by BETH ALTENA

A new era for Rockford has arrived as the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) announced a state-of-the-art youth and amateur sports facility with 12 ball fields, concessions, boulevard landscaping, parking for nearly 1,000 cars, play areas and picnic structures will be built on a 79-acre property off Ten Mile Road in Rockford. On 110 acres adjacent to the baseball and softball fields will be an Olympic-style indoor/outdoor archery complex, mountain bike courses, soccer fields and 25K cross-country course. The economic benefit to Rockford in having such facilities here is profound.

Mike Guswiler, executive director of the West Michigan Sports Commission, said the estimated economic impact to the area in the first five years could be $20 million. Guswiler and other spokespersons for the project announced during a luncheon November 16 that the complex would be built and that $4.3 million of the funding for the first phase was secured. Another $1.7 is being sought.

“We needed to demonstrate strong support for this facility among lead donors, and they stepped up in a big way,” said retired president of Grand Valley State University Arend Lubbers.

The WMSC has announced their funding campaign for the $1.7 “Everyone Wins” is underway.

“This project is first and foremost an economic engine for our community,” said Richard DeVos, one of the project’s major donors. “Youth and amateur sports tourism generates about $6 billion in direct spending each year—youth baseball and softball are among the top five travel sports contributing to that figure. We want to capture a piece of that market. But this is also about the love of sports and enhancing the quality of life here in West Michigan.”

The Richard and Helen DeVos Foundation are the championship field sponsors with a one million dollar donation. Other major donors of $300,000 or more are Wolverine Worldwide, Meijer, Peter and Joan Secchia and family, Dan and Pamela DeVos Foundation, the Frey Foundation, and John and Nancy Kennedy.

Donors of $30,000 or more are the Steve and Cindy VanAndel Foundation, the Dave and Carol VanAndel Foundation, the Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation, the Doug and Maria DeVos Foundation, Fifth-Third Bank, Gordon Food, and Steelcase.

Businesses, organizations and individuals are asked to “step up to the plate” and help secure funding for the remainder of Phase One and future development with sponsorship opportunities beginning with purchase of a brick (engraved up to 28 characters on two lines) for $150, a baseball for $250, softball and bat. Bats, softballs and baseballs are all limited in number available.

Groundbreaking is expected in the spring of 2012 with players on the field within a year. Donors are also invited to give a one-time cash gift, set up a multiple-year commitment, or donate a gift of assets. Donations are tax-deductible.

Development of a multi-field baseball/softball complex was identified early in the strategic planning process when the sports commission was founded in 2007. The project was described as “the next logical step” for the WMSC as it continues to attract youth and amateur sporting events to the region.

“We’ve visited communities that have similar complexes and they tell us the same thing—if you build it, they will come,” said Lubers.

Once the 12 fields are complete, projections suggest the complex will generate $7.5 million in lodging revenue and $20 million in overall economic impact over the first five years of operation.

With an estimated 75-plus events annually and 135,000 new visitors in the first five years—just for the baseball/softball portion of the sports complex, Rockford truly has the home field advantage for economic growth—and the bases are loaded.

The Rockford Raptors team of (kneeling, l–r) Andrew Searl, Matt DiLeo, Jon Stewart, Bobby Wilson, David Sokol; (standing) Kory Young, Brent Showers, Ryan Jerrils, Jimmy Scales, Andy Woodruff; and (not pictured) Reid Kelley celebrate their victory in the USSSA Lakeside Challenge.

For the season, the Raptors have compiled a 23-5-3 record and now prepare for a trip to Omaha, Neb., where they will compete in the Triple Crown Sumpbusters Tournament on June 24-28. This tournament is held in conjunction with the NCAA Division I college world series.

Tony DiLeo hits a homerun in the third inning against Hudsonville to help the Rams win 5-4 at home on Thursday, May 20.

