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Division 4 Team Of The Week: 6th Edition - Marcellus

MARCELLUS - It has been a memorable season for Marcellus, the last unbeaten squad in the state and the Prep Baseball Division 4 Team of the Week.

“Going into the season we knew we would have a solid team, but not this solid,” admitted head coach Christian Hutson, whose Wildcats have won all 25 games to date. “We have 15 guys in the high school program that bought in from the start and came out to work each and every day from the start of the season. The way we compete, whether at the plate, mound or field, the kids constantly go to battle.”

This past week there were two wins apiece over Hartford (13-1, 12-5), Gobles (5-4, 4-2) and Galesburg Augusta (17-4, 5-4).

“In our six games played this past week each game we had stellar pitching from our rotation,” noted Hutson, who pointed to performances by freshmen Cale Hackenberg and Abram Coffey along with seniors Nathan Mihills and Dawsen Lehew as keys to a perfect 6-0 week. In addition, freshman left fielder Matthew Lehew had a two-out two-run hit in the top of the seventh in Friday’s 5-4 win over Augusta.

“Our biggest surprise this year has been the way each and every guy steps up at any moment and contributes,” Hutson said. “We have had some big hits, big plays in the field, and made the pitches when we have had to, to help us get to 25-0.

“Our expectations this year were to compete for a conference championship and compete come tournament time,” the Marcellus mentor added. “The four seniors we have, have taken some bumps and bruises over the years and they have stepped up as leaders big time.”

Mihills, a pitcher/first baseman, “has been a tone setter at the leadoff spot” according to Hutson, averaging .311 with 28 RBIs. Senior center fielder Cole Thornburgh is batting .360 with 24 RBIs hitting in the five-hole.

Two ninth graders have led the way at the plate, with Coffey, a shortstop/pitcher, batting .612 with 14 doubles, four triples, four home runs and 47 RBIs. Hackenberg, the three-hole hitter who pitches, catches and plays third, is hitting .431 with 11 doubles, four triples and 34 RBIs.

Hackenberg is also the top pitcher with a 6-0 record and two saves. In 36.1 innings, the right-hander has fanned 71 with a 1.156 ERA.

“If we continue to grind at practice, and keep putting in the work plus some, we will continue to get better and results should follow,” Hutson said.

A league championship is in the grasp with a three-game lead over Decatur.

“We play a conference rival (Cassopolis) on Wednesday in a doubleheader, and if we win one of those we win the league title outright,” pointed out Hutson, who has understandably enjoyed the unbeaten season to date.

“This year has been one of, if not, the most successful seasons in program history.” Hutson concluded. “We still have plenty of work to do to finish the job, but the way we have gotten support from our community has been great. People are showing up and filling the stands giving us energy to help us go out and battle night in and night out. Every night feels like a homecoming for us. This year’s team has been fun to watch and most of the people that are coming plan on coming to our district tournament in Centreville on June 1 to support us.”

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