Classic royalty: Olivet baseball edges Grand Ledge for Diamond Classic title

EAST LANSING — When Cam Frazier woke up Monday, he was anxious.

The Olivet senior was so amped up for his opportunity to take the mound with the Dean Shippey Capital Diamond Classic championship at stake that he had to take two walks.

"I was so anxious, I had to do something to get my mind off of it," Frazier said. "I couldn't sit still."

When the moment finally arrived, Frazier made the most of it.

And he helped the Eagles make history.

Frazier hurled a complete game, helping Olivet to a 4-3 victory over Grand Ledge in the Diamond Classic final at Michigan State's McLane Stadium.

The title was the first for Olivet in the history of the tournament, which just completed its 61st edition.

"We're a smaller school and we didn't get in last year when we were 20-1 at the time of the selection so I think there's a little redemption for our kids," Olivet coach Bill Whitely said. "It's something that they deserve and it's something they've worked very hard for. They're a great baseball group. They just keep playing.

"We got down a couple early. We weren't getting very good at-bats, but they just kept playing. It seems like any time we get a chance they take advantage of it and we did tonight."

Frazier exemplified that approach on his way to being named the Pat O'Keefe Most Valuable Player of the Diamond Classic. After driving in the winning run in the semifinal victory over Okemos last week, Frazier delivered on the mound Monday.

More: Dean Shippey Capital Diamond Classic schedule, results

The Eagles (34-3-1) turned to Frazier on the mound with two of their other top pitchers — Ramsey Bousseau and Lalo Aguirre — being unavailable due to pitch counts with Olivet still alive in the state tournament and playing in a regional semifinal Wednesday.

After giving up a run in each of the first two innings, Frazier settled in on the mound. He allowed just one run the rest of the way and that came after Olivet had taken the lead. Frazier also aided his cause with three big plays.

Frazier singled in top of the sixth inning to load the bases and set Olivet up to score the go-ahead run. The next batter — Charlie Anderson — was hit by a pitch to give Olivet a 3-2 lead. The Eagles then got a sacrifice fly from Jake Miller to add to their lead.

Grand Ledge added a run in the bottom of the sixth  on an infield single by Bryce Boucher. But the damage could have been bigger for the Comets had Frazier not picked off a pair of runners off first for the final two outs of the inning.

Frazier then finished things off in the seventh, pitching around a leadoff single. He struck out the next two hitters before getting a ground out to end the game, which set off Olivet's celebration.

"We all expected it," Olivet senior Ramsey Bousseau said of Frazier's performance. "We know Cam and we know how much work he puts in in and out of practice. He had relentless effort and we knew he would get the job done."

Whitely agreed and said Frazier has stepped up in a big way for the Eagles in a season in which they have set a program record for wins and captured GLAC, district and now Diamond Classic titles.

"He just did an outstanding job," Whitely said. "He's grown up so much this year as a baseball player and he's just a great kid."

Caleb Estrada had an RBI triple in the opening inning and Carter Melnik drove in a run with his sac fly in the second to account for the other runs for Grand Ledge, which came up just short in its quest for a 30th Diamond Classic title.

Aguirre had a two-run double in the third inning that tied the game for Olivet. That was part of four unanswered runs for the Eagles as they fought their way back to make history.

"It means everything," Frazier said. "After not being here (in the tournament) and getting a chance to play in it this year, (winning) it is everything.".

Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.

Past Diamond Classic champions

2023 - Olivet

2022 - DeWitt

2021 - Grand Ledge

2020 - no tournament (COVID-19)

2019 - Grand Ledge

2018 - Grand Ledge

2017 - DeWitt

2016 – Grand Ledge

2015 – Grand Ledge

2014 – Grand Ledge

2013 – Lansing Catholic

2012 – Grand Ledge

2011 – Grand Ledge

2010 – Grand Ledge

2009 – Grand Ledge

2008 – DeWitt

2007 – Okemos

2006 – Grand Ledge

2005 – Holt

2004 – Charlotte

2003 – Grand Ledge

2002 – Grand Ledge

2001 – Grand Ledge

2000 – Holt

1999 – East Lansing

1998 – Grand Ledge

1997 – Grand Ledge

1996 – Grand Ledge

1995 – Grand Ledge

1994 – Grand Ledge

1993 – Grand Ledge

1992 – Grand Ledge

1991 – Sexton

1990 – Grand Ledge

1989 – Howell

1988 – Everett

1987 – Grand Ledge

1986 – Lansing Catholic

1985 – Waverly

1984 – Grand Ledge

1983 – Everett

1982 – Waverly

1981 – Grand Ledge

1980 – Grand Ledge

1979 – Harry Hill

1978 – Harry Hill

1977 – Everett

1976 – Waverly

1975 – Waverly

1974 – Grand Ledge

1973 – East Lansing

1972 – East Lansing

1971 – Eastern

1970 – Everett

1969 – Eastern

1968 – Eastern

1967 – Everett

1966 – Everett

1965 – Grand Ledge

1964 – Howell

1963 – Grand Ledge

1962 – Everett

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Olivet baseball makes history, captures Diamond Classic championship