The Rams’ offense was held in check by Hudsonville junior pitcher Skylar Hoke, who was tough to hit all day. His fastball was consistently 84-86 and his breaking pitch was effective. Rockford did garner four hits, but just couldn’t string them together. Hudsonville benefited from some timely calls by the umpires that were in question by the Rockford crowd. Christian Lienesch, Bryan Baldwin, Zach Martinek and Taylor Masiewicz all had singles for the Rams.

Junior southpaw Austin Stephens throws a pitch on his way to beating Hudsonville 5-4. He earned the win while allowing six hits, three walks and had eight strikeouts.

Defensively, the Rams had a couple of errors that Hudsonville took advantage of. Baldwin continued his string of strong pitching efforts. He held Hudsonville’s potent offense to just five hits on the day. He gave up three walks and struck out four. Baldwin’s fastball was good as well. He was pretty consistent between 81-84, reaching 85 a couple of times early in the contest.

On Thursday, May 20 at Rockford, the home team beat a tough Hudsonville team to avenge their 3-0 loss earlier in the week. The Rams beat the Eagles 5-4 with timely hits and solid defense.

Rockford managed just five hits on the day, but they were timely. The Rams linked three hits and a walk in the third inning to score three runs. One of the hits was a homerun by sophomore Tony DiLeo. Rockford scored two more runs in the fourth inning on a double by Evan Smith, an error, a sacrifice bunt by Baldwin, and a sacrifice fly by Shain Showers.

The Rams’ offense was held in check for their last two innings, but the five runs for the day were enough to win. Leading the way offensively was Brandon Nostrant, who was 2-3 with one RBI, and DiLeo, who was 1-2 with 2 RBIs. The other two hits came from Baldwin and Smith.

Defensively, the Rams relied on the left arm of junior Austin Stephens, who struggled a bit in the first inning, but settled down after that and went the distance to notch the win. He gave up two runs in the first and then just one run each in the second and fifth innings. On the day, he held a potent Eagles offense to six hits, walked three and struck out eight.

The win gives the Eagles two conference losses on the season while the Rams have four. Rockford wraps up conference play with two games against West Ottawa on Monday and Wednesday, May 24 and 26.

Rams sophomore Drew Farmer pounds a triple that drives in two runs in Saturday’s game one against Midland Chemics.

In game one, the Rams traded the lead with the Chemics of Midland before going into the seventh and final inning all tied up at eight runs apiece. Midland scored in the bottom of the seventh to notch the win.

The Rams’ offense proved to be effective in the first game as they pounded out 10 hits but left seven runners on base and committed two errors defensively. Bryan Baldwin led the way with three singles and two runs batted in. Drew Farmer added a triple that scored two runs as well. The pitching duties were spread out among four pitchers: Joe Kropiewnicki, Evan Smith, Zach Martinek and Bryan Baldwin, with Baldwin taking the tough loss.

Coach Ian Hearn’s “chalk talk” between games proved motivational, as the Rams came out swinging and scored six runs in the first inning of the next game. The game was never in doubt as Rockford continued the hit fest with 14 in the shortened five-inning game.

Rams sophomore Ian Stankus belts a single in game two at Midland.

Leading the way offensively was Baldwin again with three singles, a double and three RBIs. Andrew Rademacher contributed as well with two singles and an RBI. Ian Stankus had two singles, a double and two RBI, and Shane Showers knocked in three runs with a single and a double. Defensively, the Ram middle infield of Showers and Stankus turned their second double play of the day, and Zach Martinek notched the win going three and two-thirds innings of scoreless pitching in relief of Caleb Post.

The Rams have a heavy week of baseball coming up as they play a doubleheader against Wyoming Rogers on Monday, conference games versus East Kentwood on Tuesday and Thursday, and a doubleheader at home vs. Traverse City West on Friday.

The Rams were shorthanded due to an injury to senior captain Andi Raymond and a disciplinary action against two additional players, but the Rams outshot their visitors 40-5. Seniors Taylor Hiner and captain Meagan Emery led the Ram scoring attack with seven goals each. Hiner also chipped in four assists. Also scoring for the Rams were Alyssa Neumen with three goals, Kelsei Streeter with two, and Abbey Neerken, Erica Neumen, and Morgan Stage each tallying one goal apiece.

