Preview: New Champ (at least 1) Guaranteed
June 10, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
This weekend’s MHSAA Baseball Finals at Michigan State University’s McLane Stadium are guaranteed to provide at least a few first-time thrills.
Of 16 teams playing in Semifinals starting Thursday, 11 have never played in an MHSAA baseball championship game. In fact, only seven of 15 that play in conferences won those leagues this spring.
Two of the five teams that have won MHSAA titles won theirs at least 30 years ago. And definitely keep an eye on Division 4 on Saturday; all four semifinalists are playing for their first MHSAA baseball championship.
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
Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills vs. Hartland, 9 a.m.
Grosse Pointe South vs. Portage Northern, 11:30 a.m.
Division 2
Mount Pleasant vs. Adrian, 2:30 p.m.
Vicksburg vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 5 p.m.
Semifinals – Friday
Division 3
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker vs. Jackson Lumen Christi, 9 a.m.
Buchanan vs. Gladstone, 11:30 a.m.
Division 4
Centreville vs. Rudyard, 2:30 p.m.
Muskegon Catholic Central vs. Ubly, 5 p.m.
Finals – Saturday
Division 1: 9 a.m.
Division 2: 11:30 a.m.
Division 3: 2:30 p.m.
Division 4: 5 p.m.
Tickets cost $8 per round and include admission to softball and girls soccer games that day 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.
All statistics below are through at least the regular season, with most through teams' Regionals. (Click for links to brackets and scores.)
DIVISION 1
GROSSE POINTE SOUTH
Record/rank: 32-11, No. 9
Coach: Dan Griesbaum, 32nd season (740-381-2)
League finish: Second in Macomb Area Conference Red.
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2001, runner-up 2014.
Players to watch: Ryan Liagre, sr. 3B (.416, 44 R, 12 2B, 4 HR, 29 RBI); James Fishback, sr. 1B (.387, 34 RBI); Andrew Fabry, sr. P (9-1, 0.45, 60 K).
Outlook: Grosse Pointe South defeated its five tournament opponents by a combined score of 48-5 after entering the postseason with four losses over its final five regular-season games. It avenged one of those losses, to Detroit U-D Jesuit, in the Regional Final. Liagre made the all-state Dream Team last season, and with Fishback provides muscle in the middle of the lineup surrounded by junior Will Poplawski (.350), sophomore Brad Thompson (.338) and senior Justin McMann (.327); all nine regulars hit at least .291. Senior Will Norris moves over from second base to follow Fabry in the rotation and is 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA.
GRAND RAPIDS KENOWA HILLS
Record/rank: 33-4, No. 8
Coach: Joe Acker, fourth season (93-34)
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Black.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Christian Falicki, jr. P (.325, 9-0 pitching, 2.03 ERA); Jacob Sposaro, sr. SS/P (.448, 35 R, 12 2B, 31 RBI, 6-1 pitching, 2.15 ERA); Jace Beatty, jr. OF/P (.493, 25 R, 4-0 pitching, 2.76 ERA)
Outlook: Kenowa Hills has increased its win total each of the last three seasons under Acker, adding a third straight league and second straight District title this spring. The pitching staff is deep with junior Bennett Norry (7-1) just behind Falicki in innings pitched this spring. Six hitters bat .348 or better – the team batting average is an impressive .325 – and eight had driven in at least 12 runs through the end of the District. Sposaro also has stolen 10 bases on 11 attempts, third on a team that has swiped 74 bases in 80 tries.
HARTLAND
Record/rank: 26-16-1, unranked
Coach: Brian Morrison, 14th season (359-153-3)
League finish: Third in Kensington Lakes Activities Association West.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Gary Turnbull, jr. 1B (.344, 30 R, 15 2B, 20 RBI); John Baker, jr. 1B/P (.328, 30 R 13 2B, 26 RBI, 8-2 pitching, 0.93 ERA, 110 K); Alex Vydick, jr. SS/P (.336, 25 R, 22 RBI, 4-1, 3.43 ERA).
