File photo by Keith Emmerich Avondale coach Tom Kurczewski talks things over with junior Donovan Rigel. Both were a part of the 2006 squad that took home an OAA title, and both feel the focus and commitment by the current team helped fuel a 2008 D-III championship.

By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

AUBURN HILLS — It was a relatively young team that started a number of underclassmen, yet it played with a focus and a consistency beyond its years.

Young and energetic, it was a group of guys that simply found a way to win, and win often. When the 2006 season came to a close, the Auburn Hills Avondale baseball team was the Oakland Activities Association Division III champ.

Many of the same players returned for the 2007 season, but as even they admitted, something was very different.

“The play was up and down, and I’m not sure why,” coach Tom Kurczewski said of last season, which ended with a 5-7 OAA D-III record. “It’s almost like we expected to win again (in 2007) simply because of our success in ‘06.”

“We didn’t have the same focus,” said junior Donovan Rigel. “We’d win a game or two and expect to roll through the rest. That’s not how it works, though.”

Was that lesson learned before the start of the 2008 season?

Before the question was even finished being asked, Rigel let out a thundering, “Yes.”

And the team’s actions speak louder than Rigel’s words.

At press time, Avondale was 15-4 overall, and its 7-0 record in the division was good enough for at least a share of the title, the program’s sixth in 12 years.

“Winning a division is probably the top goal for most teams when the season begins,” Kurczewski said. “We went out and found a way to pull it off.”

The Yellow Jackets actually found a few ways, all of which centered on consistent play and an unwavering focus.

Rigel leads the offensive attack, hitting .444; the entire team average is an impressive .333. Senior captain Caleb Tifft (6-0, 1.09 ERA) guides a pitching staff, which holds a team ERA of 2.20. The defense hasn’t been shabby either, boasting a fielding percentage of .940.

“The big thing has been the focus,” Rigel explained. “Ever since losing to Royal Oak — a 13-2 setback April 5 in which Avondale committed six errors — we’ve been on a mission. We’ve taken things more seriously.”

The Yellow Jackets begin the Division 1 playoffs at the Clarkston district. Now that goal No. 1, a league title, has been realized, Kurczewski said his team is already focusing on the next one.

“We’ve got a couple weeks to prepare for districts, and that’s how we’re looking at the rest of the regular season,” he said. “You don’t have room for a bad day once the playoffs start. Consistency very quickly becomes an even bigger deal.”

You can reach Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1038.