Weather is main opponent for Huron baseball and softball squads
With spring just a rumor, Huron softball coach Karl Grambau is hoping the weather is better down south. Southern Michigan is where the team has an invitation to play in the Portage Central Softball Invitational Saturday at the South Westnedge Fields in Portage. The eight-team tournament features some top teams including Kalamazoo Christian, the defending state champion, which knocked off the Hurons in the state semifinals last season.
Rogers City, ranked third in the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association (MHSSCA) preseason poll takes on host Portage Central, ranked number nine for Division 1 in the coaches poll, in the 10:30 a.m. game on field two.
Grandville, an honorable mention in the preseason poll, plays defending Division 1 state champion Mattawan on field four with the winners squaring off at 1 p.m. on field two. The losers of that game play at 1 p.m. on field four.
The teams have no time to rest as the brackets continue with 3 p.m. games at various fields in the complex.
Other opening-round games will have defending Division 4 state champion Kalamazoo Christian facing Stevensville-Lakeshore and Portage Northern facing Coloma. Each team is guaranteed three games played in succession.
Weather forced the postponement of last Monday’s baseball and softball games, originally scheduled as a home game with Whittemore-Prescott. That doubleheader was moved to Whittemore before rain canceled it. With the snow earlier in the week, the status of Thursday’s baseball and softball games at Oscoda is uncertain.
The baseball and softball teams are scheduled to play in Fairview Monday. The Huron baseball team plays at Arenac Eastern April 24. Both the baseball and softball teams are scheduled to host home tournaments April 26. The schedule has Hale visiting April 28 for baseball/softball North Star League doubleheaders before Rogers City travels to Posen for baseball/softball contests with the Vikings May 1.
Athletic director David O’Bryant told the school board Monday evening that the baseball and softball field were close to being playable but the roads going in were not ready to be driven on. He also reported that frost has pushed up the fence at the baseball field but it is expected to settle back down. If the fields are ready and the roads remain mucky as they are now vehicles will have to park and people will have to wa
The preseason poll has four teams from the North Star League ranked in the top 10, with neighboring Onaway, from the Ski Valley Conference, listed as honorable mention. Rogers City is ranked third, Posen is fifth, Hillman is seventh and Mio is ranked eighth in the MHSSCA poll.