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With the spring right around the corner, our staff has began preparing for the season with team previews. In this edition we highlighted some teams in the Great Lakes Bay area.

All information has been provided to us through our preseason coaches questionnaire, please email [email protected] if you have not received this poll and are a varsity head coach in the state of Michigan. 

To view the full list of 2026 Team Previews that we have already completed, please click here.

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

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Bay City Central Wolves

Head Coach: Brady Neitzel

Division: 2

2025 Record: 7-27

2025 Tournament: Lost in District Semifinal

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 5/3

2026 Team Strengths:

• Leadership
• Positive Culture
• Defense
• Speed

Key Returners:

• Jose Costilla, SS/RHP, 2027
  .326 AVG, 12 RBI, 31 R, 14 SB
• Paulino Perez, C/UTL, 2027
  .361 AVG, 8 2B, 1 3B, 19 RBI, 14 R
• Aaron Kain, OF, 2028
  .337 AVG, 19 RBI, 20 R
• Sebastian McGill, INF, 2026
• Wyatt Stankowiak, OF, 2026
• Carter Bublitz, LHP, 2028
• Bo Frederick, OF, 2028

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Freeland Falcons

Head Coach: Justin Davis

Division: 2

2025 Record: 26-8

2025 Tournament: Lost in Districts

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 7/9

2026 Team Strengths:

• Pitching
• Defense

Key Returners:

• Connor Lasceski, INF, 2026
  .457 Avg, .550 OBP, 42 H, 5 2B, 19 RBI
• Kason Worth, MIF/RHP, 2026, Calvin College
  .364 Avg, .533 OBP, 32 H, 23 RBI, 36 SB
• Tucker Hileman, SS, 2026
  .303 Avg, .410 OBP, 30 H, 14 SB
• Liam Rump, C/1B, 2026, Delta College
  .293 Avg, .409 OBP, 27 H, 24 RBI
• Carter McLaren, LHP, 2026
  52 IP, 7-1 W/L, 66 K
• Robby Mularz, RHP, 2027
  30.2 IP, 4-0 W/L, 3.20 ERA, 44 K
• Austin Hare, RHP, 2026
• Nic Haas, OF, 2026
• Alex Schuette, UTL, 2026
• Jacob Clawson, RHP, 2026
• Gibson Davis, C/INF/RHP, 2027
• Sam Kaylor, RHP, 2026

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Midland Chemics

Head Coach: Ched Johnson

Division: 1

2025 Record: 21-12

2025 Tournament: Lost in District Finals

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 3/4

Team Strengths:

• Leadership
• Starting Pitching
• Defense

Key Returners:

• Jacoby Lind, LHP, 2026, Butler

2026 LHP Jacoby Lind@jacoby_lind | Midland

FB: 80-82
CH: 71-73
CB: 66-68

High upside lefty with a tall 6-8 frame that projects well. Worked 6 innings striking out 8 generating some uncomfortable swings pic.twitter.com/Ipl55JZwd7

— Prep Baseball Michigan Scouting Coverage (@PrepBaseMIScout) May 24, 2025

• Taber Edwards-Benner, SS/RHP, 2027

𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟟 ℝ𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 ℝ𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕣@taber_edwards11 moves into the Top 🔟 in the latest update

Productive spring atop the @chemicbaseball lineup in a strong @svlsports league

Followed it up hitting .430 w/ 15 XBH for @BerryhillP165 this summer

📰: https://t.co/zuUQuWapab pic.twitter.com/KmyFWBzQsL

— Prep Baseball Michigan (@PrepBaseballMI) September 25, 2025

• Aydin VanEver, RHP/1B, 2026
• Cooper Cummings, C/INF/RHP, 2026
• Gabe Hoppenjan, 1B, 2026
• Wilson Kloha, 3B/OF, 2026

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Midland Dow Chargers

Head Coach: Nolan Piotrowski

Division: 1

2025 Record: 23-9-1

2025 Tournament: Lost in Pre-Districts

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 5/4

Team Strengths:

• Starting Pitching
• Defense
• Leadership

Key Returners:

