Memories are made in Battle Creek

Burrill Strong remembers Nichols Field. I asked him if he had ever been here before. And for the next 20 minutes, I got my answer.
"This is where Chelsea lost a few years ago," he said.
Burrill, a longtime Chelsea area photographer, was in Battle Creek shooting both Ann Arbor Pioneer and Saline during their state baseball playoff runs. It was a hot Friday afternoon and the Pioneers were running all over the bases against an overmatched L’Anse Creuse North team.
Burrill began rattling off details of the disappointing loss suffered by the Bulldogs. In between taking photos of the Pioneers’ 12-2 victory, Burrill couldn’t stop talking about Chelsea’s trip to this very field. All these years later, you could still hear the excitement in his voice of making the trip to Battle Creek with the talented Chelsea baseball team. You also could hear some sadness in the outcome of that trip.
There was plenty of excitement – and sadness – in the air on Friday and Saturday at Bailey Park in Battle Creek. Memories, both good and not so good, were being made throughout the weekend. One team would celebrate while another would head home. They all would leave with memories, but only one team in each class would leave with a state title.
The big winner over the weekend was the MHSAA. This location is perfect for these championship games and putting them all in one venue is a victory for fans of both baseball and softball. There are no fees for parking, one inexpensive ticket gets you in all the stadiums throughout the day and even the concession prices are reasonable.
The fields were in excellent shape and the entire event is run as smooth as a ground ball at C.O. Brown Stadium.
Speaking of C.O. Brown Stadium, the facility is now home to the Battle Creek Bombers, who joined the Northwoods League in 2007, the summer after the Midwest League team moved to Midland. The league features some of the top college baseball players in the country and is an affordable way to spend an evening. General admission tickets are just $5.
Bailey Park has been called the "finest sports complex in the Midwest" and I haven’t seen anything better. Brown Stadium holds 6,000 while Nichols can accommodate 3,000 fans. Convis Complex has four lighted diamonds, including Drikakis Stadium, which seats 1,000.
Bailey Park has become home to the state championship weekend for baseball and softball. And it must feel like home to the Saline Hornets, who have made three consecutive trips to Battle Creek. Unfortunately, the Hornets have lost all three times, falling to league-rival Pioneer in Saturday’s championship game.
It’s both amazing and heartbreaking at the same time.
If Burrill can remember almost every detail from one semifinal game all those years ago, imagine what the Saline players will recall from three straight losses in the biggest game of their high school careers.
The amazing part is to actually get to three state championship games. Reminds me of the Buffalo Bills’ incredible run of four straight Super Bowl appearances. That great accomplishment, of course, is tarnished by the fact that Jim Kelly and the boys lost all four.
But losing one game shouldn’t detract from what the Hornets were able to accomplish. Despite not winning the big trophy, they have established themselves as a baseball dynasty. They may not feel it now, but they should be proud of what they have been able to accomplish over this historic run.
Speaking of dynasties, the Allen Park Cabrini softball team doesn’t need a GPS system to find Bailey Park. The Monarchs, who have made the trip four of the last five years, experienced an incredible roller-coaster ride of emotions this past weekend. Cabrini broke a scoreless tie in the semifinal game on a home run by Karyn McCarty to centerfield in the seventh inning to beat Clinton 1-0. The Monarchs went wild and headed into Saturday’s championship game with confidence, swagger and determination.
The final was one for the ages. Scoreless through nine innings, each team then hit a solo home run in the 10th inning. The tie-breaker rules began in the 11th inning and each team started the frame with a runner at second base. After Cabrini failed to score, Olivet used a bunt and a single to drive home the winning run.
So not only did Cabrini swing from elated to dejected in 24 hours, they also experienced that same emotional swing in a matter of minutes after hitting the home run in the 10th only to lose the following inning.
This is what happens every year at Bailey Park. And whether or not you have a horse at the starting line, it’s an amazing event to be a part of and experience. There are baseball and softball games going on all day on Friday as teams try and fight to get to that championship game. It’s intense and nerve-wracking and emotional. There is joy and sadness and high-fives and hugs. Every time you turn around, something is happening and the memories will last a lifetime.
Just ask someone who has been there.