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.
Saugatuck's Dunn Makes MLB Debut, OLSM's Mooney Continues Impressive Climb
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
August 5, 2024
Blake Dunn has realized his dream while Alex Mooney's chance may be right around the corner.
The careers of the two former Michigan high school baseball stars have taken major steps forward this summer, with Dunn, a Saugatuck graduate native, earning two stints with the Cincinnati Reds, and Mooney, from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, tearing up the High-Class A Midwest League with Lake County, just northeast of Cleveland.
Both credit modest upbringings for their continuing baseball success. Dunn said his senior class included around 85 students.
"It was definitely hard because a lot of guys have played against a high level of competition from bigger schools," said Dunn, who earned 16 varsity letters across four high school sports at Saugatuck. "But a lot of good athletes come from smaller schools, and we have kind of a chip on our shoulders. That's no knock on smaller schools or their communities; we just work that much harder to make things happen.
"You can't just sit back and go with the flow. You work hard, set your mind on what you need to do and just go for it. I definitely take pride in where I come from and represent Saugatuck to the best of my ability or when I'm out in public."
Mooney, who was part of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s winning three MHSAA Finals titles over six years, said he traces much of his success to being part of an outstanding prep baseball program, regardless of the school's size. St. Mary's was an all-boys school during his time there, with just under 600 students.
"Playing in the Catholic League was huge for me," he said. "It's the best league in the state, and playing there just made me better. I learned early how to win, and that's carried over (to the pros)."
Dunn was one of the great all-around athletes of his generation at Saugatuck. He had more than 1,500 career points in basketball, was a four-time hurdles Finals champion in track and a member of the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Dream Team, and still finds himself all over the MHSAA football record book. His 113 career touchdowns are fourth all-time while his 2,748 rushing yards in 2015 are 12th best. Dunn's 827 points in 41 career games is second all-time to 924 points by East Grand Rapids' Kevin Grady in 51 games from 2001-04. Dunn's 6,954 rushing yards remains eighth all-time.
Dunn, who also had 26 consecutive 100-yard rushing games, said it seemed natural to him to play multiple sports in high school.
"I think it's the right thing for guys to test their ability to do a lot of things," he said. "It comes down to task management. You don't get a lot of free time because it's always go-go. So you need a good work ethic to stay on top of things."
Dunn and Mooney are in the midst of notable summers. Slowed by the injury bug dating all the way back to high school and then Western Michigan, Dunn developed into a bona fide prospect in the Reds system a year ago when he hit .312 with 23 homers and 79 RBIs at Double-A Chattanooga and Low-A Dayton.
Statistically, Dunn is batting .226 with six homers and 28 RBIs in Triple-A this season, but earned a 10-day stint with the Reds from June 4-13 and then again from July 3-10. He collected his first major league hit against the Cubs on June 7.
A shortstop, Mooney has hit wherever he's been. He batted .444 as a sophomore and .460 with nine homers and 57 RBIs as a senior at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, then hit .305 with 113 runs, 30 doubles, 11 homers and 33 stolen bases (in 39 attempts) in 117 career games at Duke. With the Lake County Captains this season, Mooney is tops in the Midwest League in runs (65), third in stolen bases (34), tied for 14th in home runs (10) and tied for 16th in RBIs (46).
Mooney said hitting has always been his calling card.
"I feel like I've been able to hit since I was around 8 years old," he said. "My dad coached me when I was young, and I still talk to him about it when I go home. Hitting gets significantly harder, but your mindset is that you learn to flush a bad day. I learned at Orchard Lake St. Mary that you're still a good hitter if you go 0-for-4. You just get on with it."
Mooney, the state's Mr. Baseball Award winner in 2021 and two-time MHSBCA Dream Team member, was ranked among the top five shortstops nationally out of high school by Perfect Game and Under Armour. He went on to become all-Atlantic Coast Conference at Duke before being drafted in the seventh round by Cleveland in 2021.
Among the lessons he's learned in the professional ranks is that baseball is a business.
"It's a job. A darn good one, but a job," he said. "But I also know that the worst day you could have in baseball is better than the best day in another field. Baseball is a grind, though."
Dunn has battled his share of the grind since becoming a 15th-round draft choice by the Reds in 2021. He hit .333 with 11 homers, 50 stolen bases and 78 RBIs in135 games at Western Michigan. Injuries plagued him as a Bronco, then limited him to just 48 games in his first two years in the Reds system. This year he missed time with facial lacerations after getting hit with a pitch.
No matter the difficulties, Dunn said he always believed he could become a major leaguer. The size of high schools and subsequent level of competition was never a consideration.
"I've never considered myself an underachiever, and in my mind it doesn't matter where I've been,” he said. "I know I have talent, and I've worked hard. I feel like I have a lot of years left in baseball."
Dunn and Mooney are just two of several former Michigan high school ballplayers making a mark in the minor leagues, including two members of arguably the best-ever MHSBCA Dream Team pitching staff in 2016. Tommy Henry (Portage Northern) and Karl Kauffman (Brother Rice) have combined to pitch in 46 MLB games with Arizona and Colorado, respectively, the last two seasons. Henry is 2-3 in nine games with the Diamondbacks this season. The other members of the 2016 Dream Team pitchers were Jack Weisenburger (Rockford) and Mike Mokma (Holland Christian), both of whom pitched professionally, and John Baker (Hartland), who went on to become a two-time all-Mid-American Conference pitcher at Ball State and a 29th-round pick of the Marlins in 2019.
Baker outdueled Henry in the 2016 Division 1 Final.
Another former Michigan high school baseball star has been a godsend to a depleted Atlanta Braves pitching staff. Spencer Schwellenbach (Saginaw Heritage), has gone 4-5 with a 4.04 ERA in 11 starts with the Braves. He was the 2018 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year who went 18-6 with a 0.73 ERA at Nebraska before being taken by the Braves in the second round of the 2021 draft.
Among the other former prep stars busy in the minors are Sam Weatherly (Howell) and Brock Porter (Orchard Lake St. Mary). Weatherly is 3-1 with a 2.85 ERA in 30 games with the High-A Fresno Grizzlies. He was a 27th-round pick by the Rockies in 2020 after going 4-0 with 106 strikeouts over 72 innings in three years at Clemson.
Porter, the state's Mr. Baseball in 2022, is 0-4 with a 6.98 ERA in 19 1/3 combined innings in Rookie League and High-A. A fourth-round pick by the Rangers in 2022, Porter started 21 games with 95 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings during his first pro season a year ago at the Rookie League level.
Other Michigan natives in the minors include Luke Russo (Howell), who is 5-3 with a 4.81 ERA at High-A Jersey Shore, and Andrew Taylor (Caledonia), who is 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA at High-A Asheville.
PHOTOS (Top) From left, former Orchard Lake St. Mary’s star Alex Mooney and Saugatuck standout Blake Dunn are succeeding in minor league baseball as they pursue Major League careers. (Middle) Dunn stands in for a pitch playing for the Louisville Bats this season. (Below) Mooney prepares to field a grounder for the Lake County Captains. (Photos courtesy of the Lake County Captains and Louisville Bats; top Dunn photo by Cam Anderson and middle by Anna Rouch.)