• Keegan Malley, OF/RHP, 2026, Grand Rapids CC
• Nate Schultz, INF, 2026
• Carter Harcek, RHP, 2027

2027 RHP Carter Harcek (Midland Dow)

FB: 88.6-90.2 T91.1 (2200+ Sink)
SL: 73.6-74.9 (1750+)
CH: 75.4-76.7 (1600)

Consistent K zone worker, FB W/ sink. 1ER thru 2IP. Weak contact against.#PBFG25 | #TeamMichigan | @carter__harcek pic.twitter.com/eJm2YP9bxn

— Prep Baseball Michigan (@PrepBaseballMI) July 25, 2025

• Owen Hammond, 3B/RHP, 2028

Owen Hammond picked up a knock in G2 sending the ball into LF for a single #MWSSG25 | @HitDogsHammond https://t.co/9gNm12NeoO pic.twitter.com/55RAP8NQKQ

— Prep Baseball Michigan (@PrepBaseballMI) August 3, 2025

• Evan King, LHP/1B, 2028

𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟠 ℝ𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤: 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥’𝕤 ℕ𝕖𝕨 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕋𝕠𝕡 𝟙𝟘

Evan King (Dow) cracks the Top 🔟 after coming into the year under the radar

6-2/200 lefty ran the FB up to 86 in districts for the Chargers and followed w/ a strong run of starts this summer

Standout at… pic.twitter.com/YofKJDMl3w

— Prep Baseball Michigan (@PrepBaseballMI) October 10, 2025

Underclassmen to Watch:

• Owen King, LHP/1B, 2028
• Eli Piotrowski, INF/RHP, 2028
• Deagan Brandle, OF/RHP, 2028
• Konner Prescott, OF, 2028

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Saginaw Heritage Hawks

Head Coach: Joe Tany

Division: 1

2025 Record: 17-15

2025 Tournament: Lost in District Semifinal

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 5/5

2026 Team Strengths:

• Speed
• Defense

Key Returners:

• Alex McNish, OF/LHP, 2027
• Blake Stevens, RHP, 2027
• Dakota Shaner, SS/RHP, 2027
• Derik Binder, UTL, 2026
• Jack Thompson, C, 2026
• Noah Wheatcraft, UTL/RHP, 2027
• Braedyn Boell, C, 2028

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Saginaw Nouvel Panthers

Head Coach: Shawn Larson

Division: 4

2025 Record: 13-14

2025 Tournament: Lost in District Final

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 4/2

Key Returners:

• Owen Vance, C, 2027
• John Carlson, SS, 2026
• Charlie Groya, INF/RHP, 2027
• Matthew Kusowski, OF/LHP, 2027
• Parker Kingsbury, OF, 2027
• Manning Solek, OF, 2028

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Valley Lutheran Chargers 

Head Coach: Kurt Hofmeister

Division: 3

2025 Record: 25-9

2025 Tournament: Lost in Regional Final

Returning Starters/Pitchers: 4/3

2026 Team Strengths:

• Defense
• Starting Pitching
• Leadership 

Key Returners:

• Axel Schuette, RHP/C, 2026
  .370 avg, 9 XBH, 24 RBI / 41.1 IP, 3-4, SV, 2.88 ERA, 47 K
• Ben Diener, SS/RHP, 2026
  .362 avg, 11 2B, 26 RBI / 33.1 IP, 5-0, 2 SV, 1.05 ERA, 26 K
• Ryan Pittman, 3B/RHP, 2028
  .333 avg, 10 2B, 39 R, 20 RBI, 15 SB / 36.2 IP, 4-1, 2.50 ERA, 41 K

2028 3B/RHP @ryan_pitt09 @2027Golds

Smokes one to deep centerfield for a standup triple#MidMIChamps25 #pb45 pic.twitter.com/cSCYwirFxe

— Prep Baseball Michigan Scouting Coverage (@PrepBaseMIScout) July 17, 2025

• Dylan Pugh, OF, 2026
  .395 avg, 4 2B, 11 RBI
• Jacob Grimpo, OF/RHP, 2027
• Bryce Patterson, 2B, 2028

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