The story of the night was the Ram defense shutting down the Buccaneer attack, only allowing those five shots on goal. Jenna Chaffee had a good night between the pipes in her first varsity action. Defensively, the Rams were led by senior captain Neerken from her center defensive position. She was flanked by two newcomers to the varsity freshman Kelli Raymond, and sophomore Hannah Maroe. All three were instrumental in limiting Grand Haven’s opportunities.

Emery and A. Neumen were also instrumental in the mid-field defense working together to cause six Buccaneer turnovers.

Co-coaches Mike Emery and Jeff Neerken were happy with the effort level, but saw many areas where the girls can improve as they move in to conference play after spring break.

Coach Neerken stated, “We have really worked on our defense. We were most proud of the shutout, which came about because of the teamwork on defense. We should get better as the season moves along.”

The Rams will be busy when they return, as they have an away game against Lansing Waverly April 14, their conference opener away at Forest Hills Eastern April 16, and a home contest April 17 against Grosse Point South.

• • •

by TIM COOPER

Tyler VanRooyen works for a takedown on his way to a seventh-place finish. Photo by JIM COOPER

On the verge of defending his individual state championship title at 215 pounds, a childhood illness knocked senior Joe Stefanski out of the competition when he contracted chicken pox, ending his high school wrestling career one week early. Stefanski is bound for the University of Ohio next fall where he intends to play football.

Six other Rockford wrestlers walked the floor of the Palace of Auburn Hills in the grand march on Thursday, March 4.

The state individual high school wrestling tournament begins each year with 896 wrestlers parading their school colors before cheering fans and families. This year over 44,000 wrestling fans attended the three-day event, culminating with the individual championship matches on Saturday night, March 6.

Jake Scholten tilts Chris Bohacek of Harrison Township L'Anse Creuse. Photo by JIM COOPER

Following the opening ceremonies, six Rockford wrestlers participated in the first round of action. Senior Jake Scholten (119) led the Ram attack with a 7-1 victory over Detroit Catholic Central’s Matt Thompson.

The 125-pound match saw senior Jake Byers win a 15-5 major decision over Dan Jaijo of Troy. Byers used numerous takedowns in his dominance of Jaijo, earning his advance to the second round.

Sophomore Austin Scogg faced a tough opponent in Detroit Catholic Central’s Justin Melick, the eventual 135-pound champion. Scogg fell into the consolation bracket when Melick pinned him at the 1:58 mark of the match.

Takedowns and releases seemed to be the order of senior Jake Johnson’s opening match in the 160-pound bracket. Johnson achieved 12 takedowns, building a 24-10 major decision over Matt Schodowski of New Baltimore Anchor Bay. Johnson, the runner-up in last year’s 160-pound tournament, showed he was determined to get back to the finals.

Jake Johnson rides his opponent in the state individual finals at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Photo by JIM COOPER

Defending state champion at 171 pounds, senior Jake Dorulla dominated his first opponent, Ryan Erps of Pinkney. In this match Dorulla proved why he is the top-ranked wrestler in his weight class in the state of Michigan. This highly recruited wrestler has committed to Eastern Michigan University where he will continue his wrestling career next fall.

First-time state qualifier, sophomore Tyler VanRooyen also found himself dropping into the consolation bracket when he lost a 7-1 decision to Macomb L’Anse Creuse North’s Lucas Banning.

Early Friday morning, the two wrestlers in the consolations were back at work. Austin Scogg (135) took his only win of the weekend with a 3-1 decision over Nick Burt of Millford. In the 103-pound match VanRooyen made short work of Rochester Adams’ John Ko, pinning him in 54 seconds.

