Author: Andy Hawley | Page 37

Concord baseball looks to get over the quarterfinal hump

June 14, 2016

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Concord — Twice before, John Ropp has guided his Concord baseball team to this point in the postseason. Twice before the Yellowjackets saw the playoffs come to a close one win shy of a spot in the final four. Could the third time be the charm? “The goal is to get to the semifinals,” Ropp said of his team. “We’re going to have to hit a little better than we have in the past quarterfinals we’ve been in. At the same time, all teams at this level are very solid. We may not be able to run the way we always like, and that’s a strength of ours. But we expect a tight game. It’s going to be fun.” Concord, now 25-8, takes on Centreville at 5 p.m. at Bailey Park in Battle Creek. The winner moves on to a 9 a.m. Division 4 state semifinal in East Lansing. “This team is capable of winning a state title, I’ve said that all year,” Ropp said of his guys. “We’re in the right spot with our mental approach. Our hitting has come around. We have a lot going for…

June 13, 2016

Jackson College baseball player Jeff Riedel was named to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II First All-America Team. Riedel, from Cookeville, Tenn. is a sophomore outfielder who has signed to play with Oakland University next year. Riedel batted .489 this season with three home runs and 61 runs batted in. He had 21 doubles, 12 triples and 48 stolen bases in 52 attempts. He scored 69 runs and had 67 hits in 137 at bats in 43 games. He helped lead the Jets to the MCCAA Championship this season. “Jeff was a great leader for us, and he will be hard to replace,” said Rick Smith, coach. “Jeff will always be a Jet as he moves on to the next level of play.”

Baseball Quarterfinal Schedule

June 13, 2016

Division 3 Schoolcraft vs. Lumen Christi - 2:00pm at Bailey Park (Battle Creek) Napoleon vs. Grosse Pointe Liggett - 4:30pm at Carleton Airport Division 4 Centerville vs. Concord - 5:00pm at Bailey Park (Battle Creek)

Spring Arbor University holds groundbreaking ceremony for new tennis complex

June 10, 2016

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The Spring Arbor University community celebrated a significant milestone Thursday afternoon as SAU coaches, donors, staff and university officials gathered for the groundbreaking ceremony for the new state-of-the-art Ronald L. and Marvel C. Jones Tennis Complex. The new facility will feature four pods of two courts for a total of eight courts constructed of post-tensioned concrete. The post-tensioned concrete courts will provide a sturdy and durable playing surface that is able to withstand abuse and is less susceptible to the climate than asphalt. Because of this, the facility can be first-class for decades to come. “The quality of play is going to be excellent and it's going to be excellent for a long time,” said head women’s tennis coach Bobby Pratt. “This facility is something that's going to benefit generations of people that come through this area.” Two of the courts will also have lights for night time use, while the four north courts will be three-feet below grade to provide a superior spectator experience. Two brick and steel arched entry points will help define the facility, and there will be two large tensile shade structures that will provide shelter from the…

Superb pitching challenge awaits Grass Lake softball team in regional round

June 9, 2016

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Grass Lake — When the 2016 regular season came to a close in the MHSAA for softball, Meghan Beaubien was the ace of a Monroe St. Mary’s Catholic Central squad many pegged to repeat as state champs in Division 3. Then, shortly before the playoffs started, Beaubien was named Gatorade Softball Player of the Year for the second time in as many springs. Other than that, the Grass Lake squad has very little to worry about heading into Saturday’s 11:30 a.m. regional semifinal at Adrian Madison. “They are going to have one of the top pitchers in Michigan,” Grass Lake coach Roger Cook said simply. “We saw her last year. A lot of coaches have helped me get ready for her this year. We’ve been practicing at a high speed, and we have to.” Beaubien ended the regular season with an 18-1 record, 286 strikeouts and a 0.36 earned-run average. “She has a very good rise ball, an excellent change up and can hit the low-to-mid 60’s,” Cook added. The key, he added, will be his girls shortening up their swings while in the box. “It’s important…

