North Muskegon Norsemen: 2008 Recap

2008 RECAP

All-State
Mark Picard (pitcher)
Ryan Buter (catcher)
Ryan Sexton (first base)
Warren Kent III (coach of the year)

All-Region
Mark Picard (pitcher)
Ryan Buter (catcher)
Ryan Sexton (first base)
Matt Dunn (outfield)
Warren Kent III (coach)

All-District
Mark Picard (pitcher)
Travis Falkowski (pitcher)
Ryan Buter (catcher)
Ryan Sexton (first base)
Ryan Hillman (infield)
Matt Dunn (outfield)
Noah VanBergen (outfield)
Warren Kent III (coach)

All-Conference
First Team
Mark Picard (pitcher)
Ryan Buter (catcher)
Ryan Sexton (infield)
Matt Dunn (outfield)
Honorable Mention
Alex Jones (outfield)
Travis Falkowski (at-large)

All-Area
First Team
Mark Picard (pitcher)
Ryan Buter (catcher)
Ryan Sexton (infield)
Warren Kent III (coach)
Second Team
Travis Falkowski (pitcher)
Ryan Hillman (infield)
Matt Dunn (outfield)
Noah VanBergen (at-large)
Honorable Mention
Robin Wiggins (infield)
Alex Jones (outfield)

Academic All-State
Noah VanBergen

Academic All-Region
Noah VanBergen
Ryan Buter

Academic All-District
Noah VanBergen
Ryan Buter
Nick Strockis

Team Awards
MVP: Ryan Buter
Gold Glove: Travis Falkowski
Most Improved: Mark Picard
Coach's Award: Arion Carley 

Season Summary (34-4 overall; 12-2 in the West Michigan Conference): Wow! What a journey. The 2008 team will go down as the best in school history. The Norsemen, which boasted a team of 10 seniors and six juniors, brought home five trophies during the 2008 campaign. First, the Norse captured the Reeths-Puffer Invitational title, convincingly defeating the host Rockets, 11-5, in the championship game. Secondly, NM had to wait almost a month to finish a suspended game with Oakridge in order to win the school’s first WMC title since 1972. With the Bulldogs leading 7-4, the Norse scored the game’s final 11 runs to capture the championship. Thirdly, the Norse had to again wait almost a month to win the County title, defeating Ravenna, 12-0, in the title game. Fourthly, NM brought home the district crown with a 7-2 win over Muskegon Catholic Central in the championship game. Finally, NM won the school’s first-ever regional crown with a 11-0 win over Coleman in the title game. After that, the team won its quarterfinal game (11-1 over Lake Michigan Catholic) before ending its season in Battle Creek in the state’s semifinals. The stats that this team compiled are astounding. This offensive juggernaut, which set 12 season team records, scored 10 runs or more in 27 of the season’s 38 games, setting a school record by scoring 10.71 runs per game. Half of the team’s 34 wins did NOT make it to the mandatory seven innings (two 3-inning games, two 4-inning games, eight 5-inning games, five 6-inning games). The key to this season, as it was in 2007, was the first inning, where the Norse outscored its opponents, 99-25. As a matter of fact, the Norse outscored its opponents in every inning by almost a 3-to-1 margin except for the fifth inning. For some reason, that inning saw NM score 21 runs, and opponents score 21 runs. Altogether, however, the Norse played 230 innings and only trailed in 33 of those innings. All season the Norse had solid hitting from all nine spots in the batting order. The best spot in the order was No. 3 (.547; 65-for-119) while No. 7 was the lowest (.291; 32-for-110).

Senior catcher Ryan Buter will go down in history as the school’s most prolific offensive player. This season, he led the Norse with a .565 average (61-for-108). Buter also posted team-highs with 65 runs, 22 doubles, 28 walks and a .647 on-base percentage. Buter owns or shares seven season records (runs – 65; hits – 61; doubles – 22; home runs – 13; walks – 28; batting average – .565; hitting streak – 34 games) and six career records (runs – 134; hits – 132; doubles – 36; home runs – 22; RBI – 126; walks – 74).

