Grosse Pointes Field Three Quality Baseball Teams–Again

It’s finally arrived.

After months of waiting, the ping of baseball bats and the soothing sound of a hardball slapping against a worn, leather glove has returned to the Grosse Pointes.

And like most years, all three prep ball clubs have legitimate chances of doing something very special this season.

That said, as the season gets under way, we’re going to take a brief look at all three clubs.

Team Name: The Knights

Skipper: Dan Cimini

One To Watch: Dominic Jamett, Alex Daar, Connor Fannon.

The League: Michigan Independent Athletic Conference (MIAC)

Potential Key Game: April 25 against Catholic Central at home.

The Scouting Report: They’re the No. 1 ranked baseball team in Division 4. They might have the best pitching staff, top-to-bottom, of any team in the state. They can hit. They can play defense. They’ve got speed, smarts, baseball instincts–they’ve got it all. They’ve got all the abilities and intangibles that comprise a state-championship-caliber ball club. Now all that’s left for the University Liggett Knights is to go out and get the job done, earn a trip to Battle Creek and quite possibly a state championship.

“What I’ve relayed to the guys is that we’re ranked No.1 right now, but that doesn’t mean anything to us,” head coach Dan Cimini said. “The message I’m sending to these guys is to go have fun. Do not put pressure on yourself. We’ve got what I think is the toughest schedule of any team in the state, but that’s to get us ready for the playoffs. They know they’re a good team, but I just want them to go out there and have some fun playing baseball. If everyone does that, we’ll be fine.”

Team Name: The Norsemen

Skipper: Frank Sumbera

One To Watch: Paul Kappaz, Nolan Rozich, Jimmy Guest, Chip Wujek

The League: Macomb Area Conference Red Division

Potential Key Game: April 27 against Grosse Pointe South at home

The Scouting Report: North is a sneaky-good team this season that could easily surprise in the MAC Red this season. Deep on the mound, led by Kappaz and Rozich, the Norsemen have the caliber of arms to contend in the division. Couple this with a solid defensive team and a lineup that can score some runs and take some of the pressure off the staff and you have another very solid squad for Sumbera at Grosse Pointe North.

“We’re real deep with our pitching,” Sumbera said. “I think we’ve got a pretty good team this year, but we still got to play the games. We’ll see.”

Team Name: The Blue Devils

Skipper: Dan Griesbaum

One To Watch: Cooper Hartman, Max Kaiser, Kevin Reck, Joe Aliotta

The League: Macomb Area Conference Red Division

The Scouting Report: The Blue Devils, once again, field one of the top squads in the area, particularly in the MAC, and should be right there in contention come June. How? Simple. They’ve got a pair of true aces in Hartman and Kaiser, one of the top managers in the game in Griesbaum and a baseball tradition that rivals any in the state. Plus, they can hit the ball a little bit too. It doesn’t matter that the squad lost 13 seniors from last year’s team. Great team speed and solid defense and pitching put the Blue Devils in the upper echelon once again.