Outlook: Hartland won its third Regional in five seasons and fourth in seven years, but broke through for its first Semifinal berth since 2000 and second in program history. While unranked, Hartland finished third in its KLAA division behind No. 4 Brighton and No. 12 Howell. This could be only the start of a nice run – the starting lineup includes only two seniors. Six batters are hitting .317 or better, led by freshman third baseman Max Hendricks at .419.
PORTAGE NORTHERN
Record/rank: 28-7-1, unranked
Coach: Chris Andrews, 15th season (376-160)
League finish: Second in Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Collin Hall, sr. 1B (.434, 26 R, 13 2B, 32 RBI); Max Schuemann, sr. SS (.380, 37 R, 20 RBI, 17 SB, 3-0 pitching, 1.35 ERA); Tommy Henry, jr. P/OF (.320, 25 R, 21 RBI, 16 SB, 8-1, 0.35 ERA, 112 K).
Outlook: Portage Northern has had a solid run under Andrews with at least 20 wins in 13 of his 15 seasons after he arrived from Kalamazoo Loy Norrix in 2001. This is the team’s first Semifinal appearance since 1972, the second season of the MHSAA Tournament for the sport. Portage Northern advanced in part by defeating No. 10 Taylor Kennedy in the Quarterfinal and is riding an 11-game winning streak. Eight regulars are hitting at least .300, and senior Blake Therrian (7-2, 2.80) could also see the mound this weekend.
DIVISION 2
ADRIAN
Record/rank: 27-9, unranked
Coach: Greg Jackson, 26th season (524-351)
League finish: Second in Southeastern Conference White.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Matt Clark, sr. P/IF (.489, 37 R, 15 2B, 42 RBI, 15 SB, 6-2 pitching, 1.02 ERA); Tanner Heath, jr. C (.469, 25 R, 16 2B, 31 RBI); Noah Solis, jr. SS (.414, 40 R, 15 RBI, 25 SB).
Outlook: Adrian has bounced back from two straight sub-.500 seasons to win its first Regional since 2003 and make its first Semifinal since 1979. The Maples defeated No. 6 Milan in the District Final after losing three of its final four games before the start of the postseason; Adrian was ranked as high as No. 5 this spring. Clark is the only senior in the starting lineup, and two underclassmen start including sophomore leftfielder Ty Peck (.355).
MOUNT PLEASANT
Record/rank: 26-12, unranked
Coach: Luke Epple, 24th season (646-181)
League finish: Third in Saginaw Valley Association
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), two runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Hunter Buczkowski, jr. P/OF (.380, 22 R, 23 RBI, 6-2 pitching, 1.06 ERA); Zachary Heeke, jr. 3B (.469, 42 R, 22 RBI, 17 SB); Obie Ricumstrict, soph. SS (.400, 45 R, 11 2B, 21 RBI, 16 SB).
Outlook: The Oilers are on another dominant run, outscoring their six postseason opponents by a combined score of 58-2 with five shutouts. Add in two more shutouts at the end of the regular season for seven in their last eight games. Buczkowski made the all-state second team last season and leads a staff with three starters who have each won at least four games. His sophomore brother Logan is one of them and also plays centerfield and bats clean-up, hitting .369 with 10 doubles and 35 RBI. Senior designated hitter Ryan Lucksted (.388) and junior outfielder Max Trucks (.362) are two more big bats, and senior pitcher Mitch Ridley (4-1, 1.73 ERA) could find himself in an important spot as well this weekend.
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 30-13, No. 7
Coach: Matt Petry, fifth season (104-79)
League finish: Second in Detroit Catholic League Central.
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 2003), three runner-up finishes.
Players to watch: Mason Vaughan, jr. OF (.373, 22 R, 26 RBI); Drake Titus, jr. 2B/P (.362, 42 R, 20 RBI, 18 SB, 11-2 pitching, 0.69 ERA); Campbell Kinch, sr. OF (.359, 36 R, 20 RBI, 13 SB).
