Day 1     5/25

B'ham Brother Rice vs Flushing, 7-3

Howell vs Bay City Western, 3-4

Canton vs. Lapeer East, 13-1

B'ham Brother Rice vs Lapeer East, 7-4

Howell vs Flushing, 5-0

Bay City Western vs. Canton, 4-3 (8 innings)

 

Day 2    5/26

Flushing vs Canton, 9-3

Bay City Western vs. Lapeer East, 7-3

B'ham vs Howell, Cancelled

Howell vs. Canton, 11-6

Flushing vs. Lapeer East, 

B'ham Brother Rice vs Bay City Western, 2-1 (9 innings)

 

The 1st Annual Champions Tournament was held over the weekend in the greater Flint area with six teams from all over the state participating.  Birmingham Brother Rice took home yet another piece of hardware.  Rice's wins stemmed from unsigned senior shortstop Travis Ferguson.  Ferguson led all hitter's on Rice's squad with six hits throughout the weekend including a "gamer" against Bay City Western.  Other big names for Rice include the younger Ruppenthal connecting with his first home run of the season versus Flushing.  Ruppenthal has committed to Vanderbilt as a sophomore and is slated as one of the Warriors aces. His recent outing was a win at Comerica Park for the A-B Catholic League Championship against U of D Jesuit.  Rice went 3-0 in the Champions Tournament with wins over Lapeer East, Flushing and (4) Bay City Western.  Look for the Warriors to go deep in the state tournament.  They start off against a tough West Bloomfield on Tuesday, May 29th. 

On a day where Western, a team consisting of only three seniors, clinched part of the Saginaw Valley League Championship by winning two more games against Howell and Plymouth Canton. Junior shortstop Grant Miller was definitely the player of the game against the Highlanders of Howell.  Miller went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a single and an RBI.  His lateral ability and range at short allows for a quick gather and release.   Other players for Western start with Michigan-bound left handed pitcher Brett Adcock. Adcock entered the game at first base for defensive purposes in the bottom half of the seventh. Junior right handed pitcher Brit Ott went six innings and the collected the win.  Ott also helped himself at the plate knocking in 2 RBIs. Junior right handed pitcher Connor Foley gathered the save amassing a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the seventh. 

The Highlanders fought hard during the loss against Western.  Notables for the weekend were senior right fielder Brandon Risacher and left handed pitcher Josh Vyletel.  Risacher is a lightening quick runner who displays some pop from his right handed hitting stance.  Risacher is sub 4.1-4.2 from home to first.  He finished the weekend 7-for-11 at the plate.  One of the interesting plays of the day came from Risacher.  After leading off with a double, Risacher tied up the game (3-3) on a hit-and-run 6-3 fielders choice off of Mike Lentine's bat.  Vyletel went the distance collecting the "W" with a 2-hit shutout in the night-cap against Flushing.  Vyletel's fastball sits upper 70's and he has a tough breaking ball.  After watching the Howell Western matchup on Friday, both teams look tough for Tuesday's pre-district match-ups. 

Bay City Western faces conference foe and the state ranked (#2) Midland Chemics at home slated for a 3 PM start.

Howell will face Lansing Everett at East Lansing High School slated for a 4:30 start.