State Quarterfinal Preview at Saline

Written Saturday June 8th, at 10:50 PM

BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE VS LAKE ORION: In what is to be called the super match up of Oakland County, now wondering why they are playing this game in Washtenaw County is beyond me but it is what it is.

This match up features dangerous lineups, star hitters, star pitchers, everything but how did both of these teams get here and who they feature will be here along with my prediction for this state quarterfinal game. If this were football this would be a very good game to see even on the diamond and on the grid iron with the winner going to Battle Creek.

BIRMINGHAM BROTHER RICE:

The Warriors this season is very young but also they are talented. They have always been consistent and talented. Birmingham Brother Rice features players who have been recruited to play for them from other areas since they are a private school. The Warriors are led by sophomore third baseman Alex Malzone. Malzone is the quarterback of the Division Two state championship football team and had the winning RBI single that beat Northville 3-2 on Saturday in the regional final at Novi. Another hitter they have is David Plummer. Plummer was three for three with a home run against Northville. Birmingham Brother Rice has a lot of table setters in their lineup in, Bobby Cross, Randy Righter, and pitcher/infielder Matt Ruppenhaul, but we’ll get to Ruppenhaul in a second. Cross and Righter are speedy with power and also are good defenders.

The Warriors pitching staff is also very good in both Ruppenhaul and Karl Kauffman. Ruppenhaul is the starting pitcher for Birmingham Brother Rice. He pitched a three hit shutout against Walled Lake Northern in the regional semifinals 2-0. Ruppenhaul pitched in the Northville game allowing two runs in the process but also he hits well and is a table setter at times. The next pitcher is freshman Karl Kauffman. Kauffman pitched in relief in the Northville game going an inning and getting two batters, he was credited with the win in the game. Both these pitchers are very good pitchers and are currently being looked at by colleges

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Birmingham Brother Rice was in the Beverly Hills Wylie E Groves District. They were in the pre-district game against Beverly Hills Wylie E Groves. The Warriors destroyed the Falcons in five innings 11-1. In the district semifinals, Birmingham Brother Rice beat a gutsy West Bloomfield team 6-0. It was 1-0 until the sixth inning where the Warriors got five runs to win that game. In the district final Birmingham Brother Rice destroyed Southfield Lathrup 16-1 in five innings to take home yet another district championship. The Warriors were placed in the regional finals at Novi where they played Walled Lake Northern. Birmingham Brother Rice beat the Knights 2-0 and then they had to survive a very good Northville team in a walk off with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to win 3-2 to take its first regional since 2009.

LAKE ORION:

The Dragons this season are very talented and features two very good left handed pitchers in Nick Deeg and Brad Schaenzer. However the Dragons have other talent in Nick Volgelmeier, Roman Kuester, Josh Bays, Connor Grant, and Ryan Lambrecht among others. Vogelmeier was huge against Stoney Creek in getting five RBI's in that game. Grant had a two run double against Hartland in the semifinal game and also Deeg does hit as well and will play first base from time to time.

HOW THEY GOT HERE:

Lake Orion had their own district where they beat Waterford Mott 4-1 in the pre district and then beat Waterford Kettering 6-0 in the district semifinals where Deeg pitched four innings but was only up 1-0 until the seventh inning where they scored five runs and then in the district final the Dragons beat Oxford 6-1 behind a great performance from Schaenzer on it’s home field. Lake Orion then went to the Rochester regional where they met Hartland ace and Michigan State recruit Jake Lowery. The Dragons found a way to beat Lowery and Hartland 4-0 in the regional semifinal and then crushed Stoney Creek 10-2 in the regional final to take home its first regional final since 2007.

PREDICTION:

The Oakland Press and MIPrepZone will hype this game up and this game will live up to it. I wish it was in Oakland County where it belongs but in the end I think the Dragons will find a way. I think both teams have played at least one tough team in getting here to the quarterfinals with the Dragons playing Hartland and the Warriors playing Northville in the regional. I think with whom the Dragons send out there they will get the job done and find a way to get to Battle Creek. PICK: LAKE ORION BY 2.