Outlook: St. Mary’s will play in its first Semifinal since 2009, when it eventually finished Division 2 runner-up. The Eaglets have the pitching to compete for the entirety, with senior Greg Loukinen (6-4, 1.38 ERA) expected to get the Semifinal start and junior Scott Grant (5-2, 1.65 ERA) another option. This could be the beginning of a solid two-year run; the team has only four seniors and only two start as part of what is otherwise a junior-dominated lineup. Sophomore designated hitter Carter Macias (.333) and junior third baseman Drew Boyd (.322) are among others who add offensive boost.
VICKSBURG
Record/rank: 27-7, unranked
Coach: Brian Deal, 17th season (record at school N/A)
League finish: First in Wolverine Conference East.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Conner Henderson, sr. CF/P (.465, 39 R, 12 2B, 26 SB, 1.00 ERA pitching, 5 Sv); Dalton Ketelaar, sr. RF/P (.435, 11 2B, 4-1 pitching, 1.27 ERA); Brenden Lovell, soph. P/UTY (.413, 25 R, 15 2B, 25 RBI, 8-0 pitching, 1.08 ERA).
Outlook: Vicksburg won its first Regional title this spring, beating No. 2 Stevensville Lakeshore 2-1 in the Final, and then advanced to its first Quarterfinal by beating No. 1 East Grand Rapids 10-0 (Vicksburg had fallen to Lakeshore 11-0 during the regular season). Seven of the team’s eight seniors start and three more hit at least .300. First baseman Patrick Callahan is among them and also could play a role on the mound, entering the week 6-1 with a 1.64 ERA. Vicksburg was ranked as high as No. 9 this season and opened 16-2.
DIVISION 3
BUCHANAN
Record/rank: 23-7, No. 3
Coach: Lonnie Hoover, third season (52-31)
League finish: First in Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph West.
Championship history: Class C champion 1985, runner-up 1982 and 1981.
Players to watch: Chad Adkerson, soph. C (.449, 26 R, 20 RBI, 13 SB), Jarrett Thomas, jr. P/SS (.271, 29 R, 13 SB, 9-1 pitching, 1.01 ERA); Dalton Riddle, soph. P/OF (.380, 29 R, 31 RBI, 5-3 pitching, 1.98 ERA).
Outlook: The Bucks will play in their first Semifinal since 1999 and have made good on their high ranking, eliminating No. 8 Lansing Catholic in the Quarterfinal. Former junior varsity coach Hoover has led the team to an increase in wins each of the last two seasons, and they should surge again in 2016 as they graduate only one regular starter. Seven hit .300 or higher this spring, with sophomores Darren Shearer (.386) and Christian Hall (.375) and junior Gavin Morris (.362) among the other toughest outs. Another sophomore, Kyle Leazenby, might be an option on the mound after entering this week 5-1 with a 2.03 ERA.
ELKTON-PIGEON-BAY PORT LAKER
Record/rank: 22-10, unranked
Coach: Adam Grybauskas, fifth season (81-74)
League finish: First in Greater Thumb Conference West.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Cody Voelker, sr. P/IF (.353, 32 R, 8-2 pitching, 0.43 ERA); Austin Parrish, sr. P/3B (.348, 21 R, 18 RBI, 2-1 pitching, 2.46 ERA); Austin McCabe, sr. 1B (.333, 17 R, 27 RBI).
Outlook: Laker has won 14 of its last 16 with lockdown pitching led by Voelker and senior Brady Post (6-2, 2.13 ERA). The Lakers have outscored five tournament opponents by a combined 43-9, allowing no more than two runs in a game until Shepherd scored three in the Quarterfinal. Grybauskas formerly coached Central Lake from 2005-10 before taking over this program. Six of the team’s eight seniors start, but junior Logan Breismiester (.344) and sophomore Seth Bowles (.333) also supply offensive help.
GLADSTONE
Record/rank: 28-9, No. 9
Coach: Don Lauscher, third season (74-24-1)
League finish: Does not play in a conference.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Hunter Garling, jr. OF/P (.442, 25 R, 27 RBI, 2-3 pitching, 2.02 ERA); Justin Jurek, sr. C (.354, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 27 R); Jake Peterson, sr. OF/P (.398, 20 RBI, 32 R, 4-2 pitching, 1.87 ERA).
