The Final Blog Post of All Time.

Dear blog readers (whether you are my dad who got the first text, someone reading for the first time, or anyone in between on the spectrum),

First thing I would like to do is thank you for checking in to read all about the quirky antics of my friends and I. Oh and I guess we played a little ball too, so I mean some people like reading about that too. Today was my last day as a Caledonia baseball player as we were defeated by Byron Center 1-0. I tip my cap to Tyler Pols, Byron's pitcher for shutting down a potent offense to 0 runs. Let us not forget Caleb Sleeman, who only allowed a couple dying quails and one legit single and other than that had the Bulldogs on a leash. So now that I covered the game, this is going to turn into a giant thank you note. Thank you first to the readers that just started reading recently, I love that you take time out of your day to read this. It keeps me going to write this thing even if its 11 PM and I was studying for a test. A thank you to Jason Hutton, who has been reading this since last season. It was so motivating to have a real sportswriter give me positive feedback about something and the day that I spent talking to you at practice was a really memorable experience. Also, thank you for sharing the word about this blog to West Michigan on TV, my readers more than doubled and I thought that that was really cool. I definitely never expected a little blog that was originally for my family and my teammates would take off into somewhere. To all of the students who would make the journey to our games no matter weather conditions or opponents or even distance of travel, I thank you. It is definitely a lot more fun playing baseball in front of large crowds. To the parents and grandparents of the team, thank you for everything. Your loyal support can never be truly measured and appreciated. There are so many little things that I will remember, whether it was the fact that Coon's grandparents beat us to half of the away games and were all set up behind home plate, or Trent's grandpa churning out hot dogs and brats on the grill in between double headers, or any number of other grandparents coming up to me in between games just to say "Good game" or "Go get them game two" or "Nick, you forgot to mention the grandparents freezing in the cold, you just talked about the pretty, young girls". To my coaches, thank you for the privilege to be a part of baseball in Caledonia. From Mr Keron putting me in charge of the team in the middle of innings freshman year, to cracking jokes with Coach Lind sophomore and junior year, or listening to Coach Giles preach about the fact that baseball was the most important aspect for the 17th day in a row sophomore year, and then between Coach Army having a story for every situation possible in life, to Coach Gillies always pulling a joke on anybody who appeared vulnerable, to just the hilarious back and forth dialogue of Coach Gillies and Army my two years on varsity, there are so many off the field memories I will cherish forever. To all of my coaches, I also want to thank you for developing my baseball ability into the player I became. I know that all I was as a baseball player was a left handed arm who threw about as many curveballs as I had base hits in my 4 years (I did have 12 career hits in 4 seasons), and I just thanked God that I had speed like Coon, Joe and Drake in my outfield to chase and catch the fly balls that kids roped off of me, but I honestly enjoyed my four years as a Fighting Scot baseball player so much because of the men who taught me not only baseball philosophy, but important lessons about the game of life. To my teammates, wow where do I begin? Well I will start with the youngsters on the block, the JV call ups. To AJ, Nate and Kuhf, It was good getting to know yall for a little while, it is a shame that we couldn't have done more in that innersquad scrimmage the other day, I still think Coach fixed it when he had us bunt three guys in a row after a leadoff walk.. To Ben Snider and Bryce Houser, also JV callups. it was fun hanging out with yall in the dugout during baseball games just like we used to back in those D&W Braves days, and all of those backyard baseball pickup games. To the junior class who were first year varsity guys, after a few rough first days where we had to yell at yall to get foul balls, you guys fit in perfectly and created a great atmosphere in the dugout each day. I know that some of you didn't play as much as you had in the past, but trust me the experiences and situations that you have encountered this year will prepare you so much the following season. You know now what to do when a big moment is approaching. To Huddy, Drake and McCallum, two years on varsity has been real and I have had great experiences playing ball everyday with all three of you. To all of the youngsters coming back next season, here is my advice and words. It is a privilege to play baseball at Caledonia High School. The things I would do to give myself the opportunity to button up the purple jersey and lace up my cleats for one more outing on the hill...wow. Embrace your time together, as I know that I have certainly built life long relationships within this baseball family. Know that you are a talented bunch and can succeed as long as you keep your heads on straight, so look out for each other. Keep working hard and greatness will come to you. Now to my fellow seniors, unfortunately it is all over. There are a handful of us that will go on to play baseball again as collegiate players, but for most of us the next time we pick up a glove will be to play catch with our own sons. For a majority of us, we have all played baseball together or against each other since coach pitch started when we were 7 or 8. The intensity of our little league games translated straight to the freshman year, when we won 21 games under Mr. Keron. The next year, Coach Giles, Coach Lind and all of us who won 18 games but there were so many memories like that fight between Z and Mike in the dugout at Jenison the game after Giles was ejected. The next year, we accomplished so much when nothing was expected of us by the media (We knew we could do it however) and well we were in the regionals as a bunch of juniors. This year, we won 23 games that's crazy good. We have left our legacy as a senior class and have set a foundation that hopefully will propel Caledonia baseball to a new height. I know that we will not necessarily ever all be together again, but in all of these years I have made some incredible friends and even found a college roommate. The on the field success is parallel to the amount of off the field memories we have as a baseball family. I have truly loved playing the game of baseball since I was 3 years old playing in Ohio, and the last 14 seasons have been filled with so many memories that I will never forget. It is with great sadness that upon completing this blog post, I will officially retire as a baseball player, 2988 hits shy of the 3000 hit plateau. Thank you to everyone for everything. I will miss this all so much.

