The MHSAA’s Division I baseball trophy will be awarded to a first-time recipient this weekend.
Brighton, Farmington, Grandville and Lake Orion will vie for the state title Friday and Saturday at Bailey Park in Battle Creek.
Here’s a look at what each squad brings to the table.
Lake Orion vs. Brighton at 3 p.m. (Morrison Field):
The #4 Dragons are the highest ranked team left in the field (based on the final regular season Coaches Association rankings). Only Grandville (#8) cracks the top-10 among the other contenders.
Led by Andy Schramek, Lake Orion set a record for wins this season with 29 and counting. At 29-5, the Dragons also have the best record among all the remaining teams.
But, you probably knew all of that already.
Schramek said that Josh Deeg, Mike Musary and Jon Ruggeri are likely all to see some innings on the mound this weekend. The coach is holding out hope that junior righty Connor Mielock (injured wrist) might also be able to throw.
Deeg threw over 80 pitches on both Saturday and Tuesday, with Ruggeri appearing for at least one inning in two games Saturday and Tuesday’s win over West Bloomfield.
Key playoff wins: #7 Oxford (2-0) in the opening game of districts. Comeback victories over Utica Ford and Troy Athens in regional play. Topped West Bloomfield 3-2 on Tuesday.
The Brighton Bulldogs (27-8-1) are making a return trip to Battle Creek, where they lost in the semifinals last season.
Brighton topped Saline 1-0 in 13 innings on Tuesday to advance.
In that game, senior ace Tyler Loehr threw nine innings, just two days after pitching a complete game. Loehr features a curveball and a slider.
If Coach George Reck chooses to save Loehr, the likely option would be sophomore John Nelson, the team’s #2 pitcher who threw three innings on Tuesday to pick up the victory.
Key playoff wins: In addition to the marathon game vs. Saline, the Bulldogs also went extra innings with #5 Portage Northern in regional action, winning 3-2 in nine innings.

Farmington vs. Grandville at 2 p.m. (C. O. Brown):
Dragon fans are relatively familiar with OAA I foe Farmington (27-8). Pete Finn’s squad split two games with LO and came on strong toward the end of the regular season.
Deeg got the win in the first meeting, tossing 6 and 2/3 shutout innings in a 5-0 win at Farmington.
The Falcons were benefactors of some sloppy defense in a 14-2 win at Lake Orion later in the season, but with four Dragon errors in the final two frames, that contest was actually a bit closer than the final score might have indicated.
Farmington’s two-headed pitching monster of Burny Mitchem and Harvey Martin has been solid all postseason. Martin threw a complete game in the Falcons 3-1 win over #3 and defending state champion Grosse Pointe North in regionals on Tuesday.
Mitchem, who threw a complete game in their win over LO, will get the start on Friday against Grandville, with Martin slated for a possible Saturday start. Cam Fowler, who threw in the first game against LO is the team’s likely next option on the hill.
Key playoff wins: #3 Grosse Pointe (3-1) earlier this week, #6 Allen Park in regionals and top-ranked Northville in districts.
The Grandville Bulldogs (30-7) come out of the west side’s toughest league, the O-K Red.
With three team’s in the state’s top-10, the Bulldogs were an afterthought in league play, in spite of a quarterfinal appearance last season.
Jeff Horfst is the team’s #1 pitcher, and made appearance in both of their regional victories as well as their 4-1 win over Flushing in the quarterfinals.
Tyler Morgan is the team’s #2 arm, but neither he nor Horfst (both seniors this year) were part of the staff last year, which was a senior laden-team.
Key playoff wins: The team’s opening game 7-4 victory over Hudsonville was their most notable. They are the only team in the final four not to have beaten a top-10 team en route to Battle Creek.

Stay with The Review for the latest news, including recaps after Friday’s action.

Correction:
The story in yesterday’s web edition identified Mike Musary as the right fielder recording the team’s final out. In fact, Matt Truscott made the play after coming in as a defensive substitution.
The Review regrets the error.