07-04-19 Tri-City Area Sports

Watervliet Press Box by John Oliphant

Softball All-Stars

The 8U girls softball team, coached by Rod Kinzler and Jorge Zuniga, took second place at the Berrien Springs All-Star tournament this weekend. The girls’ bats started slowly on Wednesday when they lost to Buchanan, 1-3. On Thursday they were hitting better when they beat host Berrien Springs, 17-0, for the only shutout in pool play. Bracket play began on Saturday, and the Panthers advanced by beating Buchanan, 10-8. Next up was North Lincoln in a semi-final game, and the Panthers again came out on top, winning 10-7. In their third game of the day they lost the championship to Lakeshore, 11-6.

The 10U softball team, coached by Tyler Kirksey and Dennis Thomas, also played in the Berrien Springs tournament last week. The first game of pool play was Wednesday at the Lakeshore softball complex where they lost to Lakeshore, 10-8. Next up was Bridgman on Friday, who they beat 16-8. In the first bracket game they faced Bridgman again and this time the Bees came out on top 12-3, to end the Panthers’ tournament.

The 12U girls, coached by Cory Edelberg and Tom Kiefer, were also in Berrien Springs in a division with just four teams. On Wednesday they lost to Buchanan, 9-3. On Thursday they lost to River Valley in a close one, 9-7. In Saturday morning bracket play they beat Buchanan to earn a spot in the championship game. They took second place after a 10-0 loss to River Valley.

Baseball All-Stars

The boys Minor (8U) all-star team played in the 45th annual North Lincoln tournament held at Eaton Park alongside I-94. The team, coached by Martel Taylor and Adam Jarvis, was playing against 13 teams in its division. They started pool play with a win on Thursday, beating Lawton 16-5. Next up was Bridgman and the Panthers beat them in a close one, 9-8. In the first round of the brackets they beat Benton Harbor, 21-1. Next up was a chance to earn a spot in semi-final play against Lakeshore where they lost 16-0 to bow out of the tournament.

The boys 10U team stayed close to home, playing at the tournament in Hartford. This one is a double-elimination bracket. In their first game on Friday they beat South Haven and then lost to Decatur on Saturday morning. Next they beat host Hartford, but then fell to Eau Claire in their third game of the day to end their weekend.

Hooterville Hitters beat the Paw Paw River Cats, 8-6

Old time base ball made its return to Hays Park on Saturday as part of the Independence Day activities in Watervliet. The game was played by 1860s rules. This was a time when the teams got together for some exercise and to play a gentleman’s base ball game that prohibited sliding, cussing, spitting.

BLISTERING BAT… Hooterville Hitter Derrick Burkhardt blisters a ball during early action Saturday in the team’s vintage base ball game against the Paw Paw River Cats. The Hitters edged the Cats 8-6. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

There were no gloves or mitts, as they hadn’t been used in ball games at that time. It’s also a game where catching a struck ball on one bounce was good for an out. Announcer Tom Gear shared plenty of base ball history with the players and fans, especially the old time language.

SMASHING STACY… Paw Paw River Cats player Stacy Denton uses the business end of a wooden bat during Saturday’s vintage base ball game against the Hooterville Hitters at Hays Park. The Cats dropped the contest 8-6. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

The teams were made up of community volunteers and the Miss Watervliet Queen and her court, assisted by two members of the House of David base ball team. The game was generally played by rules we are all familiar with, but players (and the volunteer umpire) needed a couple innings to grasp some of the details. For instance, a foul tick caught by the behind (catcher) on one bounce is the same as a pop-up and the batter is out, or dead. Similarly, a struck ball that first hits the ground in fair territory is always fair, even if it hits in front of the plate and spins back to the behind. The hurler throws pitches underhand, and in a fun twist there are no walks, and foul balls do not count as strikes.

After scoring, a runner must visit the scorer’s table and ring a bell, then ask the scorer to tally the ace. In the end the Hitters tallied 8 aces and the River Cats tallied 6.

Coloma Press Box By Dave Vollrath

Michigan Wolverines play in first college World Series in 35 years, but come up a tad short

When you think about the Big Ten athletics, especially where Michigan is concerned, your first thoughts usually are of football or basketball. In the spring Coach Hutchinson usually has the Wolverines in the hunt for a championship in softball, but rarely do you think of Michigan and baseball championships. That almost changed last week for the Wolverines, as they made a very improbable and almost impossible run at winning the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. But their Cinderella run ended in the final championship game, as they fell to national baseball power Vanderbilt, 8-2.

LIL’ SLUGGER… After fouling off three pitches, Coloma’s 8U All-Star player Jayden Hampton belts a single to left field against Buchanan Thursday at Eaton Park. The Comets beat the Bucks 9-2 in the 45th annual baseball tournament opener in St. Joseph. (TCR photo by Kristy Noack)

Michigan’s last appearance in the College World Series was 1984 and they also appeared in 1983. That team was led by future Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, who won a world series with the Cincinnati Reds, many gold gloves, and MVP awards, before being inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 2012. The Big Ten has not won the baseball championship since 1966, and Michigan has not won this championship since 1962. That almost changed as the Wolverines went to Omaha on a mission to end more than 50 years of frustration for fans of the Big 10.

Michigan was not greatly regarded by the end of the regular season, and they were one of the last 4 teams to be chosen as one of the 64 teams to compete for a national title. They definitely started out as a long shot.

Michigan had kind of an up and down season, although they have a wealth of talent on this team. Early on they were 14-4 on the season, and then traveled down to Texas in March where they lost a 3-game series to Texas Tech. And lost badly, getting outscored 29-10 in the three games. The Wolverines then reeled off a 13-game winning streak from April 13 to May 8. They then followed that by losing 6 of the next 7.

Michigan finished the regular Big Ten Season with a 16-7 record, and second place, only one game behind regular season champ Indiana. In the Big 10 tourney, Michigan lost their opening game then won three straight before losing their last game to Nebraska 7-3, after beating them 18-8 the night before. Then Michigan surprisingly made the field of 64 and they were sent out west to compete in the regional in Corvallis, Oregon. Michigan won that regional by winning three out of four games, including two from Creighton, who finished the season as the number 22 team in the country.

Michigan’s reward for this was being sent to Los Angeles to play the Super Regional against the number one seed in the country, UCLA on their home turf. This had to be the best baseball played all season on the collegiate level, as the games were close. The pitching dominated for the most part, and each game had the fans on the edge of their seats.

Michigan won the first game of the best out of three by a score of 3-2. The next night UCLA came out on top. The game went 12 innings, after both teams scored in the ninth but came away tied 4-4. UCLA scored in the 12th to win it.

Michigan’s junior pitcher Tommy Henry then pitched Michigan into the college World Series in Omaha, beating the UCLANS 4-2. It was a huge upset, as the Bruins were a heavy favorite to not only move on to Omaha but to win it all.

The Wolverines first game in Omaha brought them up against that Texas Tech team that pounded them back in March. But they were a different Michigan team, and they were coming to Omaha with a ton of confidence after winning those battles out West. They were in their element. Michigan defeated Tech 5-3, who finished as the number eight team in the country.

They then faced a tough Florida State team and shut them out 2-0. Once again they came up against the Red Raiders from Texas and this time pounded out a 15-3 victory, sending the Wolverines to the CWS championship against Vanderbilt.

Michigan Head Coach Erik Bakich is in his 7th season at Michigan and steadily building them into a great program. The head coach for Vanderbilt was former colleague Tim Corbin, who had not only coached with Bakich at Clemson, but also brought Erik with him when he took over the Vanderbilt program. As the head of recruiting for Vanderbilt, Bakich has been given a great deal of the credit for building the Vanderbilt program into one of the top baseball powers in the country, something he’s now trying to build at the U of M.

Another one of the great stories around this Michigan team involves their starting first baseman Jimmy Kerr. His father was Derek Kerr who played on the 1984 Michigan team in the CWS, and his grandfather John Kerr played on the 1962 Michigan team that last won the championship for Michigan.

After Michigan won the first of the 3-game series 7-4, they only needed to win one more game, and it looked like that glass slipper might be fitting. The second game was a great contest, controlled by the starting pitchers, The Vandy freshman hurler who stood 6 foot 4 and weighed an unfreshmanlike 255 pounds dominated the Wolverine bats and won 4-1. The championship game was pretty much controlled by Vandy, and Michigan’s championship run had come up short as the Commodores came away with an 8-2 victory.

Michigan has a lot to be proud of, and with Bakich at the helm, has a lot to look forward to. He was named by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America as the National Coach of the year. Michigan has had five or more players drafted into professional baseball in three of the last four years, including five this year.

Jordan Brewer, a junior outfielder from St. Joe, was named as the Big Ten player of the year, and was drafted 106th overall by the Houston Astros. Junior starting pitchers Karl Kauffmann and Tommy Henry were drafted 77th and 74th overall, respectively, by the Rockies and the Diamondbacks. Junior Jack Weisenburger, a top relief pitcher, was chosen in the 20th round by the Oakland A’s. Jimmy Kerr the senior first baseman was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 33rd round.

A baseball national championship for Michigan and the Big Ten looks like a good possibility for the near future.

Press Box Player of the Week

By Jerrod Birmele

Mackenzie Mireles, a member of the Hartford 8U Softball team, is this week’s Tri-City Record Press Box Player of the Week.

In the recent Hartford All-Star Softball Invitational, it seemed like this young lady could not be stopped, no matter how hard anyone tried. Mackenzie was 14-for-19 in the tournament batting, ending with an average of .736. Of her 14 hits, three were in-the-park home runs, three were triples and the other eight resulted in singles. As much as she was blazing on offense, she also played masterful defense in the field, leading Hartford with 41 put out’s from her first base position.

For her efforts in the tournament, Mackenzie was selected by the umpires as the winner of the Gold Glove, signifying her as the Most Valuable Player in the 8U Division.

Mackenzie is the daughter of Lee Mireles and Megan Riley. Congratulations on this great honor, Mackenzie! We look forward to seeing more of you in the future!

Last week, the Tri-City area finished one of the great summer traditions in this region. The 2019 Hartford All-Star Softball Invitational came to an end, and it was exciting right down to the very last pitch! When the action concluded and the dust settled, four different communities scored championships in the four divisions the tournament featured.

The Hartford Council for Recreation knows it had yet another successful tournament when they saw the fun and smiles all the players had when they were finished. Are you ready to find out what communities scored victories, and which athletes were crowned Most Valuable Players? Without further ado, it’s time to open the door to the Press Box and jump right into the highlights of all things Green and White!

Hartford All-Star Softball Invitational finishes in grand style

Over the course of five days, the greater Hartford community represented itself proudly by hosting the 2019 Hartford All-Star Softball Invitational. And the hard work that so many put in was rewarded in spades, as the tournament received countless positive reviews on social media from coaches, fans and spectators, alike. Preparations for next year’s tournament will soon be starting once summer is completed.

In last week’s article, it was mentioned that Paw Paw was victorious in the 14U Division, as they defeated Hartford by a 6-2 score to take the crown.

In the 8U Division, South Haven overcame a loss in their first game of the tournament to take two games from Hartford and clinch the victory in that division. South Haven took game one of the championship series by a score of 17-14, before dominating game two by a score of 19-7 to wrap-up the title.

In addition to Hartford, South Haven had to go through Decatur, River Valley, Watervliet and Paw Paw to win the title.

Hartford finished the tournament with a 3-2 record, losing both games to South Haven after defeating Watervliet, Decatur and Paw Paw to have a chance at the title. The team did receive some good news in the end, as player Mackenzie Mireles was awarded the Gold Glove as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in the 8U Division.

In the 10U Division, Coloma may have lost their first game of the tournament to South Haven, but they would return the favor in the championship series. Game one was won in dominating fashion by Coloma, 10-0, before the deciding game two was delayed due to weather and poor field conditions. One day later, the two teams played the best game of the tournament, with Coloma winning in seven thrilling innings, 7-6, to claim the title.

After losing their first game of the tournament, Coloma went through Watervliet, River Valley, Hartford and Vicksburg in the course of two days to stay alive, before they matched up with South Haven for the final two games.

The umpires on the field selected Coloma’s first baseman Henagan as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player in the 10U Division.

In the 12U Division, Decatur was the favorite to win the tournament – and they answered, as they needed only one game in the championship series to put away Hartford, scoring a 15-5 victory over the host team to conclude the tournament on Wednesday night.

To reach the final, and win the title, Decatur defeated Paw Paw, Coloma and Hartford twice to take the crown, as they ended the tournament with a 4-0 record. The accolades continued for their team, when their pitcher, Conforti, was chosen by the umpires as the 12U Division’s Most Valuable Player.

Hartford finished the tournament with a record of 3-2, losing both games to Decatur, but defeating River Valley twice, as well as South Haven.

This week, the Hartford Council for Recreation is hosting its annual Hartford All-Star Baseball Tournament of Champions, and in next week’s edition, you will be receiving the results from that long-time successful event. As always, GO

GREEN!

WESLEY HOISER… AYSO 613 Soccer U8 Division Sportsmanship Award presented June 8. Coach Williams commented that Wesley always came to the field with a positive attitude.

SULLIVAN BROOKSHIRE… AYSO 613 Soccer U8 Division Sportsmanship Award presented June 8. Coach Tammy commented that Sullivan listened and did what was asked. Also he showed great heart to the other players and was always at practice and games.

WHITTAKER LEWIS… AYSO 613 Soccer U8 Division Sportsmanship Award presented June 8. Coach Brenda commented that Whittaker always cheered on teammates, and gave them positive feedback. She said he is a great kid with a kind heart.

MCKINLEY ADAMS… AYSO 613 Soccer U8 Division Sportsmanship Award presented June 8. Coach Spoke commented that McKinley was always smiling and always came prepared and never complained when asked to do a drill. Also, she was friendly and always encouraged teammates.

LILY PUNCHES… AYSO 613 Soccer U8 Division Sportsmanship Award presented June 8. Coach Punches commented that Lily always volunteered to help other teams if they were short on players and made sure others had any help they needed.

BRADYN FULLER… AYSO 613 Soccer U8 Division Sportsmanship Award presented June 8. Coach Scott commented that Bradyn always listened and followed directions and came to every game and practice with a great attitude.