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Preview: McLane Welcomes Major Players, Familiar & 1st-Time Title Contenders
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 14, 2022
The team with the second-longest winning streak in MHSAA baseball history, and the appearances of three likely high-round Major League Baseball draft picks are among several intriguing storylines as we head into this weekend’s Baseball Finals at Michigan State University’s McLane Stadium.
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (42-0) has won 64 straight games, going back to last season and second only to Homer’s 75 consecutive from 2004 to 2005. Perhaps more notably, the Eaglets with two more victories this weekend can break the single-season record for wins in a baseball season of 43 shared by four teams. St. Mary’s Brock Porter is a projected first-round draft selection and likely will be joined by teammate Ike Irish and Detroit Edison’s Gregory Pace Jr. in being selected next month.
Pace’s team is among nine seeking a first MHSAA baseball championship, and one of eight looking to advance to a title game for the first time.
Division 1 – Friday
Battle Creek Lakeview vs. Grosse Pointe North, 9 a.m.
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary's, 11:30 a.m.
Division 2 – Thursday
Grosse Ile vs. Grand Rapids Christian, 9 a.m.
Ada Forest Hills Eastern vs. Goodrich, 11:30 a.m.
Division 3 - Friday
Detroit Edison vs. Pewamo-Westphalia, 2:30 p.m.
Buchanan vs. Standish-Sterling, 5 p.m.
Division 4 – Thursday
Whitmore Lake vs. Beal City, 2:30 p.m.
Riverview Gabriel Richard vs. Rudyard, 5 p.m.
FINALS – Saturday
Division 1 - 2:30 p.m.
Division 2 - 9 a.m.
Division 3 - 5 p.m.
Division 4 - 11:30 a.m.
Tickets cost $11 and may be purchased online only at GoFan. One ticket is good for all baseball, softball and girls soccer games at MSU’s Old College Field that day. All Semifinals and Finals will be broadcast and available with subscription from MHSAA.tv, with free audio broadcasts on the MHSAA Network.
Below is a glance at all 16 teams taking the field (with statistics through Quarterfinals unless noted):
Division 1
BATTLE CREEK LAKEVIEW
Record/rank: 29-7, No. 15
Coach: Kyle Kracht, fifth season (98-42)
League finish: Second in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (2006), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Kooper Etheridge, sr. OF/P (.490, 37 R, 14 2B, 38 RBI, 13 SB, 6-1 pitching, 2.39 ERA); Jake Kucharczyk, jr. OF/P (.462, 49 R, 37 RBI, 24 SB); Zach Kucharczyk, jr. C (.461, 57 R, 13 2B, 30 SB); Jackson Haywood, jr. 1B/P (.389, 33 R, 45 RBI, 5-3 pitching, 2.93 ERA).
Outlook: This will be Lakeview’s first Semifinal since 2014 and comes after a 7-2 Quarterfinal win over No. 2 Northville. The Spartans also emerged from a league that included No. 12 Portage Northern and 2021 Division 1 runner-up Portage Central, and they are a combined 61-16 overall over the last two seasons. Junior second baseman Jayden Miller (.415, 18 SB) adds another big bat in the middle of the lineup, and junior Malachi Goss (5-0, 2.31) is another contributor from a pitching staff that has nine with at least one win on the mound this spring.
GRAND RAPIDS FOREST HILLS NORTHERN
Record/rank: 24-11, unranked
Coach: John Dolce, seventh season (132-110)
League finish: Third in Ottawa-Kent Conference White
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Justin St. Antoine, fr. IF/P (.351, 27 R, 17 SB, 4-2 pitching, 2.00 ERA); Jonah St. Antoine, jr. P/IF (.388, 44 R, 12 2B, 24 SB); Jack Snow, sr. P/1B (.395, 7 HR, 39 RBI, 9-1 pitching, 1.75 ERA, 94 K); Connor Foley, sr. P/1B (.318, 6-2 pitching, 2.24 ERA).
