The Wildcats Varsity baseball team has ‘high expectations? this season, according to new Head Coach Dave Herrick.
‘We plan on competing for four championships this year ? league, district, regional and a state title,? he said. ‘We (also) plan to win the last game of the year.?
Herrick, a special education teacher at Lakeville Elementary School, replaces Jeff Willis, who resigned after the 2014 season. A native of Livonia, Herrick attended Churchill High School and earned varsity letters in ice hockey and baseball for the Chargers. Herrick was named all-area first team and earned team captain and MVP honors as a senior before attending Madonna University on a baseball scholarship.
Herrick began his coaching career with the NFWB Cobras 14 & 15U in 2008 and later was named the head freshman coach at Lakeland High School in 2010. The following year Herrick took the reigns of the North Farmington High School JV team before accepting his current teaching position with Oxford Schools. He served as a varsity baseball assistant at Oxford in 2013 and has also coached seventh grade football and basketball at Oxford Middle School.
‘I am extremely exciting to have walked into a program with so much talent,? Herrick said. ‘We are going through an exciting transition in the baseball program. The whole demeanor at practice has changed from the past few years. The boys show up ready to work and with a common goal in mind.?
One of the teams Herrick said his boys are looking forward to playing is Waterford Mott (April 23 at Oakland University). The other thing they’re looking forward to, he said, is getting ‘back to their winning ways.?
So far, it seems to be working as the Wildcats are off to a 3-1 start this season.
He attributes a lot of that success to his senior leadership which includes eight returning seniors from last year’s squad ? Max Blackburn, Thomas Claire, Dylan Grubb, Michael Neff, James Rogers, Nate Olson, Jordan Williams and Scott Stubenrauch. Also returning, to the team is junior Brenden Lewis.
New to the program are seniors Brian Biddle, Drew Connelly and Anthony Gunn; juniors Andrew Abbott, Devon Davenport, Jared Dymond, Brad Wood and Owen Wright; along with sophmore Cameron Goike.
‘The strength of our team will be the pitching staff. We are fortunate to have a lot of great arms this season. Another strength of the team will be our ability to manufacture runs,? Herrick said.
The team’s goal is to go out and ‘compete everyday.?
The boys will return to the diamond on April 15 when they face a doubleheader at home against Rochester High School. The first game will begin at 4 p.m