News and notes about Friday’s semifinals

I’m getting some prep work, advance scouting and some notebook fodder ready for the stories that will be written for next week’s edition. Here is some information that should wet the taste buds for another day or so.
And while I’ve got your attention, check back on Friday evening/early, early Saturday morning (sometime after I get back from the movies) we’ll have photos up from the game and straight from the horse’s mouth, we’ll have audio clips with comments from coach Larry Houthoofd and likely some USA players as well.
BREAKING NEWS…
The Thumb Sportwriters Association announces they will have a post-semifinals audio show with the Huron County Press’s Chris Ogryski and the Tribune’s Paul Adams. Links for the audio will be put up later in the evening on Friday
THE FAB FIVE
Five members of this year’s USA softball team were four year players for the Patriots and part of their first state title softball team in 2006 (Carly Treiber, Dani Gremel, Katie Schaus, Minda Martinez and Jillian Williamson). Of those players, Treiber and Gremel were the only starters on the 2006 state title team, while all five started on the 2007 state championship team.
In addition, Brittany Gruehn, Jenny Williamson, Kiersten McBrayer and Estey Ruppal were all part of the 2007 state championship team, giving USA nine players with state title experience to rely on heading into the final two games of the year.
FRESHMAN FURY
USA faces 23-8 Rapid River on Friday at 3:30 p.m. (or at least that is what is being stated by the Rapid River’s paper the Daily Press), who beat Traverse City St. Francis in the quarters 4-0 to advance (insert snide comment about recruiting players here).
RR was led by freshman pitcher Heather Sanderson tossed a two-hitter and allowed just one walk, while striking out 15, which tied a season-high. According to quote from the Daily Press, RR coach Andy Schwartz said, “She pitched a lot better than she did in the last two games (back-to-back narrow victories over Gaylord St. Mary and Onaway in the regional tournament). That was her B game. Today, she had her A game. She worked her butt off out there and was a lot sharper.”
According to the article, there are at least three other freshman starting on that this time (I would know if there were more, but the MHSAA has not updated their game notes yet…
Dare I offer my opinion and say experience is a factor. My opinion, which has been pretty right on during the postseason so far is, Sanderson gets 8-10 strikeouts, but sandwiched in between the Ks she gets hit around for 6-8 runs.
ONE HECKUVA COACH
Since Larry Houthoofd (above) took over as coach, USA has averaged 38 wins per year in four seasons with a 153-15 mark through regionals this year. If he leads the Patriots to a state title, the team will finish with a 41-1 mark and a .976 win percent, just surpassing the 39-2 record and .951 win percent of the 2007 state championship team.
DID YOU KNOW?
With 14 home runs, USA’s Dani Gremel is just four away from tying the state record of 18, set by Melinda VanGillis from Pentwater in 1979. That same year, VanGillis set the state record for batting average in a season (.756) and is second all-time in runs batted in for a season (96).