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2011 ALL-AREA BASEBALL: Diamond squad is armed and lethally dangerous

Dan Stickradt | July 12, 2011 | Comments (4)

REPEAT OFFENDER: Clarkston's Matt Rodgers earned his second straight spot on the All-Area First Team as one of the area's top pitchers. File Photo.

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

The senior class of baseball players in Michigan was known to be as deep of a group since the Class of 1998, where nine in-state prep players were drafted. The state this season again had nine prep players selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft and had an unusually high number of Division I recruits around the state.

Even on the local level this standout class was quite noticeable. Although there were no players from the www.northoaklandsports.com coverage area drafted this season, there were dozens of standout players with very bright futures playing baseball.

Which brings us to the recent prep baseball season and the 2011 All-Area Baseball Team.

There were several highlight performances turned in by area teams and individuals. Consider just a splice of those memorable moments.

* Rochester Stoney Creek set a school record with 23 wins, won its first-ever OAA Red Division league championship, captured its first-ever postseason win and advanced to the Division 1 district finals for the first time in the school’s nine-year history.

* Lake Orion captured 20 wins for the eighth time in 10 seasons.

* Clarkston advanced to the Division 1 Sweet 16 (regional finals for the fifth time in nine seasons.

* Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest reached the Division 4 state quarterfinals and won its fourth regional crown in seven seasons.

* Troy Bethany Christian captured its first Michigan Association of Christian Schools Division I state championship since 2000.

* Lake Orion Baptist reached the Final Four of the MACS tournament for the ninth straight year despite having only two seniors.

* Clarkston’s Chase Toth and Rochester’s Nick Bradley both participated in the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game.

* Rochester Adams’ Alex Taylor, Rochester Stoney Creek’s Ben Yax, Clarkston’s Jassiel Gonzales and Lutheran Northwest’s Eric Mischley all earned all-state honors.

* Dozens of local players earned all-league, all-district or all-region honors.

The list could go on and on, which brings us to the profiles of the all-area squad, selected by NOS staff in conjunction with area coaches. A total of 13 of the 16 players named to the All-Area First Team are seniors while the other two spots went to two juniors and one sophomore.

It’s quite an assembly of talent.

Meet the squad:

Pitchers

NICK BRADLEY, Rochester: This pitcher-infielder spent four years on the Falcons’ varsity and his best was definitely his senior campaign. The All-OAA Red Division, all-district, all-region and All-Oakland County First Team honoree capped his career with an appearance in the East-West All-Star Game. On the mound, he did not give up an earned run during his first 32 innings of work and finished 5-2 overall, with both losses being 2-1 setbacks. He finished with a stellar 0.91 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 56 innings. At the plate he batted .442, which ranks high on the school’s single-season list. He has signed with Western Michigan for baseball. Bradley was also a standout on the football team as a three-year starting quarterback and a shooting guard on the OAA Blue Division champion basketball squad.

“I think Nick had as good of a senior year as anybody, and I’m not just talking about baseball. He is a three-sport (standout),”said coach Eric Magiera. “In a lot of games he is the best pure athlete on the field. He will be irreplaceable next season. He meant so much to this program in his career.”

MATT RODGERS, Clarkston: After earning second-team all-state honors as a junior, Rodgers overcame a slow start and was a crucial part in the Wolves making another trip to the regional finals in Division 1. Named to the All-OAA Red Division, all-district and all-region teams, Rodgers was 7-1 with a fine 1.98 ERA from the rubber. The three-year starter and the Wolves’ No. 1 pitcher posted a .450 batting average, a .522 on-base percentage, four home runs and 31 RBI. He has signed with Lincoln Trail Community College (Ill.).

“Because of all the bad weather we had this year, Matt didn’t pitch as many innings which I think hurt his chances of being all-state,” said Clarkston coach Phil Price. “But he was still one of the best pitchers around. He was great towards the end of the season. To only have two losses the past couple of years based on the teams that we play is pretty impressive.”

NICK DEEG, Lake Orion: Just a sophomore, Deeg emerged as the Dragons’ top pitcher this season and provided a steady bat and glove as a first baseman as well. From the mound, he finished 5-1 over 46 innings or work. He struck out 63 batters and posted a 1.83 ERA while teams batted just .205 against him. He was named to the All-OAA Red Division squad and All-County Honorable Mention.

“As the season went along, he started to pitch more of our bigger games and became our top pitcher by the end of the year,” said Lake Orion coach Andy Schramek. “He established himself as one of the top pitchers in our league. He should be our ace next season.”

