The West Michigan Conference is well-represented on the 2023 Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association all-state teams.
Two from the conference earned first-team all-state accolades, while three others received second-team honors.
North Muskegon junior catcher Ben Meyers and Montague senior infielder Nick Moss were named to the first team in Division 3. Whitehall junior infielder Kyle Stratton was named to the Division 2 second team, while Montague senior first baseman Kade Johnson and Mason County Central senior infielder Will Chye appear on the Division 3 second team.
Meyers, who was a second-team all-state selection in 2022 as a sophomore, assembled a monster season. From the No. 3 spot in the Norse lineup, he batted .511 (69-of-135) with 11 doubles, 10 triples, six home runs, 55 RBIs and 65 runs scored. His on-base percentage was .585, as he drew 23 walks and struck out only nine times. He also stole 34 bases.
Defensively, Meyers sported a .983 fielding percentage and he recorded 285 putouts in 200 2/3 innings for North Muskegon (36-6-1). The Norse set a program record for victories en route to winning WMC Rivers Division, Greater Muskegon Athletic Association and Division 3 district titles, and advancing to the regional finals.
Meyers also was voted the CatchMark SportsNet WMC Player of the Year this spring.
Moss was a middle infielder by trade, but he also pitched and caught for Montague (23-13), which earned a share of the WMC Lakes Division championship with Oakridge.
Moss led the conference in batting average at a hefty .608 average (59-for-97) with 10 doubles, one triple and 32 RBIs. The aggressive and heady player also scored 45 runs and stole 27 bases. He typically played shortstop, but he stepped up as a pitcher, too. The right-handed Moss was 3-1 with two saves and a 1.58 ERA. He had 36 strikeouts and eight walks in 31 innings. Moss’ fielding percentage this season was .926.
Moss, who was a finalist for the CatchMark SportsNet WMC Player of the Year award, signed to play baseball at Lake Michigan College.
Stratton, who batted leadoff and played primarily shortstop but also pitched, finished the season with .405 average (49-of-121) with eight doubles, two triples and two home runs. He scored 50 runs, drove in 28 and stole 56 bases. Stratton drew 18 walks and struck out 11 times. Defensively, he finished with a .925 fielding percentage with 82 assists and 17 putouts for the Vikings, who ended with a 21-15 record.
Johnson assembled a strong season at the plate, where the cleanup batter finished with a .469 average (53-for-113). He had eight doubles, seven triples and two home runs, plus he delivered 50 RBIs and scored 30 runs. Johnson was Montague’s ace pitcher, typically facing the Wildcats’ toughest opponents. The right-hander went 5-6 with a 2.97 ERA to go with 85 strikeouts and 16 walks in 61 1/3 innings. He signed to play baseball at Lake Michigan College.
Chye, who received Division 3 second-team all-state honors as a junior in 2022, capped his outstanding career with a strong senior season. Typically third or first in the Spartans’ lineup, he finished with a .487 average (37-of-76) from the left side of the batter’s box. He drove in 21 runs. On the mound, MCC’s ace right-hander finished 7-3 with a 1.78 ERA. He had 88 strikeouts and 13 walks in 59 innings for the Spartans, who ended the season with 19-9 record.
