Watervliet Diamond Teams Shining Heading Into District Weekend
By
Wes Morgan
Special for MHSAA.com
June 3, 2021
Watervliet took the concept of a banner season to another level this spring as the Panthers posted a pair of perfect seasons in Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore play.
A baseball team with only three seniors went 12-0 in the division and was matched by a softball squad featuring only one senior that also ripped through that half of the league to a 12-0 mark. It was the first division title for the Panthers in softball since 2006 and was a return to the top spot for the baseball team after a championship in 2018.
For 11th-year head coach Josh Tremblay’s baseball program, which is 19-12 heading into Division 3 District tournament play this weekend, it was a result of great starting pitching from junior right hander Andrew Chisek – who racked up an 11-2 record on the bump with a 1.83 ERA – a do-anything-to-get-on-base mentality and superb defense.
The Panthers have a .783 on-base percentage as a team and boast six players with 25 or more hits. Chisek leads the team with 34 hits, while senior outfielder Josh Reeves sits at 31, sophomore first baseman Bryton Cockrun and sophomore pitcher/infielder Tyson Williams have 27 apiece and both freshman pitcher/infielder Wyatt Epple and junior outfielder Ethan Fish have 25. Chisek and Cockrun are tied with a team-high 22 RBI.
Freshman Chase Tremblay and Williams each earned three wins on the mound and helped contribute to a team ERA of 3.59. Senior Evan Hutchins has been a team anchor behind the plate with only 11 passed balls allowed. Chisek has a team-high 66 strikeouts, and Williams is right behind with 60.
“(Chisek) was one of our better pitchers in 2019, and he had a taste of success that year,” Tremblay said of the year Watervliet made it to the Division 3 Regional Semifinals and lost to Bronson. “He was pretty excited about getting back at things. He has been good there for us. We actually have about eight guys that can pitch, but we’ve been fortunate that we haven’t had to do that deep in our rotation. We knew that would be one of our strengths this year that we would be pretty deep in terms of arms.”
Watervliet has given up just 65 walks all season, which has helped out an already phenomenal defense. But with the bats in their hands, the Panthers buttered their bread by bases on balls (103) and taking shots to the body (41).
“We just try to get on base and be pesky. We just try to bang out base hits, run the bases and try to score some runs,” Tremblay said.
The Panthers will be pesky for a while with so many players returning next season.
“We’re a really young team, so coming into the year we didn’t really know what we were capable of,” Chisek said. “We figured out we were a really good team, and it has been fun to play with these guys. What clicked for us early on was pitching. All of our pitchers throw strikes, which gives our defense the opportunity to make plays. We started hitting the ball, and that took more pressure off the defense.”
And now their goal is a D3 District title. Watervliet takes on Niles Brandywine on Saturday in the semifinals. The two teams clashed earlier in the year and split a doubleheader.
At 28-5 this year, the Watervliet softball team is riding a 13-game winning streak into the postseason, which begins Friday with a District Semifinal matchup versus Fennville.
In the circle, the Panthers have been anchored by juniors Hannah Hart (11-2) and Haiden Edelberg (14-1). Edelberg has fanned 89 batters with a 2.54 ERA, and Hart has 66 strikeouts with just five walks and a 2.90 ERA.
Head coach Tom Golden’s scrappy young squad has used speed as its primary weapon during a historic season. Besides seven home runs, freshman shortstop Grace Chisek has 61 hits and 60 RBI this year, having stretched 11 of those into doubles and eight into triples en route to a .635 batting average.
“We’ve all played together for so many years, and we connect well,” Chisek said. “Our bonds are good, so being young doesn’t really hurt us. We talk about what the pitcher is throwing and adjust. And there’s just a lot of speed on our team.”
Slapper Sammy Dietz, a sophomore third baseman, also has registered 61 hits with 19 RBI and a team-high 58 stolen bases in the leadoff spot, while freshman Abby Whorton, an outfielder and catcher, has 47 hits with 16 doubles, eight triples, four homers and 52 RBI.
“Our defense is pretty solid because we have athletes, but we’ve had to put up some runs,” Golden said. “Making good choices at the plate, swinging at good pitches and finding a way to get on — not necessarily by just hitting the ball, but by having quality at-bats.
“With our speed, a routine groundball becomes something pretty exciting because we get out of the box pretty quick.”
Rival Coloma has been Watervliet’s biggest hurdle “over the last four or five years,” Golden explained. The Panthers swept Coloma this season, and they will square off again if both teams advance to the District Final as expected.
