Prep Baseball Report

Division 3 Team Of The Week: Week 1&2 - Parchment


Bruce Hefflinger
PBR Michigan Senior Writer

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Division 3 Team Of The Week: Week 1&2 - Parchment

PARCHMENT - Four shutouts to open a five-win week has Parchment standing at 7-2 on the season and with it the honor of being the Prep Baseball Report Division 3 Team of the Week.

“With nine returning seniors, we expect to be very competitive,” pointed out head coach Rob Dreier, whose Panthers moved down from Division 2 this season and are currently rated 18th in Division 3 by PBR. “So far, most things have been consistent with our expectations.”

A sweep of Kal Home School, 13-0 and 15-0, was followed up by two shutout victories against Lawton, 10-0 and 15-0, to start the week. Parchment then posted a 9-5 win over Marshall before falling 4-0 to Battle Creek Lakeview, the fifth-ranked team in Michigan in the PBR State Power Poll.

“We have had several pitchers this season go above what we expected,” related Dreier. “Blake Smith had a rough first outing vs Kalamazoo Central but bounced back with a great pitching performance against Marshall and Aaron Jasiak pitched a five-inning shutout versus Lawton.”

Smith struck out four and walked one in four innings against the 23rd-rated team in the state in Division 2, allowing one earned run while going 2-4 at the plate with two doubles and four RBIs.

Jasiak tossed a one-hitter with nine strikeouts and just one walk against Lawton.

A two-way commit to Hillsdale rated seventh in the state among senior shortstops, Jasiak has not given up a run in 10.2 innings on the mound this season, fanning 20 and allowing just two hits and two walks while winning both decisions.

Smith, an uncommitted senior who plays first base when not pitching, is now hitting .560 while driving in a team-leading 13 runs.

Center fielder Wil Kovl, an Aquinas commit who “had a great week in the leadoff spot,” according to Dreier, is batting .531 with 17 hits in 32 at-bats, producing two doubles while stealing eight bases.

Junior Tyler Laske and senior Jacob Guzior are next in line pitching behind Jasiak and Smith, with Guzior the third baseman and cleanup hitter. Sophomore second baseman Brady Caswell bats fifth with a trio of seniors, left fielder Lucas Terrill, right fielder Tanner Slack and catcher Austin Pesch, completing the usual lineup for Parchment.

“Staying healthy is key with this group,” concluded Dreier, whose Panthers have a twinbill with Paw Paw on Thursday before competing in the Lakeview Tournament on Saturday against Gull Lake and either Jackson Northwest or Lakeview.