Ogemaw County Sports Network

Introducing the 2026 MLive Bay City Softball Dream Team and Player of the Year

By Lee Thompson | [email protected]
BAY CITY, MI -- With a crash, boom, bam, the ball was flying all over the yard this season.

Home runs were back in fashion as power numbers soared on the local softball scene this spring.

So it’s safe to say the 2026 MLive Bay City Softball Team packs some serious clout. The 16-member squad blasted a combined 113 home runs on the season, continually clearing the bases and rallying their teams.

AUBREY EVANS, OGEMAW HEIGHTS

A sensational all-around player, she stepped forward as a driving force behind Ogemaw’s run to the state semifinals. The junior flashes an electric glove at shortstop, with great range and the arm to match. The SVSU commit proved to be a run-producing machine at the heart of the order for the Falcons, blasting the ball to the tune of 14 doubles, six triples and 14 home runs. She batted .500 on the season with 72 RBIs. Evans earned honorable mention All-State.

MLive Bay City Coach of the Year

RYAN NICHOLSON, OGEMAW HEIGHTS

For a first-year head coach, Nicholson seemed to have the job down pat. After five seasons as assistant coach, his rookie season at the helm was a wondrous one. He guided the team to a share of the Jack Pine Conference-1 crown then chased down history in the postseason. He got his Falcons to crank it up to a whole new level, capturing the program’s first district title since 2019 and first regional crown since 1994. With a quarterfinal victory, Nicholson found himself coaching on the grand stage of Michigan State University, giving Ogemaw its first final four team since 1982. A loss in the state semifinals ended the run and closed the book on Nicholson’s magical first season.

Don't forget, coming to West Branch from July 6-10, will be the Michigan District 8 Little League 10-12 year old All Stars!

The winner will earn the right to represent District 8 in the Michigan Little League State Tournament in Tecumseh!

Stay tuned to Ogemaw County Sports Network as we will be bringing live game action on Field one all week long!

Alpena Huron Shore Little League
West Branch Little League
Traverse City Little League
Ga***rd Little League
Roscommon-St. Helen Little League
Boyne City Little League

BAY CITY, MI -- Next stop: The college sports scene.

After closing out stellar prep careers, more than 70 high school athletes from the MLive Bay City coverage area are heading to the next level.

Here’s a look at the Class of 2026 athletes who signed to compete in collegiate athletics.

OGEMAW HEIGHTS

Teagan Agren, Delta College volleyball

Taylor Illig, Alpena Community College softball

Eion Jones, University of Findlay football

Corie Kanitz, Saginaw Valley State University football

Elena Martinez, Alma College bowling

Kadie Pavelek, Kirtland Community College basketball

With seven underclassmen and a rookie coach, Ogemaw Heights enjoys unexpected success

By Lee Thompson | [email protected]

Everything was new to Ogemaw Heights.

This coach, this collection of players, this caliber of success.

Nobody was sure what to expect at each step of the tournament trail. So the Falcons took it as it came – and enjoyed every bit of it.

A team that nobody figured for a final-four contestant, Ogemaw found itself celebrating win after win until it stood on the grand stage of Michigan State University’s Secchia Stadium in the Division 2 softball state semifinal.

“I don’t have a single girl who had ever won a district. And I’m a first-year head coach, so we were on this journey together,” Ogemaw coach Ryan Nicholson said. “You don’t know how to win a district, but then all of a sudden you win a district, win a regional, win a quarterfinal and you’re down here.

“It’s like playing at Comerica Park, just an incredible experience.”

Ogemaw’s unexpected run came to an end with a 7-1 loss to Farmington Hills Mercy in the D2 semifinal, finally giving the Falcons time to reflect on what they had just experienced.

After battling for a share of the Jack Pine Conference-1 title, Ogemaw had high hopes of making some noise at tournament time. But few saw what was coming for a team featuring seven freshmen and sophomores.

The Falcons (28-10) captured their first district championship since 2019 then landed the program’s first regional crown since 1994. A state quarterfinal victory made them the first Ogemaw softball team to reach the final four since the state runner-up squad of 1982.

Accomplishing a feat 44 years in the making can’t be overlooked. And it just might come with long-term effects.

