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MACOMB TOWNSHIP — It was an impressive season for Macomb Dakota baseball, but they’re not done just yet.
After winning a district and regional title this season en route to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 semifinals, Dakota cleaned house during award season.
Head coach Angelo Plouffe earned all-county Coach of the Year honors, Dakota earned Macomb County Team of the Year honors, and senior pitcher Will DeMasse earned Macomb County Player of the Year honors, hitting .421 with seven doubles and 31 RBI on the season.
Seniors Alex Kavalick, Brendan Borowicz and Charlie Chmielewski earned first team all-county honors, but Kavalick and Borowicz’s award-winning seasons didn’t stop there.
Hitting .433 on the season with 45 hits and 24 stolen bases, Borowicz earned Division 1 second team all-state honors, awarded by the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association.
Dakota predominantly utilized Borowicz on the mound last season, but Borowicz said a mindset change going into this season led to his success.
“Stepping onto the field this season, my mom kept telling me to leave it on the table,” Borowicz said. “The biggest skill I learned this year wasn’t even physically a part of my game. I learned that baseball isn’t just a sport, but it teaches you life lessons. It teaches you to be mentally strong and keep trying at life.”
Kavalick, a longtime friend of Borowicz, joined him on the second team all-state list, hitting .404 with 12 doubles and 37 RBI.
Kavalick was a force behind the plate this season for Dakota and will continue his baseball career at Alma College next season.
Plouffe, who got the head coaching position in January of this year, said Kavalick was the veteran presence the squad needed during their offseason workouts.
“Al (Alex) was our leader all winter long in the weight room,” Plouffe said. “He was the guy who was guiding the ship the right way. All of that was because of him.”
Hitting in the heart of the order this season, Kavalick went into the year with a different approach to the plate.
“I feel as a hitter, I became more complete,” Kavalick said. “Last season, I hit lower in the lineup and was able to hunt fastballs. Going into this year, I knew I was going to be hitting three or four, and I focused on my ability to crush breaking balls and adjust my approach.”
Borowicz and Kavalick will be key voids to fill in 2024 alongside Dakota’s 12 graduating seniors this year.
