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By Spence Impellizzeri
PBR Michigan Intern

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 Games: SVSU Regional Recap

Bay City Western vs Lapeer

Bay City Western erupted for 11 runs in the final three innings, as the Warriors came back to beat Lapeer 12-3 in the first regional semifinal.

Western got the scoring going in the top half of the first inning, taking an early 1-0 lead. 2016 RHP/IF Jason Clark, who started the game on the mound, was hit by a pitch with two outs and came around to score on a single by 2019 C Nick Dardas.

Lapeer answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 2-1 lead. 2016 RHP/OF Kevin Thompson, Clark’s counterpart on the mound, highlighted the first with a double before shutting down Western for the next three innings. Thompson retired nine of the next 10 batters he faced and took a 3-1 lead into the fifth.

The fifth is where things started to fall apart for Lapeer. Western scored two runs in the fifth and added three more in the sixth for a 6-2 lead. Lapeer went to the bullpen for the seventh and Western put up six more to close out the 12-3 win.

2016 IF Zach Schirmer had three hits and three runs scored over the final three innings, while 2016 OF Cody Leppek added a double, a single and two runs scored.

Clark, a Saginaw Valley State commit, went the distance for Western, allowing just four hits, all coming in the fourth inning or earlier, pitching on his future home field.

With the win, Western advanced to their third regional title game in the past four seasons.

Saginaw Heritage v. Traverse City West

Traverse City West went up big early, scoring six runs in the first two innings, en route to a 6-2 win over Saginaw Heritage in the second regional semifinal.

Heritage took an early 1-0 lead in the top half of the first, as 2017 OF Noah Marcoux led off the game with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly by 2018 IF/RHP Spencer Schwellenbach.

That lead didn’t last long. 2016 RHP/OF Keegan Kenny, a SVSU commit and West’s starter on the mound, walked to lead off the game and scored on a RBI groundout two batters later. 2016 C Alex Strickland belted a solo home run in the next at bat, giving West a lead they wouldn’t lose.

West scored four runs in the second, highlighted by 2016 OF Nick Brezezinski’s RBI double. The six runs chased Heritage starter, 2016 Mason Schwellenbach, another SVSU commit, from the mound, giving way to his younger brother, Spencer. The younger Schwellenbach was simply lights out for Heritage, throwing four no-hit innings while striking out seven the rest of the way.

Heritage chipped into the lead, scoring one in the fourth. 2016 OF Gavin Dietrich singled and scored in the inning, but Heritage was unable to capitalize on their other opportunities during the game. The Hawks left runners stranded on second and third in the third inning and first and second in the fourth, fifth and seventh. Dietrich nearly had a two RBI double in the fifth, but West’s 2017 OF Danny Ayling made a diving grab to end the inning.

Kenny threw a complete game for West, leaning on a strong defense to get the job done. Heritage had runners reach in all seven innings but could only plate two in the loss.

Bay City Western vs. Traverse City West

Traverse City West took home the regional crown, beating Bay City Western 3-2 in a pitching duel.

The two starters in the contest, 2018 RHP Ryan Hayes for TC West and 2017 RHP Cody Freed for Bay City Western, threw complete games for their respective teams and hitters off balance for most of the contest.

Nearly all of the games scoring came in the first inning, as both teams scored twice in the frame. Bay City Western started out the game with four straight hits, but Hayes got a pair of flyouts and a strikeout to limit Western to just two runs. TC West countered with an RBI single and an RBI groundout in the home half of the inning to knot the game back up.

West scored the only other run of the game in the third. Keegan Kenny led off the inning with a double and scored on an RBI groundout, giving West the lead for good.

Freed held West in check for the rest of the game, as the Titans could muster just one hit over the final three innings, but Hayes did just enough to hold the lead.

Western loaded the bases with one out in the fourth and came away with no runs as Hayes got flyouts from Western’s 3-4 hitters to end the inning. Hayes relied on his defense in the sixth and seventh innings as well, working around a two-out double in the sixth and a leadoff single in the seventh to preserve the win.

Kenny had two hits and two runs scored and 2017 OF Gavin Garmhausen had two RBI’s for West.

Jason Clark and 2018 OF Logan Lacourse each had three hits to pace Western at the plate.

Traverse City West advanced to the state quarterfinals with the win and will face Rockford on Tuesday at Central Michigan University with a trip to the state semifinals on the line.