Outlook: Dolce, who previously led Grand Rapids Catholic Central to the 1985 Class B title and is approaching 250 wins over 13 seasons total, has FHN set to play in its first Semifinal coming off its third District title in four seasons (not counting COVID-canceled 2020). The Huskies opened with a 5-1 District win over No. 11 Rockford and have won three games by one run apiece during the playoffs. Five seniors anchor a starting lineup that’s topped by the St. Antoines. Jonah St. Antoine will continue his career at Pittsburgh, while Foley will play next at Canisius (N.Y.) and Snow at Davenport.
GROSSE POINTE NORTH
Record/rank: 22-7, unranked
Coach: Kevin Shubnell, first season (22-7)
League finish: First in Macomb Area Conference White
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2006).
Players to watch: Brennan Hill, soph. OF/P (.333, 4-0 pitching, 1.06 ERA ); Drew Hill, jr. OF/P (.462, 40 R, 10 2B, 13 SB); Jake Tedesco, sr. 1B/P (.344, 29 R, 33 RBI, 12 SB, 5-1 pitching, 1.96 ERA); Jordan Arseneau, jr. P/OF (.299, 27 RBI, 7-0 pitching, 0.17 ERA).
Outlook: This will be the Norsemen’s first Semifinal appearance since that most recent championship season of 2006. North has been on an impressive roll averaging 7.3 runs per game over six playoff wins including a 9-2 District-opening victory over No. 17 Grosse Pointe South. North won three of four games total this season against South, and also two of three against Division 2 No. 7 St. Clair. Seven regulars are hitting .299 or higher, also including seniors Luke Babcock (.321), James MacAuley (.314) and Parker O’Neill (.308).
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 42-0, No. 1
Coach: Matt Petry, 12th season
League finish: First in Detroit Catholic League Central
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2021 in Division 2), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Brock Porter, sr. P (8-0, 0.27 ERA, 109 K); Jake Dresselhouse, sr. OF (.409, 56 R, 10 2B, 40 RBI); Ike Irish, sr. C (.460, 45 R, 10 HR, 42 RBI); Nolan Schubart, sr. OF (.336, 47 R, 12 HR, 38 RBI), Jack Crighton, sr. IF (.435, 35 R, 27 RBI).
Outlook: Last season’s Division 2 champion brings seven starters back to MSU from last year’s Final, plus its top pitcher. Porter, Irish, Dresselhouse and Schubart all made the all-state Dream Team last season, and Crighton joined them on the Division 2 first team. The Eaglets are averaging 9.5 runs per game with Ryan McKay (.383), Jasen Oliver (.391) and Ryan Mooney also returning starters from 2021. Porter, who has hit .486 in limited at bats, is a projected first-round pick in the July Major League Baseball draft, and Irish is expected to be selected among the early rounds as well. Seniors Ciaran Caughey (9-0, 0.46 ERA) and Nolan Higgins (5-0, 1.65) and sophomore Aidan Donovan (7-0, 0.92 ERA) are three more starters among six total who have at least five wins on the mound.
Division 2
ADA FOREST HILLS EASTERN
Record/rank: 37-4, No. 1
Coach: Ian Hearn, seventh season (171-67)
League finish: First in O-K Gold
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Evan Parks, sr. IF/P (.458, 38 R, 18 2B, 50 RBI, 8-1 pitching, 0.89 ERA, 86 K); Leo Hearn, sr. C/IF (.387, 40 RBI); Jacob Pallo, jr. P/IF (.368, 34 RBI, 9-0 pitching, 0.95 ERA, 79 K); Ashton Feenstra, sr. P/1B (8-0, 0.87 ERA).
