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2025 Spring Team Preview: Detroit Edison

March 4, 2025
Bruce Hefflinger
Michigan Senior Writer

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With 2024 now in the past, Prep Baseball Michigan is eagerly anticipating bringing the state the best high school coverage that can be found anywhere in 2025. Starting in February, we began releasing team previews for squads across the state. Ahead, we will have Preseason All-State Teams as well as the Preseason State Rankings coming your way.

To view the full list of 2025 Team Previews that we have already completed, please click here.

If you are a coach and haven't filled out your 2025 Team Preview, click here.

Interested in attending a Prep Baseball Michigan event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

2025 Spring Team Preview: Detroit Edison

DETROIT - With two Final Four appearances in the past three seasons, Detroit Edison is a proven program. Last year the Pioneers lost to eventual Division 3 state champion Watervliet in the semis after falling in the 2022 title game to Buchanan.

“We’ve been knocking on the door, but at some point we’ve got to go through that door,” explained head coach Mark Brown, whose 2023 team was eliminated from the tournament in the regionals. “Our goal is always to get to East Lansing with a chance to play for a state championship.”

The 10th-year head coach at Edison believes he has the players in 2025 to make another run.

“We have an experienced group coming back with three- and four-year starters,” Brown noted. “We have two guys that played in the state championship in 2022 in (Kole) Waterman and (Terrell) Crosson.”

The third-rated senior first baseman in Michigan, Waterman is a four-year starter who will take over as the staff ace this year with the southpaw playing outfield when not on the mound. Crosson will move from second base to shortstop and bat leadoff for the Pioneers, which finished 25-12 a year ago.

Juniors Jamir Campbell and David Hemphill are others with pitching experience back along with senior left-hander Bryce Massie and right-hander Kaleb Johnson, a pair of POs. Campbell, the 15th-rated 2026 shortstop in the state, will play third when not on the mound while Hemphill is expected to see time in the outfield.

Junior Dancel Nuesi Rodriguez, a transfer from the Dominican Republic, is a “big time addition” according to Brown and will catch and bat second or third. Another 11th-grader, JonTae Wright, is back at first base with the ability to play third with Waterman then taking over at first.

Jerrell Crosson, Terrell’s cousin, is penciled in to play second base with sophomore Deonte Lenear, a transfer from Harper Woods, seeing time in the infield as well as adding pitching depth.

Two more Harper Woods transfers, DaiJon Brooks and Javarious Jackson, will be on the field. Brooks is a junior utility player with the potential to play second, third, outfield and pitch while Jackson is a sophomore outfielder and catcher.

Senior Xavier Parker adds more promise in the outfield.

“I like the experience we have back,” noted Brown, who must replace three key regulars in Marwynn Matthews (SS/RHP, now at Western Michigan), Jordan Jones (3B, now at Mississippi Valley State) and Deshawn Williams (OF). “Experience will be a big plus for us, especially with playing everybody across the state.

“The schedule we play is very tough and demanding,” added Brown. “We wouldn’t have it any other way. Our goal is not to win a league championship, we want a schedule that gets us ready for the state tournament so when we face someone throwing 90 we’ve seen that before. You get to see where you are as a program playing all these great teams.”

The challenging schedule is done without the benefit of a home field.

“We want these guys to go out and compete every day, whether it’s in the classroom or on the field. In everyday life we want them to be the best they can be,” Brown explained. “We don’t make excuses. Every game is on the road. We practice on our turf football field. To compete at a high level like we do is remarkable.”

The expectations are always there.

“We don’t rebuild at Edison, we reload,” Brown concluded. “We have experienced guys and, hopefully, our speed will benefit us. Our defense, catching and up the middle, is good. We’re really excited about this year.”

2025 Spring Team Preview: Detroit Edison

Team Name: Detroit Edison
Head Coach: Mark Brown
Division: 3
2024 Record: 26-12
2024 Tourney Finish: State Semifinals loss to Watervliet
Returning Starters/Pitchers: 5/4

Coach Outlook: "At Detroit we don't rebuild, we reload."

2025 Team Strengths:

  • Starting Pitching
  • Defense
  • Team Speed

Top Returning Players:

Kole Waterman, LHP/1B/OF, 2025

Parish Smith Jr, 3B/OF, 2025

Terrell Crosson, SS, 2025

Jontae Wright Jr, 1B, 2026

Jamir Campbell, SS/RHP, 2026

Class of 2025 Prospects:

Bryce Massie, LHP

Kaleb Johnson, RHP

Khari Austin, INF/OF

Class of 2026 Prospects:

Jerrell Crosson, 2B

David Hemphill, RHP/OF

Dancel Nuesi Rodriguez, C

DaiJon Brooks, OF

Class of 2027 Prospects:

Deonte Lenear, SS/3B

Javarious Jackson, OF

Melvin Tennyson, INF/C

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