UNCHARTED TERRITORY: Braves Play In Final 4
EAST LANSING---The Gladstone High School baseball team will play in the Division Three state semifinals for the first time on Friday. The boys will take on the Decatur Raiders at Michigan State University. The team practiced in Gaylord Thursday afternoon before finishing the trip to East Lansing. The game will be played at 2:30 Friday afternoon, and it will be broadcast live on WCHT-AM (600) and on-line at www.rrnsports.com at 2:06. Decatur comes in with a record of 23-6, and is ranked No. 7 in the state in the Division Three coaches poll. Decatur will look to add a Division 3 title to the four it’s earned in Division 4 over the last 15 seasons under Ben Botti. The Raiders made the Quarterfinals for the third straight season and haven’t missed a beat since moving into their new division this spring, eliminating No. 9 Watervliet during this tournament run. Joby Kawaski leads the Raiders with a .418 batting average and on the mound, he was 7-0 with a 2.16 Earned Run Average. Cody Huston was also 7-0 with a 1.20 ERA and he batted .333 this season. And Matthew Botti batted .403 and was 3-1 on the mound. Gladstone enters the game with a 29-4 record, and is No. 3 in the state coaches poll. The Braves are led by Hunter Garling with a .486 batting average, five home runs and 27 runs batted in. Senior Sam Pouliot will get the start on the mound for the Braves. He has a 7-1 record with a 1.17 ERA. It is Gladstone's second year for high school baseball, but the Braves players have had lots of experience in Little League and American Legion ball. In fact, many of these guys played in the Legion State Semifinals last fall at Adrian College. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos taken during Thursday's practice. |
Date | Time | Opponent | Score | Record |
4/18 |
4:00 PM |
at Reed City High School
|
12 - 2 (W)
|
1-0
|
4/18 |
6:00 PM |
at Reed City High School
|
9 - 0 (W)
|
2-0
|
4/19 |
11:00 AM |
at Kingsley Stags
|
5 - 1 (W)
|
3-0
|
4/19 |
1:30 PM |
at Kingsley Stags
|
6 - 7 (L)
|
3-1
|
4/22 |
4:30 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
6 - 4 (W)
|
4-1
|
4/23 |
4:30 PM |
Norway Knights
|
5 - 1 (W)
|
5-1
|
4/26 |
2:00 PM |
at Charlevoix Rayders
|
8 - 4 (W)
|
6-1
|
4/26 |
4:00 PM |
at Charlevoix Rayders
|
9 - 6 (W)
|
7-1
|
4/28 |
4:00 PM |
Superior Central Cougars
|
22 - 4 (W)
|
8-1
|
4/28 |
6:00 PM |
Superior Central Cougars
|
12 - 1 (W)
|
9-1
|
5/5 |
4:00 PM |
at Norway Knights
|
13 - 0 (W)
|
10-1
|
5/5 |
6:00 PM |
at Norway Knights
|
4 - 1 (W)
|
11-1
|
5/8 |
4:30 PM |
Escanaba Eskymos
|
1 - 0 (W)
|
12-1
|
5/9 |
4:30 PM |
at Oconto Falls Panthers
|
6 - 4 (W)
|
13-1
|
5/10 |
11:00 AM |
Sault Ste. Marie (Ontario) Black Sox
|
7 - 3 (W)
|
14-1
|
5/14 |
4:00 PM |
at Negaunee Miners
|
16 - 6 (W)
|
15-1
|
5/14 |
6:00 PM |
at Negaunee Miners
|
4 - 2 (W)
|
16-1
|
5/15 |
5:30 PM |
Stephenson Eagles
|
15 - 5 (W)
|
17-1
|
5/17 |
12:00 PM |
at Green Bay Notre Dame
|
1 - 11 (L)
|
17-2
|
5/19 |
4:00 PM |
at Superior Central Cougars
|
15 - 0 (W)
|
18-2
|
5/19 |
6:30 PM |
at Superior Central Cougars
|
14 - 3 (W)
|
19-2
|
5/20 |
4:00 PM |
Houghton Gremlins
|
11 - 3 (W)
|
20-2
|
5/20 |
6:30 PM |
Houghton Gremlins
|
7 - 3 (W)
|
21-2
|
5/22 |
5:30 PM |
at Stephenson Eagles
|
7 - 4 (W)
|
22-2
|
5/23 |
4:30 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
2 - 3 (L)
|
22-3
|
5/23 |
7:00 PM |
Marquette Redmen
|
12 - 4 (W)
|
23-3
|
5/26 |
6:00 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
3 - 1 (W)
|
24-3
|
5/27 |
6:30 PM |
at Green Bay Preble
|
3 - 6 (L)
|
24-4
|
5/30 |
1:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
4 - 2 (W)
|
25-4
|
5/30 |
7:00 PM |
Houghton Gremlins
|
10 - 0 (W)
|
26-4
|
6/7 |
10:00 AM |
at Traverse City St. Francis
|
10 - 2 (W)
|
27-4
|
6/7 |
4:00 PM |
Boyne City
|
5 - 2 (W)
|
28-4
|
6/10 |
12:00 PM |
Muskegon Oakridge
|
3 - 2 (W)
|
29-4
|
6/13 |
2:30 PM |
Decatur Raiders
|
1 - 2 (L)
|
29-5
|