Gladstone Girls Make Final Preparations For Semis

EAST LANSING---The Gladstone High School softball team practiced in Gaylord on Thursday as they prepared for Friday morning's state semifinal game.

The Braves will face Coloma in at Michigan State University at 10 a.m.

The game will be broadcast live over the Internet on RRNSports.com, and then will be rebroadcast on the radio on WCHT-AM 600 at 12:00 noon.

Braves Manager Ashley Hughes

Gladstone enters the game with a 27-2 record and a Number Three ranking in the state's final Division Three Coaches Poll.

The Comets come in with a 34-9 record and are an honorable mention pick in the statewide coaches poll.

Coloma is making its second Semifinal appearance in three seasons after winning its third straight District title and playing in Division 2 last season; the Comets beat No. 8 Springport 6-2 in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal to return.

Braves senior Mikayla Depuydt

Coloma prepared by facing many of the best from the Kalamazoo area during the regular season, earning a win over Division 4 Semifinalist Kalamazoo Christian and falling to Portage Central, Stevensville Lakeshore and Lake Orion among larger ranked opponents. Faultersack was a Division 2 all-stater last season, and Najacht earned an honorable mention.

Gladstone has played in the MHSAA Final three of the last 10 years, also finishing runner-up in 2012 and champion in 2004, and won its 12th straight Regional last week.

Braves catcher Morgan Kowalski

First-year coach Ashley Hughes was part of a Quarterfinals team as a player in 2003 and took over this spring after three seasons as an assistant under Gerry Smith. The Braves have given up only three runs during the tournament, and not more than one in any game.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see interviews with Hughes, pitcher Mikayla Depuydt, and catcher Morgan Kowalski. There are also photos and videos from Thursday's practice.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

4/8	4:00 PM	at Green Bay Preble	3 - 5 (L)	0-1

4/8	6:00 PM	at Green Bay Preble	4 - 1 (W)	1-1

4/18	4:00 PM	Norway Knights	11 - 2 (W)	2-1

4/19	1:00 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	3 - 2 (W)	3-1

4/19	7:00 PM	Rapid River Rockets	10 - 0 (W)	4-1

4/22	4:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	6 - 0 (W)	5-1

4/22	6:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	6 - 2 (W)	6-1

4/26	11:00 AM	Paw Paw Redskins	4 - 3 (W)	7-1

4/26	1:00 PM	Holland High School	10 - 0 (W)	8-1

4/26	4:00 PM	Williamston High School	11 - 1 (W)	9-1

5/1	4:00 PM	at Traverse City St. Francis	5 - 0 (W)	10-1

5/1	6:00 PM	at Traverse City St. Francis	3 - 4 (L)	10-2

5/6	4:00 PM	Rapid River Rockets	8 - 0 (W)	11-2

5/6	6:00 PM	Rapid River Rockets	11 - 4 (W)	12-2

5/8	4:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	4 - 0 (W)	13-2

5/8	6:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	5 - 2 (W)	14-2

5/13	4:00 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	1 - 0 (W)	15-2

5/13	6:00 PM	at Escanaba Eskymos	6 - 4 (W)	16-2

5/17	10:00 AM	Birch Run	5 - 2 (W)	17-2

5/17	2:00 PM	Frankenmuth High School	6 - 4 (W)	18-2

5/17	6:00 PM	New Boston Huron High School	10 - 3 (W)	19-2

5/20	4:00 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	6 - 0 (W)	20-2

5/20	6:30 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	2 - 1 (W)	21-2

5/28	4:00 PM	Houghton Gremlins	16 - 0 (W)	22-2

5/30	2:00 PM	Negaunee Miners	5 - 0 (W)	23-2

5/30	4:00 PM	Manistique Emeralds	12 - 0 (W)	24-2

6/7	12:00 PM	at Traverse City St. Francis	3 - 1 (W)	25-2

6/7	2:00 PM	Boyne City	4 - 1 (W)	26-2

6/10	12:00 PM	Muskegon Oakridge	5 - 1 (W)	27-2

6/13	10:00 AM	Coloma Comets	5 - 4 (W)	28-2

6/14	3:00 PM	Unionville-Sebewaing	2 - 1 (W)	30-2