Aaron Saenz, USA
By: Mike Gallagher
Sports Writer
TUSCOLA COUNTY — 2015 was an exciting season for baseball in the Tuscola County Advertiser coverage area. Frankenmuth won the Tri-Valley East conference, Kingston and USA won their districts on their home fields, and Mac McGough and Mason Erla both earned All-State honors.
Plenty of players had great individual seasons as well, and they are being honored by being named to the 2015 edition of the All-Advertiser baseball team.
Leading the team is Mac McGough, a Division 2, second team All-State pitcher from North Branch. McGough, a junior, was dominant on the mound, going 11-1 on the season with 137 strikeouts, and only 11 walks in 82 innings worked. He also batted .451 at the plate, while leading the Broncos to a 23-9 record, and a second place finish in the Tri-Valley East conference.
North Branch coach Chuck Jacobson was excited about McGough’s performance this year.
“He was the ace of our staff,” said Jacobson. “He was the first Bronco in school history to earn All-State honors in baseball, and I’m very lucky to have him coming back next season.”
The next pitcher named to the first team, is Cass City’s Mason Erla. Erla, also a junior, was named to the Division 3 All-State first team, after being named to the first team last year as a sophomore. In 51 innings of work, Erla racked up 111 strikeouts, six wins, and gave up only four earned runs all season, giving him a 0.39 earned run average on the year. At the plate, Erla batted .439 for the Red Hawks, and drove in a team-high 25 runs.
Cass City coach Josh Stern is happy to have Erla on his team.
“Mason is the kind of player every coach wants to have,” said Stern. “He has a cannon for an arm, and at the plate when he hits the ball, it is always hit hard.”
Catcher Jake Robinson of Frankenmuth was named to the first team, and he will be taking his talents on the field to Delta College next season, as he will join the Pioneer baseball program. Robinson was named to the TVC first team as a catcher, and has been the starter for the Eagles for three seasons, and was also a team captain this year. He was Frankenmuth’s team leader in batting average with a .381 average on the year. He also drove in 29 runs, and got on base at a .479 clip.
“Jake is going to Delta to start school and play ball,” said Frankenmuth coach Gordon Culver. “He will be catching for Means Stamping this summer, and he’s a great kid, and did an awesome managing our games.”
Hunter Morrison, Mayville
After missing a few games to an ankle injury, Mayville shortstop Hunter Morrison came back to have a very strong season, earning All-North Central Thumb League first team honors, and a spot on the All-Advertiser team. In 21 games Morrison collected a team-high 21 hits, 24 stolen bases, and was second on the team with a .387 batting average. Morrison also contributed on the mound, picking up five wins, and striking out 62 batters in 40 innings pitched.
“Hunter was a three year starter for me, and he had a really great season,” said Mayville coach Aaron McCormack. “He is just a natural born baseball player, he was my number one pitcher, and played great at shortstop, and was a good leader.”
Erla’s battery mate Sawyer Cuthrell earned first team honors for his versatility on the field, and his abilityto play any positionfor the Red Hawks.
“Sawyer could play any position on the field, and be fantastic there,” said Stern. “After a slow start at the plate, he became a consistent hitter who set the table for the rest of the team.”
Through the first 10 games of the season, Cuthrell was batting .250, but a four hit game against Bad Axe, kickstarted his hitting, and he finished the season with a .419 batting average, and he led the team in scoring, finishing the year with 23 runs scored. He also held a .946 fielding percentage, and had only nine errors on the season. Cuthrell also earned first team all Greater Thumb Conference honors.
Reese third baseman Jonah Jones was the heart of the Rocket lineup during the 2015 season, as he led the team in hits (34), doubles (8), RBIs (14), batting average (.459), and slugging percentage (.568). He also scored 16 runs and stole six bases. Jones, a senior, was also named to the All-GTC first team as an infielder.
“I think Jonah had a great season,” said Reese coach Dave Elliot. “Especially considering he didn’t even play baseball last season. He took the spring off to lift weights for football, but he came back this year and was very good. He had a nice glove, and was very strong at the plate, and hit very well, especially in league games.”
Vassar junior Logan Amend was a big part of the Vulcan baseball turnaround this season, and is on the first team for his play on the Vassar infield. After going 1-23 last season, Amend led the Vulcans to a 10-17-1 record this year. In 86 at-bats, Amend collected 36 hits, good for a .418 batting average. He drove in 17 runs, and had 26 stolen bases.
“Logan played shortstop for us this season,” said Vassar coach Brady Schuler. “He was the heart and soul of our infield, and batted second in the lineup, and we are happy to have him back next year.”
Travis Tucker, Kingston
Travis Tucker of Kingston was one of the top hitters in the Advertiser coverage area this season, and was a menace on the basepaths. Tucker, a senior centerfielder, was the only unanimous first team choice in the North Central Thumb League this season, and led the Cardinals in many offensive categories. Tucker finished the season with a .412 batting average, 14 RBIs, three triples, 10 doubles, and 28 total hits. He scored 34 runs, and stole 41 bases.
“Travis is a very special athlete,” said Kingston coach Michael Seaman. “He used his speed and power to ignite our offense all season.”
