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2026 High School Team Preview: Mattawan Wildcats

MATTAWAN - With more than 100 wins in four years as head coach at Mattawan, Brett Vaughn sees this year’s team with the capability of keeping things rolling in a program that has won three district titles and one regional crown in the past four years.

“We focus on pitching and defense,” Vaughn said about what stands out with the program in his time with the Wildcats. “We have had solid pitching rotations the last four years.”

That is expected to continue in 2026 behind the one-two punch of Kaden Jominy and Maxx Vanantwerp. Jominy, the fifth-rated senior right-handed pitcher in Michigan, was 6-3 with a 1.01 ERA in 48.1 innings a year ago while Vanantwerp was 4-1 with a 1.176 ERA. Jominy is a Cornell commit while Vanantwerp is headed to play at Kalamazoo Valley.

Three other returnees bring more promise coming off a 26-9-4 campaign a year ago, a season that ended with a 3-1 loss to Hudsonville in the regionals.

Nolan Jominy and Jack Reiter bring more experience to Mattawan on the infield. Jominy has signed with Kenyon College and Reiter with Lake Michigan College.

Left-handed swinging leadoff hitter Patrick Dougherty is “a big piece of our puzzle to being successful” and is another returnee for Mattawan.

“We will be solid defensively and on the mound, returning 75 percent of our innings pitched from last season,” noted Vaughn. “We will not overpower teams at the plate, but will put the ball in play and be aggressive on the basepaths.”

Losing Troy Scarff, Brody Houseman and Tyson Stratton to graduation will be big holes to fill for this season according to Vaughn, who points to Brady Mickelson, Coleton Strong and John Pelak, a trio of juniors, as newcomers that “are going to put up some numbers this year, and will be fun to watch” in 2026.

“I really like their work ethic and leadership,” Vaughn said of this year’s team. “We have a strong group of guys that will hold each other accountable and work hard for the guy next to them.”

With an overall record of 104-42-5 entering the season, Vaughn is looking for this to be a big year. 

“Execution will be our key to success,” Vaughn noted. “If we throw as well as we should, and play defense the way that we are capable of doing, then we just need to push four or five runs across the plate each game and we should be successful.

“We should contend for a league championship this season as we did last year,” Vaughn added. “If we can stay healthy, I believe that this is a team that can compete against anyone in the state.”

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