Outlook: Forest Hills Eastern’s weekend was especially eventful as the Hawks won their first Regional title and advanced to the Semifinals, and Coach Hearn went over 600 career wins – her previously led Rockford to the 2011 Division 1 title and also coached Traverse City Central and at Michigan State. Forest Hills Eastern won its first 25 games this season, and two of the losses came to Division 1 No. 5 Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills. Eight pitchers have at last one win – senior Caleb Kuiper (6-2, 2.26 ERA) is another main starter – as the team has a combined 1.57 ERA this spring. Kuiper (.337), senior Collin Fridsma (.327, 50 R), junior Mac DenBraber (.342, 38 R), senior Brian Messing (.305, 42 R) and freshman Max Ferrick (.312, 31 R) also bring .300 averages to the starting lineup.
GOODRICH
Record/rank: 37-2, No. 4
Coach: Bob Foreback, 28th season (723-278)
League finish: First in Flint Metro League Stars and overall
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final
Players to watch: Travis Liford, sr. SS (.382, 35 R, 11 2B, 36 RBI, 24 SB); Carson Raether, soph. C (.441, 35 R, 11 2B, 32 RBI, 17 SB); Brady Gauthier, sr. OF/P (.392, 8-0 pitching, 0.42 ERA); Noah Keller, sr. P (.404, 12-0 pitching, 0.10 ERA, 141 K).
Outlook: Goodrich is returning to the Semifinals for the first time since 2008, with four shutouts over five playoff games and only one run given up in the fifth. Keller made the all-state second team last season and will continue his career next season at Cornell. He tops a stellar pitching staff with a combined 1.24 ERA; Gauthier, senior Josh Denton (61, 1.59) and junior Gavin Hart (5-0, 1.09) also are standouts. The Martians hit .334 as a team with nine batting .304 or better. Junior Jack Foreback is another top contributor at .382 with 32 runs scored and 21 steals. Juniors Erik Wyczalek (.338) and Jordan Conn (.323) and seniors Bryston Hautamaki (.314) and Joey Belanger (.304) also help fill out the lineup.
GRAND RAPIDS CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 26-8, No. 14
Coach: Brent Gates, eighth season (second tenure, 209-67 overall at GRC)
League finish: Fourth in O-K White
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2013), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Ty Uchman, jr. 1B (.400, 35 R); Kyle Remington, jr. P (.432, 42 R, 11 2B, 15 SB, 5-3 pitching, 1.37 ERA, 77 K); Jackson Isaacs, soph. OF (.450, 37 R, 40 RBI); Cannon Paul, soph. OF (.398, 29 R, 10 2B, 10 SB).
Outlook: Grand Rapids Christian has won 17 of its last 18 games, the only defeat coming during a split with Division 1 semifinalist Forest Hills Northern. Retired pro Gates led the Eagles to back-to-back Division 2 titles in 2012 and 2013 and returned to the program in 2019 after a pair of successful seasons at Byron Center. Grand Rapids Christian is built for continued success with only two senior starters, although senior Christian Burgess (4-0, 1.55 ERA) is another top pitcher with Remington and junior Cam Seth (5-1, 1.37). Burgess also hits .317 and Seth .347 as nine hitters total are batting .297 or better. From that group, junior Josh Winkle (.356), senior Nate Hedlund (.330) and junior Alec Koval (.297) also start, and Seth and Hedlund are tied for second on the team with 30 RBI apiece.
GROSSE ILE
Record/rank: 23-6, No. 20
Coach: Mario Garza, seventh season (79-84)
League finish: Second in Huron League
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final
Players to watch: Tyler Garza, sr. IF/P (.483, 38 R, 12 2B, 32 RBI, 14 SB); Cannon Kawadri, jr. C (.412, 11 SB); Caleb Jones, fr. IF (.340, 30 R, 10 SB); Michael Madrigal, sr. IF/P (.293, 6-0 pitching, 0.51 ERA, 84 K).
Outlook: Grosse Ile’s first trip to the Semifinals has included a District Final win over No. 18 Trenton, its first Regional championship, and 13 wins over the Red Devils’ last 14 games total. Garza has brought the program from a tenure low of six wins in 2017 to more than reversing that’s season’s 6-22 record five years later. The team has only four seniors, with Will Lowery another major contributor hitting .291 with a 7-2 record and 1.98 ERA on the mound. Two of the team’s other most notable wins came in splits with Division 2 No. 2 New Boston Huron and Division 4 semifinalist Riverview Gabriel Richard.
