SPRING LAKE – The Division Two state runner-up is gearing up for the 2025 campaign with a few notable departures but a select number of guys who hit over .300, as well as an all-conference pitcher.
The 2024 Lakers started their playoff run with a semifinal game against Orchard View, in which they were able to fend them off fairly easily with a 7-2 win. Spring Lake would then clinch the district title with a win over Coopersville just hours after its semifinal win. A win over Whitehall in the regional semifinal, led by a gem of an outing by ace Zane Stahl, was followed by a victory over Sparta in a whale of a game that went into the 8th inning.
The state quarterfinal was a wrap early as they held off Petoskey 11-5. A big fifth inning that plated four runs for Spring Lake propelled them to a 5-2 win over Richard Gull Lake and sent the Lakers to their first state title game since 1995.
Stahl pitched in the semifinal game and went over the maximum pitch count to throw in the final game. Facing top-ranked Flint Powers, Spring Lake was overpowered and fell victim to an 11-0 shutout loss.
Stahl, one of the main storylines in the offseason, decided to forgo his senior season at Spring Lake and join P27 Academy in South Carolina. While it is a big blow for the Lakers, don’t let that distract you from viewing Spring Lake as a state contender, because they are.
Legendary skipper Bill Core returns for another season managing the Lakers. Core is coming off a freshly minted district title run in basketball, where he’s the head coach for the boys’ team.
2024 Season
32-10 record
Division Two state runner-up
2nd in the OK-Blue
Lost to Flint Powers in the state championship game
Batting
Junior Oliver Smies straight-up rakes. An honorable mention all-state outfielder cranked a .408 BA and drove in 34 RBIs. Smies is a balanced bat that can hit for power but knows how to work his way on base. The junior led Spring Lake in doubles last season as he smoked 15 of them.
Second baseman Jaden Core is a five-tool threat up the middle. He was one of the best middle infielders in the area defensively and offensively last season. Core hit .343 with 27 ribbies and crossed the plate 32 times.
Senior Gabe Trask will join Smies in the outfield yet again this season. Trask was an all-conference honorable mention and hit .342 while knocking in 24 runs a season ago.
Other notable bats include Owen Smies, who hit three long balls last season as he looks to continue his power surge while elevating other parts of his game. Alex Batka and Dayton Clark are returning starters as well.
Pitching
With Stahl’s departure, Spring Lake will need to establish a deep rotation that will presumably be led by junior Maddux Kipling. Finishing with an 11-4 record and 71 strikeouts in 69 innings pitched, Kipling was tagged with an all-conference honorable mention accolade.
Ryan Grimm will be sneaky effective this season after coming off a season-ending injury before the spring. The righty, as a sophomore, went 6-0 and posted a 1.00 ERA.
Oliver Smies tossed 37 innings a year ago and will likely keep a similar workload since he dominated in 2024 with a 2.65 ERA and struck out 51.
The Bottom Line
Baseball is a sport where it takes all nine. Even with Stahl’s decision, Spring Lake will still be very strong and remain a contender for the state title. With a healthy Grimm and Kipling having another season under his belt on the mound, the pitching staff should dominate. Both Smies brothers are returning, as well as Core and Trask, which makes the lineup card a scary sight for opposing managers.
2025 Tentative Schedule
3/24 – Vs. Hamilton DH
3/25 – @ Hamilton
3/28 – @ South Christian
4/1 – Vs. Sparta DH
4/2 – @ Reeths-Puffer
4/15 – Vs. WM Christian DH
4/17 – @ Ludington DH
4/19 – Vs. Grand Haven
4/22 – Vs. Zeeland East DH
4/24 – @ Zeeland East
4/29 – Vs. Unity Christian DH
5/1 – @ Unity Christian
5/3 – Petoskey Invite TBD
5/3 – Petoskey Invite TBD
5/6 – Vs. Zeeland West DH
5/8 – @ Zeeland West
5/10 – Grant Invite TBD
5/10 – Grant Invite TBD
5/13 – @ Holland Christian DH
5/14 – Vs. Holland Christian
5/16 – Vs. Fruitport @ Marsh Field
5/19 – @ Holland DH
5/22 – Vs. Holland
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