Portland St. Patrick vs. Plymouth Christian Academy – – MHSAA Division 4 Baseball Final – – The Bleacher Denizen – – June 14, 2025 – – by Chuck Krafft
Today, your Bleacher Denizen is at McLane Baseball Stadium at Michigan State University where the Shamrocks from Portland St. Patrick will compete with the Eagles from Plymouth Christian Academy to see who will be the State Champion in Division 4 Baseball.
St. Patrick earned its spot in the state final with this win over Norway in the semifinal. https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2025/06/13/portland-st-patrick-vs-norway-mhsaa-division-4-baseball-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-13-2025-by-chuck-krafft/
I also saw Plymouth Christian earlier this season when they played against Fowler in a tournament.
https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2025/05/03/plymouth-christian-academy-at-fowler-baseball-fowler-2025-baseball-softball-invitational-the-bleacher-denizen-may-3-2025-by-chuck-krafft/
Plymouth Christian enters this game with a 28-7 record and is rated Number 4 in Division 4. The Michigan High School Athletic Association has provided some statistics for their top players. (These statistics do not include Friday’s semifinal games.)
Cooper Weaver is hitting .379 with 28 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Dylan Beasley is batting .374 with 14 doubles, 34 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Michael Fernandez is batting .353 with 11 doubles and 34 RBI. Michael Fernandez also pitches and has a 9-1 won/loss record to go with a 0.78 ERA and 85 strikeouts in just unter 54 innings. Micah Lavigne is hitting .344 with 32 RBI and 11 stolen bases. He also pitches and has a 5-0 won/loss record. Carter Datillio is hitting .419 with 23 RBI. Luke Janigan is hitting .360 with 24 stolen bases; he also has a 5-2 won/loss record as a pitcher.
Portland St. Patrick only provided pitching statistics. However, while I don’t know the precise statistics, I have seen the Shamrocks play ten games this year, so here is my perception through the eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who almost never got off the bench when he attempted to play baseball. (Alas, there were some valid reasons for that.)
St. Patrick is one of the best high school teams I have ever seen when it comes to playing “small ball.” Every year, every Shamrock player has basic throwing and catching skills, so they make fewer errors than most other teams. Once a player gets on base, they all have great skills knowing how to run the bases. Also, it seems like every Shamrock player is a dependable bunter, so they can move runners around the bases that way.
Jerryd Scheuer is a fantastic defensive shortstop who has a knack for getting on base with bunts, singles, the occasional blast to the outfield, walks, etc. Once he is on base, he has brilliant instincts and it is difficult for other teams to keep him from scoring even if he has to start from first base. Charlie Thelen is a fine catcher who is one of the team’s best hitters. Many times, when Jerryd Scheurer has gotten on first base, Charlie Thelen will bring him home with a double.
Brady Leonard is a strong hitter who has all the small ball skills possessed by all the Shamrocks, but can also pound the ball into the outfield for extra base hits. Brayden Simon is a senior in his fifth year of playing baseball at St. Patrick. (St. Patrick’s enrollment is low enough where eighth graders are permitted to play on varsity teams. Brayden was a starter even as an eighth grader.) He also has all the great small ball skills. He had two fantastic bunts for RBIs in the semifinal game. Nathan Fears is a senior jack of all trades who can play any position in the infield or outfield on a stellar level. He is also a dangerous hitter, bunter and base runner.)
St. Patrick’s top four pitchers are all formidable. Brady Leonard pitched a complete game shutout in the semifinal game, so he will not be able to pitch today. (But he is also one of the most athletic center fielders I have seen this year.) Going into the semifinal, he had an 11-0 record with an 0.89 ERA and 90 strikeouts in 55 innings. (I suppose I could calculate his present ERA based on that, but I’m too lazy.)
Brayden Simon has a 6-0 record with an 0.48 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 44 innings. Jerryd Scheurer has a 7-0 record with an 0.22 ERA. Sophomore Sean Fedewa, who pitched a complete game shutout in the quarterfinal has a 4-0 record and a perfect 0.00 ERA.
St. Patrick won the coin toss and will be the home team. Plymouth Christian will bat first. Here are the starting lineups.
PLYMOUTH CHRISTIAN
Luke Janigian 2b
Dylan Beasley ss
Cooper Weaver 3b
Michael Fernandez p
Carter Dattilio lf
MIcah Lavigne cf
Brandon Shollock c
Josh Yeager rf
Justin Shollack dh
Josh Pop will play first base, but will not bat.
ST. PATRICK
Jerryd Scheurer ss
Charlie Thelen c
Brady Leonard cf
Logan Howe 3b
Brayden Simon p
Tyler Thelen 1b
Simon White lf
T.J. Chamberlain rf
Nathan Fears 2b
It is now time to review the events of this game through the occasionally alert eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who was never able to make much of a baseball career for himself. His offensive game fell apart when umpires insisted that he actually hit the ball or draw a walk before running to first base. It was so much easier doing it my way, but I learned that it was totally frowned upon.
St Patrick Pitcher Brayden Simon retired the first two Plymouth Christian hitters on a fly to right field and a fly to short right field where St. Patrick First Baseman Tyler Thelen made a fine play running back to catch the ball. Cooper Weaver was safe at first base on an error. Shamrock Right Fielder T.J. Chamberlain made a running to record the third out of the inning.
Jerryd Scheurer beat out an infield single to lead off the bottom of the first inning for St. Patrick and stole second base. Charlie Thelen doubled to right field and drove Jerryd Scheurer home. Charlie Thelen took third base when Brady Leonard beat out a bunt single. Brady Leonard advanced to second base whe Logan Howe beat out a bunt single. Brady Leonard stole third base. Brady Leonard scored and Logan Howe went to second base on an RBI sacrifice bunt by Brayden Simon.
