Maple Valley baseball takes step forward with run to state semifinal
EAST LANSING ― With his father working in athletic administration, Ayden Wilkes has been around at plenty of Maple Valley sporting events throughout his childhood.
And those experiences helped drive the senior to want to be a part of changing the culture and helping Maple Valley find improved success.
Wilkes especially wanted to make that happen in baseball ― a sport he will continue playing at Delta College next year.
That mission has been achieved.
While the Lions had their state title dreams come to an end with their 5-1 loss to defending state champion and top-ranked Beal City in a Division 4 state semifinal Friday morning at Michigan State's McLane Stadium, the experience was a big one for the community and school.
"Growing up, I've never seen a team get to the final four in any sport so getting here was just unbelievable," said Wilkes, who had one of Maple Valley's three hits. "I couldn't believe it happened. It was awesome."
This year's journey to the semis marked the deepest postseason run in baseball for Maple Valley since 1975 when it finished as the Class C runner-up. The run was part of a season in which the Lions won the Big 8 title in their first year as a member of the league and finished 29-8.
"Our kids believed early in the year we could do this," Maple Valley coach Bryan Carpenter said. "We didn't care who we played. We have a lot of respect for Beal City and what they've done, but there was never a doubt for us. I'm so proud of these kids."
Beal City (33-6) jumped out to the early lead with three runs in the opening inning and that wound up being enough to earn a third straight trip to the state championship game. Maple Valley, which scored its lone run on an RBI double by Teegan McDonald in the fourth inning, had its chances.
The Lions had the tying run at the plate while trailing 4-1 in the fifth when Beal City ended the threat with a leaping grab by second baseman Cuyler Smith.
Beal City added a run in the bottom of the fifth before retiring the Lions quickly in the sixth and seventh to close out the win.
Carpenter hopes this year's postseason run makes his returners hungry to build on the success.
"I hope they now have a belief that this is possible and that we can do this on the regular," Carpenter said. "This doesn't have to be a once-every-49-years type of thing for Maple Valley."
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on X @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Maple Valley baseball falls to defending champion Beal City in semis
