Photo Courtesy of Grass Lake High School
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Grass Lake — There’s no way of truly knowing, at least not just yet.
But as Grass Lake softball coach Roger Cook talked about his team Thursday morning, and was asked about the district tournament that’s quickly approaching, he was quick to point out the lessons hopefully learned from last year’s quick exit.
“I think we got caught looking past an Onsted team that snuck up on us,” Cook said. “They had a good game, and we were done.”
And so too was a promising season with a 29-6 record.
Cook and his Warriors aren’t looking too far down the road just yet in terms of the playoffs.
First things first.
Grass Lake, sitting at 23-1 overall and 10-0 in conference play, takes on Napoleon (10-0 in conference) later this afternoon in a doubleheader that will go along way in determining a champ.
Grass Lake has won six Cascade Conference titles in a row.
Both teams have one doubleheader remaining after this.
But, on May 31, the state playoffs will officially launch, and for Cook and his squad, seeing a streak of three district titles in a row come to an end in 2015 in a harsh reminder of what still has to be done.
“Truthfully, I still don’t think we’ve played our best softball,” he said. “I think we still can, and when we do, we’re going to be tough to beat.”
In fairness, his team has been that all year. Grass Lake’s only loss was to Blissfield in a tournament earlier this spring.
Cook said the success starts in the circle, where pitcher Hailey Roy is 20-1 and showing no signs of slowing.
The offense is doing its part too, averaging nearly seven runs per game.
“We get production from every girl in the order,” Cook boasted.
Win, lose or draw Thursday, though, the next goal is making the most of the playoff possibilities.
This year’s group is essentially the same team that lost to Onsted last year, and with just two seniors on the roster, a good run here and now can only help things in the very near future.
Grass Lake will open June 4 against Michigan Center.
The other half of the bracket includes Napoleon, East Jackson and Vandercook Lake.
The Warriors swept Center in a doubleheader earlier this year.
“We’ve stressed one game at a time all season long,” Cook added. “That’s the key now. Not looking past anyone, staying healthy, and focusing on what’s in front of us.”
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’
Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.
Visit http://lovedefinedbook.weebly.com for more information.