HERE COMES THE OLD NO. 1: Rochester's Nick Bradley was considered the ares's top pitcher in 2011 and a reason why he made the All-Area First Team. File Photo.

Catcher

ANTHONY GONZALES, Rochester Stoney Creek: Better known as just “Niko”, this junior earned All-OAA Red Division, all-district and all-region honors in his third season as a starter behind the plate. This year he hit .402 with a .608 slugging percentage. He collected a team-best 43 RBI with 63 total bases, 22 runs, 41 hits, seven doubles and five home runs. He was even better behind the plate, posting a sterling .985 fielding percentage with 176 putouts, 18 assists and only three errors.

“He was our No. 4 hitter this year and teams couldn’t pitch around him, so he just punished people sometimes,” said coach Clint Rodger. “He hit over .400 with 43 RBI and he constantly came through with the big hit. He batted around .300 as a freshman, around .350 as a sophomore and just over .400 this year as a junior. We’re excited to see what he can do as a senior. There’s no doubt he’s a Division I catcher.”

First Baseman

PETER GEBARA, Troy: The Colts had a new coaching staff this season and several new starters and varsity players, but Gebara was still a productive player in his third year as a starter. The senior hit .453 with 32 runs, 86 at-bats, 39 hits, 13 doubles and six home runs to earn All-OAA Red Division and all-district accolades.

“We had a slow start as a team with a coaching change, but Peter was solid all season long and proved to be a leader for us,” said coach Jim Ellis. “He was probably our best all-around player this year. He was solid at the plate and in the field.”

Infielders

BEN YAX, Rochester Stoney Creek: The first player in school history to earn All-State First Team honors, the Cougars’ shortstop posted one of the most productive seasons of any player to suit up for Stoney Creek. Yax batted .458 average with a stellar .563 on-base percentage and that included 38 hits, 29 runs, three home runs, 17 RBI, 17 walks, 12 stolen bases and 55 total bases. In the field, he posted a .948 clip with 42 putouts and 85 assists against only seven errors. Yax was also 2-1 on the mound with a 3.39 ERA over 31 innings of work.

“He’s our first-ever first-team all-stater and what a year Ben had,” praised Rodger. “He just kept getting better from his sophomore season to his senior year and had one of the best (individual) seasons we’ve had here at Stoney Creek.”

ALEX TAYLOR, Rochester Adams: Taylor moved into the starting lineup after Adams graduated 10 players from the 2010 season and excelled, earning multiple postseason honors, including All-State First Team in Division 1. This season Taylor batted .419 with a single-season school record 10 home runs, 38 hits, 29 runs, 42 RBI, a .486 on-base percentage and a .872 slugging percentage. He also fielded at a .920 clip with 23 putouts, 43 assists and only eight errors.

JASSIEL GONZALES, Clarkston: Named to the All-State Second Team in Division 1, the Wolves’ senior shortstop had a fine season with the bat and the glove. A sure-handed fielder, Gonzales posted a fielding percentage over .900, while he hit .412 with 26 RBI, 10 doubles and 29 runs from the No. 2 spot in the order. Gonzales will play next season at Macomb Community College.

“Jassiel was just real solid all year,” said Price. “We always knew that he would come ready to play for us.”

JAKE MILLER, Rochester Stoney Creek: The Cougars’ senior second baseman was a key cog to his team winning the talent-laden OAA Red Division this season. The all-league and all-district honoree batted an impressive .424 with 36 runs, 39 hits, 10 doubles, 26 RBI, 67 total bases, 11 walks, a .728 slugging and a .509 on-base percentage. He has signed with Kellogg Community College.

“Jake hit in the No. 3 hole for us and was one of our seniors who just had a great year,” said Rodger. “Jake did a great job getting on base.”

BRET WYSS, Lake Orion: This senior shortstop fought through a minor injury to have a solid encore campaign which saw him earn All-OAA Red Division and all-district status in his second year as a starter. He finished the campaign with a .386 batting average, 25 RBI, two home runs, 39 hits and 24 runs scored for the league runner-up Dragons.

“Brett became one of our leaders this year and he brought the passion and energy to the field and played the game of baseball the way it is meant to be played,” said Schramek. “He sacrificed whatever he could to help Lake Orion baseball. He’s a very unselfish kid.”