Senior pitcher Mark Picard, a lefty, excelled both on the mound and at the plate. On the mound, Picard set three season records with 16 wins, 97.6 innings and four shutouts. He is also the school career record-holder with 33 wins and five shutouts. Opponents batted just .169 against him, and he posted a 1.36 ERA. At the plate, Picard finally reached his potential. After struggling offensively during his sophomore and junior years, Picard batted .376 (35-for-93) and tied for the team lead with three triples.

The outfield triumvirate of Matt Dunn, Noah VanBergen and Alex Jones combined for a .395 average (102-for-258), 110 runs and 81 stolen bases. Dunn, the left fielder, had the highest average with .476 (40-for-84) while scoring 35 runs, knocking in 28, walking 25 times and stealing 24 bases. Dunn also picked up a win on the mound with a three-inning no-hitter against Muskegon Heights. VanBergen, who played right field and batted lead-off, posted a .389 average (37-for-95) with 43 runs, 27 RBI, 22 walks and 26 stolen bases. VanBergen holds the career stolen base record with 61. VanBergen set a school record with 14 hit by pitches and also tied for the team lead with three triples. He also holds the career record for most times hit by a pitch with 29. Jones, the center fielder, batted .316 (25-for-79), scored 32 runs and stole a school-record 31 bases.

Senior first baseman Ryan Sexton, who was the only Norseman to play in all 38 games, flexed his muscles in leading the Norse with 10 home runs and a school record 62 RBI while batting .375 (36-for-96). He also scored 41 runs and led the team with seven sacrifices. Sexton also faired well on the mound, where he set the school record with a 0.53 ERA, allowing just two earned runs in 26.6 innings. He posted a 3-0 record with two saves.
Senior Travis Falkowski, who played a solid defense at shortstop, excelled as the team’s No. 2 pitcher. Falkowski posted an 8-1 record with two saves while holding opponents to a .202 batting average. His ERA was a stellar 1.94, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio was nearly 3-to-1 as he struck out 60 and walked 21. Falkowski also tossed a five-inning no-hitter against Hart.

Senior Alex Wierda made the most of his playing time, usually manning the second base spot when Travis pitched. Alex batted .339 (19-for-56).

Senior Arion Carley, who was playing his first varsity season, batted .375 (9-for-24) in limited playing time. His main role was as courtesy runner, where he stole 23 bases.

The final senior was Korean exchange student Kyung-Min Lee, who batted .250 (3-for-12).

Leading the underclassmen were three junior infielders. Ryan Hillman, who played both second and shortstop, filled the clean-up spot in the batting order. He posted a .370 average (34-for-92) while scoring 43 runs and knocking in 30. Hillman, a contact hitter, struck out just seven times in 121 plate appearances. Splitting playing time at third base were Robin Wiggins and Patrick Rapson. Wiggins finished with a .385 average (30-for-78) while Rapson was 14-for-43 (.326). Hilllman and Wiggins also saw time on the mound. Hillman had a 2-0 record, including a three-inning no-hitter against Hesperia. Wiggins went 3-1.

The final three players saw limited playing time due to seniors at their positions. Andy Buris, Nick Strockis and Jake Frein rounded out the team. Frein went 1-0 on the mound.

Game 1 ~ North Muskegon 8, Muskegon 6 (1-0): At Marsh Field, Mark Picard (1-0) picked up the win by tossing five innings of two-hit ball to start the game and then technically also gained the save re-entering the game in the bottom of the seventh inning to preserve the win. After leaving the game with a 6-2 lead, Picard returned in the seventh with the Norse clinging to an 8-5 lead. He induced back-to-back groundouts with the bases loaded to secure the win. Picard, who struck out eight, also excelled at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double and two runs. Ryan Buter, already the school’s career record holder in home runs, began the season with three hits, including a third-inning two-run home run, and three RBI. Noah VanBergen added a single, a double and three RBI. Alex Jones scored twice. 

