2019 MHSAA Baseball State Finals | STATE CHAMPS! Michigan

from inside the

state

champion network studios in southfield

michigan

this is the

2019

MHSA

baseball

state

championships presented by Lawrence University of Technology where Blue Devils my name is Lauren Plant and after super risqué weather during the semi

finals

Michigan State McClain Stadium shined Super Saturday with no delays and lots of new faces in the final stage and some familiar ones too let's jump off the bench and start with division 1 West Michigan taking center stage , as we've had Portage Northern take on Rockford nearly a decade since the Rams came home. Carrying the top hardware in the state, the Northern Huskies lost a tough one in extra innings in 2015, the North taking out the top-ranked Woodhaven in all 38 regional wins this season.

The Rams top the school's all-time home run champ in their lineup and a veteran team but as is so often the case, a great pitch led both teams to the title bid, they needed one more and over the top. I'm Gabe O'Neill and let's start with the opening game when two teams from the West Side met in the Division One final. when Portage Northern faced Rockford Portage Northern winners of 23 of their last 24 games would get the offense going in the top of the first with the bases full of energy, young Parker plucky with the ground ball that would score Tyler Hellicksen and Portage Northern would lead four to nothing sophomore sander morris was on the mound for the huskies would have joe kelly come down swinging after the opening inning north still led by four would increase their lead in the top half of the second with runners on the corners junior greg pool ducks and Boop does it for the base hit Jack Bethel will cross the plate and Portage Northern is now up by five Rockford would finally get on the scoreboard at third Kelly with the groundout that would score Owen Cairns and the Rams were now down five to one, then moments later senior code Easter convert rips the base hit to the jr's left.

Men's Kellan would come to score and after three innings of play Rockford was down three at five to two Morris would calm down after that here he has knee cairns for the strikeout to end the fourth and he was still at five two ball . game the huskies would open it up in the top of the fifth with runners in scoring position the junior winning ian goose gets the base hit to left parker brace cores to make it six or two and then portage northern would put the icing on this cake of Championship as Eastern Michigan commits, Hellicksen sends the offering deep and over the wall and right for the three-run homer, Morris went the distance for Portage Northern, a run won on seven hits and here it turned into a groundout to end the I play as Portage.

Norlin goes on to win his first state

baseball

title in school history 10-4 in the

finals

that means a lot I mean this is what we've been working on our entire high school career and something we really wanted achieve and for our last game to come out like this with this group it's something special it's amazing I mean I love this team with all my heart and I'm only leaving here to play another day with amazing baseball it just means the world and I trust every one of them on the field and just amazing to be here with every one of them.

I feel great. I mean, it's amazing to celebrate with these guys. I mean, these guys are a real family. It's been the easiest year to train but we've worked the hardest but that's because they wanted to work so hard because this is their goal and their dream and they trusted our staff to do all that hard work so they are amazing my speeches in division two. we had a program that over the past 20 years found itself in its sixth final in hopes of a fourth state championship. I'm talking about Orchard Lake st. Champs Mary's the Catholic with a solid bullpen and great mix of youth and experience Grand Rapids Catholic Central enters the postseason unranked, but ran during this run scoring well-ranked opponents by wide margins More timely hitting would be needed here if the Cougars out I'm gonna find a way to ground the eaglets I'm Jenna scale ski and here we go division two baseball final between orchard lake st.

Mary's and Grand Rapids Catholic Central and we picked up stuff at the end of the first street. Mary's would go on the board. Harrison put the senior ax down and sends it to the left for the base to hit. the top of the 2nd but nature range lines up back at st. Mary's pitcher, Brock Porter, who catches it to end the threat of the Eaglet's offense in the bottom half of the second with the bases loaded, would be sophomore Mooney, who would come up with the base hit. which would boost Ryan do Saeng and Jack Mooney who increased. street.

Mary's lead is four and they would be knocking on the door in the third with a pair in scoring position. Kole Sibley bases up the middle. The throw to home is off the mark and now he would score two more eaglets flying six nothing after three innings. of game we go to the top of the fifth Grand Rapids CC with the bases full of juice Kyle Tepper flied out to left deep enough for Trudeau to bunt from third and he would beat the shot The Cougars were now trailing six to one on the student of Freshman Brock Porter was dealing with this Junoon by going six innings, allowing one run, five hits and throwing seven strikeouts.

Orchard Lake would get that run back in the bottom of the fifth, senior Jack Mooney sets up the bunt and that would get Grant Henson scoring eaglets again. six in seven to one then in the sixth another contributing freshman for the edelen is nolan schubert as he takes opera safety to right center and would finish in third with an rbi triple heading into the final inning orchard lake st. Mary's led 8 to 1 Dylan Karke, who will play his college ball at Michigan State, came on to bowl in the seventh and would make Kyle tapper two wickets in the game that ended the doubleheader 6-4-3 as Orchard Lake Saint Mary's continue. winning 8-1 for their first state title in four years feels amazing you know junior year we lost in the semis last year coming back senior year and last year as an eagle just meant the world would win it and go out with a bang o very proud of you you know we had a rocky start to our season we always believed in ourselves we believed in the talent that we had but we just needed to put it all together that's 27 straight games or something that we're undefeated and have a comfortable combination here at Michigan State with the state championship it's pretty special that we're headed to Division three now and Grosse Pointe Woods University Leggett found itself back in Division three after a two-year streak trying to compete for a state title in Division one, they didn't make it to the final, but in d3 here were the current double-a Catholic League champions and a chance for their fifth championship this decade Homer on the other hand had a great time in recent seasons to reach the Final Four but this season reached its postseason striving in the sky looking back as a strong balanced big coffee in the Trojans but the gentlemen where battle-tested announcements could include solid wins against strong Division One opponents this season the noon matchup was set, the Division three baseball title game, a good matchup between two proud programs, Liggett University, very comfortable in this setting, trying to get one for the thumb in terms of rings this decade, thirty-two wins this season. for Homer they needed nine innings to get past pay wama westphalia if they were ready to wrap him up again Homer came swinging out to start the game with a juicy base for Kyle Compton, he quickly delivers a two-run TJ bender Cole double on LeBron's muscle score just as that that two zero Trojan Homer wasn't ducking in the pond and Logan King trying to stop the bleeding but Jacob Wilson hits a nice single to give up two more runs and the Trojans had a four run lead after the first . top of second Knights trying to get it going Billy Coe is fussy with singles to center two outs now and Knights gets aggressive Coe fussy with attempted steal but intercepted to end inning big pitch from LeBron top-4 now nights Eleniak de Drew singled and advanced a second after Logan King drew a walk, but Butters was dishing out frozen Mick and another threat.

