West Michigan Rules Division 1 Semis
June 13, 2019
By Matt Schoch
Special for Second Half
EAST LANSING – Luke McLean looked right at home Thursday at Michigan State’s McLane Baseball Stadium.
The Rockford High School sophomore scored the winning run with aggressive base running, also securing for himself the pitching victory in a 3-2 Division 1 Semifinal against Macomb Dakota in eight innings of steady rain.
“It’s awesome – an awesome atmosphere, an awesome field,” McLean said. “It’s the end (Saturday). We’ve just got to clutch it out at the end.”
Rockford (28-9) will play Portage Northern at 9 a.m. Saturday for its first championship since 2011.
McLean threw two scoreless innings in relief, setting down six straight batters after allowing a leadoff double to Dakota’s Patrick Merolla in the seventh inning.
Junior catcher Jeff Reseigh had two hits to lead the offense for Dakota (21-17-1). Set up by teammate Greg Guzik’s double, Reseigh’s sixth-inning single through the box scored a pair of runs and gave his team a 2-1 lead.
Down late, Rockford coach Matt Vriesenga said he reminded the Rams about their resiliency, as the team already had won two games in the eighth inning during the tournament.
“I saw our guys deflated a little bit. I just wanted to remind them that we’ve been there before,” Vriesenga said. “Three weeks ago, I did not see this happening. We were a good team, but I did not see this happening.
“But they proved me wrong. We’ve been coming to practice, working on the little things all year long.
“It’s a super special team, and I’m really excited for them.”
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Rockford pinch-hitter Isaac Toole hit a two-out single and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Alex Miller then hit an RBI single to left field to tie the score at 2-2.
Senior catcher Cody Sterkenburg started the game-winning Rockford rally in the eighth with a single. McLean ripped a single to move him to second, and a fielder’s choice on a Miller grounder set up the winning play.
With two outs, junior Owen Cairns hit a dribbler to third base, picked up but thrown wide to first base, dragging the Dakota fielder off the bag as Cairns reached safely.
Meanwhile, McLean alertly headed home to send Rockford to Saturday’s Final.
“All that was going through my mind was my seniors,” McLean said. “I was playing for them. I really wanted to play for them in the state championship, and I was just busting my tail down that line to score.”
Sterkenburg added a two-out RBI single in the third for Rockford, which got a strong starting performance by right-hander Zach Marshall, who threw six innings, allowing two runs and striking out five. Marshall scored on Sterkenburg’s hit after his own single.
For Dakota, righty Matt Biebuyck allowed one run over seven innings and had five strikeouts in the program’s first trip to the Semifinals.
Coach Gerald Carley’s Dakota team, which entered the game winning eight of 11 for an improbable run to East Lansing, will graduate six seniors.
Portage Northern 2, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 0
Cam French outdueled travel ball teammate Tyler Sarkisian to advance to the Final.
French threw a complete-game shutout, allowing three hits and no walks, and striking out six in the gem.
“Honestly, the plan was just come in like I have all season, just throwing strikes, filling up the zone and mixing up some of the pitches,” said French, who improved to 11-0 on the season. “With this big of a crowd, and people cheering you on, you just got to stay mentally focused and know what’s at hand. And I did that.”
Shortstop Nolan McCarthy delivered the big hit in the sixth inning with an RBI triple off the wall to score Eastern Michigan-bound Tyler Helgeson, who reached on a bunt. McCarthy then scored on an error.
Meanwhile, McCarthy led the defense behind French, as his diving stab opened the third inning.
Greg Lapetina, Jack Beffel and French added hits for Portage Northern (38-7), which will be playing for its first Finals title in this sport.
Sarkisian, who will pitch at the University of Chicago, allowed one earned run and struck out four over six innings for Brother Rice (25-13).
Sterling Hallman opened the seventh inning with a single for Brother Rice and reached second on a wild pitch. But French got three straight fly outs to center field to close the win.
