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2022 Michigan High School Team Previews

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2022 Spring Team Preview: Hartland

HARTLAND - “A winning culture and a fun environment.”

That is what Brad Guenther wants to bring to the Hartland baseball program.

His first actual year on the field as mentor of the Eagles - Guenther’s initial season was canceled due to Covid - proved successful with a 22-1-1 start to the campaign. But after a 14-0 league record, Hartland lost to Livonia Stevenson in the finals of the conference tournament and was then defeated by Dexter in the district opener.

That 26-5-2 squad lost nine seniors, including two of the top three pitchers along with four position starters. But the cupboard is far from bare for the 2009 Saline graduate, who is impressing upon his team that “winning comes from hard work and dedication.” 

Ace pitcher Gannon Grundman, third baseman Bruce Jellison, catcher Kasey Shadduck and middle infielder Sam Clay are being counted on to lead this season’s Hartland team after starting a year ago.

Grunden, a southpaw who plays first base when not on the mound, is a Michigan State commit ranked fourth among 2022 left-handed pitchers in Michigan. Jellison, the 10th-rated senior third baseman in the state, is a Wabash Valley JC recruit. Shadduck, another senior, is also being counted on to be the number three or four pitcher in addition to catching while Clay, the 20th-ranked junior shortstop in Michigan, broke the state record for interceptions this past football season.

The pitching staff appears strong with junior Colton King, a left-hander who started the season opener a year ago, back along with junior Gavin Nash, who pitching in districts during the 2021 campaign. Junior Colin Farquharson, who also plays second base, adds depth on the mound.

Ben Pouliot, a hockey standout who saw varsity action late last season as a sophomore, is penciled in to play outfield with two more juniors, utility player Mitchell Cavanaugh and Braylon Buback, expected to get on the field this season in important roles. Buback’s brother, Brendan, was the starting center fielder a year ago.

“We have some speed and I like our defense,” Guenther  noted. “I also like that a lot of our guys will battle with two strikes. Last year we weren’t very good putting it in play with two strikes and that cost us. We, maybe, will have less power this year, but I think we’ll be better contact hitters.”

Guenther expects the Eagles “to have a bullseye on our backs” in league play after last season.

“Minus the Catholic League, I feel our league is the best in Michigan, especially on our side,” noted Guenther, who related that Howell and Brighton along with Hartland were all rated number one in the state at one point in time during the 2021 season.

“Last year 14 of our 26 wins we came from behind,” explained Guenther, a Wayne State graduate. “We were just good in pressure moments in the regular season.”

The Hartland mentor is hoping that continues this year in the regular season, and into the postseason.

“These are such young guys, I don’t think many had been on a team like we had last year,” Guenther concluded. “We need to be playing our best baseball at the end of the season. Our challenge is to develop them throughout the season. We need a mindset to keep getting better and we’re going to emphasize that this year. We need to get better every day so we’re playing our best baseball at the end of the year.”

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