Joining Tucker in the All-Advertiser outfield, is teammate Colin Smith. Smith, who was also the ace of the Cardinal pitching staff, was also very strong at the plate. His season totals include a .319 batting average, 20 RBIs, 17 runs scored, and 21 stolen bases. On the mound, Smith, a junior, collected seven wins, and struck out 117 batters in 67 innings of work, and finished the year with a 2.59 earned run average. Smith earned first team honors in the NCTL as a pitcher, and second team honors as an outfielder.
“Colin is a great all around baseball player,” said Seaman. “He is the ace of our staff, played great defense, and has a great bat. He has a very high baseball IQ, and I am excited to have him back for one more year to lead our baseball program.”
The third outfielder on the All-Advertiser team, was like Smith, a threat on the mound, and in the field. Aaron Saenz of USA was the Patriots top pitcher, and their top hitter. In 68 innings, Saenz struck out 82 batters, and gave up 23 earned runs, good for a 2.34 earned run average, winning six games. Saenz, a junior, led USA with a .338 batting average, and scored 21 runs, while collecting 22 hits.
“When Aaron is on the mound, there is a different confidence with the team,” said USA coach Tyler Bader. “He will strike guys out, and give you a chance to win everytime he pitches. His leaderhip has really grown over the last two years, and he expects to win.”
Jacob Wright, Owen-Gage
Rounding out the All-Advertiser team are two player that earned At-Large bids, Jacob Wright of Owen-Gage, and Jack Tagget of Frankenmuth. Wright, a junior lefty pitcher, was the Bulldogs top player this season, and his pitching kept his team in most of their games. His strongest performance came against Caseville, when he pitched nine innings, striking out 12 batters, and allowing only three hits, in Owen-Gage’s 5-3 extra innings victory over the Eagles. Wright finished the year with a .526 batting average, a 0.50 earned run average, and he struck out 111 batters, while walking 13.
“He’s a great kid, with a great attitude,” said Owen-Gage coach Brian Wright. “He still has a lot of room for improvement, so I’m really looking forward to next year.”
Tagget, also a junior pitcher, was overpowering for the Eagles. He finished the season with a 1.08 earned run average, a 8-2 record, and 86 strikeouts in 65 innings, and only allowed nine earned runs all season. At the plate he batter .358 and had 28 RBIs, while leading the team with 11 doubles.
“Jack is a three year starter for us, and has been dominant on the mound for us the last two seasons,” said Frankenmuth coach Gordon Culver. “He broke the school’s career win record this season, and will be coming back next year.”
David Wargo, Brady Schuler, Vassar
After leading the Vassar baseball program to new heights this season, coach Brady Schuler has earned the Advertiser Coach of the Year honor. Last season the Vulcans won just one game, and finshed the year with a 1-23 record. This year, Vassar finished the season 10-17, and were competitive in almost all of their games. Coach Schuler helped the Vulcans bring up their team batting average .104 points from the last season, finishing the season with a .296 team average, after finishing last year with a team average of .192. He also led the Vulcans to their first conference win in over four years, when they defeated Bad Axe early in the season.
“This is an award for our players,” said Schuler. “It’s their award, for their massive improvement, and their hard work this season.”
“I think some of our success this year was because with coach Schuler we all just had a good connection with him, and enjoyed being around him,” said Vassar catcher Juan Cerda III. “When players enjoy being around their coach, and feel comfortable with him, then only good things will happen on the field.”
2015 All-Advertiser Baseball
First Team
Pitcher Mac McGough North Branch
Pitcher Mason Erla Cass City
Catcher Jake Robinson Frankenmuth
Infield Hunter Morrison Mayville
Infield Sawyer Cuthrell Cass City
Infield Jonah Jones Reese
Infield Logan Amend Vassar
Outfield Travis Tucker Kingston
Outfield Aaron Saenz USA
Outfield Colin Smith Kingston
At-Large Jack Tagget Frankenmuth
At-Large Jacob Wright Owen-Gage
Head Coach Brady Schuler Vassar
Second Team
Catcher Mitchell Bender Reese
Pitcher Jack Treat Mayville
Pitcher Aaron Krafft Frankenmuth
Infield David Peters Caro
Infield Ryan Maclin Reese
Infield Zach VanWormer North Branch
Infield Jakob Selich Millington
Outfield David Wargo Vassar
Outfield Kyle Ross Cass City
Outfield Grant Gremel USA
At-Large Kyle Gnatkowski Reese
At-Large Cole Coutcher Mayville
Honorable Mention
Caro – Ryan Montgomery, Alex Phillips, Austin Moore; Cass City – Brandon Horne, Brad Thornton; Frankenmuth – Brady Wood, Colton Zimmer; Kingston – Austin Ahern, Aaron VanHorn, Clay Daily; Millington – Andrew Kociba, Lukas Selich, Brandon Reed; Mayville – Colton Burke, Andrew Morrison; Marlette – Zach Brown; North Branch – Brendan Olsen, Zach Fish; Owen-Gage – Dan Good, David Binder, Adam Retford; Reese – Jared Schrader, Ryan Fisher; USA – Ryan Millerwise, Cody Finkbeiner; Vassar – Evan Wilcox, Caleb Smith, Juan Cerda III
The 2015 All-Advertiser Softball team will be running next Saturday July 4th. Coaches, players, and fans, if you have a nominee for the team, please send them to sports@tcadvertiser.com