Outlook: The Braves’ incredible run continues, from not having a program for more than 50 years until 2013, to making the Semifinals last season and now again. They defeated No. 4 Traverse City St. Francis in the Regional Final before advancing to this weekend with an extra-inning 6-5 win over Muskegon Oakridge in the Quarterfinal. Garling made the all-state first team as a sophomore. Junior Elliot Danhoff (5-1) and sophomore Ben Schwalbach (3-0) are among others who can be called on to take the mound.
JACKSON LUMEN CHRISTI
Record/rank: 22-16, unranked
Coach: Phil Clifford, fifth season (record at school N/A)
League finish: Fourth in Interstate 8 Athletic Conference.
Championship history: Class B champion 1978.
Players to watch: John Fleming, jr. C; Josh Iocca, sr. RF; Zach Mehelich, jr. P. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: Lumen Christi has had its share of baseball success in recent history, but after a .500 regular season it’s fair to call the first Regional title and Semifinal berth since 1997 surprises. The Titans did load up on some solid competition, playing in the same league as Division 2 No. 9 Parma Western and facing Division 2 No. 10 Niles, No. 6 Milan and semifinalist Vicksburg in tournament play. Six seniors anchor the starting lineup.
DIVISION 4
CENTREVILLE
Record/rank: 28-1, unranked
Coach: Mike Webster, fourth season (79-33)
League finish: First in BCS East.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Michael Kool, jr. P/IF (.337, 29 R, 9-0 pitching, 0.70 ERA, 100 K); Nick Kelley, jr. C (.400, 32 R, 22 RBI); Jalen Brown, jr. 1B (.398, 21 R, 26 RBI).
Outlook: Centerville’s most impressive regular-season highlight might’ve been a 5-1 win over Buchanan, a semifinalist in Division 3. It clearly was a sign of what was possible; the Bulldogs’ only loss was to Mendon, which they came back to beat in the District opener, and Centreville eliminated No. 2 Decatur in the Regional Semifinal. Kool made the all-state first team last season and is one of three pitchers who combined for all of the team’s decisions heading into the week; senior Jordan Gest (10-1, 3.17 ERA) and sophomore Coletin Gascho (8-0, 1.57) had the rest. And stay tuned: only two starters are seniors.
MUSKEGON CATHOLIC CENTRAL
Record/rank: 37-1-1, No. 3
Coach: Steve Schuitema, seventh season (170-41-2)
League finish: First in Lakes 8 Conference.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Nicholas Holt, sr. P/1B (.450, 39 R, 48 RBI, 23 SB, 12-0 pitching, 1.03 ERA); Jacob Holt, jr. C (.412, 35 R, 38 RBI); Anthony Woodard, sr. SS/P (.459, 60 R, 14 2B, 28 RBI, 28 SB, 3-0 pitching, 0.40 ERA).
Outlook: This will be MCC’s seventh Semifinal and first since 2012. The team has increased its win total the last six seasons and won four straight league titles and five Districts in those six seasons. Nicholas Holt made the all-state first team last season and Jacob Holt made the second team, and they are among a group that has put up gaudy numbers while facing mostly larger schools from their league and area. Five pitchers are at least 3-0 with ERAs under 1.50; sophomore Devin Comes is 9-1 with a 0.87 ERA. Senior Zachary Winzer is another tough out, hitting .427 with 50 runs, 11 doubles and 38 RBI.
RUDYARD
Record/rank: 30-4, No. 8
Coach: Ron VanSloten, 22nd season (444-185-4)
League finish: First in Straits Area Conference.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: James Rosebrock, jr. CF/P (.383, 29 R, 39 RBI, 4-0 pitching, 0.94 ERA); Travis Myers, sr. P/1B (.375, 43 R, 27 RBI, 19 SB, 8-2 pitching, 0.74 ERA); Connor Myers, sr. P/1B (.319, 20 R, 19 RBI, 10-2 pitching, 0.21 ERA, 103 K).