Game 2 ~ North Muskegon 12, Fruitport 5 (2-0): At Fruitport, the Norsemen battled back from a first-inning 4-2 deficit by scoring eight runs in the final three innings. NM, which had double-digit hits for the second consecutive game, beat the Trojans for the first time since 1975 when the Norse swept a doubleheader. Fruitport had won the series’ last five games by a combined score of 63-15. Ryan Sexton (1-0) picked up the win by tossing five relief innings of one-run ball. Sexton allowed just three singles. At the plate, Sexton and Patrick Rapson both had a single, a double and two runs. Robin Wiggins added two singles. Alex Jones, Alex Wierda and Noah VanBergen each scored twice.

Game 3 ~ Whitehall 5, North Muskegon 3 (2-1, 0-1): At Whitehall, the Norse began the West Michigan Conference slate with a loss. Mark Picard (1-1, 0-1) took the loss despite allowing just two hits and striking out seven; however, he did walk nine. NM took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth on Ryan Sexton’s RBI single and Alex Jones’ two-run single. The Vikings countered with two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out, two-run double. Whitehall took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring three unearned runs.

Game 4 ~ Whitehall 13, North Muskegon 4 (2-2, 0-2): At Whitehall, the Vikings completed the conference sweep. The Vikings continued its recent dominance in the series. While the overall series has Whitehall with a 62-53 edge in victories, since 1980, the Vikings have posted a 43-8-1 record. Norse pitchers again had problems finding the plate with nine walks and two hit batters. Travis Falkowski (0-1, 0-1) took the loss. Ryan Hillman paced the offense with two singles while Ryan Buter and Noah VanBergen each added a double.

Game 5 ~ North Muskegon 8, Shelby 2 (3-2, 1-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse used a seven-run sixth inning to erase a 2-1 deficit. All seven runs were unearned, as NM benefited from three hit batters, two walks, and three errors. Ryan Buter did have two doubles and two RBI in the inning. Mark Picard (2-1, 1-1) tossed a one-hitter while striking out eight.

Game 6 ~ North Muskegon 11, Shelby 1 (4-2, 2-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse completed the sweep by scoring six first-inning runs en route to the win. NM has now won the past six games against the Tigers. Ryan Buter and Matt Dunn each had two singles. Buter scored two runs and Ryan Sexton had two RBI. Ryan Hillman added a double. Travis Falkowski (1-1, 1-1) allowed just three hits and struck out four. 

Game 7 ~ North Muskegon 6, Oakridge 4 (5-2, 3-2): At North Muskegon, the bad news is that the Norse were no-hit; the good news is that NM gained the conference win as Eagle pitchers walked nine and hit three batters. After Oakridge scored three runs in the top of the second inning, the Norse scored four runs in the bottom of the inning on four walks, a hit batter, a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly. NM added two unearned runs in the third inning before the Eagles finished the scoring with a solo run in the sixth inning. Mark Picard (3-1, 2-1) gained the win by scattering seven hits and striking out five. Ryan Hilllman had two RBI, and Travis Falkowski scored twice. Note: The second game of the doubleheader was suspended in the top of the fifth inning due to darkness. Oakridge is leading 7-4, but the Norse have runners on first and third with no outs.

Game 8 ~ North Muskegon 13, Grand Rapids Covenant Christian 5 (6-2): At Covenant Christian, the Norse had a season-high 12 hits and broke a 4-4 tie with a four-run fourth inning. NM added five runs in the seventh inning to put the game away. Ryan Buter led the offense with a 4-for-4 performance and two runs. Travis Falkowski had a single, a double and three RBI. Arion Carley had two RBI, and Andy Buris added a double. Matt Dunn and Robin Wiggins each scored twice. Wiggins (1-0), who pitched the first five innings, picked up the win. The Norse have now won all seven games in the series, which dates back to 1988.

Game 9 ~ North Muskegon 13, Ravenna 2 (7-2, 4-2): At Ravenna, the Norsemen used an 11-run third inning to break open a 0-0 ballgame and coast to the win, making a winner of Mark Picard (4-1, 3-1), who allowed four hits in the five-inning game. In the third inning, NM used three doubles (Alex Jones, Ryan Buter and Ryan Sexton), five singles and three walks to score the 11 runs. Picard was 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and two RBI. Jones had a single, a double, two runs and two RBI while Travis Falkowski added a single and a double. In addition to his double, Buter scored twice and knocked in two runs. Noah VanBergen and Sexton each scored two runs. This game was the 100th in the 47-year history of the rivalry.

