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2026 High School Team Preview: Orchard Lake St. Mary's

ORCHARD LAKE - Nick Di Ponio is proud to be the leader of one of the best baseball programs in the country.

“Orchard Lake St. Mary’s has consistently competed at the very highest level of high school baseball in the state of Michigan, regionally, and nationally,” explained the ninth-year head coach, who has a record of 176-116 in his time at the school. “Almost all graduating seniors go on to play at the collegiate level, and more recently, several players have been drafted and are playing professional baseball. We hold ourselves to the highest standard as it relates to academic and athletic excellence.”

The 2026 edition of the Eaglets has a chance to be special with 11 returnees, nearly all college commits.

“Pitching depth, experience and senior leadership are strengths,” noted Di Ponio, who last year took St. Mary’s to the Division 2 state semifinals during a 26-13 season that ended with a 5-4 loss to eventual champion Forest Hills Eastern. 

A trio of the best players in the state are back to lead the way in 2026 - Hudson Brzustewicz, Luke Crighton and Andrew Tribul. The 95th-ranked senior shortstop in the nation, Brzustewicz is a Notre Dame recruit who batted .393 with 12 doubles, nine home runs and 50 RBIs last year, scoring 29 runs and walking 21 times while pounding out 44 hits.

Crighton, the third-rated 2026 right-handed pitcher in Michigan and an Indiana commit, was 5-4 with a 1.88 ERA and 1.30 WHIP, fanning 85, walking 29 and allowing 39 hits in 51.1 innings. Additionally, the sixth-ranked senior in the state carried a .405 average with nine doubles, five triples and a pair of home runs while driving in 15, scoring 44 and stealing 15 bases.

Tribul, a Michigan State signee, hit. 331 with 10 two-base hits, three home runs, 41 RBIs and eight stolen bases.

More firepower returns with the return of Nate Bauman and Joe Schilp. A returner in the outfield headed to play at Alma in the fall, Bauman hit .350 with eight steals while Schilp, a junior infielder committed to Tampa, batted .348 in 26 plate appearances.

Preston Duff, who had 18 stolen bases a year ago, Derick Conrad, an Ohio Northern recruit, and Tyler Shubnell, a Grand Valley commit, bring more potential to the lineup. Shubnell has big shoes to fill behind the plate replacing Anthony Elezaj, who is now playing at Michigan State.

Anthony Abela, Zach Essig and Gaetano Di Ponio are counted on to be huge contributors on the mound after the graduation of Paul Toovalian (Lenoir Rhyme), Colin Ignasiak (Davenport) and Jaden Oliver (Kellogg CC). Abela was 3-1 with 33 strikeouts in 25 innings last year and Essig 2-1 with 24 Ks in 23.2 frames while Di Ponio fanned 10 in 10 innings. Abela is a Southern Wesleyan commit, Essig is a Central Michigan recruit, and Di Ponio is a Kalamazoo signee.

“Our team is extremely focused on building on our success from last season,” noted the St. Mary’s head coach, who pointed to hitting depth as a possible weakness. “They embrace the expectation of what it means to be a member of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Baseball.”

Lucas Kusina, Jack Plachta and DJ Taylor are newcomers to watch according to Di Ponio. Kusina is a junior right-handed pitcher, Plachta a sophomore left-handed hurler and Taylor is a sophomore right-handed pitcher.

“The bottom half of the order getting on base will be one of the keys to success,” explained Di Ponio, while adding a few other important things that he is looking to happen. “Limiting Ks on offense, making all the routine plays on defense, and limiting walks as a pitching staff.”

Nothing will prepare the team more for the postseason than league play.

“The Detroit Catholic League Central Division is the best league top to bottom in the state of Michigan,” Di Ponio proclaimed. “We expect all of those games to be very competitive and ultimately help prepare us for state playoffs. Our non-league schedule is a continuation of very good opponents and will continue to test our team all the way until the end of the regular season.”

With six state championships, two national championships and a pair of state runner-up finishes since 1998, the outlook for the Eaglets continues to be bright. 

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