LANSING, MI - Out of all of the mid-Michigan baseball teams Grand Ledge (23-1) and Holt (23-5) own the most wins so far this spring, and now they’re vying for the Dean Shippey Capital Diamond Classic Title. The CAAC Blue rivals will face each other in the finals on Wednesday, June 8th at 7 p.m., creating the second matchup between the two teams in five days.

The road leading up to this matchup consisted of Grand Ledge beating Dewitt 10-4 and Holt beating Mason 8-3 in the Diamond Classic Semifinals on Monday, June 6th at Cooley Law School Stadium. Holt Junior Robert Butterson compiled a strong start on the mound pitching a complete 7 innings for the Rams, and Burrell Jones, Jesse Heikkinen and Spencer Baldwin assisted in the victory, each driving in a pair of runs.

“We’re super excited. A lot of people kind of doubt us to be honest, but we just love to get out there and show people what we can really do,” said Holt Senior Drew Stavischeck. The Rams scored five runs over the first two innings as planned.

“That’s one of the things that we say every game, I say ‘What’s the best thing about playing on the road?’ Score first, what’s the best thing about playing at home is to score first,” said Grand Ledge Coach Nathan Potts. “ We preach getting on top of teams right away just because there is momentum in baseball and we want to grab it certainly from the start.”

And that’s exactly what they did, game starts, Holt’s Baldwin hits a sacrifice fly to centerfield plating Stavischeck. Holt leads 2-0 after the first inning.

Second inning, Jones has a two-out, two-RBI single to right field putting the Rams up 4-0 over the Bulldogs. A fielder’s choice by Mason plates another two-out run for Holt, pushing the Rams up 5-0.

It would stay that way for Holt until the fifth inning when a double-steal resulted in Tyler Porter swiping home to get the Bulldogs on the board for one, Holt 5-1. Top of the 6th, Baldwin drives in his second run of the night with a sacrifice fly to centerfield pushing the Rams lead up 6-1.

Bottom of the sixth, an RBI single to left field by Mason’s Tyler Porter cuts the lead 6-2. A sacrifice fly to centerfield by the Bulldogs’ Colin Campbell brings in another run for Mason, Holt leads 6-3.

In the seventh inning, Holt’s Tyler Brown has a two-out RBI triple to right field to push the Rams up 7-3. Heikkinen follows with an RBI single to right field to bring in another run for Holt, final score 8-3.

The matchup between Grand Ledge and Holt is nothing new, “Grand Ledge, this is the area’s best teams, to be one of the two left standing is always an honor. So hats off to everyone who competed,” said Potts.

PAST DIAMOND CLASSIC CHAMPIONS-
2015 – Grand Ledge
2014 – Grand Ledge
2013 – Lansing Catholic
2012 – Grand Ledge
2011 – Grand Ledge
2010 – Grand Ledge
2009 – Grand Ledge
2008 – DeWitt
2007 – Okemos
2006 – Grand Ledge
2005 – Holt