Game 10 ~ North Muskegon 10, Ravenna 4 (8-2, 5-2): At Ravenna, the Norse used another big inning to complete the conference sweep. NM scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth inning after the Bulldogs scored four in the top of the inning to take a 4-1 lead. The big hit for the Norse was a three-run home run from Ryan Sexton. Matt Dunn, who had two singles, was the only Norseman with multiple hits. Noah VanBergen had a double, scored two runs and had two RBI, Mark Picard had a triple and scored twice, and Ryan Hillman added two RBI. Travis Falkowski (2-1, 2-1) struck out seven and scattered seven hits in the complete-game win. NM has now won 19 of the past 23 games versus the Bulldogs, including the last 10 in a row.

Game 11 ~ North Muskegon 14, Hesperia 4 (9-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse exploded for eight first-inning runs and coasted to an 11-0 lead at the end of four innings before putting the game away in the sixth inning. Robin Wiggins (2-0) picked up the complete-game win, allowing three hits while striking out eight. Wiggins also had a big game at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a double, three RBI and two runs. Alex Wierda was the only other Norse with multiple hits with two singles and two RBI. Ryan Buter added a double. Jake Frein had two RBI, Noah VanBergen scored three runs, Arion Carley scored three times and Nick Strockis scored twice.

Game 12 ~ North Muskegon 16, Hesperia 1 (10-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse completed the sweep with a three-inning no-hitter from Ryan Hillman (1-0). NM scored nine runs in the third inning to put the game away. Ryan Buter was had two doubles, two RBI and two runs; Matt Dunn had a single, a double, two RBI and two runs; and Alex Jones had a single, a double, three RBI and two runs. Patrick Rapson scored three runs, Mark Picard scored two runs, and Hillman scored twice and knocked in two runs. Nick Strockis added a double. The Norse have gone 11-2 against Hesperia since 1995.

Game 13 ~ North Muskegon 14, Montague 2 (11-2): In the first game of the County Tournament at North Muskegon, the Norse began and ended the game with big innings. NM scored five runs in the first inning and six in the sixth inning to make a winner of Ryan Sexton (2-0), who struck out eight and allowed four hits. Sexton helped himself at the plate with two doubles, two RBI and two runs. Matt Dunn paced the offense with a 3-for-3 performance and three RBI and three runs. Ryan Buter had a single, a double and two runs. Robin Wiggins and Travis Falkowski each scored twice while Wiggins and Patrick Rapson each had a double. The Norse tied a school record with 16 stolen bases, including a school-record six from Dunn.

Game 14 ~ North Muskegon 11, Holton 0 (12-2): In the second game of the County Tournament at Holton, Mark Picard raised his record to 5-1 with the two-hit shutout. Ryan Buter continued his torrid non-conference hitting, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple, three RBI and three runs. Buter is 17-for-23 (.739) with 10 RBI and 12 runs in seven non-conference games. Ryan Sexton also had a big game at the plate with a double, a home run and six RBI. Sexton’s three-run homer ended the game in the sixth inning. Noah VanBergen had two singles, a double and two runs. Ryan Hillman and Mark Picard each had two singles, and Picard added two runs. NOTE: The championship game of the County Tournament was postponed due to rain. 

Game 15 ~ North Muskegon 15, Hart 0 (13-2, 6-2): At North Muskegon, Mark Picard (6-1, 4-1) tossed a one-hitter, striking out 12 and walking just one in the four-inning game. Picard also began the scoring with a two-run, first-inning home run. He also added a run-scoring double and scored three runs. Matt Dunn had two doubles and four RBI, Ryan Buter had two singles and three runs, and Ryan Hillman had two singles and three runs. Noah VanBergen and Travis Falkowski each scored twice. Ryan Sexton and Falkowski each had two RBI.

