Watervliet softball seeking golden season

 The Watervliet varsity softball team is ready to hit the ground running this season and there is a lot to be excited about.

Watervliet head coach Tom Golden shared that the team has set “high goals for the season: play better as a team, win our conference, win districts, and be the first Panther softball team to win a regional game.”

The team graduated four seniors from last year’s squad, and with only two seniors on this year’s team you might wonder just how good the Panthers could be. Wonder no more. The team is chock full of experience, hitting power, and athleticism. Golden has a bench deep with hitting talent, an infield full of aggressive players who will knock down the ball, and a three-woman pitching crew rife with experience, composure, and speed. The team boasts 11 players on the varsity roll with eight returning letter winners.

According to Golden, “The team will be led by two seniors Logan Mizwicki and Mercede Daugherty. Logan is the leader out on the field, and Daugherty is the top hitter.”

Mizwicki will cover shortstop duties, while Daugherty will play the hot corner at third base.

Junior Kara Liles will take the mound for the Lady Panthers, marking her third year as a starting pitcher. She will be joined in the rotation by junior Ariana Rowe; this will mark Rowe’s second year as a starter on the pitching squad. Newcomer sophomore Celina Klimkiewicz will round out the rotation.

Golden will also rely on the strength of his junior class. The juniors returning to the team include: Liles, Rowe, Zoe Smith, and Taylor Shafer.

Shafer will play second base, while Smith will be in the outfield.

Also returning to the squad is sophomore Mikayla Clay. Clay is one of three sophomores on the team and will serve as a catcher.

Newcomers to the Panther varsity team are juniors Madalyn Hutchins and Jaelyn Pitre, sophomores Celina Klimkiewicz and Sabrina Klimkiewicz, and Alex Worley, the lone freshman on the team.

Sabrina Klimkiewicz will cover the outfield as sister Celina is third in the pitching rotation. Pitre has been tabbed for the outfield, and both Hutchins and Worley will spend time behind home plate as catcher.

While Golden is relying on “the experience of our returning eight letter winners,” the team will work to improve their “base running and playing more as a team,” he said. “We have improved our non-conference schedule to help us prepare for our conference and district play.”

Golden will be assisted by Mandi Johns, Bill Forrester, and Shannon McLaughlin.

Mark your calendars now! Softball districts will be hosted by Watervliet beginning May 30. The district includes the home team and Bangor, Coloma, Hartford, and Lawton. Depending on how the pairings shake out, you can bet there will be some great district games on tap!

TYLER BRANT RECEIVES SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD… Tyler Brant (center) of Watervliet High School was honored as a recipient of the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Scholar-Athlete Award at the 2017 MHSAA Boys Basketball Finals at the Jack Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing on March 25. Shown with Brant are: John E. “Jack” Roberts, executive director of the MHSAA; and Vic Verchereau, vice president of marketing for Farm Bureau Insurance. Brant will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Farm Bureau Insurance to be used at the institution of higher learning he attends this fall. Farm Bureau Insurance awarded 32 scholarships, pro-portionately by school classifi-cation, to students with a 3.50 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average who have pre-viously lettered in at least one sport in which postseason com-petition is sponsored by the MHSAA. The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of volun-tary membership by more than 1,400 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools which ex-ists to develop common rules for athletic eligibility and com-petition. No government funds or tax dollars support the MHSAA, which was the first such association nationally to not accept membership dues or tournament entry fees from schools. Member schools which enforce these rules are permitted to participate in MHSAA tournaments, which attract more than 1.4 million spectators each year.

Hartford Indians open baseball season with two losses

 The Hartford Indians varsity baseball team suffered two losses this week to open their season.

The team traveled to South Haven on Thursday, March 23 for their season opener. The Indians lost 4-1 to the Rams. Hartford’s lone run came in the fourth inning.

South Haven scored two runs in the second inning and posted one run in both the third and fourth innings for the win.

Hartford’s Luke Manning, Jared Henslee, and Garrod Johnson shared pitching duties in the loss.

TEAMWORK… Hartford’s Jessica Cortes and Olivia Kling ran drills during practice last Thursday. Hartford girls’ varsity soccer team is now under the direction of Abel Robles. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

On Friday, March 24, the squad traveled to take on Three Oaks River Valley. The Indians improved their offense Friday and scored five runs. However, a strong Three Oaks team notched the 10-5 win.

Hartford broke out for two runs in the first inning but still trailed Three Oaks 9-2 after one. Three Oaks added another run in the second inning and did not score during the balance of the contest.

The score remained 10-2 after two innings until Hartford scored one run in the fifth inning and two more in the seventh.

Henslee led Hartford with two hits and two RBIs. Johnson, according to head coach Dan Brininstool, “pitched well in relief as he threw five and one-third innings, only giving up one run and keeping Hartford in the game as he slowed down River Valley’s offensive attack.”

Watervliet duffers ready to hit the course

The Watervliet varsity golf team may be small on numbers, but it is large on talent.

The team is comprised of three seniors, two juniors, one sophomore and one freshman.

