 9-1, 0.74 ERA, 83 K pitching).
Outlook: All four players mentioned above earned all-state recognition last season as the team won the sixth of what are now seven straight District titles – and the Knights also won Division 3 in 2014 and Division 4 in 2013. Liggett opened this season 23-1 and edged No. 6 Madison Heights Bishop Foley during the Regional; it also owns victories over Division 2 No. 10 Detroit Country Day and Warren DeLaSalle.
JACKSON LUMEN CHRISTI
Record/rank: 25-13, honorable mention
Coach: Phil Clifford, sixth season (133-85-1)
League finish: Tied for first in Interstate-8 Athletic Conference
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2015).
Players to watch: Zach Mehelich, sr. P/IF; John Fleming, sr. C/F; Connor Mogle, jr. C/OF. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: The reigning champ eliminated No. 5 Schoolcraft, No. 7 Parchment and honorable mention Bronson on the way to MSU and during a current nine-game winning streak. Mehelich was an all-stater last season and Fleming the winning pitcher with a shutout in the MHSAA Final. Those two were joined by Mogle in the starting lineup for that championship game.
NEW LOTHROP
Record/rank: 40-3, No. 4
Coach: Benjamin Almasy, first season (40-3)
League finish: First in Genesee Area Conference Blue
Championship history: Division 4 champion 2014.
Players to watch: Cam Pope, sr. P (.485, 58 R, 13 2B, 44 RBI; 12-2, 0.42 ERA, 121 K pitching); Quentin Taylor, sr. CF (.575, 63 R, 16 2B, 10 HR, 67 RBI, 20 SB); Zac Besant, soph. C/P (.422, 11 2B, 39 RBI; 10-0, 0.89 ERA 68 K pitching).
Outlook: New Lothrop exited during the Regional a year ago but is back in the Semifinals under Almasy, who also has coached at Mount Morris, Flint Southwestern and Flint Hamady. The Hornets trailed 5-0 in the seventh inning of their Quarterfinal before rallying for a 6-5 win over Standish-Sterling. Six regulars bat at least .400; in addition to the three mentioned above, sophomore second baseman Nic Johnson comes in at .467, freshman right fielder Nathaniel Lane at .440 and senior shortstop Steve Garza at .417.
SCOTTVILLE MASON COUNTY CENTRAL
Record/rank: 28-8, unranked
Coach: Don Thomas, 10th season (216-144)
League finish: Second in West Michigan Conference.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Blake Bladzik, sr. CF (.452, 51 RBI, 12 SB); Mitchell Lange, sr. SS (.451, 20 SB, 39 RBI); Spencer Knizacky, sr. C (.447, 51 R, 25 RBI, 25 SB).
Outlook: Mason County Central will play in its first Semifinal after winning its first Regional since 1998. A strong group of seniors fill the middle of the lineup and the top two pitching spots – Trevor Carrier (9-1, 1.92 ERA) and Nolan Asiala (9-1, 2.63 ERA) have seen most of the innings. Junior designated hitter Austin Tyndall (.451) and junior left fielder Cody Soberalski (.444) give the team two more big hitters as they try to add to a 15-game victory streak.
Division 4
CENTREVILLE
Record/rank: 28-3, No. 1
Coach: Mike Webster, fifth season (105-49-1)
League finish: First in Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference East
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2015.
Players to watch: Coletin Gascho, jr. P/3B (.388, 13 SB, 37 R; 12-0, 0.99, 60 K pitching); Jalen Brown, sr. 1B (.424, 30 RBI); Michael Kool, sr. P/3B (.295, 25 R; 11-1, 0.52 ERA, 106 K pitching).
Outlook: The reigning runner-up did its work to get back to MSU with wins over No. 2 Kalamazoo Hackett and No. 5 St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic during the earlier rounds and a nine-inning nail-biter against Concord in the Quarterfinal. Kool was the Semifinal winning pitcher a year ago; seven of the team’s top eight hitters from the 2015 championship game are back in the lineup.
GAYLORD ST. MARY
Record/rank: 31-5, No. 8
Coach: Matt Nowicki, 12th season (186-152)
League finish: First in Ski Valley Conference
Championship history: Class D runner-up 1988 and 1989.
Players to watch: Adam Nowicki, sr. SS; Nicholas Torsky, jr. P/IF; Drew Long, soph. P/2B. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: St. Mary is on its longest run since those runner-up finishes at the end of the 1980s, and with only four seniors on the roster. The Snowbirds got past No. 9 Norway in the Quarterfinal and have won 16 straight. The six runs scored Tuesday were their fewest of the tournament; St. Mary had scored 10 or more in eight straight games.
PORTLAND ST. PATRICK
Record/rank: 33-7, unranked
Coach: Bryan Scheurer, 12th season (279-101)
League finish: Second in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Three MHSAA runner-up finishes (most recent 1993).
Players to watch: Travis Moyer, sr. P/3B (.372, 32 RBI; 13-2, 0.60 ERA, 111 K pitching); Brendan Schrauben, jr. C (.425, 7 HR, 50 R, 42 RBI); Garrett Pline, sr. CF (.362, 30 RBI, 22 SB).
Outlook: Portland St. Patrick made its first Semifinals since 2010 with a Quarterfinal win over No. 3-ranked and reigning champion Muskegon Catholic Central, and also beat Fowler 1-0 to open the postseason after losing to the eventual CMAC champ Eagles twice during the regular season. Moyer leads a solid pitching staff that has given up only eight runs over five playoff games and paced the Shamrocks to a school record for wins.
STERLING HEIGHTS PARKWAY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 21-11-1, unranked
Coach: Rich Koch, sixth season (101-60-1)
League finish: Second in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Red
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2009
Players to watch: Riley McManus, sr. P/1B/3B; Andrew Manier, sr. P/1B/OF; Pierce Banks, sr. P/SS. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Parkway prepared for the tournament against a number of bigger schools during the regular season and has outscored its playoff opponents by a combined 49-5 over five games. The team’s top six hitters in the lineup are all seniors, and McManus was an all-stater in 2015 when the team won its second of three straight District titles.
PHOTO: A Traverse City West batter takes a swing during Tuesday's win over Rockford in their Division 1 Quarterfinal. (Click to see more from HighSchoolSportsScene.com.)