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 By Andy Pascoe
Michigan Scouting Director

We look to bring the state of Michigan top-notch high school coverage throughout the entire state.

We will have the 2016 Scout Blog, Spotlight Games, Inside the Recruitment Articles, Unsigned Senior Spotlights, The Recruiting Trail, All-State Selections, Full Coverage of the MHSAA State Tournament as well as numerous other articles throughout the spring.

To view the Preseason All-State Selections, click below:
+ Division 1
+ Division 2
+ Division 3/4

To view the Team Power Rankings, click below:
+ Division 1
+ Division 2
+ Division 3/4

To view the full list of 2016 Team Previews that we have already completed, please click here.

For insider information and scouting notes from the PBR staff during the 2016 spring season visit the 2016 Michigan Scout Blog by clicking here.

Interested in attending a PBR Michigan event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

PBR Michigan Spotlight Game: Traverse City Central vs Traverse City St. Francis

Traverse City - Traverse City Central faced another in-town rival Thursday as they split a doubleheader with Traverse City St. Francis, dropping game 1 by a score of 8-1 before taking the nightcap by a score of 8-0.

Game 1

St. Francis came out of the gates by getting the first two hitters on via walks then 2018 LHP/1B Casey Peterson brought home the first run of the ball game after bunting for a hit and Central’s pitcher, 2016 RHP Kevin Goodwin, threw the ball into right field. After a passed ball and two strikeouts looking, 2019 RHP/SS Keaton Peck singled in the third run of the inning.

St. Francis Starter, 2017 RHP/SS Connor Sweet got a shutdown inning in the bottom half of the first, including two strikeouts.

After a quiet top half of the second inning, TC Central was able to scratch its lone run across as 2018 INF Sam Briggs singled, advanced on a fielder’s choice then was driven in with a two-out single by 2017 OF John Pupel.

St. Francis responded with two more runs in the top half of the third inning as lead-off hitter, 2019 OF Danny Passinault, singled to start the inning and Sweet followed suit with a single of his own.

After a sacrifice bunt, Peter McAndrews drove in Passinault with a sacrifice fly and then 2018 C Cooper Peterson drove in Sweet with a single.

Sweet cruised for the rest of the game, earning the win and keeping Central off the board the rest of the way.

St. Francis added three more runs in the sixth inning off reliever 2018 RHP/INF Martin Foley, who took over for Goodwin after the third inning.

Player of the Game: Connor Sweet - 6 IP, 6 K, 0 BB, 1 R; 2-for-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB

Game 2

While St. Francis started the first game with three runs in the first inning, Central was able to put up four runs in the opening inning of the nightcap highlighted by 2016 OF Logan Briggs’ RBI double.

Briggs, a Kellogg CC commit, stole third base after clean-up hitter 2016 RHP/1B Matt Baker was hit by a pitch. Baker was able to steal second behind Briggs and both were driven in by Sam Briggs.

After Briggs took second base on a passed ball, Pupel drove him in for the fourth run of the ball game.

This was all of the run support that starter 2016 RHP David Klug needed as he dominated all six innings.

After giving up a leadoff single to Passinault, Klug retired all eighteen outs in a row as the sidewinder finished with six strikeouts and did not let a ball leave the infield after Passinault’s hit.

Central scratched another two runs across in the second inning as Goodwin and 2017 SS Jake Ryan led off the inning with back-to-back singles and were moved into scoring position by a sacrifice bunt with Briggs driving in Ryan, who moved to third after a passed ball that scored Goodwin.

Central scored two more runs in the bottom half of the fifth before Klug got the final three outs on three weak ground balls.

Player of the Game: David Klug - 6 IP, 0 R, 6 K, 0 BB