Outlook: This is Rudyard’s third trip to the Semifinals in nine seasons, the most recent coming in 2012, and it beat No. 5 Maple City Glen Lake in the Quarterfinal to get here. Picking out the standouts is tough because there are so many who have played major roles. Connor Myers and senior third baseman Cory Gillett made the all-state second team last season, but eight regulars bat .300 or better. Senior catcher Owen Mills receives from a staff with three starters sporting ERAs less than 1.00, and he hits .373 and is 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA on the mound.
UBLY
Record/rank: 22-7, unranked
Coach: James Becker, 16th season (259-170)
League finish: Second in Greater Thumb Conference East.
Championship history: Has never played in an MHSAA Final.
Players to watch: Cody Hutchinson, sr. CF/P (.343, 26 R, 14 SB, 2-1 pitching, 1.09 ERA); Jeffrey Wright, jr. P/SS (.353, 26 R, 16 2B, 25 RBI, 15 SB, 7-2 pitching, 1.44 ERA, 113 K); Cole Roggenbuck, sr. SS/P (.341, 24 R, 29 RBI, 17 SB, 5-3 pitching, 1.44 ERA).
Outlook: A season after Ubly’s softball team made its first Semifinals, the baseball team has accomplished the same. The Bearcats have won six District titles under Becker, but were 5-21 only five seasons ago. The team hits .295 with four players over .300; junior second baseman Evan Block joins the three mentioned above with a team-best .361. Becker played at Saginaw Valley State University and then served as an assistant coach with the Cardinals from 1995-98.
PHOTO: Mount Pleasant’s Hunter Buczkowski pitches the Oilers to last season’s Division 2 Final; Mount Pleasant is the only returning champion back this weekend.
St Francis, Frankfort Setting Title Sights
April 6, 2018
By Dennis Chase
Special for Second Half
TRAVERSE CITY – After an MRI earlier this year revealed a torn labrum in his right shoulder, Traverse City St. Francis all-state pitcher Joey Muzljakovich decided on surgery that would end his senior season before it even started.
Then, Wayne State University coaches intervened.
“I was scheduled to have surgery two weeks after the MRI,” said the 18-year-old, who signed with Wayne State in November. “Wayne State called back and (the coaches) were super nice about it. They said, ‘Play your senior year.’ They said there was the potential that I could (damage it further) if I pitched or played third, where I would throw a lot, but that I could play first and hit. I’ll have to be careful with how intense my throws are (at first), but I’m so thankful for the opportunity.”
Muzljakovich, who said he will meet with the orthopedic surgeon at Wayne State and set a date for surgery after the season concludes, is a key cog for the Gladiators, who went 38-4 and finished runner-up to Madison Heights Bishop Foley in the MHSAA Division 3 Final last spring.
The Gladiators are ranked No. 2 in this spring’s preseason state coaches poll. A school St. Francis has close ties with, Frankfort, is ranked No. 1 in Division 4. Five St. Francis and two Frankfort players were on the A. Green North travel team last summer. The team was coached by Frankfort’s Mike Zimmerman, who was assisted by Gladiators head coach Tom Passinault. The team competed in tournaments across Michigan and the Midwest.
“(The St. Francis players have) become some of my best friends,” said Panthers catcher Brett Zimmerman, who was recently named a Collegiate Baseball preseason All-American. “We play and travel so much together in the summer that I know them about as well as I know my teammates at Frankfort.”
Coincidentally, Zimmerman and Muzljakovich will be teammates and roommates at Wayne State. The two were among six recruits the Warriors announced in November. Zimmerman’s older brother, Kyle, previously played for Wayne State.
Frankfort finished 36-1 a year ago. Its MHSAA title hopes were dashed in the Regional with a 2-1 10-inning loss to Muskegon Catholic Central.
Both the Panthers and Gladiators, who have ramped up their schedules, return talented rosters. And the St. Francis roster still includes Muzljakovich, who was the Traverse City Record-Eagle Player of the Year as a junior. On the mound, the righthander was 10-0 with a 0.58 ERA. He struck out 102 batters in 60 1/3 innings. At the plate, he hit .425 with two home runs and 35 RBI. He scored 38 runs.