“A lot of youth softball players were at our game who really look up to these girls,” Nicholson said. “They saw that this can happen. Ogemaw is not known as a powerhouse, but we’ve been knocking on the door. Now the girls believe ‘This can be you. Hey, we can do this.’

“The next generation knows it’s possible for Ogemaw Heights to do this, and the players coming back next year know we can do this.”

And, now, Nicholson knows too.

The rookie head coach was as unsure as the rest of them when he made the move from five-year assistant to the top job after last season. After getting Eric Weiler to sign on as assistant coach, Nicholson’s first mission was pushing the players in the weight room, and they responded.

That would produce results as the Falcons walloped 36 home runs and belted 124 doubles and triples on the season.

Aubrey Evans led the barrage with 14 home runs to go with her .500 average while Taylor Illig and Teagan Agren – the team’s lone seniors – combined for 14 round-trippers. Freshman Addison Wenkel added a different kind of weapon by stealing a school-record 44 bases.

And, with the emergence of sophomore pitcher Kylee England and a rock-solid defense behind her, the Falcons had all the pieces for a special season.

The tournament run came with a harsh ending, as most do. The Falcons got behind early against Farmington Hills Mercy and never recovered, making their stay at MSU shorter than hoped.

“The biggest thing was the stage. The girls were a little awestruck down there,” Nicholson said. “I talked to a lot of coaches and, from what I could gather, the first time playing on a stage like that is tough. It’s tough to shake the nerves and get ready, and that was a big part of it for us.

“I really hope we can get back here. I told the girls to use this for the off season, and be ready to hit it hard.”

If all goes as planned, this magical season will be the start of great things for the Falcons. They know they have the talent, they know they have the blueprint and, now, they know they have the experience.

“It’s been wild. It’s been a crazy, fun ride,” Nicholson said. “They say you never forget your first season. It’s pretty safe to say I’ll never forget mine.”

“They knew they had the talent. They had to buy in to a new coach and new philosophy, and they bought in quick.

www.mlive.com

Last Ogemaw softball team to reach final four played epic state final in 1982

By Lee Thompson | [email protected]

Every final four run is storied.

And some are epic.

This year’s Ogemaw Heights softball team already has a stack of tales to tell about its march to the state semifinals. But the program’s last trip to the final four still has ‘em talking.

Back in 1982, the Falcons played in a final unlike any seem before, creating a legacy that remains cherished 44 years later.

Upstart Ogemaw – unranked and unheard of on the statewide scene – took No. 2-ranked Chelsea the distance and beyond before settling for state runner-up honors with a 3-2 loss in a 13-inning classic.

When this year’s Ogemaw squad takes on Farmington Hills Mercy at 5:30 p.m. tonight at Michigan State University’s Secchia Stadium in the Division 2 state semifinals, it hopes to match the effort of its predecessors.

That 1982 Class B state final was the longest championship game in MHSAA history at the time and still stands as the third-longest title clash.

“I guess the people got their $2.50’s worth today,” Ogemaw coach Peg Runyan said that day.

The Falcons couldn’t quite bring home the grand prize, but they made it a fight for the ages.

Chelsea came into the contest highly favored, sporting a 33-2 record and led by Indiana University-bound pitching ace Amy Uterbrink. But, one day after a tornado wreaked havoc in Ogemaw County, the Falcons took Lansing’s Ranney Park by storm.

Ogemaw hurler Pam Czach pitched like she was the Division I ace, blanking Chelsea through six innings and finishing with eight strikeouts in the contest. Czach had a stellar resume of her own, posting a 23-2 record as a senior and going 67-18 for her career.

And when the Falcons built a 2-0 lead, a major upset was in the air.

Ogemaw’s Paula Reed blasted an RBI triple to score Betsy Miner for a 1-0 edge in the fourth inning and Sue Pauley doubled then raced home on a single by Miner to make it 2-0 in the sixth.

Ogemaw stood three outs away from the school’s first state championship in any sport when things got hairy. Chelsea got back-to-back infield singles and an intentional walk to load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly and another infield single tied the game, but Czach worked out of the jam from there to send the game into extra innings.

Uterbrink would live up to her billing the rest of the way, firing a no-hitter over the final seven innings of the 13-inning marathon with 14 strikeouts.