Plymouth Christian Pitcher Michael Fernandez retired the next two Shamrock batters on a strikeout and a fly to right field to end the inning.
St. Patrick scored three runs in the top of the first inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Brayden Simon retired the three Eagle hitters in the top of the second inning on a grounder to the mound, a bouncer to third base and a fly to left field.
T.J. Chamberlain beat out an infield single. When he tried to advance to second base on an overthrow Eagle Right Fielder Josh Yeager alertly backed up the play and threw him out at second base. Michael Fernandez retired the next Shamrock hitter on a bount to the pitcher. Jerryd Scheurer was safe at first base on an error and took second base on an errant pickoff throw. Charlie Thelen singled to right field and drove Jerryd Scheurer home. MIchael Fernandez retired the next Shamrock batter on a bouncer to third base to end the inning.
St. Patrick scored one run in the bottom of the second inning to boost its lead to 4-0.
Brayden Simon retired the three Plymouth Christian hitters in the top of the third inning on a one hopper to the shortstop, a fly to center field and a strikeout.
Michael Fernandez struck out the St. Patrick leadoff batter in the top of the fourth inning. Brayden Simon walked and stole second base. Tyler Thelen singled to right field and Brayden Simon advanced to second base. Simon White was safe at first on a sacrifice bunt when the Eagles tried to get Brayden Simon out at home. Brayden Simon scored on the play and Tyler Thelen advanced to second base. Tyler Thelen and Simon White executed a double steal that put Tyler Thelen at third and Simon White at second.
Tyler Thelen was out at home when Pitcher Michael Fernandez fielded a bunt and flipped the ball to home plate. Simon White advanced to third base and T.J. Chamberlain was safe at first base on the play. Simon White scored and T.J. Chamberlain took second base when Nathan Fears beat out a bunt single down the first base line. Michael Fernandez retired the next hitter on a grounder to second base to end the inning.
St. Patrick scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to boost its lead to 6-0.
Dylan Beasley singled up the middle to lead off the top of the fourth inning for Plymouth Christian. Cooper Weaver was safe at first base and Dylan Beasley out at second base on a fielder’s choice grounder to the pitcher. Cooper Weaver advanced to second base when Carter Datillio was safe at first base on an error. Micah Lavigne walked to load the bases; Cooper Weaver went to third base and Carter Dattilio to second. Shamrock Second Baseman Nathan Fears ranged into short right field to catch a ball to secure the third out.
Charlie Thelen walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning for St. Patrick. Charlie Thelen went all the way to third base on a sacrifice bunt by Brady Leonard. Charlie Thelen scored and Logan Howe was safe at first base on a fielder’s choice bunt to the pitcher. Logan Howe was out at third base and Brayden Simon safe at first base on a fielder’s choice grounder to the shortstop.
Brayden Simon stole second base. Brayden Simon scored on an RBI single to center field by Tyler Thelen. Eagle Second Baseman Luke Janigan made a great play on a soft liner toward right field by Simon White to get the final out.
St. Patrick scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend its lead to 8-0.
Shamrock Shortstop Jerryd Scheurer made an excellent running catch in short center field on a drive by Josh Yeager to get the first Eagle out in the top of the fifth inning. Brayden Simon retired the next batter on a fly to center field. Juke Janigian drew a walk. Simon White made a great running, diving catch of a drive to left field by Dylan Beasley to get the third out.
Shane Slocum took over the pitching duties for Plymouth Christian. Michael Fernandez moved to shortstop and Dylan Beasley to first base.
Shane Slocum retired the first Shamrock hitter in the bottom of the fifth inning on a fly to right field. Nathan Fears drew a walk and stole second base. Jerryd Scheurer singled to left field and Nathan Fears advanced to third base. Jerryd Scheurer stole second base. Shane Slocum retired the next batter on a fly to center field. Center Fielder Micah Lavigne made a strong throw home to hold the runner at third base. Nathan Fears and Jerryd Scheurer scored when Brady Leonard was safe at first base on an error.
This gave St. Patrick a 10-0 lead and the game was ended by the mercy rule.
PORTLAND ST. PATRICK IS THE DIVISION FOUR STATE BASEBALL CHAMPION!!
Dylan Beasley had one single for Plymouth Christian.
Michael Fernandez pitched four innings for the Eagles. Shane Slocum pitched two thirds of an inning.
Charlie Thelen had a double, a single and two RBI for the Shamrocks. Tyler Thelen had two singles and one RBI. Jerryd Scheurer had two singles. Logan Howe had a single and two RBI. Brady Leonard and Nathan Fears each had a single and one RBI. T.J. Chamberlain had one single. Simon White had one RBI.
Brayden Simon pitched a complete five inning shutout game and allowed only one hit and two walks.
It was a lot of fun following the Shamrocks during this year’s baseball tournament. I covered all seven games – – districts, regionals, quarterfinal, semifinal and final. I thought it would be fun to include links from all the Shamrock year end tournament games here.
District:
Regional:
vs. Dansville
vs. Sacred Heart
Quarterfinal vs. Maple City Glen Lake
https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2025/06/08/portland-st-patrick-vs-maple-city-glen-lake-mhsaa-division-4-state-baseball-quarterfinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-7-2025-by-chuck-krafft/
Semifinal vs. Norway
https://thebleacherdenizen.com/2025/06/13/portland-st-patrick-vs-norway-mhsaa-division-4-baseball-semifinal-the-bleacher-denizen-june-13-2025-by-chuck-krafft/
Congratulations to the Shamrocks on an unforgettable baseball season!!