Meet MLive’s 2024 Grand Rapids-area Baseball Dream Team

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – From accomplished underclassmen to stellar seniors, the 2024 high school baseball landscape in the Grand Rapids area featured a diverse and talented group of athletes.

With so many skilled players taking the diamond this spring, picking out the best wasn’t an easy task.

Input from area coaches helped nail down the top pitchers, catchers, infielders, outfielders and utility players and sort them into First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention categories.

Follow along as we recognize the top local baseball players from this past season with our 2024 MLive/Grand Rapids Press Dream Team.

One of the state’s most dominant pitchers, Bosch went 6-2 in eight starts this season, with both losses being of the hard-luck variety. In a 2-0 defeat to Grandville, he struck out seven and allowed just five hits, three walks and one earned run, before striking out seven and allowing four hits in a 1-0 district finals loss to Hudsonville.

The 6-foot-4, 215-pound lefty finished the year with a 0.40 ERA, a 0.615 WHIP and 79 strikeouts in 52 innings. He reached double-digit strikeouts in five of his eight appearances and allowed four or fewer hits in six starts, which helped Jenison post a 32-8 record and finish the year ranked No. 8 in Division 1.

Offensively, he batted .256 with three doubles and a triple, while driving in 19 runs and scoring 13 more. His biggest RBI of the year came in the form of a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth inning that gave Jenison a 2-1 walk-off win over No. 2 Rockford.

One of Michigan’s most coveted prospects in the 2025 class, Bosch has offers from several Division-I schools, including Michigan State and Baylor and should pick up a few more after his strong junior season.

Max Ferrick, Forest Hills Eastern

After earning all-state honors as an outfielder last season, Ferrick emerged as Eastern’s ace and kept the Hawks ranked among the top teams in Division 2 all season. He went 8-0 with a 0.56 ERA, 0.735 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings. The junior righty tossed no-hitters against South Christian and GR Catholic Central and allowed just four earned runs against a tough slate of opponents.

Offensively, Ferrick batted .279 with seven doubles, one triple and three home runs, while driving in 30 runs and scoring 19 more for the OK Gold champs.

Gibby Sinke, Hudsonville

The 6-foot-3 lefty and Indiana University commit has the look of a future Big Ten pitcher, and he compiled the best season of his impressive four-year varsity career. Sinke went 8-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings, while allowing 33 hits and 20 walks. His 17 strikeouts in a regular season win against Caledonia set a single-game school record, and he also picked up two wins against a top-ten Jenison team, including a complete-game four-hitter with seven strikeouts in the Eagles’ 1-0 district finals victory.

Walker Glyshaw, Cedar Springs

A unique talent that can pitch with his right or left arm, Glyshaw kept batters off balance all season, tallying a whopping 101 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings, while allowing 38 hits and 27 walks, which added up to a 0.88 ERA, a 0.911 WHIP and an 8-2 record.

Offensively, the senior and Lansing Community College commit batted .311 with a double, a home run, 12 RBIs and 10 runs scored. He also drew three walks and struck out just seven times.

Peter Heintz, East Grand Rapids

The senior and future Grand Rapids Community College student-athlete also played first base this season, but really shined behind the plate, where he threw out 10 of 46 base runners and picked off two more.

Offensively, his bat was his best attribute, as Heintz posted a .393 average with eight doubles, four triples and three home runs, while driving in 41 runs and scoring 20 more. He also showed great plate discipline by drawing 18 walks against six strikeouts, and he also showed some speed on the basepaths by stealing 13 bags in 14 attempts.

James Dempsey, Forest Hills Eastern

The junior catcher saw his stock skyrocket through offseason showcases to the point where Prep Baseball Report slotted him as the state’s No. 3 catcher in the class of 2025. Dempsey’s hard work paid off through a strong junior season, in which he batted .364 with four doubles, three triples and two home runs, while driving in 21 runs and scoring 31 more. He also drew 22 walks and struck out 16 times, which will be an area for improvement during his senior season.

Defensively, he threw out 8 of 31 base runners and picked off one more. The return of Dempsey, along with fellow juniors Max Ferrick, Brendan Thompson and Manel Conners will make Eastern a really tough team once again in 2025.

Michael Skarda, Rockford

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound power hitter had a career year at the plate for the Rams, who finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the Division 1 rankings. Skarda batted .402 with two doubles, nine triples and five home runs, while driving in 36 runs and scoring 34 more. He also drew 15 walks, struck out just seven times and stole 11 bases without getting caught.

As a pitcher, he went 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA, 1.207 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings, and defensively, he boasted a .968 fielding percentage with just five errors and nine double plays.

Andrew Landis, Rockford

Another star infielder from Rockford, Landis excelled in the field, at the plate and on the mound for the 33-4-1 Rams. He logged an impressive .945 fielding percentage from the shortstop position and batted .412 with six doubles and four triples, while driving in 17 runs and scoring 28 more. He also drew eight walks, struck out just five times and used his speed to steal 12 bases in 12 attempts.

As a pitcher, the Oakland University signee went 5-0 and converted both of his save opportunities, finishing with a 0.71 ERA, 0.809 WHIP and 34 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.

Brendan Thompson, Forest Hills Eastern

Perhaps the highest-upside infielder around Grand Rapids, Thompson continued his upward trajectory with a stellar junior season, which was his third on Eastern’s varsity squad. He batted .432 with eight doubles, five triples and a home run, while driving in 26 runs and scoring 34 more. He also showed improved plate discipline by drawing 13 walks and striking out 10 times, while also getting hit by 19 pitches.

The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder posted a .912 fielding percentage from the demanding shortstop position and further showed his athleticism by stealing 17 bases without getting caught.