Game 16 ~ North Muskegon 15, Hart 1 (14-2, 7-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse completed the sweep behind a five-inning no-hitter from Travis Falkowski (3-1, 3-1), who struck out nine. NM has now won the past five games in the 117-game series. The Norse also continued their hot offense. In the past eight games, NM has outscored its opponents 121-19, including six consecutive wins of 10 runs or more. Matt Dunn, who is batting .700 (14-for-20) in the past eight games, was 3-for-3 with a triple, three RBI and two runs. Noah VanBergen had a single, a triple and two runs; Ryan Buter had a home run, two RBI and two runs; and Ryan Sexton added a double, two RBI and two runs. Robin Wiggins had two RBI, and Ryan Hillman and Patrick Rapson each scored twice.

Game 17 ~ North Muskegon 15, Muskegon Heights 0 (15-2): At North Muskegon, Matt Dunn (1-0) tossed a three-inning no-hitter for the team’s second consecutive no-no and the third of the season. Dunn also continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-3 with two RBI and three runs. Dunn, who is batting .739 (17-23) in the past nine games, has eight consecutive hits over three games. Alex Wierda had two doubles, two RBI and two runs, and Robin Wiggins added a single, a double, three RBI and two runs. Ryan Sexton hit a solo home run and scored two runs while Travis Falkowski had a double and two RBI. Arion Carley knocked in two runs, and Nick Strockis scored three runs.

Game 18 ~ North Muskegon 15, Muskegon Heights 0 (16-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse completed the non-conference sweep and have now defeated their last 11 opponents by a combined score of 151-19. The last eight games have been decided due to the 10-run mercy rule. While Heights leads to overall series, 18-10, the Norse have won the past seven games by a combined 103-6, and the past five games have been by shutouts. The Norse hit five home runs, including two inside-the-park homers (Mark Picard and Ryan Hillman). Ryan Sexton continued his hot hitting, with two home runs, five RBI and three runs. Noah VanBergen also hit a home run. Alex Wierda added a triple. Hillman and Kyung-Min Lee, who gained his first hit, both scored twice. Jake Frein (1-0) who tossed a four-inning one-hitter for the win, scored three runs.

Game 19 ~ North Muskegon 11, Holton 0 (17-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse defeated the Red Devils, 11-0, for the second time in a week. NM won by the mercy rule for the ninth consecutive time and has outscored its past 12 opponents, 162-19. The Norse began the game with an eight-run first inning, highlighted by Noah VanBergen’s three-run home run. VanBergen also had a triple and scored two runs. Ryan Buter had a single, a double, two RBI and two runs. Ryan Sexton added a three-run homer and scored twice. Mark Picard (7-1) picked up the win with a two-hitter.

Game 20 ~ North Muskegon 11, Holton 5 (18-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse won their 16th consecutive game to set a school record, breaking the record set by last year’s team. In the first inning, it didn’t look good for the Norse, as the Red Devils scored four runs and took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the second inning. However, the Norse scored three runs in the second inning and twice in the third with Noah VanBergen knocking in the go-ahead run on an RBI single. NM would add two insurance runs in the fifth and three in the sixth. VanBergen added a double and had four RBI. Ryan Buter had two singles and two runs while Patrick Rapson had a double and scored three times, and Alex Jones added three RBI and scored three runs. Travis Falkowski (4-1) pitched the complete game, striking out nine and allowing three hits, none after the third inning. With the season sweep of the Devils, the Norse have now won the past seven games in the rivalry and hold a 36-10 record against Holton.

Game 21 ~ North Muskegon 9, Mason County Central 4 (19-2, 8-2): At Scottville, the Spartans took a 4-3 lead after the Norse committed three errors in the third inning leading to three unearned runs. However, NM used a six-run fourth inning to take the lead, and Mark Picard (8-1, 5-1) did the rest by shutting out MCC through the final five innings. Picard struck out nine and allowed four hits. Arion Carley, filling in at the lead-off spot in place of Noah VanBergen who was taking an AP test, reached base five times on three walks and two singles. He also scored two runs. Alex Jones had three singles and scored two runs, and Ryan Buter had two doubles and scored two runs. Picard added three RBI while Ryan Sexton had two RBI.