Division 3
BUCHANAN
Record/rank: 27-4, No. 2
Coach: Jim Brawley, fourth season (85-15)
League finish: First in Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference Red
Championship history: Class C champion 1985, three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Drew Glavin, sr. OF/P (.355, 42 R, 27 RBI, 6-2 pitching, 2.35 ERA); Matthew Hoover, sr. IF/P (.511, 45 R, 12 2B, 51 RBI, 9-0 pitching, 1.21 ERA, 88 K); Murphy Wegner, sr. C (.467, 15 2B, 33 RBI); Macoy West, sr. OF/P (.463, 12 2B, 41 RBI, 7-1 pitching, 1.55 ERA, 81 K).
Outlook: Buchanan is returning to the Semifinals for the second straight season, with a lineup bolstered by six seniors including three who earned all-state recognition in 2021. The Bucks have shut out four of their six postseason opponents, including No. 11 Onsted and No. 12 Clinton in their two most recent victories. Hoover and Glavin made the all-state first team last season, and Wegner made the second team. Junior Cade Preissing is another standout, hitting .393 with a team-high 56 runs scored this spring.
DETROIT EDISON
Record/rank: 24-12, No. 16
Coach: Mark Brown, sixth season (116-62)
League finish: First in Charter School Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Gregory Pace Jr., sr. OF/P (.425, 46 R, 8 HR, 33 RBI, 44 SB); Marwynn Matthews, soph. IF/P (.387, 35 RBI, 18 SB); Keith Smith Jr., sr. OF (.360, 44 R, 36 RBI, 35 SB); Edward Gregory Jr., sr. SS/P (.318, 43 R, 11 2B, 46 SB).
Outlook: Edison is making its first trip to the Semifinals, also after winning its first Regional title, continuing a postseason run that opened with a 5-4 win over top-ranked Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett and most recently included a 9-1 Quarterfinal victory against No. 14 Algonac. Pace made the all-state first team last season and has signed with Michigan, and he’s also projected as a high-round pick in July’s Major League Baseball draft. Senior Caleb Johnson adds another .300 bat (.311) with 13 stolen bases for a team averaging more than six runs per game despite playing a schedule filled with many larger schools and a number of ranked Division 1 and 2 teams. Five losses came by just one run.
PEWAMO-WESTPHALIA
Record/rank: 23-10-2, unranked
Coach: Curt Nurenberg, second season (53-14-2)
League finish: First in Central Michigan Athletic Conference
Championship history: Class C runner-up 1991.
Players to watch: Tanner Wirth, sr. OF (.423, 11 2B, 14 SB); Nate Simon, jr. OF (.347, 31 R, 10 SB); Ashtin Wirth, sr. C (.329, 27 RBI); Brock Thelen, sr. IF (.337, 33 R, 28 2B, 36 SB).
Outlook: P-W is back at MSU for the second time in four years after also making the Semifinals in 2019, and this time with a District Semifinal upset of No. 3 Hemlock to its credit plus double-digit scoring in three of five postseason games. Saturday’s 12-8 Quarterfinal win over Lansing Catholic avenged a regular-season sweep. Wirth made the all-state first team last season, and Thelen made the second. Junior Drew Nurenberg (4-0, 0.63 ERA) and senior Austin Schafer (6-2, 1.84) lead the team in starts this spring, but sophomore Gabe Miller (7-2, 1.15 ERA) leads the team in wins despite just four starts on the mound. Senior infielder Adam Nurenberg (.333) adds another solid bat to the lineup.
