AGGIES SET TO DEFEND DIVISION 4 STATE TITLE
There’s a lot of theirs there. They’re the defending Division 4 state champions.
They’ve won 19-straight Highland Conference crowns and 13 district titles in the last 14 years.
They’re ranked No. 1 in D4 in the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association preseason poll.
Oh, and they return everyone from last year’s state-championship team.
But you know what?
So what.
Despite all the aforementioned the fact of the matter is it’s a new season for the Beal City baseball team and the Aggies are completely focused on the here and now and on adding another chapter to their brilliant recent history.
“Expectations are always going to be big here,” said Beal City baseball coach Brad Antcliff, who led the Aggies to the D4 state title and a record of 31-8 in 2023. “Our goal, every year, is to finish in East Lansing (at the state finals) and that’s not going to change this season.”
On paper the Aggies graduated only one starter from last year’s team in first baseman Braylon Zuker. That means every other positional player returns this spring and therein there’s a ton of talent there.
Statistically-speaking the Aggies return senior shortstop and staff ace Cayden Smith (.415 BA, 55 R, 36 SB, 6-2 record, 1.50 ERA); senior first baseman and pitcher Josh Wilson (.466 BA, 42 R, 49 RBIS, 11 2B, 8-3 record, 1.80 ERA ); senior outfielder Jack Fussman
(.484 BA, 51 R, 46 RBIS, 25 SB); sophomore outfielder Blake Walcutt (.342 BA, 34 R, 14 SB, 28 RBI) and an excellent catcher in Jake Gauthier.
“We have a lot of guys returning, but there are some teams out there that can get us if we don’t show up to play,” said Antcliff, who has compiled a record of 33972-5 during his 12 years at Beal City. “Our guys have been working and putting in the time and we feel like we’re going to be competitive and our schedule is going to show it.”
The Aggies open on Saturday at Division 1 Okemos, a team that is led by shortstop Caleb Bonemer who is expected to get drafted in the MLB Draft this summer. Okemos is ranked 17th in D1.
From there they are scheduled to host state powerhouse Bay City Western on April 8 before traveling to Pewamo-westphalia on April 11. Bay City Western is ranked third in D1 while Pewamo-westphalia is ranked 12th in D3. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart Academy (ranked seventh in D4), Charlevoix (ranked fifth in D3) and Freeland (ranked 19th in D2) are also on the schedule. Talk about brutal?
“Our schedule is tough, probably the toughest in D4,” said Antcliff. “Hey, if we get through our (regular) season and lose 10 games, then we lose 10 games. But we want to be ready (for the postseason).”
As a collective the Aggies enter the season as one of the teams to beat in D4, yet they’re not feeling the pressure, rather they’re embracing it.
“We’ve been to back-to-back state championship games and we