Still sitting in the bullpen,
Nick Tuori

District Update

So the district tournament began today with a 3-0 victory for East Kentwood over Wyoming. The Scots and Byron Center started but Mother Nature (and the umpires) wasn't letting the boys play outside in the rain. The game will resume Monday at 2:30 with Joe Stegehuis up with a 1-2 count, 2 outs and Austin Coon on third in the top of the 5th inning with Byron leading 1-0. Come support yall

Cal Northview Recap

 Today, the Scots boarded the bus for the regular season finale against the OK Bronze champion Northview Wildcats. Defensive blunders and miscues lead to the Wildcats scoring three unearned runs off of starter Dan Zeman in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. The Scots did chip away with an RBI double by Tanner Schaafsma in the third to cut the margin to 3-1. After Northview scored on another defensive blunder, the Scots offense started clicking at the same pace that it did the last two weeks. Caledonia scored 6 unanswered runs, leading by the game's eventual final score of 7-4. Drake Ellens, Mitch McCallum, Logan Hudson, and Joe Stegehuis all had hits that plated runners. The most impressive hit all day would have to be at the bat of ace Caleb Sleeman. When Northview went to the bullpen for the final time to lead off the 7th inning, Sleeman wasted no time taking the reliever's first pitch over the left field wall for a homerun. The pitching staff for Caledonia was solid today, as Dan Zeman went two innings and gave up no earned runs, and then Sam Vanderwal came in and pitched the remaining 5 innings earning the win. This tuneup was interesting for Caledonia, as I would say the first two innings showed a lot of relapses of past habits that killed the team earlier in the year, but the end of the game showed the resiliency that this group has shown lately and that is why they got the victory. The Scots improve to 23-8 on the year, and begin district play Saturday. The schedule for Saturday is East Kentwood vs Wyoming at 10 AM, with the Scots and Byron Center set to follow approximately at 12. The district final will take place afterwards. All games are taking place at Wyoming High School. Please do come out and support and watch some great baseball.

Game Thoughts:

1) Shoutout to Slee for the homer. Most importantly, this makes the home run count: Outfielders 3 PO's 1 and Infielders 0.
2) So now we have played the OK Bronze, Black, Green, Gold, Red, Silver and White champions all in the same season and have a combined 8-3 record against these teams. The schedule we played throughout the year has prepared us tremendously for the playoff run we aspire to make.
3) Shoutout to Bryce Houser, in only his third varsity game he shattered the record for foul balls retrieved in a game, and most impressively it was in an opposing ballpark, where you usually do not have to get 2/3 of the foul balls.
4) Its finally playoff time. I have my giant poster-sized bracket drawn out and filled in and I cannot wait for this to begin. I love the intensity and importance of every single pitch thrown. Whether it is a huge strikeout, double play, extra base hit or steal of home, every play matters in the playoffs. Time to defend our district title.

