EAST LANSING – For the Mason baseball program, McLane Stadium on Michigan State’s campus felt cursed.
For the 10-man senior class, they were 0-3 there. Two losses in the Diamond Classic, then again in last season’s Division 2 state semifinal. DeWitt – the Bulldogs/ opponent on May 21 in the Diamond Classic quarterfinals, beat them 10-0 in five innings in the tournament two seasons ago.
For Mason, it felt like the time to break the curse was now. It was the rally cry from the Bulldogs’ dugout pregame, and no one embodied it more than senior Colten McCaleb in Mason’s 4-2 curse-breaking win over the Panthers.
Trailing 2-0, McCaleb delivered a two-run single down the first base line to even the game. He then started Mason’s rally in the fifth, scoring a run on a single from sophomore Logan Davis in a two-run fifth inning for the Bulldogs.
“We’ve talked about it all season that it’s about who wants it more on the big stage,” Mason coach Kohl Tyrrell said. “That’s totally Colten’s character, and he loves being in those big situations. This was his senior moment, and he carried us through to the end.”
Lastly, McCaleb came to pitch in relief for starter Ryan Adams, and facing a two-on, nobody-out situation in the seventh inning, McCaleb struck out the next three Panthers to secure the win.
“In my four years, we had never won here, and we knew we’d be facing a good opponent, but now tonight, we broke the curse,” McCaleb said. “The team and everyone want it all, and we work together so well.
“My fastball was working pretty good, and then that last pitch was a changeup, and oh my God, it was perfect,” McCaleb added. “That was the best pitch I’ve ever thrown.”
Last year, the team decided to go with blonde highlights to spark some good luck. With that season ending in the state semifinals, highlights weren’t good enough this go-around. It was time to go all out. All or nothing. All blonde.
“Those guys may look like clowns, but they’re my clowns, and they’re awesome,” Tyrrell said. “They have fun, and they keep me happy, and it’s been a fun season, but now we have 10 more games to win.”
Mason will face Grand Ledge in the Diamond Classic semifinals on May 27 at McLane Stadium. DeWitt will turn its attention to baseball districts 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: Mason baseball “breaks curse” with Diamond Classic win over DeWitt
Reporting by Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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