“It was a devastating blow when we thought he wasn’t going to play at all,” Passinault said. “He was set to have surgery in February. It was very classy what Wayne State did. He had already signed with them.
“Just his presence on the field makes us better. The kids look up to him. He’s a natural leader.”
Casey Peterson, who teamed with Muzljakovich to give the Gladiators a potent one-two combination on the mound, will be the ace. The University of Dayton signee went 9-2 with a 0.47 ERA last season.
“He’s the man,” Muzljakovich said.
Juniors Josh Bradfield (5-0 with a 1.44 ERA) and Tyler Prichard will battle for rotational spots, too. Juniors Keaton Peck (5-1 with a 1.90 ERA) and Danny Passinault (3-0 with a 3.73 ERA) add experience, but their value in the field gives Tom Passinault pause to pitch them too much.
A year ago, Gladiators pitchers tossed seven consecutive shutouts.
“We were two innings off the state record,” Passinault said.
Pitchers were aided by a lockdown defense.
“That was a key last year,” Passinault said. “We were really good on defense. We made very few errors.”
With Cooper Peterson, a Hillsdale signee, behind the plate, Peck at shortstop and Danny Passinault in centerfield, St. Francis is strong up the middle.
At the plate, Peck hit .388 and drove in 28 runs last season. Peterson, who will probably bat fifth behind Muzljakovich, had a .330 average with three home runs and 28 RBI. Outfielder Artie Dutmers, who can also play the infield, hit .289 while Passinault was at .284.
The 38 wins last season set a school record.
“The road’s a little tougher – we play 11 games against Division 1 schools – but I think we’ll be good,” Passinault said. “Our thought (in scheduling) was that facing better pitching during the year will prepare us for the tournament. We may not have as impressive a record, but that’s not the goal. The goal is to try to get to East Lansing (for the MHSAA Finals).”
One thing is certain: The Gladiators will not sneak up on anybody.
“Last year we went into the season unranked, unproven because we had lost in the Districts the year before,” Muzljakovich said. “Nobody thought we were going to be good. We were the underdogs.
“Now, coming into this season, we have high hopes. We know we’ll have a target on our backs. We’ll have to be on our toes.”
Optimism is high at Frankfort, too. Mike Zimmerman returns three of his top four pitchers in Jack Morrow (11-0 with a 0.97 ERA), Kirk Myers (12-1) and James Eno. Morrow, who struck out 94 in 65 innings, will pitch at Albion College next season.
In the field, the Panthers will have veteran experience with Matt Stefanski (.422) at first, Myers (.404) at short, Adam Witkop at third, Griffin Kelly (.434) in center, Eno (.400) in right, Morrow (.407) in left and, of course, Brett Zimmerman (.506 with five home runs and 39 RBI) behind the plate.
“It’s a well-rounded team,” Mike Zimmerman said. “Our pitchers do a nice job of keeping guys off base and Brett does a nice job stopping guys from running. He threw out 80 percent of runners trying to steal last year.
“And offensively, you can’t pitch around one or two guys. We have any number of guys that can hurt you.”
The first three hitters in the lineup can run. Kelly, Myers and Zimmerman combined for 89 steals last season.
Brett Zimmerman said the players are as tight as any team he’s played on.
“We’re always finding ways to get together and make connections,” he said. “The other night we all went to a restaurant to watch the national championship basketball game. When you can (bond) like that it really helps build trust.”
Although his dad was a coach and his older brother a star player, Brett Zimmerman didn’t pick up baseball until he was 9. He was into motocross until an accident prompted him to turn to baseball.
Meanwhile, Kelly, Stefanski and Myers are all three-sport standouts. Kelly and Stefanski signed to play football at Northern Michigan and Grand Valley, respectively.
A year ago, the Panthers were riding high and ranked No. 1 when they fell to Muskegon Catholic.
“We had our chances,” Mike Zimmerman said. “It was a fun game. We couldn’t get the break when we needed it. They did. That’s baseball.”
