By Mike Penn
Michigan Director of Scouting

Lake Orion and Hartland was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated match-ups of the Regionals around the state. The winner of this game would decide the regional championship with almost absolute certainty. 

No. 2 Nick Deeg (Lake Orion HS), a Central Michigan commit and recent draft pick of the Detroit Tigers, would square off against Michigan State commit and No. 7, Jake Lowery (Hartland HS). Everyone thought runs would be at a premium, and they were right.

Lowery started off the first retiring the first two hitters on strikeouts and looking the best we have seen him. He sat between 86-90 mph with a sharper slider than we have seen in the past.  But after getting the two quick outs, his counterpart, Deeg, stepped to the plate and blooped in a base hit.  Next hitter Roman Kuster, a Findlay commit, singled to right as well setting the stage for Junior Connor Grant.

Grant took advantage of the stage.  He hammered a Lowery offering to the left-center gap and plated the first two runs of the game.  Getting three hits in a row off of Lowery was going to be nearly impossible, let alone three two-out hits.  Third-baseman Travis Johnson (Hartland) saved what would have been a fourth two-out hit backhanding a ball down the line snuffing out the rally.

Lowery, a good hitter in his own right, did his best to get things going for Hartland in the bottom of the first by leading off with a double down the left-field line.  But Deeg quickly dispatched the Hartland lineup stranding Lowery.  

In fact, Deeg was in complete control the whole day until the fifth and six innings.  Deeg, who sat between 83-87mph early, used his effective three pitch mix to escape two jambs in back to back innings.  In fact, on the day Deeg stranded nine base runners in route to a two-hit shutout.  

Lake Orion added insurance runs late in the game and won the by the final of 4-0 advancing to play the winner of Stoney Creek and Rochester Adams.

For Hartland it was a difficult loss for a talented team. Hartland loses several senior players who will move on to play at the next level, most notably Lowery (Michigan State), Jordan Kesson (Toledo), and Travis Johnson (Saginaw Valley).

For Lake Orion the dream of a state title stayed alive. 

 

Additional Coverage:

• MI - Jun 9, 2013
  U of D Jesuit Gets By Grosse Pointe South to Win Regional Crown
• MI - Jun 9, 2013
  Rockford Advances Behind Shower and Kelley- Complete Coverage Inside