EAST LANSING – The DeWitt baseball program has had an up-and-down season, struggling against some of the top teams in the Lansing area. Still, it was enough to be selected to play in the annual Dean Shippey Diamond Classic, where it faced off against Lakewood on May 20 at McLane Stadium on Michigan State’s campus.
The Vikings had not been a part of the Diamond Classic since 2017, while the Panthers have been a staple in the event in recent years, winning the championship in both the 2022 and 2024 seasons.
DeWitt showed some of that pedigree on Wednesday, scoring four runs in the first inning and never looking back in a 10-3 win over Lakewood.
“We did what we wanted to do, coming out strong and fast, and then we held on from there,” DeWitt coach Alan Shankel said. “But it means we get to play tomorrow, and that’s the biggest thing. It was really important for us to get going and to feel confident moving forward.”
Three of the four first-inning runs for the Panthers were scored on errors, with junior Griffin Braman delivering an RBI single as well. DeWitt then scored four more runs in the third off a two-run double from senior outfielder Lucas Brandell and an RBI single from senior shortstop Jake Smith.
The Vikings scored all three of their runs in the fourth inning, started by an RBI single from sophomore center fielder Brandon Wilkins. Two more came across the plate on a fielder’s choice as DeWitt tried to turn a double play.
Smith would deliver a two-run double in the fifth to make it 10-3, then record the final three outs on the mound in the seventh inning.
“We had to fight to get in, and we felt that, especially this year, that we had to dig deep to get here,” Shankel said. “It’s the best teams in the area that you are facing off against, and you get to play at a great venue, and it’s special to do that. Everything’s a little amped up, and it’s very much like a playoff atmosphere.”
DeWitt junior pitcher Joseph Zubal got out of a couple of early jams and finished with six strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.
DeWitt advances to play Mason in the Diamond Classic quarterfinals on May 21 at 7 p.m. Lakewood has three regular-season games left before facing Hastings in district play on May 30.
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: DeWitt baseball downs Lakewood to advance in Diamond Classic
Reporting by Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