“They won state a few years ago and have been the top dog,” Golden said. “We finally beat them for the first time since 2016 to win a (SAC) divisional title. That was definitely one of our goals, and we took care of business.
“That’s the thing about this group, is that it doesn’t really matter who we play. We’re a young team with only one senior, but we have a lot of young talent that has played a lot of softball. They just really enjoy going out to play.”
Wes Morgan has reported for the Kalamazoo Gazette, ESPN and ESPNChicago.com, 247Sports and Blue & Gold Illustrated over the last 12 years and is the publisher of JoeInsider.com. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS: (Top)The Panthers baseball and softball teams celebrate their matching SAC Lakeshore championships this spring. (Middle) Watervliet’s Grace Chisek rounds third base on the way home for a softball team bringing a 28-5 record into this weekend. (Photos courtesy of the Watervliet athletic department.)
Mendon Focused on Taking Last Remaining Step to Claim 1st Finals Championship
By
Scott Hassinger
Special for MHSAA.com
April 3, 2024
MENDON – Mendon's run to the Division 4 softball championship game last spring may have shocked outsiders, but it wasn't a surprise to the Hornets or co-coaches Steve Butler and Mike Smith.
Mendon gave four-time reigning champion Unionville-Sebewaing a major scare before falling 5-4 to the Patriots in the Final at Michigan State University's Secchia Stadium.
But there could be a new Division 4 champion in the near future as Mendon, ranked No. 10 in the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association preseason poll, returns all but two players from its 2023 squad.
In finishing 35-6, the Hornets set a program record for most wins in a single season last spring and also were Southwest 10 Conference champs, claimed District and Regional trophies, pulled off dramatic wins over Fowler (13-12) in the Quarterfinal and Johannesburg-Lewiston (4-2) in the Semifinal before a seventh-inning rally fell short in the loss to USA.
That was Mendon's first Finals appearance since 1992, when it lost in the Class D championship game 2-0 to Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes.
While Butler admits last year's run was a bit unexpected, he said the Hornets showed their potential by winning a prestigious early-season event. With a squad featuring just two seniors and 10 sophomores and freshmen, Mendon defeated three state-ranked teams, all via the 10-run mercy rule, to win the Holton Tournament.
"Quite honestly, I figured we'd be lucky to go 8-5 those first couple of weeks last season. We had a difficult early-season schedule. Winning the Holton Tournament was a big momentum builder for us," Butler said.
Butler and Smith, both former standout athletes at Mendon, took over the softball program seven years ago.
"At Mendon, the goal is always to make it to the state championship no matter what sport you're in,” Butler said. “Mike and I have played a lot of baseball and softball over the years. We both had daughters coming up through the program. So when the coaching opening came up, we just felt our knowledge and desire to win would help us provide the program with the best experience and chance for the girls to get to the championship game.”
Modest goals were set the first few seasons of their coaching tenure.
"That first year we set a goal of winning 20 games, and we fell one game short of that. Then we set a goal of winning a District, getting state-ranked and getting that Regional trophy. Then the goal was to become state-ranked, win Districts and Regionals and then we set the bar higher and higher," Butler said.
The experienced Hornets hope to complete their mission of winning it all this spring.
"This is a special group of kids, probably one of the best to ever come through this school. The tenacity and ferociousness they show is amazing. There's no quit in them, and that's evident in every sport they play. They believe they can win every game, are calm under pressure and work hard. They just have that championship aura and won't be satisfied until they win one," Butler said.
Several Mendon softball players were members of the state-ranked volleyball team this past fall and the basketball squad that reached the Division 4 Quarterfinals last month.
Abby and Ally Butler, Steve's junior twin daughters, return for their third season on Mendon's softball varsity, along with classmates Brielle Bailey and Kaidee Gonser.
Abby, a two-year starter, can play all three outfield positions and is working hard on being a slap hitter.
"I feel like I'm very useful in right field, especially when Rowan (Allen) is pitching for us. Her speed is a big adjustment for teams with right-handed hitters, so they tend to hit the ball more to me," Abby Butler said. "I'd like to be a more versatile hitter at the plate. I enjoy the other team not really knowing what I'm gonna do when I'm up there."
Abby Butler hit .302, Ally Butler .287, and Bailey .330 last season. Ally Butler is 15-0 for her career as a varsity pitcher and has played in more than 50 games. She'll be Mendon's No. 2 pitcher.
"We probably could've used her more as pitcher before now, but she is our biggest leader on the team. The kids really look up to her," Steve Butler said.