BELTING IT: Lake Orion senior outfielder hits with a lot of power and his talentes landed him a spot on the All-Area First Team for the second straight campaign. File Photo | Larry McKee, www.lmckeephotography.com

Outfielders

ERIC MISCHLEY, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest: After a superb senior season, Mischley was named to the All-State First Team among numerous postseason accolades. The center fielder-pitcher hit an impressive .513 with 41 runs, 40RBI, 10 doubles, five triples, four home runs and 25 stolen bases but was at his best in the postseason in leading the Crusaders to the Elite Eight. On the mound he was 4-4 overall 45 innings of work. He posted a 3.46 ERA and showed solid control with 67 strikeouts against only 17 walks. His best effort was a three-hitter in the state quarterfinals loss to Merrill, where he fanned a career-best 16 batters, also a single-game school record, against one walk.

“Eric was our best player and one of the best players we have seen in a few years,” said coach Mario Borrocci. “He’s a great kid and great student. He has many colleges interested in him, just waiting for him to decide. He won one district game, one regional game and lost the quarterfinals game 2-1 with both runs being unearned.”

LIVELY: With the glove or with the bat, Clarkston's Chase Toth was ranked as one of the premier outfielders in the state and will take his talents to Michigan State next season. File Photo | Dan Stickradt

CHASE TOTH, Clarkston: Headed for Michigan State, Toth proved to be one of the state’s top outfielders this season with his stellar play both offensively and defensively. Moved to the leadoff spot early in the campaign, Toth hit .435 with 35 stolen bases, 30 walks, 29 hits and posted a stellar .573 on-base percentage. His best asset was his speed in the outfield, displaying great range and the ability to track down fly balls that most outfielders cannot reach and showcased a powerful arm where he could rope the ball to the plate. The Coaches Association All-Star Game representative made the All-OAA Red Division, all-district and all-region lists.

“He’s one of the best that I’ve coached. Not too many high schoolers can play in the outfield like Chase does,” said Price. “I think he’s going to have a great career at Michigan State.”

BRIAN PORTELLI, Auburn Hills Avondale: Portelli missed the first seven games of the season and had a slow start, but picked it up in the second half of the campaign to earn all-league and all-district honors. He hit .409 this season with a .773 slugging percentage and .532 on-base percentage. In 66 at-bats, he had 27 hits, nine doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI and scored 20 times. He fielded .950 from his center field position with 33 putouts and five assists against just two errors. Portelli, who was second-team all-state as a junior, will play at Grand Rapids Community College next season with the hopes of transferring to a Division I school in the future.

“He had that slow start, but he’s still one of the top 2-3 hitters to come through this program,” said coach Tommy Kurczewski. “He had a good four-year career with us.”

COLE SCHAENZER, Lake Orion: After helping lead the Dragons to the Division 1 state championship in football last November as a quarterback and wide receiver, Schaenzer helped the Dragons to a 25-7 overall record this spring in baseball and to several weeks logged in the state’s top 10 rankings. The outfielder and team’s No. 3 starter on the Dragons’ deep pitching staff, Schaenzer hit .380 with 14 RBI, 35 hits and 28 runs. On the mound he was 4-1 with 1.42 ERA in 29 2/3 innings of work where he struck out 28 batters. He recently committed to Valparaiso.

“Cole is a great athlete and leader. When you look at what he did in football, taking over the quarterback position midway through the playoffs and leading Lake Orion to the football title. People forgot what a good wide receiver he was,” said Schramek. “In baseball, he’s the same way. Wherever we put him, he would excel. He’s the type of kid that you want on your team.”

WELL ROUNDED: Whether it be on the mound, in center field or at the plate, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest's Eric Mischley had a stellar season and earned himself a spot on the All-State First Team and All-Area First Team.File Photo | Dan Stickradt

At-Large

ALEX HARRISON, Troy Athens: The All-OAA Red Division and all-district performer hit .350 at the plate and was one of the league’s top pitchers this season. From the mound, he was 6-2 as the Red Hawks’ No. 1 starter, striking out 51 batters over 59 innings pitched and posted a 2.28 ERA.

“Alex was our big-game pitcher and a great competitor. He wanted the ball in the important games and wanted to be at the plate in clutch situations,” said coach Mike Morris.”He was one of our top players the past three years. We’ll miss having him around.”

ZACH ZOTT, Lake Orion: Originally committing to Butler for football and baseball, Zott made a recent switch to Michigan to further his baseball career. This season, Zott didn’t have a great pitching campaign but was still lethal with the bat and was a solid outfielder defensively. This season he hit .350 with 34 RBI, five home runs, 36 hits and 30 runs scored. He was named to the All-OAA Red Division squad.

“We’ve had a lot of great male athletes at the school in the past 10-12 years and Zach is right up there with the best of them,” said Schramek. “He’s just a gifted athlete. I know he didn’t pitch that well this season, but he still had a good year hitting-wise and a great career at Lake Orion. I know he is capable of having a good career in college.”

