Fast-Pitch Softball

Robert “Bob” Ayers Robert "Bob" Ayers, a 1944 Ludington High School graduate, was a state runner-up in high hurdles and fifth in low hurdles his senior year. He also played football and basketball and became an accomplished bowler in Mason County. He helped organize fastpitch softball as the president of the Mason County Softball Association and was an outstanding fastpitch softball pitcher ...Read More...

The 2001 Mason County Eastern softball team won the 2001 MHSAA Division 4 state championship with a 38-2 record. The team won district and regional championships in the playoffs and the Western Michigan D League. The team had two first-team All-State players. Members of the Cardinals were Laura Herrera, Denise (Purple) Cory, Sara (Marek) Hilton, Emily (Heath) Rogers, Bernadette Battre, Jeanne (Col ...Read More...

Jerry McCormick's athletic career zoomed to life following his graduation from Mason County Eastern in 1964. McCormick was a three-sport athlete for the Cardinals in track, baseball and basketball. He lettered in each of the sports, and at one point, McCormick owned the 100-meter dash record. He also was named honorable mention all-state in boys basketball twice. His exploits earned him the Mas ...Read More...

Mike Benedict ran to the 1981 Class B state cross country championship in his senior year at Ludington High School. It was set up by a 19th place finish the year before. In both seasons, Benedict was all-region and all-Seaway Conference. In track, Benedict was a three-time all-Seaway Conference athlete and was the conference champion in the two-mile his senior year. Benedict eventually ran for Sag ...Read More...

Greg Melchert was an outstanding baseball and football player as well as wrestler at Mason County Central, and he found his greatest success in baseball. He played at Western Michigan and went on to pitch in the Detroit Tigers farm system for Lakeland and Utica. He was an All-State special mention in baseball. He was a three-time state qualifier in wrestling, finishing fourth as an individual and ...Read More...

Although Matt Urka saw his playing days with baseball cut short by an accident, his love for the stick-and-ball game never subsided. He helped to sponsor fastpitch softball teams and he organized what was one of the premier fastpitch softball tournaments in the country over the Memorial Day weekend, turning MacPhail's field in Scottville into a fastpitch paradise with a who's who of players and te ...Read More...

Perhaps no person is as synonymous as the voice of Ludington football and basketball as Rod Beckman. For 40 years, Beckman was the play-by-play voice of both programs on the airwaves of WKLA and for a year of basketball at WMOM. And when he wasn't delivering sports on the air, he continued to play in a sport where he excelled — baseball and softball. He was a member of the Custer VFW teams long ...Read More...

Todd Patulski has lived a life of athletics and it all began at Mason County Central. Patulski was the 1985 Mason County Central Athlete of the Year as he was a guard on the Spartans' 19-1 boys basketball team and was a state qualifier in the high jump, 300-meter hurdles and 400-meter relay team in track and field. He also played fastpitch softball, including being the starting pitcher on the Clas ...Read More...

Madison Geers' athleticism couldn't be missed on the floor or in the field during her high school career at Mason County Central. Geers was a four-year varisty letter winner in both basketball and softball while earning three letters in volleyball. She made her biggest mark in basketball, earning Associated Press All-State honors her senior year after setting the all-time scoring mark for Maso ...Read More...

The 1947 edition of the Abrahamson-Bannon softball team helped to set up decades to come of softball greatness from Mason County as it won the MASA Class B state championship. The team compiled a 35-4 record that season and went 17-2 in its league. At the state tournament, the team allowed just one run and eight hits while scoring eight runs on 20 hits. Bob VanDyke tossed the first two games, incl ...Read More...