Chelsea won it in the bottom of the 13th when Amy Hume laced a two-out liner to left field. When the Ogemaw outfielder missed on a diving attempt, Chelsea runner Lisa Beeman scored all the way from first base to bring the game to a dramatic close.

That ended a day of dandy defense for the Falcons, who saw catcher Sue Pauley throw out two base stealers, center fielder Betsy Miner make a diving catch and first baseman Kris Lee made an impressive and important scoop.

Ogemaw finished with a 27-6 record that included its second straight North East Michigan Conference championship along with district and regional titles. Runyan would treat her players to a steak dinner that night.

She coached the Falcons for 11 seasons, winning six NEMC titles along the way. It would be 44 years before another Ogemaw softball team reached the final four.

But this year’s team is poised to deliver its own epic finish.

Test their toughness, test their mettle, test their grit.

All of that is playing right into the strengths of the Ogemaw Heights softball team.

With another display of rugged determination – and play-through-the-pain perseverance – the Falcons scored a 6-1 victory over Sparta in the Division 2 state quarterfinal at Ferris State University.

“These girls come through, that’s all there is to say,” first-year Ogemaw coach Ryan Nicholson said.

Ogemaw (28-9) advances to the state’s final four to face Farmington Hills Mercy at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Michigan State University’s Secchia Stadium. No. 1-ranked Stevensville Lakeshore meets either No. 6 Frankenmuth or Armada in the 3 p.m. semifinal, with the winners squaring off for all the marbles at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

Ogemaw is making its second final four appearance in program history, a feat last accomplished by the 1982 state runner-up squad. The Falcons were coming off their first regional title since 1994 and kept it rolling Tuesday, showing toughness to the end.

Trying to put the finishing touches on the victory over Sparta, the Falcons got a jolt when ace pitcher Kylee England was blasted by a hot shot back through the box.

“She took a shot off her left knee, about as hard as you can get hit,” Nicholson said. “The ball flew to the first baseman and we still got the out. We all ran out to Kylee and she just said ‘I’m fine.’ She didn’t want to come out.

“So we gave her the ball and she got the last two outs.”

England spun a five-hitter that featured just one strikeout as Sparta put runners on base in every inning but one. But the sophomore made the big pitches when she had to and got dazzling defense behind her to remain in complete control. The Ogemaw defense set the tone with an inning-ending double play in the top of the first.

The offense was equally impressive, bolting to a 5-0 lead through three innings. Taylor Illig hit a sacrifice fly to score England for the 1-0 edge in the second inning. Laila Ireland, Addison Wenkel and Makenzie Benjamin each singled and Aubrey Evans ripped a two-run triple in the third and England hit the team’s second sac fly for the five-run cushion.

After Sparta scratched out a run in the fourth, Ogemaw counted in the sixth when England singled and raced all the way home on a double by Illig.

“They have a really tough pitcher with over 400 strikeouts, so our gameplan was to be aggressive and get on her early,” Nicholson said. “We got timely hits, sac bunts, sac flies… we did all the little things that you need.”

Benjamin led the Falcons with two hits while Evans and Illig each drove in two runs in the win.

www.mlive.com

Bravo to the standouts on MLive Bay City Athlete of the Week for June 8

KYLEE ENGLAND, OGEMAW HEIGHTS

The Ogemaw Heights softball team came through with its first regional championship since 1994 and England was a pivotal cog. The sophomore took the ball and took charge, firing a pair of complete-game victories in a 12-2 win over Negaunee and a 2-1 nailbiter over Ga***rd. She pitched 12 innings without issuing a single walk in the regional. She also knocked three hits with two RBIs vs. Negaunee

Touting top performers with Bay City Athlete of the Week for May 18

COLIN NELSON, OGEMAW HEIGHTS

Nelson carved his name in the history of Ogemaw Heights boys track and field, taking part in two school-record relays. The junior anchored the 4x100 relay that went 44.07 and the 4x200 relay that went 1:31.64 at the Shepherd Last Chance Meet. He’s also the team leader with personal-bests of 23.54 in the 200 and 5-8 in the high jump. He posted a PR of 11.63 in 100 at the Jack Pine Conference Championship.

We will be live for Game 2 of the Varsity Softball Tournament at Ogemaw Heights! We will also cover the final game of OHHS softball which will be determined after pool play completes!

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