Seniors hitting the course this year include Matt Lambrecht, Trevor Townsend, and Rakmanjot Singh.  The trio will be joined by juniors Jordan Leoni and Isaac Workman. Payton Priebe is the squad’s lone sophomore, and Isaac Wilmoth is the sole freshman.

Lambrecht, Townsend, and Workman are returning from last year’s squad. Watervliet varsity head coach Ken Dietz is depending on their leadership to aid this year’s team and new crop of golfers.

“I look for each of the three (returning golfers) to earn some type of all-league honors. Each golfer is capable of this goal,” Dietz commented.

Dietz is also ready to get the season underway. He commented he’s “excited to see how these three progresses. They have improved over the past two seasons and this should be the season their hard work pays off.”

The team’s home match will be held Friday, April 21 at Paw Paw Lake Golf Club in Watervliet. The team then travels to Lake Michigan Hills on Monday, April 24.

The squad will also play nearby Beeches Golf Club in South Haven on Friday, May 5; Lake Cora Hills Golf Course in Paw Paw on Monday, May 8; and Pipestone Creek Golf Course on Friday, May 12.

Panther baseball key is versatility

SIGN OF SPRING… It’s a sure sign of spring when you see baseball players hitting the field for practice. Here, members of Watervliet’s varsity squad warmed up last week on Wednesday. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The key to this year’s Watervliet varsity baseball team is versatility, according to head coach Josh Tremblay.

Last year’s team went 19-19 overall and was 6-6 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference – Lakeshore Division.

This year, Tremblay sees his squad being capable of many things. “We have a lot of arms returning this year. We have a very versatile team as far as players and the multiple positions they can play,” he commented.

Also working to the team’s advantage is the new edict from the Michigan High School Athletic Association that limits the amount of pitches thrown by a pitcher to 105. The pitch count rule was adopted by MHSAA on December 2, 2016 and requires a pitcher tossing 26-50 pitches to have one day of rest. Pitchers throwing 51-75 pitches get two days of rest, and if a pitcher tosses 76-105 pitches on a single calendar day, they are required to receive a three-day rest. “This should work to our advantage,” Tremblay stated.

Tremblay will be relying on two seniors to provide the team with leadership. “Cameron Rendo and Tyler Brant have both been three-year varsity players. We will look to their leadership with our relatively young team.”

Rendo, an All-Conference Honorable Mention last year, will cover the infield and some pitching duties.

Brant, a First Team All-Conference selection last year, is the squad’s catcher.

Ryan Lefor is a senior infielder on this year’s squad.

“We also return juniors Zack Pickens and Bryant Kieft, both were every-inning players for us last season,” Tremblay explained.

Pickens was selected to First Team All-District and All-Conference Honorable Mention rolls last year. He is an infielder and pitcher.

Kieft is an All-Conference Honorable Mention infielder and pitcher.

Tate Halamka, Ben Myas, and Ryan Chisek round out the junior class team members. Halamka and Chisek are outfielders who can also pitch; Myas is an outfielder.

Four sophomores are members of this year’s squad: Garrett Matthews, Tommy Swanson, Jakob Aldrich, and Tristan Schultz.  Schultz will cover the outfield, while Matthews and Swanson will do double duty as outfielders and pitchers.  Aldrich will pitch and play the infield.

“Ryan Chisek, Jacob Aldrich, and Garrett Matthews were our top arms at the end of last season. We are looking for solid innings from all three this year,” Tremblay shared.

One area of concern for Tremblay is the offensive work that needs to be completed at home plate. “We need to improve on our hitting as a team,” he said. “A lot of runners were left in scoring position last season, and we are looking to improve on those numbers.”

With a team goal to “compete to win the SAC – Lakeshore Division,” Tremblay and his squad are ready to work. Tremblay will be assisted by Bobby Edelberg.

YORE UP… Kayla Yore showed bunt but pulled back and let a high pitch pass her by during Coloma’s scrimmage against Decatur on Thursday, March 23. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Hartford softball relying on freshman pitcher and senior leaders

 Hartford varsity softball coach Steve Galvan has welcomed back six players from last year’s squad. Joining the Indian leadership team are five rookies, including Megan Nelson, the team’s new freshman pitcher.

Having graduated five seniors from last year’s squad, Galvan is pleased with the four returning seniors and two returning juniors.

Seniors Sarah Rice, Madisyn Earls, Madison Birmele, and Amara Wesaw will be joined by juniors Angela Saldana and Cora Wesaw.

Galvan is depending on Amara Wesaw and Earls to provide “senior leadership and varsity experience on the field and at the plate.”

The six returning players are joined by junior Brianna Johnson, sophomore Mikenzie Chambers, and freshmen Regan Sinclair, Megan Nelson, and Jaelyne Galvan.

As for his starting pitcher, Galvan said, “Nelson will have to play a big factor on the mound as a freshman pitcher. She has pitching experience but not at the varsity level,” Sinclair and Amara Wesaw round out the pitching rotation for the Indians.