STANDISH-STERLING
Record/rank: 35-6, No. 5
Coach: Ryan Raymond, fifth season (139-49-3)
League finish: Second in Tri-Valley Conference 10
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Cole Prout, sr. OF (.505, 83 R, 13 3B, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 21 SB); Charlie Kolbiaz, sr. C (.452, 12 2B, 49 RBI); Chase Raymond, sr. IF (.472, 48 R, 10 2B, 10 3B, 76 RBI); Addison Vallad, sr. IF (.358, 51 R, 32 RBI, 8-0 pitching, 2.87 ERA).
Outlook: After reaching the Quarterfinals for the third time over the last six seasons, Standish-Sterling will play in its first Semifinal since 1976 with a Regional Final win over No. 13 Houghton among highlights of this playoff run. The offense’s numbers are incredible – the Panthers have averaged 14.5 runs per game during the tournament and 10.3 per game for the entire season. Senior Brett Bartlett (.452, 41 R, 35 RBI), sophomore Cooper Prout (.429), freshman Sam Briggs (.357) and senior Matt Yealey (.356) are among others having substantial success at the plate. Five of the team’s six losses came to teams ranked among the top eight in Divisions 2, 3 or 4. Chase Raymond will continue at Saginaw Valley State.
Division 4
BEAL CITY
Record/rank: 29-2, No. 1
Coach: Steve Pickens, fifth season (131-32-1)
League finish: First in Highland Conference
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2018), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Wade Wilson, sr. P/CF (.421, 34 R, 5-1 pitching, 1.20 ERA); Brendan Martin, sr. P/1B (.323, 11-0 pitching, 0.70 ERA, 73 K); Kaiden Andrews, sr. 2B/SS (.477, 49 R, 11 2B, 31 RBI, 12 SB); Brayden Haynes, sr. 3B (.511, 44 R, 10 2B, 63 RBI).
Outlook: Beal City has reached the season’s final week for the third time in four seasons (not counting COVID-canceled 2020), its only losses to Division 2 Gladwin and Division 3 No. 17 Hudson (the latter in a split). Wilson made the all-state first team last season, while Martin, Andrews and Haynes made the second team. Sophomore Cayden Smith is among others having a massive season, hitting .500 with 48 runs, 10 doubles, 35 RBI and 20 steals, and he’s 5-0 in the mound with a 0.96 ERA. Senior Konnor Wilson also is 5-0 and hitting .474 with 39 runs scored and 33 RBI. Seniors Hunter Miles (.494, 46 R, 43 RBI) and Josh Wilson (.494, 39 R, 40 RBI) and sophomores Jack Fussman (.376, 40 R) and Jake Gauthier (.367) also are piling up major numbers.
RIVERVIEW GABRIEL RICHARD
Record/rank: 17-12, unranked
Coach: Mike Magier, ninth season (record N/A)
League finish: Third in Detroit Catholic League AA
Championship history: Division 3 champion 2018, Class C runner-up 1994.
Players to watch: Tylor Morehouse, soph. IF; Connor Silka, sr. P/IF; Ashton Nowak, sr. P/OF, Brenden Hills, sr. IF/OF. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Richard had a rare 8-16-1 finish in 2021 but capped that season with District and Regional titles, and the Pioneers have surged over the last month again to return to the Semifinals. Four of five MHSAA Tournament games have been shutouts, including wins over No. 20 Bay City All Saints in the Regional Final and No. 9 Marine City Cardinal Mooney in the Quarterfinal. Silka, Hills, Nowak and catcher/infielder Bryan Tuttle are the only seniors.
RUDYARD
Record/rank: 28-6-1, No. 3
Coach: Billy Mitchell, third season (46-18-2)
League finish: Second in Straits Area Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: EJ Suggitt, sr. IF/P (.529, 44 R, 44 RBI, 24 SB, 10-3 pitching, 3.13 ERA, 73 K); Tate Besteman, sr. OF/P (.393, 47 R, 36 SB); Brett Mayer, sr. P/OF/IF (.367, 38 R, 38 RBI, 24 SB, 13-0 pitching, 1.46 ERA, 104 K); Cam Peterson, soph. IF/C (.366, 44 R, 20 SB).