Cal Plainwell Recap

Today, the Caledonia Scots took on the Plainwell Trojans in a double header in one of the final tune-ups before districts for both teams. The Scots sent Caleb Sleeman to the hill and he was "human" allowing two base runners in two innings. Trent Foreman and Keegan Mulvey came in to provide relief and the Scots controlled the first game from start to end winning 9-0. Logan Hudson and Chris Clark had 2 RBIs, Sleeman, Tanner Schaafsma, Drake Ellens and Joe Stegehuis all drove in a run a piece for the Scots in game 1. After some quality Little Casears, the Scots renenergized and picked up right where they left off. In the second game, the Scots won 7-3 and the bats again were clicking on all cylinders. Logan Hudson had three more RBIs, Joe Stegehuis, Chris Clark and Mitch McCallum all drove in a single run. The pitching all day was on point as Mitch Horgan, Nick Tuori, Cody Jakiel and Drake Ellens limited the Trojan offense to 5 hits in the second game, but really only one hard hit ball. The Scots controlled this doubleheader the entire way and it was a great tuneup for districts. The offense was putting the ball in play constantly and all of the pitchers were pounding the zone and the defense played almost flawless. The Scots improve to 22-8 on the season, and tomorrow will travel to Northview in the final tuneup before district play.

Game Thoughts:

1) The only downside to today's game was the fact that because I gave up a run, I didn't get to take an at bat today. I stood in the on-deck circle but then was promptly pinch hit for. I was all pumped to lay down a bunt, still not sure what side I would have tried to bat from though.
2) Today was the varsity debut of 4 kids. Bryce Houser, AJ Clarey, Nate Regan and Travis Kuhfeldt all made their first ever varsity appearances courtesy running. Houser, Clarey and Regan all scored a run which means they have as many runs scored in two games as I do in two years.
3) The dugout has gotten rather crowded with 25 members on the roster, but now an MLB sized roster does not really fit in a high school dugout. A lot of energy and cheering taking place though, and hopefully the winning ways will continue.

Cal Hamilton Recap

Today, the Scots boarded the bus for the final time in the regular season for a trip to take on the Hamilton Hawkeyes. Caleb Sleeman was starting for the Scots, however before he ever toed the rubber the Scots offense struck for 3 runs. Logan Hudson, Trent Foreman and Chris Clark had 3 consecutive hits that all drove in runs to give the Scots an early 3-0 lead. In the second inning, Joe Stegehuis' double drove in another run and so Caledonia had a 4-0 lead after two. Sleeman was on as usual today, going 4 innings allowing only one hit and striking out 6. The Hawkeyes did score a run in the 4th off of Sleeman, but it was the result of an error so it is unearned. The win is Sleeman's 7th and he improves to 7-0 on the year. The Scots offense sputtered after the second inning, despite a 3 hit effort from Joe Stegehuis and a plethora of other hits, they kept leaving runners on and so it was going to be up to the pitching and defense to keep them in front. Drake Ellens had a huge catch saving a run in the fourth and Trent Foreman had a double play assisted by Huddy's cleats that both provided huge outs in crucial situations. Mitch Horgan came in and threw three hitless innings of relief to earn the save and the Scots escaped Hamilton with a 4-1 victory. The Scots improve to 20-8 on the season, and are on a 5 game winning streak entering the last regular season matchup with the Trojans of Plainwell. This will take place Tuesday at Caledonia at 4:15, and it serves as the final tuneup before the district tournament begins Saturday May 30 at Wyoming. The Scots will play Byron Center at 12 and the championship game will follow. Huge weekend as the playoffs start so come out and support the boys as much as you can.