Ally Butler has a lot of trust in her teammates as well. "I think I communicate well with my team and lift them up when we're down. We have lots of trust in each other and are confident in ourselves," she said.
Bailey becomes the full-time starter at third after splitting time there with Carlie Doehring, who graduated.
"Brielle played third base and spent a lot of time as our designated hitter. She came up with a lot of big hits, including the game-winning RBI and a couple doubles in our Quarterfinal win over Fowler," Steve Butler said.
Gonser returns at catcher. She hit .496 with 60 hits and 34 runs scored last season. "Kaidee has improved defensively and is the best hitter on our team. She does a nice job back there for us. We hope to get her more rest this season so she's more effective for us the whole season," Butler said.
Sophomore Rowan Allen takes over as Mendon's No. 1 pitcher replacing Lauren Schabes, a three-time all-stater. Allen posted a 12-3 record with 150 strikeouts and a 1.64 ERA in 2023, and batted .419 with 44 hits, 49 runs scored and 31 RBI.
"Rowan had a phenomenal freshman season pitching. We're looking forward to seeing where she can take us this year. She's been in lots of big-pressure moments and has beaten many ranked teams," Butler said. "Her change-up pitch is her equalizer; it's nasty and she also throws a good fastball and dropball."
Allen closed out Mendon's Quarterfinal win over Fowler and locked down USA the last two innings in the championship game, giving the Hornets a chance to win in the seventh.
“My biggest strength is my fastball and being able to go to a changeup and being able to mix it up whenever I want,” Allen said. “Our teammates are always there to pick us up, and they never let us down. We have the confidence we need to reach our goals."
Other key sophomores include Mattea Bingaman, Gracie Schultz, Cienna Nightingale, Brooke Gerth and Jadyn Samson. Samson, Mendon's starting shortstop and No. 3 pitcher, fills another vital role as the lead-off hitter. She set a school record as a freshman with 46 stolen bases and was thrown out only once, also batting over .435 with 53 hits, 60 runs scored and 35 RBI.
"Jadyn is the leader of our infield. She covers a lot of ground and doesn't make many errors. We're looking forward to having her and our entire infield back the next two years. She threw only one inning for us last year, but she's another hidden gem on the mound and will see some time there as well," Butler said.
"The experience last year was huge,” Samson added. “I have to keep working hard to be productive. We're young, but I think everyone is going to continue to grow. I feel the energy I bring to my position is a big help, and I'm always talking to my teammates. We are all in this for each other, like family.”
Nightingale is another key returning starter at first base. "Cienna is the best defensive first baseman we've ever coached. It's not the easiest position to play. She's very agile, quick, can scoop balls out of the dirt, stretch high and makes everyone else look good," Butler said.
Bingaman is Mendon's centerfielder. She finished last spring with a .434 average, 52 hits and 31 runs scored. "Mattea has a really strong arm and is very fast," Butler noted.
Gerth is pegged as Mendon's top utility player, while Schultz is another valuable contributor in the outfield.
"Depending on who's pitching and where we move people around, I feel we are one of the best defensive teams in the state. Our pitchers don't give up many runs. Offensively, five of our top nine hitters batted over .400. I expect our lineup to have more power too. We're more of a gap-hitting team though. We take a lot of walks, and we stress being aggressive on the basepaths," Steve Butler said. "All 10 of our players are in the mix and could be starters.
"The biggest thing is these girls feel they should've won a state title last season. They were immediately focused on this season after that loss. After their basketball Quarterfinals loss, I got a text at work at 11 p.m. from one of them wanting to know when softball practice started the next day. They are ready to go."
Mendon joined the Southern Central Athletic Association at the beginning of this school year, and preseason Division 4 honorable mention Burr Oak is among opponents on the schedule. The Hornets’ goals are to win the league and get back to Michigan State with a chance to hoist the first-place trophy.
"Repeating what we accomplished last year won't be easy because now everyone expects it,” Butler said. “We won't sneak up on anyone. It's a tough road. All the teams we played last year will be there again in the championship hunt.”
Scott Hassinger is a contributing sportswriter for Leader Publications and previously served as the sports editor for the Three Rivers Commercial-News from 1994-2022. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Mendon starting shortstop Jadyn Samson fields a ground ball during a home game last season against Kalamazoo Christian. (2) Rowan Allen pitches for Mendon in a 2023 Regional game at Colon. (3) Abby Butler makes contact during last season’s Division 4 Final against USA. (4) Ally Butler readies to make a throw from her spot at second base. (Photos by Nicci Plummer.)