Galvan commented that this year’s team is strong on aptitude and cohesiveness. The Indian squad has “multiple players having the ability and experience of playing different positions. We will be young, but we do have athleticism along with experience.”

The goals the team set for itself are important ones: “be competitive in each and every game, improve in all areas as the season continues, and play as one.”

The team opened their season with a road scrimmage against Dowagiac on Monday, March 20. Nelson got some valuable time on the mound in her first varsity outing.

Hartford traveled to South Haven Thursday, March 23 for their first official season opening game.

The Indians were shut out 15-0 in the first of two games.

South Haven scored 15 runs on 19 hits. Hartford had three hits but committed four errors.

In the second game, Hartford scored their first run of the season, but lost 12-1 to the Rams. The lone Indian run came in the fifth inning.

South Haven scored one run to open the game and then pelted the Indians for 10 runs in the second inning. The Rams added one more in the third to seal the victory.

South Haven had 12 runs on 17 hits. Hartford posted one run on two hits, courtesy of the bats of Regan Sinclair and Amara Wesaw.

Hartford then traveled to Marcellus Friday, March 24 for doubleheader action. The Indians chalked up two decisive victories over the Wildcats.

In the early contest, Nelson pitched Hartford to a 16-0 shutout. She allowed only three hits.

Hartford led 3-0 after the first inning. A 13-run third inning put the win away for the Indians.

Hartford was led by Madisyn Earls on offense, as she was three for three from the plate. She hit a grand slam and a single in the third inning and ended the game with four RBIs.

Saldana and Chambers both hit singles in the third inning, and Galvan and Amara Wesaw stroked doubles.

The late game also went Hartford’s way, as they won 13-2 over Marcellus.

Hartford scored four runs in the first inning and led 4-1. The Indians tacked on two runs in the second, one in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the sixth, and three in the seventh. The Indians’ 13 runs came off 18 hits. The team committed zero errors.

Sinclair led Hartford in the batter’s box. She ripped five RBIs and hit three doubles. Amara Wesaw hit an RBI double.

Sinclair, Amara Wesaw, Nelson, Chambers, Cora Wesaw, and Earls each tallied more than one hit for the Indians.

Hartford is now 2-2 on the season.

MHSAA releases 2017-18 school classifications

 The Michigan High School Athletic Association released its annual school year classifications on March 27. The list identifies enrollment breaks for post season tournament play and establishes the classification (whether the school is A, B, C, or D based on enrollment numbers) of each participating member.

According to the press release, classifications for the upcoming school year are based on a second semester count date, which for MHSAA purposes was February 8.

MHSAA advised there are 750 tournament-qualified member schools with 186 schools in Class A, 187 in Class B, 188 in Class C, and 189 in Class D.

Schools with 881 or more students were deemed Class A schools. Class B schools had 406-880 students, while Class C counted 204-405 students. Class D schools included student populations of 203 or less.

Twenty-one schools will move up a class for the 2017-18 school year, while 24 schools will move down.

Coloma, Grace Christian, Hartford, and Watervliet did not change classes.

Coloma is in Class B. Grace Christian competes in Class D. Hartford and Watervliet are Class C schools.

The only schools in Berrien County that were reclassified are Lakeshore and Niles.

Lakeshore will move up from Class B to Class A. Niles is moving down from Class A to Class B.

Fourth time’s the charm; Kyle Larson wins NASCAR Race

 Three-time perpetual bridesmaid Kyle Larson broke the curse of his runner-up status after he drove to victory in Sunday’s Auto Club 400.

Prior to Sunday’s win, Larson finished in second place in three consecutive Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series races.

Larson dominated the event held at Auto Club Speedway. He began the race from the pole position and led 110 of the race’s 202 laps. Larson picked up his second career victory, first of the 2017 season, and continued his lead atop the driver standings.

Brad Keselowski who has a win this season under his belt finished in second place after beginning the race in third.  Clint Bowyer finished third.

Martin Truex Jr., another 2017 race winner, took fourth place. He led 73 laps, the second most in Sunday’s race.

Joey Logano finished in fifth place. He led one lap.

Other drivers who led laps but did not finish in the top five included: Kyle Busch (7), Chase Elliott (4), Denny Hamlin (4), Ty Dillon (1), and Paul Menard (2).

The race went into a two-lap overtime after a late caution period.  Twenty-three drivers finished on the lead lap, and Ford celebrated with three drivers in the top five.

Larson has a 29-point lead over Elliott in the driver standings.  Truex Jr. is in third place, just 38 points behind Larson.  Keselowski and Logano are 64 and 69 points behind the leader, respectively.

The drivers head cross country from California to Virginia for Sunday’s running of the STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway, the season’s first running on a short track.

Martinsville Speedway offers 12 turns on a half-mile paved track. The race will feature 500 laps covering 263 miles.

Logano set the track record in 2014 at 100.201 miles per hour. Logano is winless this season but has had one pole position start, four top 10 finishes, and two top five finishes. Be on the lookout for Logano to finish strong on Sunday.