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2023 Spring Team Preview: University Liggett

GROSSE POINTE WOODS - What is not to like about University Liggett this season?

“This is their third year (it would be four if not for Covid) of getting to play,” Liggett head coach Dan Cimini said of the strong senior class of the Knights. “They’re seasoned, they’re stronger, they’re bigger and they’re faster. They’re going to compete and get better and better.”

A challenge awaits with the move up to Division 2 this season for a program that finished 18-11 a year ago, losing a 5-4 heartbreaker to Edison in the Division 3 district opener.

“A D3 school playing all those teams in our league four times each, I’m really happy with the season we had for such a young team,” noted Cimini, whose squad was third in the CHSL Central with an 11-9 mark, losing all four games to D1 state champ Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, splitting with Brother Rice and going 3-1 against everyone else. “It was a grind for a small school. All of our losses except to Orchard Lake were the second games of doubleheaders.”

The 2023 season looks even more promising with a dynamic infield that rates up with the best in the state.

Oliver Service is back at catcher, joined by first baseman Ryan Jones, second baseman Reggie Sharpe, shortstop Jarren Purify and third baseman Preston Barr.

Purify, the top-ranked 2023 in the state, is a Clemson commit rated 26th in the nation among senior shortstops. Sharpe, the lone junior in the group and rated fourth in his class in the state, is a Michigan commit while Service, the 21st-rated senior in the state, is a Texas commit.

Barr, the number one third baseman in the 2024 class in Michigan, is another recruit of the Wolverines while the uncommitted Jones is the 14th-rated senior outfielder in the state.

Unfortunately, the lineup could be stronger if not for the loss of Jack Jones to knee surgery. The Michigan State signee was projected to be the staff ace but is not expected to play this year.

That leaves Barr as the number one pitcher with Joey Randazzo and Sharpe next in line. Randazzo, the third-ranked senior second baseman in Michigan, will play second when Sharpe pitches and outfield otherwise.

Ryan Jones, senior Ryan Knaebel, Service when not catching, and sophomore Gary Stacy will be outfielders with sophomore Andrew Johnson available to play first base and catch. Jake Martin, the 37th-rated senior catcher in Michigan, is penciled in as the number two catcher with the ability to also play outfield while junior Nick Greene provides versatility in the outfield and infield.

A trio of sophomores, Jackson Fetter, Cameron Veitengruber and 6-8 Mack Phillips, all right-handers, bring depth to the pitching staff.

“We need guys to throw strikes,” Cimini pointed out. “We play great defense and I think our offense will be better than it has been. As a coach, I’m excited about how hard they work. They will be competitive. They’ll put the ball in play and we’ll play small ball.”

Matthew Greene and top pitcher Kurt Barr, who is now at Michigan, are the biggest losses from the 2022 team, with Cimini admitting “losing Jack Jones on the mound will hurt us.”

Still, there is a lot to like about the 2023 Knights according to Cimini, who is 488-125 in 17 years with five state titles, two state runners-up and eight Final Fours since 2011, with a 16-6 tournament record in that time.

“This team has the moxie,” Cimini said. “We play in a league that’s loaded with Brother Rice and St. Mary’s, but these guys know they can challenge them. They just may have more depth than us because of our size.

“The key for us is to stay healthy,” Cimini added. “We don’t have five guys at each position like some of them do. We have the next man up mentality, just not the stable of players that some do. For us, we just want to be playing our best at the end of the season when it counts.”

Liggett, which is not going to Florida for a spring trip for the first time since 2015, will open up the 2023 campaign on April 1 with DeLaSalle.

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