D4 Prep Baseball Playoffs: Previews for each district playoff bracket
Weather has been a significant underdog competitor these past couple months for MHSAA prep baseball. Rain-soaked clay and muddy turf has prevented this spring from being a complete season. Nonetheless, prep baseball in Hillsdale county gets fired up for playoffs as May comes to a close.
Right off the top, all district playoff game tickets must be purchased online via the GOFAN app or website. Tickets will be around $7.00. Check with your local school districts for any potential changes to this information.
There are two divisions of baseball in Hillsdale County: Division 3 and 4. Last year, Grosse Pointe Woods University defeated Traverse City St. Francis in the 2021 D3 State Finals. Homer won the state finals in 2019. In the D4 Finals, Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic won over Marine City Cardinal Mooney. Petersburg Summerfield won in 2019. Let's talk about State Finals. All 2022 state finals games will be played at McLane Stadium form June 16-18. McLane Stadium is a Michigan State University facility and is located in East Lansing.
All six county Division 4 prep baseball teams will compete for hardware, bragging rights and the ability to continue playing into the month of June. Let's break down the schedules for each district matchup featuring Division 4 county ball clubs and what fans should know going into each game.
Division 4: District 119 Hosted by Camden-Frontier
This is what some may call the county battle of the year. Four county teams get paired up for this slugfest of a district bracket. Camden-Frontier hosts the bracket and it will include Waldron, North Adams-Jerome, Pittsford and Reading. Reading is the only team not a part of the SCAA that will be in this bracket, and Pittsford is the only team that will have to wait to see who their district semi-final opponent is.
Quarterfinal: Reading vs. Camden-Frontier May 31; 5 p.m.
Records: Camden 13-13; Reading 5-19 (subject to change)
The Reading Rangers and head coach Brad Affholter head down to Camden for a quarterfinal matchup with Camden-Frontier and head coach Michael Conant. The game will be a rematch between the two ball clubs who recently met on April 22 in a doubleheader. After a game one dominating performance from Camden (which led to an 11-1 victory), Camden and Reading battled it out to a 16-11 final score that turned out in Reading's favor.
That doubleheader highlighted many of the strengths and weaknesses of both teams this season. The Rangers have had the ability to fire on all cylinders at the plate. A 12-run fourth inning against Camden proved they could strike when they wanted. Camden has multiple athletes who can pitch full ball games, and Dawson Shaw proved that during game one against Reading.
Beau Groves and Dawson Shaw lead the team on the mound for Camden-Frontier. The bullpen also features Logan Leggett, Brayden Miller and Wade Brown. Both Groves and Shaw have pitched games with 8 or more strikeouts. Brayden Miller is one of the top batters for Camden-Frontier and has home runs to his credit this season. All of Camden's pitchers are also reliable at-bat. One of the key strengths for Camden this season has been there base running. Camden is known to have double-digit stolen bases during a doubleheader. Wade Brown, Kaiden Conroy and Bryon Hukill are experts in getting extra bases to set up crucial runs for their team.
On the Reading side, Eli Irelan, Brysen Schafer Sam Jones, Drew Elder, Landen Clabaugh, Alex Jackson, Colton Bassage and Cole Webster have taken the mound for the Rangers. The Rangers have several athletes capable of serving up multiple hits in a game. Junior Zac Affholter, Colton Bassage, Matt Stewart, Cole Webster and Landen Clabaugh all have games with multiple hits and RBI's this season. Clabaugh had a standout game on May 17 against Springport where he contributed three hits, four RBIs and a stolen base. One of those hits was a home run. Senior Eli Irelan can contribute just as strong of a reputation for stolen bases as Camden's leading base runners.
Players to Watch: Reading will have to rely on a strong bullpen including Cole Webster and Matt Stewart if they want to keep Camden off the bases. Both Webster and Stewart are two of the most reliable hitters at the plate for Reading and they could make a difference in the middle innings of the district quarterfinal. For Camden, Wade Brown will be an early contributor to the team's run total. If Wade and teammates Kaiden Conroy and Bryon Hukill take advantage of their base running ability, they could put early scores on the board and get the most out of their time on offense.
