By Mike Penn
Michigan Director of Scouting

The beauty of the state tournament is that if a team can get hot, they have a shot to win it all.  De La Salle was a great example of that last year when the Pilots made a run to Battle Creek despite being below .500 and almost became the first team in history to win a state title and not be above .500.

Similarly, this season the defending Division II State Champions Grand Rapids Christian did not have a sterling record coming into Battle Creek. They had struggled all year and came into the championship game with a paltry 18-15 record.

However, the Eagles were battle tested.  They may have struggled early this year getting off to a 6-12 start, but they play a tough schedule and started rattling off wins.  With the wins came more confidence.

Senior leaders Alex VanDeVusse and Joel Schipper played big roles in making it back to Battle Creek. VanDeVusse was nearly unhittable in the semifinals, beating Sterling Heights Stevenson 1-0.
Schipper anchored the middle of the infield all year for Grand Rapids Christian.

But it was the emergence of junior lefty Austin Batka that help propel them to back to back state titles.

Batka grew up this season.  After struggling with command early on this year, Batka seems to have figured some things out and become more of a pitcher.  The results are noticeable.

Over the past three starts in the tournament (regional finals, state quarterfinals, and state finals) Batka combined to give up only five hits in three complete games.

Yesterday Batka carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up a bloop base hit to Richmond's Ryan Boyd.  Things got even more interesting as the final out remained elusive.  Another hit and an error and Richmond sent the winning run to the plate.

But once again Grand Rapids Christian held strong, and Batka, induced a tapper to the mound, tossed to first and completed the improbable run to back to back state titles.

Offensively for the Eagles junior Tyler Sigler helped lead the team.  With a 1-0 lead Sigler smoked a triple to deep right center only to be later scored on with a squeeze play.  Later on it was Batka with a sacrifice fly scoring Tyler Davison and adding an insurance run.

All in all, the Eagles did not allow a run in Battle Creek.