COACH OF THE YEAR

CLINT RODGERS, Rochester Stoney Creek: In his ninth season with the Cougars, Stoney Creek had its best campaign to date under Rodger, the only head coach the school has known.

The Cougars finished the year 23-8, won its first-ever OAA Red Division league title (13-3) and third league championship overall and advanced to the Division 1 district finals for the first time. What was more impressive is that Stoney Creek was not favored to win the league, which displayed notable depth this season. The Cougars were picked to be a middle of the pack team without a dominant pitcher.

With a deep senior class, the team’s run ended with a 1-1 mark in the postseason and a loss in the district finals to Romeo, Rodger’s alma mater. The 23 overall wins is a school record.

“It was a great season. It’s too bad we didn’t win the district because we had a lead in the district finals,” said Rodger. “We had a 6-1lead in the fifth inning but lost 7-6 in eight innings. We were one inning away from winning our first district.

“I’m pleased with the group of guys we had, because they came out and played hard and proved at the end that we were a very good team, winning the OAA Red,” added Rodger. “We lose six seniors off this team, four which were starters. They helped this program come a long ways this season.”

ALL-AREA BASEBALL TEAM 2011

FIRST TEAM

Pitchers

Nick Bradley Rochester Senior

Nick Deeg Lake Orion Sophomore

Matt Rodgers Clarkston Senior

Catcher

Niko Gonzales Roch. Stoney Creek Junior

First Baseman

Peter Gabara Troy Senior

Infielders

Ben Yax Roch. Stoney Creek Senior

Alex Taylor Rochester Adams Junior

Jassiel Gonzales Clarkston Senior

Jake Miller Roch. Stoney Creek Senior

Brett Wyss Lake Orion Senior

Outfielders

Eric Mischley RH Luth. Northwest Senior

Chase Toth Clarkston Senior

Brian Portelli A.H. Avondale Senior

Cole Schaenzer Lake Orion Senior

At-Large

Alex Harrison Troy Athens Senior

Zack Zott Lake Orion Senior

COACH OF THE YEAR

Clint Rodger Roch. Stoney Creek Ninth Season

SECOND TEAM

Pitchers: Andrew Fairse, Clarkston sr.; Matt Nestor, Rochester Adams sr.; Luke McCatty, Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest sr.

Catcher: Dylan Peck, Clarkston jr.

First Baseman: Tyler Drabek, Auburn Hills Avondale sr.

Infielders: Tommy Eng, Troy Athens jr.; Ian Mercer, Rochester Adams sr.; Tyler Horne, Troy sr.; Mike McKlinley, Rochester Stoney Creek sr.; Evan Surnick, Rochester jr.

Outfielders: Anthony Carrillo, Troy Athens sr.; Alex Borglin, Rochester Adams jr.; Trent Drumheller, Rochester Stoney Creek sr.; Austin Karbowski, Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes sr.; Cody Campbell, Lake Orion soph.

At-Large: Connor Welby, Lake Orion Baptist sr.; Travis Woodham, Troy Bethany Christian sr; Dan Essian, Troy sr.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Auburn Hills Avondale: Mitch Robinson, jr. C; Matt Andrus, jr. INF; Dylan Ahern, sr. 2B; Auburn Hills Oakland Christian: Luke Combs, jr. INF-P; Mark Levon, fr. INF; Clarkston: Vince Siwicki, sr. P-OF; Jake Sims, sr. 2B; Lake Orion: Roman Kuster, soph. C; Lake Orion Baptist: Jason Noruk, fr. P-INF; Oxford: Keith Paslean, Oxford sr. P-INF; Kyle Hartwick, jr. C; Rochester: Chris Saber, sr. P-OF; Rochester Stoney Creek: Zak Northrop, sr. OF-P; Rochester Hills Christian: John Armitage, soph. C-INF; Misael Hernandez, fr. SS-P; Jon Becker, sr. P-OF; Brandon Rodriguez, fr. OF-INF; Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest: Chad Cook, jr. SS-P; Justin Novack, soph. 2B-SS; Troy: Nick Krajewski, sr. INF-P; Troy Athens: Hayato Ando, soph. P-3B; Ian Land, sr. 2B; Troy Bethany Christian: Luke Combs, sr. P-INF; Noah Francis, soph. 3B; Tyler Parsons, jr. C; Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes/Clarkston Everest Collegiate Unified: Jarred Ritch, sr. P-OF; Mitch Lasceski, soph. INF.