Prep Baseball Report

Division 4 Team Of The Week: Week 2 - Beal City


Bruce Hefflinger
PBR Michigan Senior Writer

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Division 4 Team Of The Week: Week 2 - Beal City

MOUNT PLEASANT - A 9-0 start to the season has not come without issues for Beal City and head coach Steve Pickens.

The Prep Baseball Report Division 4 Team of the Week has had to deal with one injured player and three starters that have missed time due to covid (either having it or through trace contact quarantine rules). The first practice with a full team actually did not take place until Monday.

“That was a very good feeling, though we have a lot of catching up to do,” Pickens said of having the team back intact.

With a roster of just 12 players, four seniors and eight juniors, it has not been easy getting by to this point in time.

“We went down to the JVs and picked up four kids so far,” Pickens explained. “They fit right in. They’ve done a wonderful  job offensively and defensively stepping up. It was next man in. I’m pretty proud of these guys coming in after two years of not playing and then doing real well.”

A year ago the program was not going to even have a junior varsity team, but this year there are nine freshmen and one sophomore making up the reserve squad.

“The cupboard is scarce, but not bare,” Pickens noted. “Both squads have kids that want to play baseball, especially after last year’s cancellation of spring sports.

“They want to play baseball and they listen,” added Pickens, who led Beal City to a state championship in 2018 in just his second season at the helm. “They’ve had a lot of obstacles dealing with the cold and covid but they’re eager to learn and are playing together really well.”

The results have been phenomenal no matter the opposition. A 9-0 record has included six run-rule games. Only once has an opponent scored more than two runs in a game. This past week included 10-0 and 8-2 wins over Fowler and 2-0 and 20-1 victories over Roscommon.

“We had five or six players allowed to play in the summer and that’s been a big factor not having everyone sitting out a full two years,” pointed out Pickens, whose team has recorded five shutouts thus far.

Junior Hrendan Martin has not allowed a run or a walk in winning four games on the mound, fanning 23 while surrendering just six hits. Senior Aidan Mindel has two wins with 19 strikeouts in 11 frames while junior Konner Wilson also owns a pair of victories. Another junior, Wade Wilson, has 10 Ks in six innings of work with one win.

“Our pitching has been outstanding,” related Pickens, who  has Brayden Haynes back this week after being out up until now. “But the competition is going to get a lot stiffer.”

Two games each with Farwell and Manton are on tap this week before participating in the Meridian Invite on Saturday with Evart, Unions-Sebewaing and Sanford Meridian also in the field.

“We’ve tried to beef up our schedule the best we can so our guys can test their skills and still be competitive,” added Pickens, who has also used juniors Hunter Miles and Kayden Andrews along with freshman Josh Wilson on the mound this season. “You need six or seven pitchers because of the pitch count and we have kids that are learning positions they’re not as familiar with everything going on. So far our pitchers have not been walking people and we’re playing good defense.”

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