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2022 Michigan High School Team Previews

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2022 Spring Team Preview: Orchard Lake St. Mary's

ORCHARD LAKE - Arguably the top high school team in the country last year as well as the best heading into this year, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s is unquestionably the team to beat in the state of Michigan in 2022. After all, the Eaglets return seven of nine starters from a team that finished 43-1 and captured the Division 2 state championship.

“It comes with the territory of where we’ve been in the last four or five years,” Orchard Lake head coach Matt Petry said of a target on the back heading into the upcoming campaign. “With that kind of success, other teams want to beat you, but our guys are used to it.”

The big news for Orchard Lake is a change in divisions, with the Eaglets moving up to Division 1 after rolling through the D-2 field a year ago by a combined total of 78-6 in the tournament.

“It’s nothing we haven’t seen in our league, most are Division I teams, so there’s not much change,” Petry pointed out. “We’re used to seeing larger schools. Come the start of the tournament it just means more competition. It’s not that the teams are better at the top, in Division 2 there are just more weaker teams at the start of the tourney so there’s a bigger gap there.”

The gap was rather large in nearly every postseason game a year ago for Orchard Lake, with the closest tournament game a 5-1 victory over New Boston Huron in the state semifinals.

Brock Porter, the top-rated senior in Michigan and the fourth-ranked 2022 RHP in the nation, headlines the pitching staff after a 12-0 campaign last season that included 126 strikeouts in 62.1 innings with a 0.56 ERA. The Clemson commit will be backed in the rotation by senior Ciaran Caughey, a Kent State signee who was 5-0 with a 2.55 ERA last season. A large group of potential pitchers are behind them in the likes of senior Nolan Higgins (Lansing CC) and junior Jamie Henerson (Illinois State), a pair of right-handers. In addition, there are senior left-handers Brandon Skorupski (Davenport) and Will Stuligross (Hope College) as well as junior southpaw Anthony Kiafoulis (Penn). Sophomore right-hander Aiden Donovan brings added potential.

“Finding depth on the mound is key,” Petry said. “You need to have that for success at the state tournament. Last year we used five, so it’s a matter of finding that depth this year.”

The starting lineup is imposing from top to bottom beginning with leadoff hitter Jake Dresselhouse, an All-American a year ago who led the team in home runs (14), RBIs (61) and runs scored (71) while batting .409. The center fielder committed to Michigan State will be followed in the batting order by third baseman Jack Crighton (.438), a Michigan recruit, with another future Wolverine, right fielder Nolan Schubart (.407, 9 HR, 56 runs, 55 RBIs), the second-ranked senior in the state, hitting third.

Auburn signee Ike Irish (.419, 12 HR), the number eight 2022 catcher in the country, will bat cleanup with junior first baseman Blake Grimmer, a Tennessee commit who transferred in from Spring Lake, next in line.

Junior Ryan McKay, a Michigan State recruit who hit five home runs and five triples while averaging .376 as a DH and second baseman after not starting at the beginning of the season, is back to play second and hit sixth. Junior shortstop Jasen Oliver (.361), who played second and third base last year and was the defensive MVP of the team, will bat seventh with left fielder Ryan Mooney following the Michigan commit in the lineup. Mooney, a Notre Dame commit, started as a sophomore and averaged .267 with 31 runs scored.

The DH will be Porter (.333) when not on the mound or Parker Brzustewicz (.300), the second-rated sophomore third baseman in Michigan.

“There’s a lot to like,” Petry admitted about his squad. “There’s a lot of experience with seven of nine starters back and guys like Porter and Caughey give us a good one-two punch on the mound. But until we get pitching depth developed, I think we will be led by our offense.”

There is more that Petry has to consider when it comes to this year’s squad that lost starting shortstop Alex Mooney (Duke, .460, 9 HR, 70 runs), catcher/first baseman Coleson Titus (Army, .340), pitchers Jake Keaser (Michigan, 5-0, 0.00 ERA), Tommy Allman (Jacksonville, 11-0, 1.11 ERA) and John Essig (Ashland, 5-0, 1.76 ERA) along with Steve Essig (Ashland, .324) and Ben Martin (.389) to graduation.

“Some things we have to evaluate, like guys playing roles that they have not played in the past,” Petry explained. “After our top two pitchers in the rotation we now have pitchers above where they have been in the past. It’s exciting, but unknown factors. Another thing to consider is replacing a guy like Alex Mooney and his leadership. He was our vocal leader.”

Porter, Schubart, Irish, Crighton and Dresselhouse are expected to take on the roles of captains according to Petry, which is big when playing in a league the head coach calls “the best in Michigan if not the midwest or country” this season.

“They need to keep everybody on the same page with the team we expect to have,” Petry said. “Keeping morale up should we entertain problems. Our loss last year was the first time guys had lost in two years, so these guys will need to bring a calming effect to everybody.”

The lone defeat during the 2021 campaign a year ago was a 2-1 loss to Saline before the Eaglets ripped off 22 straight victories to close out the year, the final a 9-0 state championship win over Stevensville Lakeshore.

“These guys have had a lot of success, so staying focused will be key,” Petry concluded. “This year’s senior class has never lost in the tournament, so should adversity arise, we need to be able to handle that and stay with the task at hand.”

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