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EAST LANSING — Novi Detroit Catholic Central senior second baseman Bennett Thompson faced a fork in the road early in the 2026 MHSAA baseball season.
Thompson tore the UCL in his throwing elbow after his first inning of pitching this spring. He could have shut down his final year of high school ball and immediately gotten surgery as he prepares for a collegiate career at Michigan State.
Instead, Thompson has elbow surgery scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, with one more trophy in his cabinet. Thompson played a key role in CC's dominant 7-0 win over Rochester Adams in the Division 1 state championship on Saturday at McLane Stadium.
"I chose to wait until the end of the year," Thompson said. "Because I wanted to help my team win a state championship like we just did."
THE SCORES: Michigan high school baseball playoffs state semifinals schedule, scores
Catholic Central finished its run to win the program's fourth overall state title and first since 1999. The program has been building toward this moment over the last six seasons under coach Ryan Rogowski, who was determined to climb back to the summit as the leader of his alma mater.
Standing at the third base line waiting for the trophy ceremony, CC players and coaches shared long embraces to celebrate being part of the group to get over the hump. The celebration began as the deep bench of Shamrocks poured out to mob senior right-handed starter Micky Laser, who tossed a complete-game shutout.
"It was surreal," Laser said. "That's what I've dreamed of."
DIVISION 2: Orchard Lake St. Mary's rallies to win MHSAA Division 2 baseball title
Catholic Central seized control from the first pitch. Thompson drove the first pitch to the left-center field wall for a triple. He scored two pitches later on a triple from senior shortstop Dylan Fairchild (a Cincinnati commit). From the top of the first, it was all Catholic Central.
The Shamrocks added two more runs in the second. It started with another triple from Jaxon Gatt and a runner reaching via fielder's choice. Fairchild drove a fastball to left-center field again, this time banging off the top of the wall near the 385-foot marker, for a two-run triple.
Catholic Central hit four triples as part of its five extra-base hits.
"What a hitting performance," Rogowski said. "Can we hit the ball, or what? Them Shamrocks can hit. Bennett Thompson tore his arm [and] was going to have UCL, Tommy John surgery. He didn't decide what to do. He decided to finish the season."
CC continued to pour on insurance runs – two in the fifth inning and one more in the seventh. The Shamrocks finished with 10 hits as a team. Thompson, Fairchild and Luke Fairchild all finished with multiple hits.
At the plate, Adams' normally explosive offense could not muster up any damage against Laser. The senior righty didn't miss many bats, as evidenced by just two strikeouts across seven innings, but he skillfully navigated the Highlanders' batting order three separate times by inducing weak contact.
Adams had 27 runs in its past two games before Saturday's shutout. A few quick at-bats and a few balls hit directly at CC defenders stopped any chance of a rally. It was only the third shutout this season of Adams (29-9).
"We haven't done that all year long," Adams coach Andrew Lamkin said. "We have to give [Laser] a lot of credit. He pitched gas. They out-hit us. They took it to us right at the beginning and nobody's really done that this year."
Laser was efficient, throwing 79 pitches to finish off his shutout, and no more than 15 pitches in a single inning, often getting Adams to roll it over early in at-bats.
"Just getting ahead and throwing strikes," Laser said. "I know they were going to hit it and I know my defense was going to back me up."
The baseball title caps a wildly successful year for CC. The Shamrocks, an all-boys school, won six MHSAA state titles – football, hockey, wrestling, golf, lacrosse and baseball – among 18 varsity sports offered by the school.
"From top to bottom, the kids are buying in," CC athletic director Aaron Babicz said.
Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Novi Detroit Catholic Central dominates Rochester Adams for D-1 title
Continue reading...
Thompson tore the UCL in his throwing elbow after his first inning of pitching this spring. He could have shut down his final year of high school ball and immediately gotten surgery as he prepares for a collegiate career at Michigan State.
Instead, Thompson has elbow surgery scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, with one more trophy in his cabinet. Thompson played a key role in CC's dominant 7-0 win over Rochester Adams in the Division 1 state championship on Saturday at McLane Stadium.
"I chose to wait until the end of the year," Thompson said. "Because I wanted to help my team win a state championship like we just did."
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THE SCORES: Michigan high school baseball playoffs state semifinals schedule, scores
Catholic Central finished its run to win the program's fourth overall state title and first since 1999. The program has been building toward this moment over the last six seasons under coach Ryan Rogowski, who was determined to climb back to the summit as the leader of his alma mater.
Standing at the third base line waiting for the trophy ceremony, CC players and coaches shared long embraces to celebrate being part of the group to get over the hump. The celebration began as the deep bench of Shamrocks poured out to mob senior right-handed starter Micky Laser, who tossed a complete-game shutout.
"It was surreal," Laser said. "That's what I've dreamed of."
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DIVISION 2: Orchard Lake St. Mary's rallies to win MHSAA Division 2 baseball title
Catholic Central seized control from the first pitch. Thompson drove the first pitch to the left-center field wall for a triple. He scored two pitches later on a triple from senior shortstop Dylan Fairchild (a Cincinnati commit). From the top of the first, it was all Catholic Central.
The Shamrocks added two more runs in the second. It started with another triple from Jaxon Gatt and a runner reaching via fielder's choice. Fairchild drove a fastball to left-center field again, this time banging off the top of the wall near the 385-foot marker, for a two-run triple.
Catholic Central hit four triples as part of its five extra-base hits.
"What a hitting performance," Rogowski said. "Can we hit the ball, or what? Them Shamrocks can hit. Bennett Thompson tore his arm [and] was going to have UCL, Tommy John surgery. He didn't decide what to do. He decided to finish the season."
CC continued to pour on insurance runs – two in the fifth inning and one more in the seventh. The Shamrocks finished with 10 hits as a team. Thompson, Fairchild and Luke Fairchild all finished with multiple hits.
At the plate, Adams' normally explosive offense could not muster up any damage against Laser. The senior righty didn't miss many bats, as evidenced by just two strikeouts across seven innings, but he skillfully navigated the Highlanders' batting order three separate times by inducing weak contact.
Adams had 27 runs in its past two games before Saturday's shutout. A few quick at-bats and a few balls hit directly at CC defenders stopped any chance of a rally. It was only the third shutout this season of Adams (29-9).
"We haven't done that all year long," Adams coach Andrew Lamkin said. "We have to give [Laser] a lot of credit. He pitched gas. They out-hit us. They took it to us right at the beginning and nobody's really done that this year."
Laser was efficient, throwing 79 pitches to finish off his shutout, and no more than 15 pitches in a single inning, often getting Adams to roll it over early in at-bats.
"Just getting ahead and throwing strikes," Laser said. "I know they were going to hit it and I know my defense was going to back me up."
The baseball title caps a wildly successful year for CC. The Shamrocks, an all-boys school, won six MHSAA state titles – football, hockey, wrestling, golf, lacrosse and baseball – among 18 varsity sports offered by the school.
"From top to bottom, the kids are buying in," CC athletic director Aaron Babicz said.
Nominate a high school athlete for the Detroit Free Press boys and girls athlete of the week.
Jared Ramsey covers high school sports for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Novi Detroit Catholic Central dominates Rochester Adams for D-1 title
Continue reading...