Playoff History: Reading has won two state championships in school history; one in 1981 and another in 2007. Reading and Camden-Frontier last met in 2019 where the Rangers defeated Camden in a 4-3 slugfest. Reading last one a district title in 2018, when it beat Camden-Frontier 18-6. Camden last won a district title in 2013 against North Adams-Jerome.
Semi-Final: Waldron vs. North Adams June 3; 12 p.m.
Records: Waldron 3-13; North Adams-Jerome 2-13-1 (subject to change)
The Waldron and North Adams-Jerome rivalry kicks off another matchup between the Rams and Spartans on Friday, June 3. Both programs have seen each other through multiple playoffs across the past decades and things will be as tightly contested as they were when both teams met on April 14.
The Spartans and the Rams split their meeting in April, with the Rams winning game one 10-3 and the Spartans winning game two 4-1. Ram head coach Dan Shadik will look to his bullpen led by Connor McKay, Jacob Smith and Hayden Drawe to hold the Spartans from getting on base. Spartans head coach Emily Jones will look to her bullpen led by Noah Knepper and Adon McCallister to keep the Rams' offense at bay.
The Spartans were able to do just that on May 10 when Waldron swept North Adams. Noah Knepper and reliever Sam Williams combined for 10 strikeouts against the Rams in a 5-4 victory, and then a combination of Adon McCallister and Ganon Willits got eight strikeouts to give the Spartans a 17-4 victory. Jacobi Gonzalez, Noah Knepper and Sam Williams all have led the Spartans with multiple hits this season. Kayden Depew is one of the most efficient and dangerous base runners for the Spartans, logging eight steals in the 17-4 win over North Adams.
Connor McKay and Carson Delany offer the Rams multiple advantages on offense and defense. Nolan Paradine, Jace Brink and Jacob Smith are also strong batters for North Adams.
Players to Watch: This battle will come down to strikes and walks. Noah Knepper of Waldron will look to lead the Spartans both on the mound and at-bat, and he could also come in to relieve for whoever starts on the mound. Connor McKay has led the Rams both batting and pitching in multiple games this season. McKay and Knepper could be the pitching battle on display in this semi-final and it should be one of the better battles across the Division 4 district playoff brackets.
Playoff History: North Adams-Jerome last won a playoff game against Addison in 2019. They would lose the following district championship game to Hudson. The Rams last won a district championship in 2014 against Camden-Frontier. They lost the following regional semi-final to Britton Deerfield. Waldron is looking for their first playoff win in at least a decade.
Semi-Final: Winner of Camden-Reading vs. Pittsford June 3; 10 a.m.
Records: Pittsford SCAA East Champions 10-3 (subject to change)
Head coach Kyle Brown and the Pittsford Wildcats look to take the next step in the coach's second year running the program. The Wildcats capped off a successful 2021 campaign with a district championship over Camden-Frontier. The Wildcats dropped a close regional semi-final game to Colon, a loss coach Brown said had motivated his team heading into this season.
The Wildcats have used that momentum to take a commanding lead in the SCAA East heading into the postseason. Their 9-2 overall record has the Wildcats as the clear favorite heading into the District 119 bracket. However, Pittsford will have to face off against Camden-Frontier or Reading in their district semi-finals, both teams with dangerous base running potential and the ability to pop off for multiple runs in one inning. Pittsford's strengths rely on their team chemistry and their success in continuing to develop their game with each practice and matchup.
The Wildcats have several athletes and seniors that will help the team in their pursuit of another district title. Seniors Kaleb Spahr, Eli Brown, Xavier Hodos, Kaleb Harrison, Alex Bowers and Gunnar Leggett will look to lead both on offense and defense. Hodos leads the team at second base and as a team captain. The senior has had a successful season from the mound and at-bat.
Junior Wildcat Kade Spahr joins his brother Kaleb as two of Pittsford's main pitchers this season. Kade has been out with an injury this past few weeks. Coach Brown stated that the team would like to see him return in time for the playoffs. His return could solidify a solid rotation for the Wildcats, who will have to look to win back-to-back games on Friday, June 3 if they want to bring home the district title.
