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Gaylord softball tops final MHSSCA D2 state rankings

dylan jespersen, the petoskey news-review
·2 min read
The Gaylord softball team listens to the national anthem prior to an MHSAA district softball matchup between Gaylord and Petoskey on Tuesday, May 30 in Gaylord, Mich.
The Gaylord softball team listens to the national anthem prior to an MHSAA district softball matchup between Gaylord and Petoskey on Tuesday, May 30 in Gaylord, Mich.

GAYLORD ― In case you haven't heard, the Gaylord softball team is pretty good.

The Blue Devils are in the midst of another dominant season, moving on to the MHSAA Divison 2 playoffs after wrapping the regular season with a 31-2 overall record, a third-straight Big North Conference championship and a second-straight undefeated record in conference matchups.

They have been as dominant as any team in the state, and people have taken notice.

The final Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association (MHSSCA) regular season rankings were released on Thursday, May 25, and Gaylord wrapped the season atop the list of top ten D2 teams in the state of Michigan.

The Gaylord softball team celebrates after the third out of an inning during an MHSAA district softball matchup between Gaylord and Petoskey on Tuesday, May 30 in Gaylord, Mich.
The Gaylord softball team celebrates after the third out of an inning during an MHSAA district softball matchup between Gaylord and Petoskey on Tuesday, May 30 in Gaylord, Mich.

It has been a year full of challenges for the Blue Devils, all of which they have met head-on. Their regular-season schedule included eight of the final teams included on the MHSSCA top-ten lists for their respective divisions, including six from D1, one from D2 and one from D3. That included six wins over ranked D1 teams, including two wins over No. 6 Grand Blanc and solo wins against No. 5 Hartland, No. 8 Walled Lake Northern and honorable mentions Anchor Bay and Novi.

They also have wins against the No. 2 team in D2, Escanaba, and the No. 1 team in D3, Evart. Gaylord defeated the Eskymos 9-0 in the championship game of the Freeland Quad on the opening weekend of the season while sweeping Evart in a doubleheader on May 25.

Now into the postseason, the Blue Devils are dreaming of bringing home the first softball state title in school history after falling short in 2021 and 2022. Two years ago, a team of mostly freshmen and sophomores made it all the way to the state semifinals before falling to the eventual champions, Owosso. Last year, a stunning two-run home run from Escanaba in the top of the seventh inning helped eliminate the Blue Devils' in the regional finals.

Alexis Kozlowski swings at a pitch during an MHSAA district softball matchup between Gaylord and Petoskey on Tuesday, May 30 in Gaylord, Mich.
Alexis Kozlowski swings at a pitch during an MHSAA district softball matchup between Gaylord and Petoskey on Tuesday, May 30 in Gaylord, Mich.

And, regardless of how this season finishes, the Blue Devils should be the favorites to start 2024 as the No. 1 in Divison 2 and maybe the top team regardless of Divison. While they will miss seniors Alexis Kozlowski and Abby Radulski, they are poised to return the rest of their roster, including nationally-ranked prospects Jayden and Aubrey Jones, future Toledo Rocket Alexis Shepherd and a host of other future college softball players.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord softball tops final MHSSCA D2 state rankings