Mid Baseball Enters Final Weekend In Must-Win Fashion

Mt Pleasant - The Mid Michigan College baseball team enters the final stretch of the regular season with a 24-19 overall record and a 15-8 mark in MCCAA Northern Conference play, sitting just one game behind an idle Muskegon squad.

The Lakers will host Delta College on Sunday in a pivotal doubleheader. A sweep would clinch a postseason berth for the fifth consecutive season—and the second straight under second-year head coach Danny Smith. Mid has already found success against Delta this year, posting a 3-0 record with wins of 14-3, 3-0, and 14-7.

Mid Michigan has continued its strong run in conference series play. After winning every Northern Conference series a year ago, the Lakers have largely maintained that standard, going 4-1 against Alpena, Bay, and Muskegon this season. The lone exception came against conference champion Grand Rapids, where Mid went 0-5. Should the Lakers secure a postseason spot, Grand Rapids is the likely opponent in a best-of-three regional series.

Despite a team ERA of 7.10, Mid Michigan has remained competitive thanks to a high-powered offense. The Lakers are hitting .307 as a team and have already rewritten the program record book. They have set new single-season marks in runs scored (375), walks (238), and hit-by-pitches (59), while their 33 home runs rank second all-time in school history.

Leading the offensive charge is Tyler Schultz, who is batting .402 with 51 runs scored, 12 doubles, and 27 RBIs. Donovan Heugh has also been a key contributor, hitting .374 with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs. Chris Williams has been instrumental in small-ball situations, leading the team with 16 sacrifice hits while adding 10 stolen bases. As a team, the Lakers rank second nationally across all divisions with 60 sacrifice hits.

On the mound, Heugh has been equally impressive, leading the pitching staff with a 6-1 record and a 3.05 ERA, along with three complete games. David Wheeler (4-2, 42 strikeouts in 39.1 innings) and Nick Weiss (4-3, 36 strikeouts in 38.2 innings) have provided stability in the starting rotation. Shortstop Trey Boven has also contributed on the mound, compiling a 3-1 record. Out of the bullpen, Brennan Palmer (3.00 ERA, three saves in 14 appearances) and Gideon Sacco (2-0, two saves in 12 appearances) have anchored the relief corps.

A postseason appearance in 2026 would mark the program's fifth straight, a streak surpassed in the MCCAA only by Kellogg, Lansing, and Grand Rapids. Earlier this season, Coach Smith became the all-time winningest coach in program history with a 2-1 victory over Adrian College on April 21. Now in his 10th season as a collegiate head coach, he sits just 11 wins shy of 300 for his career.