DeYoung, Hartfelder Lead Lakers Baseball Team

When varsity baseball coach Eric Pierce fills out his batting order before games he feels like a kid at a candy store.

“One through nine we can hit with anybody,” he said. 

The Lakers are bringing back some of their top hitters from the 2011 season, including All-OAA selection Timo DeYoung and Joey Hartfelder.

DeYoung is the team’s starting catcher and a two-year captain. As a junior, he was one of the top hitters in the Oakland Activities Association, with a batting average well over .400.

“He’s our best hitter,” Pierce said. “He’s a fantastic player and team leader. He has tremendous power to the gaps and extra-base power.”

Hartfelder will bat at the No. 4 spot for West Bloomfield. Pierce said the senior also has a ton of pop in his bat and that’s why he’s betting right in the middle of lineup.

The group has already opened the season swinging a hot bat. 

In three wins, the Lakers (3-1) have scored six runs or more. In a win over Ortonville Brandon they put up 11. Pierce expects that kind of run production to continue.

“I think we’re going to score some runs this season, I really think our lineup will be pretty consistent,” Pierce said.

Hartfelder helps pitching, too

The only thing that is expected to hold West Bloomfield back this season, is its lack of pitching depth due to an injury.

Senior pitcher Tyler Grafmiller went down with a torn ACL at the beginning of the season and is out until late April. Grafmiller pitched well for the Lakers as a junior, with a strong command of four pitches. He was expected to be the staff’s No. 1 pitcher.

Hartfelder is one of the players West Bloomfield will need to step up on the mound. He regularly throws around 86 miles per hour, Pierce said, and can occasionally touch 90.

“You watch him pitch and it’s like wow,” Pierce said. “He’s being recruited by a lot of places because his velocity is so high, but we are just working with him on getting the ball in the strike zone.”

He’s already started twice this season. While he didn’t get a win in either game, his progress is encouraging to staff.

“He just has to stay away from being a one pitch pitcher,” Pierce said.

Freshman Chandler Sadot is expected to contribute to the starting rotation, in the absence of Grafmiller, due to his travel baseball experience, if not at high school level. He’s impressed coaches with his poise on the mound and ability to listen.

“We’ve been amazed at how much he wants to learn,” Pierce said. “He wants to prove he belongs.”

Regardless, Pierce remains hopeful Grafmiller will return for the second half of the Lakers’ division schedule. West Bloomfield is looking for a title in the newly realigned OAA White.

New divisions

Coaches voted to realign the OAA into four divisions after last season and group the teams based on geographic location. The Blue last year was Seaholm, Groves, all three Farmington high schools, West Bloomfield and both Bloomfield Hills high schools. Both Bloomfield schools stayed in the Blue division, while the rest of the teams now make up the White.

“We definitely can make a run at the league,” Pierce said. “Districts is tough because we always have to go through Brother Rice, but I feel good about our chances in both.”

OAA baseball season previews

The  varsity baseball team continues its season tonight at Farmington (32000 Shiawassee St.). First pitch is at 4 p.m.