Game 22 ~ North Muskegon 11, Mason County Central 1 (20-2, 9-2): At Scottville, the Norse completed the sweep for the first time since 2003 against the Spartans by using an eight-run third inning to make a winner of Travis Falkowski (5-1, 4-1), who allowed just two hits while striking out six. Ryan Buter went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs. Ryan Sexton had a three-run home run and scored twice. Matt Dunn and Noah VanBergen each scored twice, and Alex Wierda added two RBI with two sacrifice flies.

Game 23 ~ North Muskegon 11, Orchard View 4 (21-2): At Orchard View, despite striking out a season-high 12 times, the Norse scored in double digits for the 17th time. The win was the second consecutive against the Cardinals, who lead the overall series, 19-11. Robin Wiggins (3-0) remained undefeated, striking out seven in four innings. Ryan Sexton picked up the save, tossing the final three innings. Ryan Buter had two doubles, three RBI and three runs. Patrick Rapson had two singles and scored twice, and Ryan Sexton added a two-run double. Mark Picard scored two runs. 

Game 24 ~ North Muskegon 10, Oakridge 3 (22-2): In the first game of the Reeths-Puffer Invitational, the Norse used a four-run first inning to propel themselves to the win. NM also scored four runs in the seventh inning. Travis Falkowski (6-1) pitched the complete game, scattering nine hits. Mark Picard led the offense with two singles, a triple and three runs. Ryan Buter had a single, a 2-run homer and two runs; and Ryan Sexton added a single, a double and three RBI. Noah VanBergen had a double and scored two runs.

Game 25 ~ North Muskegon 11, Reeths-Puffer 5 (23-2): In the championship game of the Reeths-Puffer Invitational, the Norse used a six-run second inning to take an 8-1 lead before the Rockets narrowed the gap to 8-5 by the end of the fifth inning; however, NM put the game away with three runs in the sixth inning. The Norse have won 21 straight games and have scored 10 runs or more in 18 of past 20 games (19 overall). Mark Picard (9-1) tossed the complete game, allowing six hits and striking out nine. Picard, who also walked eight, had a triple, two RBI and scored two runs. Ryan Sexton, who had a two-run homer in the second inning, also had three singles and four total RBI. Ryan Buter added two singles, a double and two runs. Alex Jones had a single and a triple, and Robin Wiggins had two singles. Ryan Hillman scored three runs. NM has now beaten the Rockets twice in the past three years after only winning eight times between 1959 and  1964.

Game 26 ~ White Cloud 6, North Muskegon 4 (23-3): At White Cloud, the Norse’s 21-game win streak came to an end, as the Indians erased a 4-3 deficit with a three-run fourth inning. The Norse struck out a season-high nine times and only had five hits, including Ryan Buter’s first-inning two-run homer which helped NM to a three-run first inning. Robin Wiggins (3-1) took the loss.

Game 27 ~ North Muskegon 6, White Cloud 4 (24-3): At White Cloud, NM gained the split against 23-4 White Cloud. The Norse, who only had three hits, again began the game with a three-run first inning. Ryan Buter had a double and scored three runs, and Robin Wiggins had two singles and two RBI. Ryan Hillman (2-0), who picked up the win, scored twice. Ryan Sexton picked up his second save. The DH was the first matchup between the two schools since single games in 1991, ’92 and ’93. The Indians have won three of the five games.

Game 28 ~ North Muskegon 12, Montague 0 (25-3, 10-2): At North Muskegon, Mark Picard (10-1, 6-1) pitched the team’s sixth shutout, allowing two hits while striking out three. The win also broke the school record, which was set last year. The Norse used a seven-run second inning to take a 10-0 lead. Travis Falkowski had the big bat with a two-run double and a three-run home run. Ryan Buter had a single, a double, three RBI and three runs. Alex Jones had a single and a double, Mark Picard had a double and scored twice, and Ryan Sexton had a triple, two RBI and two runs.