After Game Thoughts:

1) Today's game song would have to be the one hit by Three Dog Night, "One is the Lonliest Number". Sleeman and Horgan were incredible today, allowing only 1 hit the entire game and really getting strikeouts when they were in a pinch. Slee started today by striking out the first 5 and then Horgan had a pair of K's. These two are crucial to our playoff success.
2) Sleeman had the most interesting Soulja Boy dance moves, and I don't think anybody was surprised. Kikkert was in awe though, and he tried to match with an attempt of the whip, but a huge emphasis on attempt...
3) Shoutout to Blake Swift for an unnoticed play today. As the ball skipped by first base and appeared to be heading out of play, Swift slammed the gate shut keeping the ball in play and saving the runner from advancing a base. Some real-cat like reflexes.
4) Shoutout to one of my most loyal readers, Jason Hutton. It was great spending the last couple days talking to you and thanks for the support. Thanks to everyone for reading though, I truly enjoy doing this so the fact everyone reads it makes it that much better.

Cal Byron Recap

Today, the Scots hosted the Byron Center Bulldogs in a non conference game, that also serves as a preview for next Saturday's district semifinal. The Scots sent Rob Gontjes to the hill, and Rob pitched by far his best outing of the season. Gontjes went 6 innings and gave up 4 hits and 1 run, earning his first win of 2015. The Scots bats were alive starting in the 3rd inning when they batted around and scored 5 runs. The Scots would end up taking a 7-1 lead into the 7th inning when Cody Jakiel came in and recorded the final 3 outs, and the Scots emerged victorious 7-3. The Scots improve to 19-8 on the year and will travel to Hamilton Wednesday for a game, the third to last tune-up before districts. It is unknown who will be on the bump Wednesday but I would suggest making the trip if you have time, we are playing great.

After Game Thoughts:

1) Rob pitched out of his mind today. Definately was a huge plus to have him throw great and minimize the bullpen usage so Byron didn't see a ton of pitching.
2) Well, now we have played the champions in the OK Black, Gold,Red,White,and Green so I would definately say we are prepared for a tough playoff schedule. I feel that the regular season challenges are very essential in making sure we play our best ball all year long.
3) Happy birthday shoutout to Emily Mayer, thanks for coming to all of the games all year long no matter what the weather or location. She would like the world to know that at the store tonight, she did see Blake Swift when the girls and my father went to buy birthday cake.

Rockford Invite Recap

Today, the Scots went out to Rockford to compete in the Rockford Invitational, a four team tournament along with Rockford, Newaygo and Fruitport. In the first game, the Scots took on the Fruitport Trojans, and they played phenomenally. While the offense left guys on base, they also put a lot of runners on with hits left and right. Matt Kikkert was the Scogs starter and he went 5 innings and allowed only 3 hits. I came in relief and pitched the final 2 innings and gave up 1 hit, so all in all the Trojans only had 4 hits but no runs. Caledonia advanced to the finals with a 4-0 win over Fruitport, where they would face Rockford.
In the first inning, the Scots struck for 3 runs as results of a throwing error and a hit batsmen. 3 runs were more than enough for the pitching staff, as Sam Vanderwal went 5 innings and held the Rams to only one run. The Scots tagged on another two runs and Trent Foreman slammed the door and they won 5-1, winning the Rockford Invite. The Scots now improve to 18-8 on the season. This upcoming week, they will host Byron Center on Monday and then a road trip to Hamilton on Wednesday. These games are huge in the preparation for the district tournament which is May 30 at Wyoming.

Game Thoughts:

1) All football and baseball players almost shutout Rockford this year. We will gladly take the 47-1 combined win though. Two huge wins for both programs.
2) To the pitcher who took a line drive to his "manhood", I hope everything is alright. Wow I think I felt the pain when he got hit and watching his reaction was just awful. Really hope that kid and his junk recover.
3) 4 games to go on the year before the playoffs and it appears the last two days we are starting to turn a corner and head into the positive direction right at the proper time.
4) Shoutout to the parents for a delicious walking taco without the bag today. Great meal I really loved it.
5) Shoutout to Kikkert for throwing 5 shutout innings then catching a bullpen in the second game.