Outlook: This will be Rudyard’s third trip to the Semifinals over the last 10 seasons (not counting canceled 2020), and first since 2015. The Bulldogs emerged from a Regional that included No. 4 Maple City Glen Lake and No. 7 Indian River Inland Lakes, and they’ve won 22 straight games. Suggitt helped lead the football team to the 8-Player Semifinals and boys basketball team to the Division 4 Quarterfinals as well this school year. Austin Warner (.358) leads the team with 39 stolen bases while Rudyard as a whole has 211 swipes in 232 attempts. Sophomores Eli Sprague (.333), Aiden Bickel (.327, 29 SB) and Landen Mayer (.308) also bolster the lineup.
WHITMORE LAKE
Record/rank: 22-9, No. 13
Coach: Hank Dreffs, second season (36-23-1)
League finish: First in Michigan Independent Athletic Conference
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Alden Stefanovski, sr. C (.461, 20 2B, 29 RBI); Alex Di Dio, jr. IF (.442, 36 R, 30 RBI, 1.83 ERA); Hayden Collingham, sr. IF (.349, 24 RBI); Zane Gregg, jr. P/IF (.314, 0.57 ERA, 107 K).
Outlook: Whitmore Lake won its first Regional title and will make its first Semifinal appearance after avenging a late-season sweep by Britton Deerfield with an 11-5 Quarterfinal win. The Trojans also defeated No. 16 Decatur in the Regional Final. Third baseman Garrett Engstrom joins Stefanovski and Collingham as the team’s only seniors, and there are eight underclassmen on the 15-player roster. Whitmore Lake has won league titles both seasons under Dreffs and improved this spring from 14-14-1 overall a year ago. Junior Dalton Bachman (1.83 ERA) provides another valuable arm.
PHOTO Beal City's Kaiden Andrews (7) attempts to beat the tag at the plate against Clare early this spring. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)
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1971: MHSAA Launches 'Big One' for Baseball
June 13, 2016
By Ron Pesch
Special for Second Half
“It’s a big one,” said state director of athletics Al Bush, when asked about organizing the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s inaugural baseball tournament back in January 1971. “The idea has been under study for more than three years.”
After discussions with the MHSAA Representative Council, in mid-December a committee of seven coaches from various parts of the state gathered and built the framework for the tournament, according to Associated Press reports.
Still ranked among the Top 10 all-time fall classics, the Detroit Tigers’ 1968 World Series victory over the St. Louis Cardinals meant interest in the national pastime was on the rise in Michigan.
Bush noted that about 650 Michigan high schools had sponsored baseball in 1970, and that plans for organizing the pending tournament were much like those for basketball, with Districts and Regionals. Circulars sent out by the MHSAA asking about planned participation indicated nearly 500 schools intended to play in the tournament. As in other sports, except basketball, plans were to host separate tournaments for the Upper and Lower Peninsula due to weather conditions experienced above the Mackinac Bridge.
While a number of cities in the past had hosted baseball tournaments where schools from around the state had been invited to participate, the MHSAA had never previously sponsored a statewide tournament. Perhaps the most well-known was one hosted in Battle Creek for about 10 seasons in the 1940s and 1950s.
In April 1971, Districts were announced, with qualifying round play scheduled for May 17-27 and Pre-District contests planned for May 29 that would allow the field of teams to be cut to four for the Districts. A total of 594 teams entered the Lower Peninsula tournament. The Finals for all classes were scheduled for June 19.
“I think you could draw it out of a hat and call a certain team a favorite, and you’d be correct,” said MHSAA Associate Director Vern Norris 45 years ago when discussing the uncharted territory of that first tournament. “There’s just no basis for comparison. I think we can say the teams competing Saturday are the cream of the crop, although in any tourney competition some good teams are eliminated early.”
“Overall, we’ve been very pleased,” he continued. “No. There haven’t been any major problems. The umpiring has been good and the support from the schools excellent. The person who really helped us out was the weatherman.”