NASCAR Driver Meet & Greet at Jackson Candy & Fudge Factory

June 7, 2016

Jackson Candy & Fudge Factory will be hosting Daytona 500 winner and driver of the #70 Xfinity car Derrike Cope for a meet and greet on Thursday from 7 to 8 pm. He will sign autographs, take pictures, and meet the public. It will be an awesome event. Jackson Coffee Company has sponsored his car for the second year, but donated the sponsorship to BB/BS of Jackson County. The event is FREE to the public. When: Thursday 7:00pm-8:00pm Where: Jackson Candy & Fudge, 1522 E. Michigan Ave, Jackson, MI (corner of Elm & E. Michigan Ave) Cost: FREE

Jackson Rec Softball results for Sunday, June 5

June 6, 2016

Men's White Division Classic Metal Finishing 13 Above and Beyond Housing Misfits 12. Alex French went 4 for 4 and Jacob Konkle went 3 for 4 to lead Classic Metal Finishing. Kris Gunterman went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles for Above and Beyond Housing Misfits. Brass Rail 12 Falcon Fire Protection 9. Chris Matthews went 4 for 4 with a double and Derick Yoell went 3 for 4 to lead Brass Rail. Tim DeForest went 4 for 4 with a triple for Falcon Fire Protection. Dawn Foods 22 Bad News Bears 16. Dave Klingsman went 4 for 5 with a home run and a double and Nate Schonfield went 4 for 5 with a home run and 2 doubles to lead Dawn Foods. Sam Thielwent 4 for 4 with 2 home runs for Bad News Bears. Budget Tire 19 Radiators 15. Gary Smith went 4 for 4 with a home run and 2 doubles while Tyler Shuberg went 3 for 4 with a double for Budget Tire. Todd Affarano went 4 for 4 to lead Radiators. Men's Red Division Off Constantly 18 Alro Steel 9. Nic Honer went 3 for 4 with 2 doubles and…

MHSAA Girls Softball Regional Schedule

June 6, 2016

Division 3 at Adrian Madison Saturday, June 11th Wixom St. Catherine vs. Clinton 10:00am Monroe St. Mary CC vs. Grass Lake 11:30pm Final 1:00pm Division 4 at Climax-Scotts Saturday, June 11th Concord vs. Climax-Scotts 11:00am Morenci vs. Colon 1:00pm Final 3:00pm

MHSAA Regional Baseball Schedule

June 6, 2016

Division 3 Region 20 at Leslie Saturday, June 11th Bronson vs. Ovid-Elsie 10:00am Lumen Christi vs. Parchment 12:30pm Final 3:00pm Region 21 at Adrian Madison Saturday, June 11th Whitmore Lake vs. Adrian Madison 10:00am Monroe St. Mary CC vs. Napoleon 12:00pm Final 2:00pm Division 4 at Climax-Scotts Saturday, June 11th Lenawee Christian vs. Colon 10:00am Concord vs. Climax-Scotts 1:30pm Final 4:00pm

Lumen track athletes set to tackle challenges of state finals

June 3, 2016

By Mike Moore Staff Writer Jackson — From the onset of the 2016 track and field season, Mike Woolsey has said the goal for his Lumen Christi track teams wasn’t to compete for a Division 3 state title. And that’s coming from a coach who guided the 2015 guys squad to the top spot in D-4. Instead, he spoke about getting this year’s group to peak at the right time, to put some of his athletes in position to compete for spots at the final, and if they make it, to then make the most of it. Well, speaking Friday morning, less than a day before the D-3 finals at Comstock Park, Woolsey’s approach hadn’t changed at all. “The goal and the mission is for our athletes to go there and set some personal bests,” Woolsey said. “This is the event everyone shoots for and wants to be part of.” The Titans will be well represented. Jacob Wildenhaus is the lone boy representative, and he’s set to compete in the 110-meter hurdles. “His goal is to go there and win,” Woolsey said simply. “He’s worked very hard for this, so it would be…

Andy Hawley