Butters had six strikeouts in the game, still four home runs, now Trojans with a man on second, but Kopecky came on to pitch for the Knights in the second inning today. Nice job striking out the next two batters, including Seth Tigers, in the sixth inning now and it looked like Liggett was going to break the seal on the score with two, but not as fast. Alec Azar throws to left field and it looks like he's going to go down, but check out this webcam of left fielder Dylan Warner Ian Narva must have thought he didn't catch it, instead he doubles up at second and that ends another night of threat of annotation. distance but a scary moment here patrick ilic on the spot accidentally hit his head with the pitch this crack ricocheted across the ballpark but he would be fine and continued that was the end of butters day as he reached his six scoreless inning limit vander Kolk called to close the game Terrance O'Brien however walks and night still alive with two runners on board but it wasn't meant to be Kopecky retires to end the game Homer defeats Liggett by a final score of four to nil you We're

2019

d3 state chins graduating ten seniors from last year's team a 37 and two teams ten seniors seven pitchers and most people wouldn't have thought we would have made it this far you know for sure and they did we talked about that before the game all the talk went on and you have to beat there or whatever five six seven state championships and yeah I see we have to be a race better than them today and we're pretty simple first pitch hits the First of all, get our pennant set. we're going to play defense and we made some standout plays, how about Dylan Warner there in the sixth inning game changer?

It's just amazing. I really can't put it into words and I still don't feel like we've won the state championship. you guys see the whole community that came out to support us today and it means a lot and we're so thankful to have a great support system in the community so proud of you guys you know having that walking coach this doesn't happen next year okay we're done with business today brave effort hard work look at the communities amazing what you have given today are here for you win or lose you are gone you are a champion today Claire this is for all of us today on this ride all on three oh baby champions today kids champions In strategic champion the night cup this year at McLean Stadium on the campus of Michigan State University given to Division four and another unranked team fighting to reach the final Saginaw novell finished sixth in the Conference West Division from Tri Valley this year he had here they were with a strong senior class working their way to the top of the final winner's circle Monroe County Petersburg summer camp with a tri-county opportunity season and this was their first season in the Final Four now even though only a senior the Bulldogs had outplayed their seven 82 playoff opponents - heard me back to East Lansing once again I'm Kevin Shores skiing for this final in the finals of baseball in Division four as Petersburg Sommerfeld faced the Saginaw Panthers novell Petersburg summer camp reached 27 in four and would get on the board first with runners on first and second Sophomore Brock Olmstead hits a single just outside out of reach of shortstop Brendan Defoe turns around to score and the The Bulldogs take a one-up at-bat nothing to PS had the bases loaded Brandon Tyler at bat and squeezed Derek Clark comes on to score and everyone is safe after the top of the first the Bulldogs led by two and junior Derek Clark was on the mound for summer camp and was closing out the novell hit Sam Bartles, the victim of Clark swinging cave through two strikeouts in the opening inning , let's skip to the end of the quarter now novell putting some pressure on with the bases loaded but Clark rises to the occasion and strikes out Jacob Byrd to end the threat that was still a jump ball game to nothing to the part top six with the bases loaded a bulldog Clark does it with his bat while working one in the right field corner and have a date with a kid while erasing the past and sliding with a triple cruiser ofPetersburg Sommerfeld now leading 7-zip on Clark was still grappling on the hill Michael Elmen can't catch up with the heat had the shutout before the final inning and the Bulldogs would add a few more runs in the 7th inning, senior Brad Mauer arrives with a pinch single to the center mark Keller would easily cross the plate a couple of batters later for I Smith once in on the action he has, he swings on his first offer and connects it to center, scoring Mauer and putting to Bulldogs up nine Derek Clark went the distance without a run on four hits struck out 11 as he gets the swinging K to end the game Petersburg Sommerfeld wins its first state title in school history beating Saginaw novell 9 to nothing feels amazing It feels like we just won the World Series.

I mean I love all these guys with all my heart and I love putting the work in with them. there's no stage there, no matter who we play on any stage, we went to Decatur, we played under lights, you know we scheduled some big teams and I just want them to get used to the big stage. It was like that. You know we were supposed to be here. They all thought we were supposed to be here. This is not too big for us. you belong and you know none of this was a fluke up to this point so i basically told him it's not a fluke you know we're here for a reason but we're going to do it so we just wanted to i really appreciate that. he just came here playing loose and playing our game which is our presentation of the 2019 MHSA state championships baseball hope you enjoyed it as we did putting it together a big shout out to everyone on the state champions production staff who put on this show and remember to follow, like and subscribe to the state champions on facebook, twitter and instagram, we upload new content every day all year long.

I'm Lauren Plants, thanks for looking.