By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Flint— A Brandon Blackhawk shined in a recent all star high school baseball game.
Lance Briolat connected on a hard hit line drive down the right field line in the middle innings plating two runs as his team came away with the win, on June 23, as some of the top area baseball players gathered for the Bruin Club All-Star Game at Kearsley Park at Mott Community College.
A total of 18 local schools and about 40 student-athletes competed in the annual all star game. Team Black, included players from the Saginaw Valley Conference South while Team Gold included players from the Flint Metro League and Mid-Michigan Activities Conference.
Team Gold won the All Star nine inning game 12-2.
Team Gold was skippered by Goodrich Martian and Flint Metro League Stars Division Coach of the Year Ben Almasy while the Black Team was led by Flint Powers Catholic head coach Tom Dutkowski.
Briolat was voted Most Valuable Player for the Gold Team.
“I’m very humbled and grateful to be selected and play among such great athletes,” said Briolat, who will attend Heidelberg University this fall for football and baseball. “Not every kid gets to play in these games, it’s an honor. I’m proud to be a Blackhawk and to have played for (Blackhawk) Coach Glover.”
Briolat joined Goodrich Martians Cross Darby who pitched one scoreless inning and played third base; Parker Pannell pitched one scoreless inning and played right field and Nate Gould who played center field.
“These games are fun to coach,” said Almasy. “Our league was very good this year so I figured we would have an edge. It goes year to year, it has been a pretty even series as of late. I enjoy it because I get a chance to coach my guys a little longer and it’s great to interact with the guys you’ve played against as well. Many of them I have developed relationships with over their careers. Lance was a well deserved MVP. He made a few great plays at shortstop and he had a great two RBI hit when the game was still close. He is a great kid that I have enjoyed coaching against the last two seasons.”
All four players will compete at 6 p.m., July 2, 2025 in the Dow Diamond North/South Classic, Genesee/Lapeer Counties vs. Bay/Tuscola County. The game at the Dow Diamond, Midland, features players from 26 different area schools, 14 north, 12 south along with nine area coaches.