“It was a heartbreaker,” Brett Zimmerman added. “We had high expectations.
“And we have expectations this year. We’re fortunate to be ranked No. 1 going into the season, but we know that number on the rankings sheet means nothing if you don’t win the last game of the season. We had one loss last year, and everybody was mad and devastated.”
Like St. Francis, which is scheduled to open at Coldwater on Saturday, Frankfort has beefed up its schedule to include Climax-Scotts, Muskegon Catholic and Traverse City Central in nonleague play. This week’s games with Gaylord and Kalkaska were wiped out by a spring snowstorm.
“It’s northern Michigan,” Mike Zimmerman said. “There’s nothing you can do to change it.”
The delay – St. Francis has been on the diamond once this preseason – doesn’t bother Muzljakovich. He’s just glad to be able to play this season.
He believes he suffered the shoulder injury in football, although he doesn’t remember one particular play that caused it. As a middle linebacker-fullback, Muzljakovich rarely came off the field for the 11-2 Gladiators.
“There were times my shoulder would ache, but I didn’t think it was anything big,” he said.
After Danny Passinault, the quarterback, went down with a broken collarbone during the season, the Gladiators decided to add trickery to the playbook just in case they might need a jolt on offense.
In the playoff game with Maple City Glen Lake, St. Francis went to its bag of tricks with a direct snap to Muzljakovich, who took off as if to run. He pulled up and tossed a touchdown pass.
On the play, however, he again felt pain in his shoulder.
“Oh, it will get better,” he rationalized.
But once football ended, and he started throwing in weekly workouts with his summer travel team, the shoulder continued to bother him.
“I couldn’t get loose,” he said. “It felt tight … and it was aching.”
So he started physical therapy and called Wayne State to let the staff know what was happening. He said the staff told him to continue with physical therapy, but if he didn’t notice any improvement he should go in for an MRI.
Muzljakovich was heartbroken when he learned of the MRI results.
“I was holding back the tears,” he admitted. “I didn’t want my high school career to end like that.”
The decision was made to have surgery almost immediately so Muzljakovich could start the recovery process and improve his odds of pitching at Wayne State as a freshman. He said the subsequent phone call to Wayne State was not easy.
“I was trembling in my boots,” he said. “I didn’t know how they would take it. I felt I let them down. But they are outstanding coaches and even better people. I am so grateful.”
He also called Brett Zimmerman, who has been one of his catchers in travel ball the last two summers.
“It was tough for me to hear that,” Zimmerman recalled. “I know his passion, the work he’s put in. At that time, he didn’t think he would get his senior season in. I felt terrible for him.”
Two years ago, as a sophomore, Muzljakovich tore a knee ligament in football and had to sit out the baseball season. At that time, he thought about giving up football.
“Baseball is my first love,” he said. “I didn’t want to mess it up with another injury.”
But not wanting to let his teammates and coaches down, Muzljakovich decided to give football “another year to see how it goes.”
“My junior year went great,” he said. “I was a little hesitant my senior year because I had just verbally committed to Wayne State. But I figured I’ve had a lot of memories created on the football field, and I wanted to create some more my senior year. It didn’t work out how I wanted (with the injury), but I made bonds with my teammates that are priceless.”
As for Brett Zimmerman, he has another St. Francis connection. He’s dating Gladiators volleyball standout Molly Mirabelli, whose father Doug is a former Major League catcher.
“He offers advice and Brett soaks it up like a sponge,” Mike Zimmerman said.
“He’s a great source to go to with questions,” Brett added.
The most pressing question now is – when will the season start?
When it does, expect St. Francis and Frankfort to be in the state conversation.
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) St. Francis’ Joey Muzljakovich eyes a pitch during last season’s Division 3 Final against Madison Heights Bishop Foley. (Middle) Frankfort’s Brett Zimmerman settles under a pop-up last spring. (Below) Jack Morrow unwinds toward the plate during last season’s all-state campaign. (Frankfort photos courtesy of Frankfort baseball program.)