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2023 Spring Team Preview: Bay City Western

AUBURN - It should not take Bay City Western’s Tim McDonald long to reach the 800-victory mark in his coaching career. Just three wins away, the 57-year-old mentor has much more on his mind, however, when it comes to the upcoming season.

“We’re deep,” McDonald said about a team that returns all but three role players from a 22-15 squad that lost to Midland in the district championship game a year ago. “There should be no excuses not to be competitive.”

With a program deep in history, Western could be more than just competitive.

“We just have a lot of baseball players, and baseball is their primary sport,” pointed out McDonald about the 2023 Warriors. “I think they’re athletic. It’s a team that will play the way we’ve been successful in the past. They have high expectations.”

That can be expected. After all, since 2012 Bay City Western has won eight league championships and had six 30-win seasons.

“We had an incredible run from 2012-2018,” noted McDonald, who enters the season with a 797-270 career record, ranking 12th all-time for wins in the state and fifth among active coaches. “We won the conference in 2019 and then Covid hit and we’ve been rebuilding. But I think we’ll be strong this year.”

If that is the case, tradition may be a big part of it.

“Traditionally we play a lot of small ball,” McDonald said. “We play the fundamentals, we bunt a lot, run a lot and play good defense. We don’t have a ton of D-I guys but we have good depth and guys that have bought into that philosophy.”

Ben Kochany, a Saginaw Valley commit rated 47th in the state among senior right-handed pitchers, will lead a pitching staff that includes a trio of other talented arms.

Luke LaCourse is the fourth-ranked sophomore in Michigan while 2025 classmate Brayden Simmon is the 33rd-rated left-handed hurler in the state’s sophomore class. Cole Schmidt brings a veteran to the mix, a three-year player committed to Mott Community College rated 199th among Michigan high school seniors.

“Our pitching staff will be strong,” McDonald related. “Ben is a legit top guy on the staff and when he was hurt last year Luke ended up being our number one. Cole had a nice year as a junior and we have Brayden, another sophomore. After that we have some role guys back.”

One of those is southpaw Aidan Robinson, the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter who brings speed to the lineup. The 108th-rated junior outfielder in the state will be flanked by three-year player Hoyt Smith and either senior Brady Dubay or Schmidt, the 29th-ranked senior outfielder in Michigan.

Ryker Decaire, who was the everyday first baseman last season, returns and the left-handed hitting senior, rated 14th among 2023 first baseman in the state, like Robinson, also has the ability to pitch.

Simmon can also fill in at first with Kochany and LaCourse back to share shortstop duties. Senior Miles Yurgaites, another three-year player, and Colton Hopp, a DH much of last season who also pitches and can play corner infield, are other returnees along with junior catcher Bryce Neitzel. Sophomore Jack Sequin, called by McDonald “one of the hardest workers” on the team, is another looking for playing time.

“For us it’s just a matter of getting over that hump,” McDonald summarized. “Can we make the key play? Can we play well in the big game?

“I thought we were a year away last year,” McDonald concluded. “It’s just a matter if we show up. That’s the X factor.”

Bay City Western will open the season on April 4 at Flushing.

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