HANOVER — When Jonesville needed an out Saturday morning, coach Brian Stroble never looked anywhere but toward senior Marshall Baker.
The Comets’ veteran right-hander had already spent six innings frustrating Quincy hitters in a Division 3, District 82 semifinal. Then came the seventh. Quincy loaded the bases, bringing the tying run within striking distance in a one-run game. Stroble stuck with the senior who had been through those moments before. Baker delivered.
The final out preserved a 1-0 victory and sent Jonesville into the district championship game, where the Comets erupted for seven runs in one inning and defeated Cascades Conference rival Hanover-Horton 8-3 to claim the district crown at Hanover-Horton High School.
The title pushed Jonesville to 17-14 overall and into the Division 3 Region 41 semifinals, where the Comets will face Centreville (18-13) at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, at Centreville.
“Marshall Baker is obviously one of those guys you want anytime as a coach,” Stroble said. “When I went out to the mound in the seventh inning and the sixth inning to talk with him, I just had to go out and calm him down and check him out. He’s pitched against Quincy — that’s his third time this year — and he’s kind of had their number.”
The district championship represented another step forward for a Jonesville program that won district titles in 2023 and 2024 before falling short to Lumen Christi last spring. Stroble said the blend of experienced seniors and emerging freshmen helped the Comets return to the top.
“We hit well, we played well, and the guys came together to play baseball today,” Stroble said. “The seniors just enjoy it. They’re not ready to be done.”
Semifinals
The semifinal turned into a classic pitchers’ duel.
Jonesville scratched across the game’s only run while Baker controlled the Quincy lineup from the mound. The senior worked all seven innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five and walking two. Quincy managed to put pressure on him late, but Baker escaped the seventh-inning jam to finish the shutout.
The Comets managed six hits offensively. Carson Young led the way with a 2-for-4 performance. Marshall Baker added two hits of his own, while Talon Titus and Ian Doyle each collected a hit. Carsen Cornila scored the fifth inning run to give Jonesville the lead.
Defensively, Jonesville played a clean game behind its starter. Young recorded five putouts, while Devin Herendeen handled six chances at first base without an error in one of his first extended appearances after returning from injury.
Herendeen’s return provided an emotional boost for the Comets.
The senior first baseman had been sidelined for much of the season while recovering from a back injury that at one point threatened to end his career. Instead, he remained around the team and became a leader from the dugout.
“We go back into the beginning of March and Devin had an injury that kind of put him out for, he thought, the whole year, career,” Stroble said. “He said, ‘I will stick around. I will keep playing. I want to be here with the guys.’
He’s always been talking to the guys through their ups and downs and helping them through their struggles. He’s kind of been like an extension of me in the dugout.”
Saturday marked Herendeen’s first games back at first base after previously appearing on senior night.
“It was very nice to see him be able to swing,” Stroble said. “Hopefully we can keep him healthy.”
Second-inning explosion powers title run
After surviving Quincy, Jonesville quickly found itself in another familiar matchup against Hanover-Horton in the championship game. This time, the Comets’ offense came alive.
Jonesville broke open a close title bout with a seven-run second inning, scoring all seven runs with two outs. The outburst gave Young plenty of breathing room on the mound.
“Our bats came alive in the second game,” Stroble said. “I think we scored all seven runs in that second inning with two outs. The guys just did their job today.”
Young earned the victory after pitching six innings. The junior allowed six hits and three runs, two earned, while striking out eight and walking one. Kody Drake worked a scoreless seventh inning in relief, allowing one hit.
At the plate, Jonesville collected nine hits in the championship game. Carson Young led the way, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Talon Titus also finished 2-for-4, driving in two runs and scoring once. Maverick Baker added a 2-for-3 performance and scored a run.
Devin Herendeen continued his strong return to the lineup, going 1-for-1 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk. Kody Drake contributed a hit, RBI, run scored and walk, while Connor Chenevare added a hit and a walk. Carsen Cornila scored two runs and drew a walk. Marshall Baker had one run.
Jonesville’s extra-base production proved pivotal. Titus doubled twice, while the Comets also received hits from Young, Maverick Baker, Chenevare, Herendeen and Drake during the seven-run offensive outburst.
The Comets were equally aggressive on the bases. Cornila stole two bases, Maverick Baker added a steal.
Seniors extending the season
While the district championship secured another week of baseball, it also guaranteed more time together for a senior class that has played a significant role in the program’s success.
Marshall Baker, Herendeen, Titus, Doyle and Lucas Kyser headline a group that has helped mentor a wave of younger players. Stroble noted he brought nine freshmen up to the varsity level this season, and several have contributed during the postseason run.
“Talon Titus has played some great jobs at third base and at shortstop,” Stroble said. “Ian Doyle didn’t play last year as a junior but came out this year and he’s done a really good job in left field. I lose six guys. As you saw, the number of players I had today, I brought nine freshmen up to play. A couple of them contributed.”
The freshman were brought up from the junior varsity program, where they collected a 32-3 overall record, a sign of the potential future success that Comets might sustain with the underclassmen roster.
For now, however, the focus remains on extending the season.
Jonesville will travel to Centreville for Wednesday’s regional semifinal against the Bulldogs, who advanced by defeating Constantine 7-3 in their district championship game.
The Comets enter with momentum, confidence in their pitching staff and a senior group determined to keep playing.
“I think the seniors just enjoy it,” Stroble said. “They’re not ready to be done.”
This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Two dominant pitchers propel Jonesville baseball to district title
Reporting by Joseph Flaherty, Hillsdale Daily News / Hillsdale Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