Cannon Paul, GR Christian

A contributor to Christian’s 2023 state title team, Paul took his game to another level during his senior season, batting .458 with 10 doubles, four triples and two home runs, while driving in 33 runs and scoring 25 more for an Eagles squad that won its fourth consecutive district title. He also drew nine walks, struck out just four times and played solid defense at third base, posting a .900 fielding percentage from the hot corner.

Jackson Isaacs, GR Christian

The Western Michigan University signee also raised his level of play from last year’s state championship season, posting a team-high .476 batting average with nine doubles, six triples and three home runs, while driving in 37 runs and scoring 40 more. His 26 walks against just eight strikeouts showed incredible plate discipline, and the fact that he didn’t make an error all season bodes well for his potential in Kalamazoo.

Payton Skarda, Rockford

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound center fielder was a big part of Rockford’s stellar season, as Skarda batted .443 with six doubles, seven triples and three home runs, while driving in 26 runs and scoring 39 more. He also drew a whopping 21 walks against just 10 strikeouts and stole 10 bases in 12 attempts.

Defensively, he patrolled the outfield without making an error and showed off his strong arm by tallying five assists.

Max McCarty, Belding

A multi-year star for Belding, McCarty capped his prep career with a senior season that saw him bat .524 with 15 doubles, seven triples and three home runs, while scoring 45 runs and driving in 30 more. The Alpena Community College commit also showed off his wheels by stealing 45 bases in 48 attempts.

Drew Duthler, Coopersville

The star junior played all four infield positions and was one of the top pitchers for a 25-10 Coopersville team finished tied for second in an ultra-competitive OK Blue conference. He went 6-2 on the mound with a 1.53 ERA, 1.272 WHIP and 38 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings, while batting .465 with 16 doubles and four home runs. Duthler also drove in 36 runs, scored 28 more and drew 21 walks, while striking out 19 times, which is something he’ll look to improve heading into a promising senior season.

Second Team pitchers

Max Salas (Sr.), Zeeland East

Davis Kemper (Jr.), South Christian

Tyler Sparks (Sr.), Allendale

Second Team catchers

Luke Laska (Jr.), Byron Center

Easton Tolson (Sr.), Allendale

Second Team infielders

Trevor Raade (Sr.), Zeeland East

Ryan Arends (Sr.), Hudsonville

Kellen Ford (Soph.), Hopkins

Gabe Stouffer (Sr.), Rockford

Second Team outfielders

Henry Streeter (Jr.), GR Christian

Gavin Engelsman (Sr.), Rockford

Austin Keur (Sr.), Zeeland East

Second Team utility player

Josh Tellier (Sr.), Forest Hills Central

Honorable Mention pitchers

Kyle O’Hearn (Sr.), West Catholic; Cam Pallo (Soph.), Forest Hills Eastern; Sam Schmuker (Sr.), Rockford; Aiden Schauss (Sr.), Rockford; Kellen Payne (Jr.), Byron Center; Josh Wickstrom (Sr.), Northview; Nick Gordon (Sr.), Sparta; Landon Terry (Sr.), Grandville; Colton Brinks (Soph.), Forest Hills Eastern; Charlie Kileen (Sr.), GR Christian; Jacob Robertson (Sr.), Forest Hills Central; Jake Hill (Soph.), Byron Center; Alex Menzel (Jr.), Kenowa Hills; Bryce Calkins (Sr.), Wayland

Honorable Mention catchers

Jackson Reisbig (Sr.), Lowell; Casey Joppie (Sr.), East Kentwood; David Britenfeld (Jr.), West Catholic; Vince Fantin (Jr.), Jenison

Honorable Mention infielders

Quincy Thome (Jr.), Zeeland East; Nolan Jacobson-Dicks (Jr.), Northview; Brody Wiersma (Jr.), Thornapple Kellogg; Dean Armock (Soph.), GR Catholic Central; Mason McDonald (Sr.), Forest Hills Central; Kaden Howard (Jr.), Hudsonville; Aidan Lauraine (Zeeland West); Charlie Lacny (Sr.), Zeeland East; Blake Peasley (Jr.), Belding; Ferris Eldred (Sr.), Hudsonville; Bray Steinbacher (Sr.), Sparta; Tanner Bormes (Sr.), Sparta; Donny Petree (Jr.), Wyoming; Colton VanderArk (Sr.), NorthPointe Christian; Abel Walkotten (Sr.), Holland; Isaac Moes (Soph.), Byron Center Zion Christian

Honorable Mention outfielders

Nolan Rinehart (Sr.), West Catholic; Corbin Bennetts (Sr.), Jenison; Kyle Smith (Sr.), Holland Christian; Landen Reister (Jr.), Sparta; Evan Hendricks (Sr.), Kenowa Hills; Ty Hudkins (Sr.), Forest Hills Central; Manel Conners (Jr.), Forest Hills Eastern; Chastyn Cole (Jr.), Kenowa Hills; Bobby LeMieux (Jr.), Coopersville; Jack Lockwood (Sr.), Rockford; Beau Harris (Jr.), Coopersville; Ethan Byrd (Fr.), Holland; Tyler Collins (Jr.), NorthPointe Christian; Christian Smigiel (Jr.), Hopkins; Logan Hedlund (Jr.), NorthPointe Christian

Honorable Mention utility players

Brendan Welch (Sr.), Sparta; AJ Park (Jr.), Jenison; Logan Snelling (Sr.), Thornapple Kellogg; JT Hartman (Sr.), Forest Hills Central; Luke VanSlyke (Jr.), Hopkins; Nick VanderVennen (Sr.), Calvin Christian

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