Bumper crop of stars come out of the woodwork at East-West classic

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

DETROIT — When East meets West. It sounds more like a movie title or hip-hop lyrical clash than a high school baseball game.

That was still the case at Comerica Park Tuesday night for the annual Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game, which featured 36 of the state’s top seniors. The clash featured six players who were drafted recently and more than two dozen Division I college prospects.

The West outlasted the East 9-5 in a game called after 7.5 innings due to thunderstorms that haunted the area, but not before baseball fans got one final glimpse of a bumper crop of high school baseball athletes — arguably the best since the 1998 graduating class — that will depart to either minor leagues or Division I universities across the country.

Ryan Krill of Portage Central, a team that was ranked No. 1 the whole season in Division 1 before being upset by Rockford in the state semifinals, had a pair of RBI for the West, while East Grand Rapids’ Ryan Elble earned West MVP honors.

Elble laced an RBI triple to help the West grab a 2-0 lead in the first inning — a lead his team would not relinquish.

“This is an amazing honor,” said Elble. “Just being here with all of these guys is an honor in itself.”

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Blaise Salter, one of nine players from Oakland County on the East roster, was named MVP of the East. He finished the night 3-for-4 with a pair of singles and also belted an RBI double to pace his team.

“I can’t put into words what a great experience this was,” said Salter, the grandson of former Detroit Tigers catcher Bill Freehan. “Comerica Park is a cathedral of baseball and I’m just honored I had the opportunity to play here before I left high school.”

The East rallied to close the gap to 4-3, but could get no closer. The West led 8-4 in the fifth and kept some distance.

Two local stars played in the contest — Rochester pitcher Nick Bradley and Clarkston outfielder Chase Toth, who had two hits for the East. Bradley pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Headed for Western Michigan, Bradley posted a 0.91 ERA in his senior year, where he participated in three varsity sports and departs with nine varsity letters.

“Tonight was awesome, playing on a big league ball field,” smiled Bradley, who like many others in the contest, hope to climb the ranks to the MLB one day. “It was a blast, something I won’t forget.”

The duo, two of the best players in the talent-laden Oakland Activities Association, were no selected on the all-state teams released by the MHSBCA on Sunday.

“It’s no big deal. This is the premier thing for a senior to play in this,” said Toth, who is headed for Michigan State. Just to be out there — its’ incredible. The field is perfect and you get to be treated like a pro ball player. You get to hang out in the clubhouse and the player’s lounge. They have everything that you could want.

“You almost feel like you are faster out there,” added Toth. “I felt faster out there. I think it’s all the adrenaline. It’s one of those occasions where you either get scared or you kind of rise to the occasion. You can either take for granted of the experience or take advantage of the experience. I felt I had a good game.”

DRAFTEES

Several players in Tuesday’s all-star classic were drafted two weeks ago in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.

OLSM’s Salter, Portage Central’s Krill and Madison Heights Lamphere’s Greg Fettes were all selected by the Detroit Tigers. Dearborn Divine Child’s Eric Haase, who was named the state’s Mr. Baseball on Sunday, was drafted by round the Cleveland Indians; Joel Seddon of Division 2 state champion St. Clair was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays and Grand Rapid Forest Hills Central’s Mick VanVossen was picked by the Texas Rangers.

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Tags: high school baseball, MHSBCA East-West All-Star Game, prep baseball

Category: BWW Athlete of the Week, Clarkston, High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Rochester