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2026 High School Team Preview: Dexter Dreadnaughts

DEXTER - A strong contingent of seniors, including a pair of four-year varsity athletes, are back to lead Dexter, which set a school record with 30 wins last season.

Cole Novara and Cooper Arnedt will wrap up outstanding high school sports careers this spring before heading off to play in college, Novara to Michigan State for baseball and Arnedt to Saginaw Valley State for football. Novara returns in center field after setting school records with 49 R and 50 SB last spring while Arnedt, a shortstop set to play quarterback at SVSU, will hit behind Novara in the middle of the lineup.

A pair of senior southpaws are also expected to play major roles on the mound after combining to throw more than 100 innings a year ago. Mason McCallister had a 1.57 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 53.1 innings a year ago, while Andrew Cusick threw 50.2 frames with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP.

Additionally, there is a third lefty that is being counted on in the coming campaign in Cayden Cappelli, who is an Albion recruit.

“Starting pitching is our strength,” noted head coach Hank Dreffs, who has an overall record of 109-59 in three seasons at Whitmore Lake and two at Dexter, including a 57-20 mark with the Dreadnaughts. “We return all three conference arms.”

Junior Brady Arbaugh returns after starting in left field as a sophomore and also gives the Dreadnaughts another left-handed option on the mound.

But there are holes to fill, especially with the graduation of Chance Sobbry, “the heart of the order” according to Dreffs, “who will be tough to replace.” Sobbry is now playing at the next level with Georgia Southern while another graduate from last year’s team, Jack Sayler, is with Spring Arbor.

The sophomore trio of Brody Barber, Colin Jarboe and Ray Eby are newcomers to watch according to Dreffs, whose squad finished 30-10 last season, tying for first place in the SEC Red Division and reaching the district finals for the second year in a row, losing to Saline a year after falling to Ann Arbor Pioneer in the district title game.

“I fully anticipate competing with Saline for a league title,” Dreffs said about the coming season. “We also have a new district alignment this year, and I like our chances.”

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