By Brad D. Bates
C & G Sports Writer

Photo by Philip Southern Utica Stevenson senior captain Josh Andreycak rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Utica High April 2 at home. The Titans won the game 10-0 and were 1-1 at press time.

Macomb County Spring Break baseball tournament, April 13-18 at Kyte Monroe Park, Warren Mott, Warren Cousino and Sterling Heights High

For 25 local baseball teams, spring break won’t be quite the vacation it is for most students.

While their peers vacation in the sunshine, players on those teams will be taking part in the annual spring tournament, which gives fans, coaches and players their first glimpse of the local competition.

“I think that we are a young team that really looks forward to the challenge of playing a tough schedule,” Utica Stevenson coach Joe Emanuele said of what his squad is looking forward to at the tournament.

“(Warren De La Salle, Macomb Dakota, Utica Ford II and Utica Eisenhower) are veteran teams that will be tough to beat. I think people want to see who is going to be good in the county.”

The defending Macomb Area Conference Red Division champion Titans open the tournament in Pool B against Pontiac Notre Dame Prep at 1:15 p.m. April 14 at Kyte Monore. Joining Stevenson and Prep in Pool B is Fraser High, Ford II and St. Clair Shores Lakeview.

Pool A features host Warren Mott, Warren Fitzgerald, Eisenhower, Eastpointe East Detroit and Madison Heights Bishop Foley.

In Pool C, Dakota, which won a 2008 Division 1 regional title, headlines a group made up of Sterling Heights High, Detroit Western, Utica High and Port Huron High.

Defending Spring Break Tournament champion St. Clair Shores Lake Shore is part of Pool D along with De La Salle, Croswell-Lexington, Madison Heights Lamphere and St. Clair High.

“Our field is bigger this year,” Mott coach and tourney organizer Shawn Maloney said. “The tourney is such a good test for teams early in the season, that I think a lot of teams want to get in it.  It also gives the kids something to play for over spring break.”

The drawback to hosting such a large tournament so early in the season is weather. But with four sites and six days to accommodate them, Maloney is confident the games will go on.

“I am hoping that since spring break is later that we will be able to get most games in,” Maloney said of the games, which feature pool play April 13-16 and a championship round April 18.

“We have (April 17) setup as a rain makeup day.  If we need a second day, (April 18) will be used, and the finals will move to (April 19). If we have two makeup days, consolation games would be canceled.”

While fans get an early look at the county’s top teams, and players get the added bonus of competing for a title early in the year, one of the biggest perks is for coaches who get to find players they may not have expected to contribute.

“We figure by the end of this we’ll know who the starters are and which pitchers we’ll have,” Lake Shore coach Chris Kuppe said.

“You really find out about your ex-JV players. (Junior starting center fielder) Danny Carroll was a sophomore last year, and all he did was become the MVP of the tournament.

That’s about as good as you can get.”

For sites, dates and times of games, visit http://www.macombmac.misd.net/boclassic.htm.

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Brad D. Bates at bbates@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1029.