Brother Rice had just two baserunners reach second base.
Second baseman Tito Flores ended his Brother Rice career with two hits. His coach, Bob Riker, called Flores a “culture changer” for a program. Flores' next stop: University of Michigan, which will play in the College World Series.
As for Portage Northern, the Huskies are back in the Final for the first time since 2015 when they suffered a 2-1 loss to Hartland in 10 innings.
“We feel good to be back here,” French said. “We’ve been waiting a long time.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Rockford’s Luke McLean scores the game-winning run in the Rams’ extra-inning victory over Macomb Dakota on Thursday. (Middle) Cam French fires a pitch during Portage Northern’s shutout of Brother Rice.
Grand Blanc Claims Most Grand Baseball Prize for 1st Time
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
June 19, 2021
EAST LANSING – Pitching and defense have been staples of the Grand Blanc baseball team during its postseason push.
Those two elements combined with timely hitting to help carry the Bobcats to an 8-3 victory over Portage Central in Saturday’s Division 1 Final at Michigan State’s McLane Stadium.
Grand Blanc allowed only seven runs over its seven postseason games.
“That’s been our MO most of the year and definitely through this playoff run for sure,” Bobcats coach Kevin Hubbs said. “We’ve counted on several kids, and today it was (pitcher) Nate Helms, and our defense has been stellar.
“We know that will keep us in any ball game, and the last couple games our bats have come alive, too. We’re a tough ball club when we’re clicking on all cylinders like that.”
The win capped off a season of firsts for the Bobcats (33-11), beginning with their first Regional title.
“We played an extremely tough schedule all season long, especially nonconference, to get to this point,” Hubbs said. “We knew we would take some lumps along the way, but we knew it would prepare our kids ultimately to play in games like this.”
Grand Blanc senior center fielder Jonah Meleski, who had a hit and scored two runs, said the team peaked at the right time.
“This postseason has been insane, and we haven't given up very many runs at all,” he said. “The pitching has been dominant, and everyone defensively has been locked in.
“We’ve always been a good team, and we played the best competition in the state. We were always looking for competition, and we didn’t settle for easy wins. That’s why we are here, and this couldn't be any better, especially as a senior.”
Freshman Nathan Fidelino’s two-out RBI bloop single gave the Bobcats a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Moments later, Hunter Ames scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
On defense, Grand Blanc left fielder AJ Maxwell made an amazing diving catch in the bottom of the inning to prevent at least one run from scoring.
“That was huge,” Hubbs said. “He doesn't catch that ball, then it’s a triple and a 2-1 ball game. It changed the momentum and kept it in our favor.”
The Bobcats broke it open in the fifth with six runs on five hits. They also took advantage of two Portage Central errors to go ahead 8-0.
“Everyone got hot at the right time, and everyone took their job seriously,” Meleski said. “It was just a great moment, and the momentum shifts completely.”
Grand Blanc made a habit of grabbing early leads and not relinquishing them.
“We haven’t played from behind yet this entire postseason run,” Hubbs said. “Our kids only know how to play with a lead, so it gets tough on other teams when we are playing like that with a lead.”
Helms, a junior, was brilliant on the mound until the sixth inning, when the Mustangs (35-5) touched him up for three runs.
Luke Leto scored on an infield single and Gavin Brasosky belted a two-run homer over the right field fence.
“That’s the character of this team,” Mustangs coach Cory DeGroote said. “They were frustrated, but they didn’t quit. They didn’t like the fifth inning, either, and I love that.
“The (six total) errors were uncharacteristic of us to have those happen, but that’s baseball, and we just couldn't figure their pitcher out. We couldn’t get good swings and string anything together.”
PHOTOS: (Top) Grand Blanc players welcome teammate Hunter Ames (24) back to the dugout during Saturday’s Division 1 Final. (Middle) Grand Blanc’s AJ Maxwell leaps for a run-saving catch in left field.