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CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Clinton Township Chippewa Valley High School baseball took a different approach to success this season.
Some teams dominate the regular season, some catch fire during the season and then there’s Chippewa Valley.
While a 5-0 loss to Grosse Pointe North ended Chippewa Valley’s journey in the quarterfinals on June 11 at Wayne State University’s Harwell Field, it was a historic season for the program.
After starting the season 2-0, Chippewa Valley dropped 12 straight as coach Gregg Sadowski and his team faced immediate adversity.
“I think at the beginning of the season, we were having a really hard time picking up the ball defensively, and it cost us quite a few games,” Sadowski said.
Fast forward to June 11, when Chippewa Valley knocked off Detroit Western 2-1 at Harwell Field to earn its first regional championship in school history. Chippewa Valley won the District 23 championship in a 4-3 win over Utica Ford on June 4 at Sterling Heights Stevenson High School.
Chippewa Valley finished the regular season 11-24 as it consistently improved, but Sadowski said there was one game that put the team back on track.
“We went to Comerica Park and got to play there, and we beat Pontiac Notre Dame Prep,” Sadowski said. “That win pretty much changed the way the rest of the season went.”
Senior Carlo Corona and sophomore Andrew Schuster led the pitching staff, throwing quality innings in the playoffs.
Corona consistently pitched well for Chippewa Valley towards the end of the season.
“I think I could locate well and throw all my pitches for strikes whenever I felt like that,” Corona said. “I trust my catcher Logan Cherry really well.”
Seniors Cherry, Jack Thalgott and Corona provided the leadership the team needed to get the season back on track.
Cherry, Chippewa Valley’s catcher, was a key factor in the improvement of the pitching staff and came in to pitch in save situations in the playoffs.
“I think they were able to start leading the way, and I think the younger guys started to follow their lead,” Sadowski said. “I think the younger guys wanted to do it for them, too.”
Junior shortstop Ryan McKay was efficient offensively for Chippewa Valley.
As unique as its regular season was, its playoff performance showcased a team that almost seemed destined to make a run.
“I think the boys felt really confident,” Sadowski said. “We knew the teams we were going to have to beat were tough, but I think the boys had a chip on their shoulder.”
As Chippewa Valley faced off in the first round of districts against Macomb Area Conference Rival Macomb Dakota, Chippewa Valley trailed 4-1 as the bats went cold. That was until Thalgott blasted a game-tying three-run home run — the first of his high school career. Chippewa Valley won the game 5-4 in extras after a ground ball took an awkward hop over two Dakota defenders, scoring the runner from second base.
“They talk about the baseball gods being on our side; it was our time to make a run,” Sadowski said.
Just a game later in the district finals, Chippewa Valley held a 4-2 lead over Utica Ford as the bases were loaded with two outs in the last inning. A bobbled ground ball made it 4-3, but as the Chippewa Valley third baseman threw the ball back to the pitcher and its catcher walked toward the mound, Ford’s runner on third broke for home in an attempt to tie the game.
“Our dugout was silent,” Corona said. “We didn’t know what to say because we didn’t think he’d ever run.”
Chippewa Valley’s pitcher tossed it to the catcher, tagging the runner and ending the game.
Chippewa Valley scored five in the first inning against New Baltimore Anchor Bay in the regional semifinals, but Anchor Bay almost brought the game within one as an Anchor Bay player roped a foul ball five feet right of the foul pole with the bases loaded.
With three games in the playoffs already bringing that much intensity, the regional championship had to bring something to the table.
Up 2-0 against Detroit Western, Western lined a shot to left-center field, scoring one, but the second runner slipped heading home and would be tagged out in the ensuing rundown.
While Chippewa Valley may have needed a little luck on its side, there’s a new precedent set for next year’s squad.
“I think there’s new shoes to fill, and there’s an expectation now that guys want to play up to,” Sadowski said.
