High school sports round-up: Spring titles on the line
The end of the school year means the end of high school sports. But before we hit the summer lull, there are several local area teams vying for state titles this week. These include: DeWitt Panthers baseball, Eaton Rapids softball, plus Lansing Christian and DeWitt girls soccer.
The Lansing Christian girls soccer program is in familiar territory. After winning their first state title in school history in 2017, the Pilgrims are hoping for a repeat performance on Friday. They will take on Kalamazoo Christian in the Division 4 championship at 1 p.m. at Williamston high school. Interesting added bonus to this contest is these two squads met in last year's title game. Lansing Christian won 2-1 in a shootout. This is also Lansing Christian's third appearance in the title game in the last four years.
The DeWitt Panthers baseball team is hoping to be the second area school to win a championship in as many years. The Shamrocks of Portland St. Patrick won the Division 4 state title in 2017. DeWitt, making its third appearance in the semifinals since 2014, faces off with Saginaw Swan Valley 11:30 am Thursday on the campus of Michigan State University. The Panthers are ranked 2nd in Division 2, and are hoping to win the school's first baseball title since 1993.
The Eaton Rapids Greyhounds are trying to be the first Lansing-area softball team to win a championship since 2012, when the Dansville Aggies captured the Division 4 crown. Eaton Rapids takes on the 3rd-ranked Escanaba Eskymos Thursday at 5:30 pm in the Division 2 semifinals. The Greyhounds have never won a state title in softball, and this is their deepest run in the playoffs since 1981 when they were runners up.
The DeWitt Panthers girls soccer team are looking to advance to the state championship game as well. DeWitt takes on the top-ranked team in Division 2, Bloomfield Hills Marian, who won the title last season. The Panthers are seeking their first title in school history. They knocked off Petoseky 1-0 to advance to this year's semifinals.