Other major contributors to the Wildcats include Gage Gore, Gavyn Carden, Mason Payne and Lane Lewis. The Wildcats have a strong bullpen of capable pitchers, with Gavyn Carden recently shutting down the Waldron Spartans in game two of a doubleheader.
Players to Watch: Senior Kaleb Spahr and Xavier Hodos will look to lead the Wildcats both on the mound and from the field. Both seniors have been used in a rotation together either starting or entering from the bullpen. Regardless of who starts for the Wildcats, both athletes have the ability to make key plays in the district semi-final.
Playoff History: Pittsford won a district title in 2021. The Wildcats won a district title in 2015 before losing to Concord in the regional semifinals.
District Final Schedule and Regional Information: The district championship will be held at Camden-Frontier on June 3 around 2:30 p.m. The winner of District 119 faced the winner of District 120 in a regional semi-final that is currently scheduled to be held at Camden-Frontier. The game will be played on June 8. District 120 features teams that include Lenawee Christian, Morenci, Britton Deerfield, Petersburg Summerfield and Addison.
D4 District 117 Hosted by Athens
Head coach Sitkiewicz and the Terriers find themselves all alone in a district bracket filled with non-county ball teams. Also in the district 119 bracket are Athens, Tekonsha and Bellevue, familiar SCAA teams that the Terriers have faced before.
Semi-Final: Litchfield vs. Athens June 3; 12:30 p.m.
Records: Litchfield 9-7 (subject to change)
Both district semi-finals will be held on June 3 in Athens, with the second game between Tekonsha and Bellevue set to play at 2:30 p.m. The Terriers last played Tekonsha in a doubleheader, which they swept by final scores of 8-2 and 3-0. This is a part of the Terriers four game win streak that ended their regular season. The Terriers also defeated Waldron 16-3 and 6-1 on Friday, May 27.
Litchfield has a chance to win their first district title in over a decade as they take on Athens in the semi-finals and then faces the winner of Tekonsha and Bellevue later that night. Litchfield's keys to victory for the entire district bracket is to use their strong rotation of pitchers led by Tyler Bills and Junior Alvarez while mixing in bullpen relievers that includes senior Lucas Lynn. All three pitchers have started on the mound for Litchfield and have won games with 10 strikeouts or more. Alvarez and Bills have pitched complete games, with Bills earning his first career no-hitter recently against the Waldron Spartans. A successful rotation between the semi-final and their potential district championship could be the secret formula to lead the Terriers to a title.
Backing up that trio of talented pitchers are a strong rotation of quality fielders and batters. Senior Luke Miller holds down first base for the Terriers, and has been one of the most efficient hitters for the team all season, regularly leading the team in RBIs. Miller also had a home run against Waldron in their recent doubleheader. Miguel Pedroza, Logan Buehrle and Hunter Snyder have multiple extra-base hits this season and have a knack for taking extra bases in-between pitches. Pitchers Junior Alvarez and Tyler Bills offer similar numbers at-bat and also at their respective field positions.
Players to Watch: Senior Luke Miller and Hunter Snyder will look to lead things for the Terriers from a batting perspective. Look for Tyler Bills to follow up his no-hitter against Waldron with another strong performance or for Junior Alvarez to pitch another 10-plus strikeout game. Whoever the Terriers start on the mound in the semi-final, coach Sitkiewicz will know they are in good hands.
Playoff History: Athens last won a playoff game against Mendon in 2019. Tekonsha last won a playoff game in 2021 when they beat Athens 11-0. Bellevue last won a playoff game in 2018. Litchfield lost in the playoffs in 2021 to Concord.
District Final Schedule and Regional Information: The district championship will be held after the Tekonsha and Bellevue semi-final on Friday, June 3. The winner of the district title moves on to face the winner of District 118. District 118 features Whitmore Lake, East Jackson, Vandercook Lake and Concord. The regional semi-final will be held at Concord on Wednesday, June 8 with a start time of 5 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: D4 Prep Baseball Playoffs: Previews for each district playoff bracket