Jake Dorulla stands tall as the 171-pound state champion. Photo by JIM COOPER

In the championship bracket, all four Ram wrestlers advanced to the semifinals. Scholten (119) defeated Chris Bohacek of Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse with a 16-1 technical fall. Byers continued on his quest, defeating Jeff Sloney of Clarkston 10-6. In the 160-pound quarterfinal, Johnson downed Keith Zech of Canton 10-4. Dorulla (171) faced a tough Rochester opponent, defeating him 12-4. Dorulla proved to be a master on his feet, taking down his opponent numerous times, building to the final tally.

In the blood round, Scogg fell in a tough 1-0 decision to a Portage Central wrestler, putting a cap on Scogg’s season, falling just short of All State honors.

At 103 pounds, VanRooyen turned around a match that had no scoring in the first two rounds. VanRooyen fell behind early in the third, but tied the score before the period ended. In overtime, both wrestlers were on their feet, trying for sudden victory, when VanRooyen used a double-leg takedown to score two points and end the match victorious.

In semifinal action, Scholten, the number-two-ranked 119-pound wrestler in the state, wrestled Alec Morradian of Detroit Catholic Central. Morradian, a former state champion at 112 pounds, proved to be too tough in this overtime thriller. With the match tied at two after six minutes, both wrestlers were unable to score during the first three overtime periods. In the fourth overtime period, Morradian was able to ride Scholten for the full 30 seconds and win the match.

Byers pinned his semifinal opponent in 1:17, advancing him to the state finals.

Jake Byers wrestles in the individual finals at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Saturday, March 6. Photo by JIM COOPER

At 160 pounds, Johnson wrestled a game opponent in Pontiac’s D’Oneti Polk. Johnson won a tough-fought 6-5 decision, placing him in the finals for the second time.

In anther overtime thriller, Dorulla defeated Mike Andering of Holt 7-5.

On Saturday morning, VanRooyen fell into seventh- and eighth-place matches when he was defeated by Detroit Catholic Central’s DJ Fagan 2-0. VanRooyen went on to win the seventh-place match with a fall in 3:31 over Hudsonville’s Zack Henderson.

Austin Scogg earns a 3-1 victory over Nick Burt of Millford on Friday, March 5. Photo by JIM COOPER

Scholten bounced back from his previous loss, showing the mark of a true champion. He defeated Cameryn Jackson of Lansing Eastern 3-0 and Brendan Papin of Bellview 8-1 to finish in third place.

In the finals, Rockford’s Byers put his 46-0 record on the line against Ben Methieson of Holt. Byers held a 4-3 lead after the first two periods before Methieson took control of the match in the third. Methieson scored six points, escaping from Byers and taking him down, turning him for a near-fall. For the second straight season, the Eastern Michigan-bound Byers finished runner-up.

The 43-7 Johnson faced Lowell’s Jackson Morris, Michigan’s highest-recruited wrestler. This match showed why Morris has this honor as he scored at will. Three of Johnson’s seven losses this season were at the hands of the Lowell wrestler. Johnson escaped twice during the match, but was unable to stop Morris from winning his third state championship 7-2.

Jake Dorulla ties up Ryan Olep of Lowell in the final match of Dorulla’s high school career. Photo by JIM COOPER

The final Rockford wrestler to take to the mat in the 171-pound finals was Dorulla. For the second straight match, Dorulla struggled to score. Against Lowell’s Ryan Olep, Dorulla built a small offense in the second period, taking Olep to the mat after Olep escaped. Olep escaped a second time, tying the score at 2-2. In the third, Dorulla put Olep away with two escapes and a takedown, snatching a 6-4 victory and his second state title.

Coach Brian Richardson said, “Jake Dorulla got a tough win in our last match against Lowell again. I couldn’t be more happy or proud of him. What a fantastic career for Jake. The kids got so much talent and he proved what a great wrestler he is. I am proud of all our kids. We had six of them down here and each one of them took at least one win this weekend.”

While fans congratulate this year’s Ram wrestlers on a strong season and individual accomplishments, a former Ram also won a conference championship. On Sunday, Ben Bennett, now at Central Michigan University, won a Mid-American Conference (MAC) championship when he defeated Keith Witt of Bowling Green with a technical fall at the seven-minute mark of his match.