Game 29 ~ North Muskegon 12, Montague 1 (26-3, 11-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse swept the conference doubleheader to clinch at least a tie of the West Michigan Conference title, the school’s 14th overall and the first since 1972. NM used an eight-run third inning to take control of the game. Ryan Hillman was the only Norse with two hits with a single, a double, three RBI and two runs. Noah VanBergen, who led off the game by hitting the first pitch over the left-field fence, had two RBI and scored twice. Mark Picard had a double and scored twice, and Ryan Sexton added a double and two RBI. Ryan Buter and Alex Jones each scored twice, and Alex Wierda added two RBI. Travis Falkowski (7-1, 5-1) gained the win with a two-hitter and six strikeouts. The three-game sweep of the Wildcats gave the Norse a 10-1 record over Montague since 2004. The two teams have now played 137 times (66-70-1 record for the Norse), the most games against an opponent in NM history.

Game 30 ~ North Muskegon 15, Oakridge 7 (27-3, 12-2): At North Muskegon, the Norse captured sole possession of the West Michigan Conference championship, the school’s first since 1972, with the win over the Bulldogs in the completion of a game that began on April 25. At the time of the suspended game, Oakridge was leading 7-4, and the Norse had runners on first and third with no outs in the fifth inning. NM began the resumption of the game with four runs in the inning and took the lead on an RBI single by Alex Wierda. The Norse tacked on four runs in the sixth, and Ryan Sexton’s three-run home run in the seventh inning added the exclamation point on the title. Sexton finished with two hits, four RBI and two runs. Ryan Buter had two doubles, two RBI and two runs; Ryan Hillman had three singles, two RBI and three runs; and Robin Wiggins added two singles and three RBI. Travis Falkowski had a double and two RBI while Noah VanBergen and Alex Jones each scored twice. Mark Picard (11-1, 7-1), who picked up the win with two innings of scoreless relief pitching, added a double and two RBI.

Game 31 ~ North Muskegon 16, Oakridge 6 (28-3): At North Muskegon, coach Kent recorded his 100th varsity win in the non-conference game. In five years at the helm of the Norse, coach Kent’s teams have posted a 100-45-1 record. All 10 seniors started the game, and the first 10 batters reached base in the first inning on seven singles, a double and two walks, which led to seven first-inning runs. Oakridge would close the gap to 7-5 in the fourth inning, but the Norse put the game away with an eight-run sixth inning to make a winner of Ryan Sexton (3-0) who tossed the first two innings and the final two innings. The Norse would finish with 18 hits, including a 4-for-4 performance from Arion Carley, who had a double. Noah VanBergen had a single, a double, three RBI and two runs. Mark Picard, Alex Jones and Alex Wierda each had two singles. Kyung-Min Lee, Sexton and Wierda each had two RBI; and Ryan Buter, Matt Dunn, Picard, Sexton, Jones, and Wierda each scored twice. NM has now gone 14-5 since 2001 against the Eagles and has won nine of the past 10 games.

Game 32 ~ North Muskegon 12, Ravenna 0 (29-3): In the championship game of the County tournament, which was postponed because of rain on May 3, the Norse jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead at Mona Shores and coasted to their seventh shutout of the season. The 12 runs was the 24th time that NM had scored more than 10 runs and made a winner of Mark Picard (12-1), who set two school records with his 12th win of the season and his 29th win of his career. Picard allowed three hits and struck out six in six innings. Noah VanBergen had two doubles and two RBI; Mark Picard had a double, two RBI and two runs; and Ryan Hillman added a single, a double, three RBI and two runs. Both Travis Falkowski and Ryan Buter each had two singles while Falkowski had two RBI and Buter scored three runs. Buter has hit safely in 30 straight games this season, 35 consecutive games dating back to last year. This year, he did not play in one game and was walked four times in the first game against Oakridge. In the 102-game series with Ravenna, the Norse have dominated since 1999, posting a 20-4 record, which includes the past 11 games in a row.

Game 33 ~ North Muskegon 10, Western Michigan Christian 1 (30-3): In the opener of the district tournament at Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, the Norse used a four-run fourth inning to break open a 4-1 game. Mark Picard (13-1) tossed the first four innings, allowing one hit while striking out seven. Travis Falkowski, who had two RBI, picked up the save with three innings of two-hit ball. Offensively, Ryan Hillman led the way with a single and a double. Picard helped his own cause with two singles. Ryan Buter had a double and scored two runs; Ryan Sexton had a double, two RBI and two runs; Matt Dunn had two singles and two runs; and Robin Wiggins added two singles. The win was NM’s 13th straight over the Warriors and the 16th in the past 17 games, dating back to 2000.

