County well represented in All-Star game at Comerica

By SCOTT M. BURNSTEIN
Special to The Oakland Press

These are the Oakland County players on the 2011 East All-Stars High School baseball team. (L-R): Nick Bradley, Rochester HS; Tom Constand, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep; Luke Dauch, Bloomfield Hills Lahser; Shane Daykin, Walled Lake Central; Greg Fettes, MH Lamphere; Blaise Salter, Orchard Lake St. Mary's; Chase Toth, Clarkston; Matt Wagnitz, Birmingham Detroit Country Day; and Danny Zuchowski, MH Bishop Foley. (The Oakland Press/Jose Juarez)

DETROIT — The offense was coming in droves for a group of local prep baseball standouts that got the chance to play in the 30th annual Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game, hosted by Comerica Park in downtown Detroit Tuesday evening.

Nine players from Oakland County were selected to participate in the game for the East team and three of them came through with multiple-hit outings.

Despite the stellar showing from the area, the East lost to the West, 9-5, in a game called in the eighth inning due to rain.

Orchard Lake St. Mary's Blaise Salter was named MVP of the East squad, going 3-for-4 with a pair of singles and an RBI-double. Madison Heights Lamphere's Greg Fettes and Clarkston's Chase Toth, each had two hits and two runs scored on the night.

“I can't put into words what a great experience this was,” said Salter after the game. “Comerica Park is a cathedral of baseball and I'm just honored I had the opportunity to play here before I left high school. Oakland County definitely represented in a big-time environment and that was nice to see.”

Salter, who is the grandson of former Detroit Tigers' all-star catcher, Bill Freehan, and Toth, will both be playing at Michigan State next spring, while Fettes is on his way to Kentucky.

“This was pretty cool,” said Fettes of his participation in the event. “I know I'll be playing in big stadiums and big crowds like this when I'm in college, so what a good way to get started.”

Toth concurred with Fettes about the excitement factor of playing at Comerica Park.

“Wow, was this a lot of fun,” he said. “They treated us like big leaguers and that was special.”

The 2011 All-Star High School baseball team MVPs for both East and West squads. Blaise Salter, left, of Orchard Lake St. Mary's HS was the East MVP, and Ryan Elble of East Grand Rapids was the West MVP. (The Oakland Press/Jose Juarez)

Rochester's Nick Bradley, headed to play his college ball at Western Michigan, pitched 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief for the East.

Also on the East roster on Tuesday were Madison Heights Bishop Foley's Danny Zuchowski (Toledo), Birmingham Detroit Country Day Matt Wagnitz (Kenyon College), Pontiac Notre Dame Prep's Tom Constand (Western Illinois), Bloomfield Hills Lahser's Luke Dauch (Northwestern), and Walled Lake Central's Shane Daykin. Farmington head coach Pete Finn was an assistant coach for the East team.

Constand and Daykin both saw time on the mound on Tuesday as well. Zuchowski was the ace pitcher and leading-hitter for the Division 3 state champions Ventures this spring. He got the win from the rubber in the state finals this past Saturday.

The West took an early 4-0 lead on the scoreboard before the East rallied for three runs in the fourth. When the West plated four runs in the fifth inning, the game was out of reach. Portage Central's Ryan Krill (drafted by the Tigers) was named MVP for the West.

Fettes and Salter were also both drafted by the Tigers.

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