Orchard Lake St. Mary's Eaglets
March 9, 2023
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2023 Spring Team Preview: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
WEST BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP - It was considered by many to be the greatest Michigan high school baseball season in history. Arguably, it was the best ever in the nation.
Numbers don’t lie with what Orchard Lake St. Mary’s did in 2022.
A final record of 44-0, a MHSAA record for wins in a season. A third consecutive state title, including a championship in Division 1 after winning the crown in 2019 and 2021 in Division 2. A winning streak that currently stands at 66. Nine no-hitters and 18 shutouts. Opponents were outscored 411-53. Every starter hit .300 or better and the team ended the year with the same number of home runs as opponents scored runs - 53.
“Last year we were very well prepared every time out,” head coach Matt Petry said about what this season’s squad can take from a year ago. “These guys learned a lot about their preparation from the class of 2022 … how to play the game, how to prepare, taking no days off.”
The time to put those lessons into practice is approaching.
“People will say we lost a lot from last year, but we have guys that played support roles ready to step into a more advanced role,” Petry noted. “They just need to try to do their best and stay within themselves.”
The strength of this squad is in the infield according to the head coach of the Eaglets.
“We have three-fourths of the infield back, the shortstop and second basemen are both back, so it starts in the middle for this team,” Petry said.
Jasen Oliver, an Indiana commit rated third in the state among senior shortstops, anchors the infield with Ryan McKay forming the double play combo up the middle at second base. Blake Grimmer, who played mainly first base last season, will slide over to third this year, a position held in 2022 by Jack Crighton, now at Clemson.
Oliver hit .386 with 49 RBIs a year ago, McKay, a Michigan State signee, .376 with 46 runs scored, and Grimmer, a Tennessee commit, .365 with eight home runs and 49 RBIs.
The one-two pitching punch of Brock Porter and Ciaran Caughey has also moved on to college, Porter, the National Gatorade Player of the Year, to Clemson and Caughey to Kent State. It leaves a trio of juniors to lead the way on the mound this year.
Aidan Donovan, a Michigan State commit, was 7-0 with a 0.923 ERA last year in 30.1 innings and Parker Brzustewicz, a Notre Dame recruit, was 6-0 with a 1.75 ERA in 24 innings and expected to replace Porter and Coughey at the top of the rotation. Brzustewicz is the top-ranked 2024 right-handed pitcher in the state and Donovan is number two.
Anthony Pesci, the 16th-rated junior RHP in Michigan who sat out last season after transferring to Orchard Lake, brings another strong arm to the team with a fastball that had been up to 93 according to Petry.
Oliver, who closed out the 1-0 state title game win over Grosse Pointe North for his sixth save of the season, is another valuable pitcher for the Eaglets, which also lost pitchers Nolan Higgins (Lansing Community College) and Brandon Skorupski (Davenport) to graduation. Both finished 5-0 with one save.
“He was our closer last year but we’re not sure what to do with him,” Petry said of the hard-throwing Oliver. “Ideally, we’d like to keep him in the closer role but if we don't have a fourth starter step up he may have to step in.”
Senior Anthoni Kiafoulis, a Penn commit and the lone returning left-handed pitcher from 2022 who did not permit an earned run in nine innings of work with 17 strikeouts, is in competition for the number four spot along with sophomores Jaden Oliver and Paul Tavoolian. Oliver is the 18th-ranked 2025 right-handed pitcher in the state while Tavoolian threw 13.1 innings in 2022.
More big shoes to fill on the Eaglets are behind the plate where catcher Ike Irish was a standout with a .450 average, 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. Irish, now at Auburn, is expected to be replaced by last year’s backup, Vincent Cowdrey, a Grand Valley State commit who hit .278 in 45 plate appearances as a junior.
“He leads the staff well,” Petry said of the eighth-ranked senior catcher in Michigan. “He’s a vocal leader and our guys love throwing to him.”
Ryan Sommer, the fifth-ranked junior catcher in the state, and Anthony Elezaj, the top-rated sophomore catcher in Michigan, are other potential backstops for Orchard Lake.
The outfield will be inexperienced after losing Jack Dresselhouse (.399, 57 runs, Michigan State) and Nolan Schubert (.355, 13 home runs, 50 runs, Oklahoma State) to graduation. Additionally, Ryan Mooney, a part time left fielder and Harvard football commit, is running track this year.
Brzustewicz, who started at DH in the state semifinals and left field in the finals, will see time in the outfield after batting .360 a year ago. Junior Will Boisineau and freshman Luke Crighton, both infielders in the past, are expected to be in left and center, respectively. Crighton is an Indiana recruit.
Donovan is another potential outfielder as well as DH and first baseman with Hudson Brzustewicz, the brother of Parker and second-rated freshman in Michigan, one more player that could see time in the outfield or first base.
“There aren’t a lot of concerns, it’s just having guys playing more advanced roles this year,” Petry said.
After all, there is a lot to like about this group in the eyes of the head coach.
“They do a lot of offseason training in the weight room and four-man workouts,” Petry explained. “It’s a close group that has bonded very well together. We will see how they take training onto the field.
“It will take a little more coaching,” Petry added. “Putting guys in position to succeed and finding out about guys that don’t have a ton of experience. It will be exciting for me to see who steps up. The past couple of years the lineup wrote itself.”
The strong schedule is highlighted by games with Brother Rice, who the Eaglets played in the Catholic League championship the past two years. The teams have met 11 times over the past two years. Additionally this season, Orchard Lake will play two games in a Prep Baseball Report Classic event in Ohio in April.
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