Follow @pbrmichigan

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: Traverse City District Recap

Game 1: Marquette vs. TC Central

Marquette’s comeback fell just short, as Traverse City Central was able to escape a jam in the top of the seventh inning to secure a 3-2 win in their district opener.

A one out double and a walk had Marquette threatening in the top half of the first inning, but Central was able to get out of the inning following a double play that ended with 2018 IF Hunter Doucette being thrown out at the plate.

Following a scoreless second inning, Central got on the board first in the bottom half of the third inning. 2018 IF Martin Foley walked and came around to score on a two-out single by 2017 IF Jake Ryan. Central doubled their lead on the next batter, as 2016 OF Logan Briggs hit a double into the right center gap to score Ryan.

Central’s starter on the mound, 2016 RHP Dawson Rabb, pitched himself out of a jam in the top of the fourth. Marquette had runners on first and second with nobody out, but could only plate one of them, as Rabb struck out three of the next five batters.

2017 OF John Pupel brought the Trojans lead back to two with a safety squeeze bunt in the bottom of the fourth, plating 2017 OF Jordan Ruckle.

That lead would stay until the top half of the seventh inning when Marquette tried to mount a comeback. A two-out, RBI single from Doucette cut Central’s lead to one, but 2016 RHP Cam Fewless, on in relief of Rabb, got the next batter to ground out to second to secure the win.

Rabb and Fewless combined to strike out 13 batters in the game, while Ryan and Ruckle each finished with a pair of hits. Doucette led the way for Marquette, picking up two of his teams four hits.

Game 2: Alpena vs. TC West

Saving ace Keegan Kenny for a potential matchup with TC Central in the district final, 2018 RHP Ryan Hayes got the ball and threw a complete game as the Titans topped Alpena 6-2.

Hayes struggled with his command early, hitting three batters over the course of the second and third innings, as Alpena jumped out to a 2-0 lead.

West tied the game up in the bottom half of the third inning, highlighted by a two-run double from 2016 OF Nick Brezezinski, before taking a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth when 2016 IF Sam Clark scored on a passed ball.

The one run lead was all Hayes needed, as the sophomore retired the last 14 Alpena batters of the game. Hayes finished with six strikeouts and was aided by solid defensive play behind him, led by 2017 OF Gavin Garmhausen who came up with a highlight-reel diving catch in left field to get the final out of the top half of the fourth inning.

West scored their final three runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning, as Clark plated one run with a well executed bunt and 2016 IF Reid Bailey knocked in a pair of runs with a single.

Brezezinski led the way for the Titans, going 2-3 with a single, double, walk, RBI and a run scored. Hayes threw seven innings, striking out six and allowed just three hits.

Game 3: Traverse City Central vs. Traverse City West

The two rival Traverse City schools met up in the finals with a berth in next weekend’s regionals on the line, and West came out on top, winning 5-4 in a thriller.

West jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as 2016 1B Jared Roth drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom half of the first inning.

Central was able to erase that deficit against West ace, 2016 RHP Keegan Kenny, a Saginaw Valley State commit, in the top half of the second. The Trojans loaded the bases with nobody out and all three runners came around to score, as an errant Kenny pickoff throw let one run in before 2018 IF Martin Foley added an RBI single and 2018 IF Sam Briggs finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly to deep left.

2016 IF Sam Clark drove in a run for West in the bottom half of the third with a bases loaded single, but 2016 RHP Matt Baker, a Lawrence Tech commit, struck out the next batter to hold on to a 3-2 lead for Central.

2017 OF Jordan Ruckle added to Central’s lead in the top half of the fifth with and RBI groundout. The Trojans had an opportunity to add to their lead later in the inning, but 2016 OF Logan Briggs was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second on a single.

Following a pair of scoreless frames, West came storming back in the bottom half of the sixth inning, plating three runs to take the lead for good at 5-4. A walk and a hit by pitch gave the Titans runners at first and second with nobody out, and 2017 OF Gavin Garmhausen delivered an RBI single to cut the Trojan lead to one. Two batters later, 2016 IF Jake Newhouse drove in the game-tying and winning runs on a single through a drawn in Central infield.

Kenny returned to the mound in the top half of the seventh, pitching around a pair of Central singles to secure the win.

Brezezinski and Garmhausen each had two hits and scored two runs for the Titans, and Newhouse added a pair of hits and two RBIs. Kenny picked up the win on the mound, throwing a complete game with five strikeouts.

For Central, 2017 IF Jake Ryan and 2016 OF Kevin Goodwin both finished with two hits and a run scored.  Baker struck out five in 4.1 innings on the mound, while 2016 RHP David Klug took the loss in relief, striking out four in 1.2 innings pitched.

With the win, West moves on to next weekend’s regional at Saginaw Heritage, where they will face the winner of the Flushing district.