Game 34 ~ North Muskegon 7, Muskegon Catholic Central 2 (31-3): In the championship game of the district tournament at Grand Rapids Covenant Christian, the Norse jumped out to a 3-0 first-inning lead, capturing their third district title in the past four years. It was the school’s eighth district championship. NM, which was never behind during the district tournament, has only been trailing 28 innings during the 205 innings played. Mark Picard (14-1) pitched the first four innings, allowing three hits and striking out three. Travis Falkowski gained his second save of the day with three innings of no-hit ball while striking out four. Noah VanBergen had a double, and triple and two RBI. Ryan Buter had a triple while Ryan Sexton and Ryan Hillman each had doubles. NM has now won 11 of the past 16 games against the Crusaders.

Game 35 ~ North Muskegon 9, Saugatuck 4 (32-3): In the opening game of the regional tournament at Beal City, the Norse quickly found themselves in a 2-0 first-inning deficit but scored solo runs in the first, third and fourth innings to take the lead that it would not relinquish. The go-ahead run scored on an RBI double by Robin Wiggins, who also had a run-scoring single. NM added four more runs in the fifth inning with Ryan Sexton, who also had a single, providing the punch with a two-run home run. After the Indians narrowed the gap to 7-4, the Norse added two insurance runs in the sixth. Mark Picard (15-1), who struck out 13, walked just one and allowed nine hits, gained the win. Ryan Buter had a single, a solo home run, two RBI and three runs. Matt Dunn was 4-for-4 with two runs scored, and Ryan Hillman had two singles and two RBI. The win against the Indians was the 600th in school history (600-656-5 overall).

Game 36 ~ North Muskegon 11, Coleman 0 (33-3): In the championship game of the regional tournament at Beal City, the Norse took a first-inning 3-0 lead and never looked back. In the second inning, NM erupted for five more runs with Ryan Hillman’s three-run home run providing the knock-out punch. Hillman also had an RBI single. Alex Wierda, who was the only other Norse with two hits, had two singles. Ryan Buter, Mark Picard and Ryan Sexton each had doubles while Noah VanBergen, Picard, Buter and Alex Jones each scored twice. Buter added three RBI. Travis Falkowksi (8-1) pitched the complete-game, striking out five, walking one and allowing six hits. This was the 26th time in 36 games that the Norse have scored 10 or more runs. Following the game, Robin Wiggins had his hair cut and buzzed by his teammates after declaring earlier in the week that if NM won regionals, he would get his hair cut.

Game 37 ~ North Muskegon 11, Lake Michigan Catholic 1 (34-3): In quarterfinal action at Gainey Park in Grand Rapids, the bottom of the Norsemen order powered NM to the win. Batters five through nine were 6-for-13 and scored eight of the 11 runs. No. 5 hitter Ryan Sexton had a single, a double, and scored four runs to lead the way. No. 6 hitter Matt Dunn had a single and a triple, No. 7 hitter Travis Falkowski had three RBI and two runs, and No. 9 hitter Alex Jones added a run-scoring triple. Ryan Hillman scored twice. Mark Picard (16-1), who had a solo home run, pitched five innings, allowing four hits, striking out five and walking none. Ryan Buter’s 34-game hit streak ended with a 0-for-4 game.

Game 38 ~ Bay City All Saints 8, North Muskegon 5 (34-4): In the state semifinals at Battle Creek’s C.O. Brown Stadium, the record-setting season came to an unexpected end when the Cougars scored seven runs in the fifth inning to erase a 4-1 deficit. BCAS only had two hits in the inning but benefited from six walks, two errors and a hit batter. Mark Picard (16-2) took the loss, allowing just four hits, striking out seven but walking nine. Noah VanBergen had three singles to lead the offense while Matt Dunn added two singles. Ryan Buter scored twice, and Picard had a double and two RBI.