There was a good feeling that the 2026 baseball season around the Petoskey-area would be one of those transition years when the spring began.
That’s not a bad thing, as most have associated that word with, but some large senior classes everywhere were sure to bring change to the start of the year.
But, even in one of those years, baseball still blossomed. We ended up with two area conference champions in the Northern Shores (Harbor Springs) and Northern Lakes (Harbor Light), while Petoskey hardly skipped a beat. All three also found their way into regionals.
That’s the thing about baseball around here, even when you think there might be a dip in the talent pool, that proves to be far from the case.
This spring’s Petoskey News-Review Baseball All-Area team was as hard as ever to put together, with a host of deserving players at every position. Many of them were breakouts in 2026, as more than half (10) of the team below is made up of underclassmen.
2026 Baseball Player of the Year
An impressive total of seven players batted over .400 for the season, with the infield loaded this year, where seniors like Petoskey’s Tyler Pool and Harbor’s Caiden Phillips and Ben McShannock were joined by the next generation in Petoskey sophomore Tate Russell, Northmen junior Zach Wodek and Harbor Light junior Daniel Urman. It was a loaded group.
You can find the complete team below.
2026 Petoskey News-Review All-Area Baseball Team
C: Beckett Blake, Sr. Petoskey
Went over 190 innings behind the plate and threw out 11 runners. Hit for a .317 average and drove in 26 runs.
INF: Tyler Pool, Sr. Petoskey
Batted .431 with 28 RBIs, 21 runs scored and 9 steals. Also went 36.1 innings, had 31 strikeouts and a 1.92 ERA.
INF: Caiden Phillips, Sr. Harbor Springs
Hit for a .397 average with 7 doubles, 31 RBIs and 35 runs scored as an all-conference infielder.
INF: Tate Russell, So. Petoskey
Hit for a .448 average in first varsity season. Led with 15 doubles, had 32 RBIs and 24 runs scored. Also walked 19 times.
INF: Daniel Urman, Jr. Harbor Light
Claimed D4 All-State with a .429 average, 10 doubles, 32 RBIs and 45 runs scored. Added 12 steals.
INF: Ben McShannock, Sr. Harbor Springs
Batted .420 and led the Rams with 42 hits. Drove in 31 runs and scored 38, while striking out just 5 times. Also pitched 36 innings and held a 1.75 ERA.
INF: Zach Wodek, Jr. Petoskey
Broke out with a .458 average to lead Petoskey. Had 33 runs scored and 12 steals, also both team-highs. Added 10 RBIs and strong defensive play at shortstop.
OF: Brayden Joyce, Jr. Boyne City
All-conference outfielder, batted .286 with 20 runs scored and 8 RBIs. Also went 4-1 in five starts, holding a 2.56 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 27 innings.
OF: Elijah Young, Sr. Petoskey
Earned first team BNC honors as an outfielder. Batted .348 with 23 runs and 11 RBIs.
OF: Brady Wilson, Jr. East Jordan
Versatile athlete for the Red Devils. Earned All-Ski Valley while playing the infield, outfield and pitching.
UT: Max Batkoski-Reynolds, Sr. Charlevoix
Another strong year at the plate with a .524 average, 8 doubles, 3 triples and 2 homers. Scored 29 runs and drove in 12. Struck out just 3 times.
UT: CJ DuBois, So. Harbor Light
Hit for a .383 average in a breakout season. Included 7 doubles, 2 triples, 33 RBIs and 39 runs scored. Walked 31 times.
DH: Thaddeus Cosens, So. Harbor Springs
Could play all over, but swung a big bat with a .408 average, 27 RBIs and 32 runs scored. Made 8 starts, held a 6-1 record and a 3.10 ERA.
P: Nick Lemieur, Jr. Harbor Springs
Area Player of the Year. Went 51.2 innings, struck out 63, held a 0.94 ERA and .182 average against. Also hit .333 with 26 RBIs and 27 runs.
P: Anderson Ward, Jr. Boyne City
Struck out 54 across 50 innings and 10 starts, while holding a 1.82 ERA. Hit .306 at the plate with 18 RBIs and 17 runs.
P: Braylon Currie, Sr. Mackinaw City
Took over the pitching record books for the Comets, topping the list for strikeouts and wins. Also recorded his 100th hit this season. Currie struck out 80 in 50 innings and held a 2.66 ERA.
P: Dylan Aukeman, Jr. Petoskey
Led Petoskey with 52.1 innings, 48 strikeouts and a 1.47 ERA. Also batted .273 with 18 RBIs.
P: Will Paulus, Sr. Harbor Light
D4 All-State. Tossed an impressive 66 innings across 12 starts. Struck out 103 and held a 0.95 ERA. Also hit .378 with 33 RBIs and 34 runs.
HONORABLE MENTION
Tyler Hingston, Sr. Mackinaw City; Johnny Urman, 8th. Harbor Light; Bradyn Russell, So. East Jordan; Max Beal, Sr. East Jordan; Parker Ward, So. Petoskey; Monte Eaton, Jr. Boyne City; Ryan Novak, Sr. Harbor Springs; Brett Bonter, Pellston; Bo Evans, Fr. Charlevoix; JJ Spencer, So. Harbor Springs; Jack Paquette, Sr. Boyne City.
Reach Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com and follow him on X @DrewKochanny and Instagram @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: No dip in talent in 2026 for the Petoskey-Area All-Area Baseball Team
Reporting by Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review | USA TODAY Network