ECONOMIC BOOST—A proposed ball field complex on Ten Mile Road could generate millions in revenue for the area. Kent County Commissioners will vote on granting a two-year option to buy. Photo courtesy WZZM13.com

The West Michigan Sports Commission will have two years to come up with the cash to purchase 90 acres for a proposed ball field complex if the Kent County Board of Commission (KCBC) approves the deal.

The KCBC will vote on the plan, which a finance committee proposed, at their next meeting. The Sports Commission would pay the county’s Department of Public Works $1 for a two year option to purchase the land for $400,000.

According to Mike Gusweiller, director of the Sports Commission, it will cost another $5 million to develop the property into a 12-ball field facility.

Gusweiller said this would be an unusual situation for the Sports Commission. Never before has the organization been the purchasing agent in such a deal.

“It’s not typical. Usually we find a municipality that is interested. The complexes don’t necessarily make a profit. The true dollars are in the economic impact of visitors coming into the area,” Gusweiller said.

The Sports Commission estimate that in the first ten years, having the facility would generate $50 million in hotel revenue alone.

Gusweiller said in this instance no municipality stepped forward interested in purchasing the land. The property is adjacent to the former land fill south of Ten Mile Road and east of US-131.

Potential donors to the project are invited to call Gusweiller at (616) 233-3561.

IF WE BUILD IT THEY WILL COME—The proposed West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) Ten Mile Road Athletic Complex. According to the WMSC, the field would host youth and amateur sports teams every weekend of the baseball/softball season and bring millions in revenue to the area. Artwork courtesy progresivejae

Millions of dollars would come to the area if a proposed sports complex is built on Ten Mile Road. According to Mike Guswiler, Executive Director of the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC), this area was identified in a study as being ideal for a sports complex.

“We really took a look at this and had a consultant come in and tell us what the best sports fields were… They said travel amateur and youth baseball and softball leagues would use the fields Thursday through Sunday,” he stated.

The WMSC is a three-year-old organization designed to promote economic opportunities for the area. They identified the site, in part, because it is county-owned.

On Thursday, June 11, the WMSC approached the Kent County Board of Commissioners asking if a long-term lease of the property could be arranged for one dollar a year.

Roger Morgan, Chairman of the Kent County Board of Commissioners, said their finance committee formed a sub-committee to look into the legalities of such a transaction.

“Because that land was purchased by ratepayer dollars, there may be some stipulations as to its use,” he said. He added that he is entirely in support of the project.

City Manager Michael Young, who is on the Ten Mile Corridor Committee dedicated to controlling retail growth in the corridor, said this use would be accepted.

“We wouldn’t want any of the fast food or retail that can come with this kind of development, but we don’t oppose this use at all,” he said.

Guswiler said the study the WMSC is following shows that 12 fields and a championship field would be ideal. It would cost 5.6 million to build, not including any land cost.

A donor was identified who would offer a fund-matching gift of part of the amount. That offer is tentatively on hold, however, given the state of the state economy.

“We are not a development organization, we are in a position to lead the discussion on this project,” said Guswiler.

He said economic growth through increased hotel/motel revenue is a part of the goal in creating a project like this, but not the whole purpose.

“Our studies show that people will travel within 40 miles of this complex for shopping, dining and other reasons,” said Guswiler. “It wouldn’t only benefit the businesses in downtown Rockford, it would benefit anyone in the greater Rockford area. It’s not just an economic opportunity, it’s also a quality of life opportunity.”

Morgan said legal issues should be answered by this fall. If financing came in immediately, the complex could be ready for play by 2011.

“We are lucky in this area to have many wonderful philanthropists,” Guswiler stated. The financing would be a gift, since the complex itself would not be a money-maker. “The economic growth would be through visitors coming to the area for sports tourism.” Guswiler said their study figures show 50 million in hotel/motel revenue alone in ten years.