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PBR Michigan Division 1 Team Of The Week - Gull Lake

RICHLAND - Six games, six different starting pitchers, six wins.

Not a bad stretch for Gull Lake, the Prep Baseball Report Division I Team of the Week in Michigan.

“Our pitching has been pretty good,” understated Gull Lake head coach Reggie Walters, whose squad is now 12-2 after the 6-0 week that included sweeps of Loy Norrix, previously 10-1 Mattawan (ranked 24th in the Week 3 rankings) and previously 12-1 Byron Center. “We had six different starters and they all performed well. That’s different than most schools.”

The ability to go deep into games is an added bonus, with four of the six hurlers throwing complete games during the week for the third-rated squad in Michigan.

Luke Scoles (Video) and Jack Blesch provide a strong one-two punch on the mound for the Blue Devils (Ranked No. 3 in the week 4 rankings), each currently with a 0.41 ERA. Scoles, a 6-4 200-pound right-hander ranked 26th in the state’s junior class, has 19 strikeouts in 17 innings with a 3-0 record while Blesch, a 6-1 200-pounder rated 18th among Michigan’s 2020 players, has fanned 27 in 18 innings with a 1-1 mark along with one save.

“We knew our pitching would be really good this year,” Walters said. “Our offense has been good, too, but we knew our pitching would be better than most teams. I’d take my 3-4 guys against your 1-2s any day.”

Brandon Ruge and Luke Mastromatteo have been outstanding as well for Gull Lake, the two each picking up wins in 8-5 and 7-0 victories over Mattawan last Thursday. Both seniors, Ruge is a 5-10 150-pounder with a 4-0 record averaging .421 at the plate, while Mastromatteo is a 5-11 190-pound right-hander who threw five innings of three-hit shutout ball in the second game win.

As for depth, sophomore Braden Stanton, a 5-11 190-pound righty, tossed a one-hitter against Byron Central in his first varsity start on Saturday.

Stanton is the younger brother of junior shortstop Dylan Stanton, a Michigan commit ranked fourth in the state’s 2020 class. The 6-1 180-pound cleanup batter is currently hitting at a .395 clip for the Blue Devils.

Third baseman Jacob Louden, a 6-1 190-pound junior, is leading Gull Lake with a .424 average hitting out of the two-hole.

But while last week was special, Walters points to a victory at the Midwest Classic earlier in the month as a defining moment for his squad.

“Beating Libertyville in Indianapolis was our biggest win,” Walters said of a 9-0 win against an Illinois team that features college commits to Illinois, Valparaiso, Missouri and Illinois State. Libertyville had defeated Portage Central, the 11th-rated team in Michigan, 13-7 the evening prior. “Our second biggest win was when we came from behind against Byron Center. That was our first come-from-behind win. We were down 3-1 and won 5-4.”

Center fielder Justin Mansager, the 106th-ranked senior in the state, and Korbin Griffin, a lefty pitcher and outfielder rated ninth in Michigan’s 2021 class, are other key contributors for the Blue Devils in addition to catcher Dawson Clancy.

“The biggest surprise has been our senior catcher,” Walters said of the 6-0 185-pound Clancy. “He was okay last year but he worked a ton in the offseason and has been amazing behind the dish. He’s thrown out 75 percent of base stealers and that’s helped make us so much better. He’s been a game-changer for us.

“Our pitchers have also done a better job of controlling the run game,” added Walters, whose team is slated to face Lakeview in a doubleheader tonight, a team the Blue Devils defeated in extra innings in district action last year before falling in a 12-inning regional game with Grand Ledge.

“Staying fresh will be a key for us,” Walters said in looking ahead to the remainder of the campaign. “We only have 16 on the team and that’s with a couple pitchers-only. We need to keep getting the reps but not overdoing it.”

Two games each with Niles and Jackson Northwestern are also on tap in back-to-back days this week, where pitching depth can be vital, something Gull Lake has put on display this season.