All 48 Regional games were played without a hitch. In years past (and in years to come), weather had played havoc with previous tournaments.
Four sites were used for the games. Class A was played at Wyandotte Memorial Field, while Class B was hosted at Battle Creek Central. Class C contests were scheduled at Marshall High School with Class D at Central Michigan University’s Alumni Field in Mount Pleasant. Semifinal games were scheduled for 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with finals scheduled at 3:30 p.m. at each location.
The Detroit area emerged with three of the four titles, with games played beneath hot and humid weather.
Jim Saad, recruited to Colorado State to play football, smacked a 355-foot two-run homer to left field in the opening inning of the Finals as Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher blanked Royal Oak Kimball 3-0 before 1,200 fans for the Class A crown. Greg Boos tossed a two-hitter for the Lancers, striking out 10 along the way. It was the first of three Class A baseball titles won by Gallagher and their coach Jim Bresciami, who would lead his teams to 545 wins between 1965 and 1985. The Detroit Catholic League’s First Division East champion, Gallagher finished with a 32-5 record on the year. Right-hander Boos ended the season with an 11-2 mark.
Detroit Lutheran West posted 24 wins against a single defeat, scoring a 4-1 win over Pinconning for the Class B title. A bases-loaded single by Fred Schebor in the fifth inning brought in two runs to break open a 1-1 tie. Bill Lindblom was responsible for West’s other two runs, driving in runners with a single in the second inning and a double in the sixth. Junior Leon Druckenmiller struck out six and scattered six hits for the Leopards for the win. Earlier in the day, John Paloni struck out 18 batters in West’s 3-0 Semifinal win over Wayland.
Hamtramck St. Ladislaus took advantage of a pair of third inning errors, scoring two runs in the team’s 3-0 win over Dearborn Sacred Heart. Tom Crepeau pitched a four-hitter and struck out seven, while Paul Janas led the victors with two singles and a double in the Final. The win avenged a pair of nonleague losses to Sacred Heart during the regular season. Rick Radzinski pitched a two-hitter and drove in three runs in Ladislaus’ 7-1 Semifinal win over Sanford-Meridian.
Managed by 1952 alumnus Jim Powell, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart rebounded from an early 8-1 deficit in its Semifinal game with Marion for a 16-12 win, gaining a birth in the Class D championship game against Portland St. Patrick. The Irish’s Roger Therman then pitched a four-hitter in a 5-1 win over St. Patrick.
To the north, with its later thaw, the high school baseball season continued to revolve around summer American Legion baseball but also two U.P. high school leagues: the Eastern Upper Peninsula High School Baseball League (EUP) and Western Upper Peninsula High School Baseball League (WUP). In its 14th year of operation, the WUP saw Ironwood post an 11-1 record against six league opponents to earn the 1971 league championship, while Rudyard repeated as champs with a 12-4 season in the nine-team EUP.
Today, the U.P.’s most famous baseball player remains Kevin Tapani, a 1981 graduate of Escanaba, who pitched for 13 years in the Major League. Tapani quarterbacked the Escanaba Eskymos to the MHSAA Class A football title in 1981, yet never threw a pitch for his high school because of the weather.
Forty-five years later, Mother Nature continues to influence baseball in the Upper Peninsula – although over time Upper Peninsula schools began taking part with those from the Lower Peninsula in a statewide MHSAA Tournament. The first U.P. team to make the Semifinals in baseball was Sault Ste. Marie in 1988.
This season, 21 Upper Peninsula schools sponsored varsity baseball teams, as gradually some have brought back programs long in hibernation – Gladstone, for example, made the Division 3 Semifinals in 2014 after bringing back a baseball program the year before that hadn't played since 1959.
Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Lutheran West stands together for a team photo; it won the inaugural Class B title. (Middle) Champions of the first MHSAA Tournament, in 1971, included Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher, Hamtramck St. Ladislaus and Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart.