Five CCHS Seniors Lose Final Baseball Season

Aiden Adams.  Courtesy photo.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

Three returning players and a transfer student who earned all-state honors a year ago gave the Columbia Central High School varsity baseball team high hopes for 2020.

Instead, five seniors from CCHS will have to wonder “what if” when they think about the spring of 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic closed schools in early April and the Michigan High School Athletic Association canceled the 2020 spring season a couple of days later.

Seniors Aiden Adams, Lucas Mendez, and Levi Meyers had multiple years of experience playing baseball for the Golden Eagles.

Transfer student Adam Wilding was an all-state selection according to information sent by CCHS coaches.

Mathew Mackenzie was returning to the sport of baseball after taking time off.

Adams was a four-year player for the Golden Eagles and was a career .400 hitter.

“Aiden was going to be a team captain and looked forward to being a leader this season,” CCHS Coach Steve Tompkins said. “He is one of the most coachable players I’ve had.”

Mendez is a mainstay in left field and was expected to be a pitcher for the Golden Eagles this season.

“Lucas is a hard worker who always worked to be perfect,” Tompkins said.

Wilding is a transfer student from Trenton High School. He helped lead Trenton to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 2 semifinals in 2019. He hit .455 in 2019 and tallied a school-record of 25 doubles for Trenton.

He earned first-team all-state honors as voted on by members of the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association in 2019. He has committed to playing baseball at Siena Heights University.

Meyer was a two-year varsity player for the Golden Eagles.

“He was always willing to do whatever was asked of him,” Tompkins said.

Mathew Mackenzie was expected to play third base for the Golden Eagles in 2020.

“We were looking forward to giving him an opportunity to be part of something special his season year,” Tompkins said. 

Columbia Central finished 5-7 last year in the Lenawee County Athletic Association, tying for fifth place with Onsted.