WARREN — De La Salle Collegiate was the place to be this past weekend for baseball at its fundamental level, played by high school kids who love the sport and who love the thrill and agony of competition.
Monday’s contest featured two of the state’s best squads as ranked by Michigan high school baseball coaches: a doubleheader between the home team Pilots, No. 1 in Division 1, and the visitors from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, No. 1 in Division 2.
In the opener, six Eaglets reached base: four by a walk, one hit by a pitch, and another by an error. None by a hit.
De La Salle had two runners reach base, one by a hit, the other by an error, until the fourth inning. The Pilots scored a run via an unlikely chain of events peculiar to baseball: an error, a stolen base, a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly ball to left field.
That 1-0 score turned out to be the sum total of the Pilots’ offense, enough for the eventual victory.
St. Mary’s lefty senior Paul Toovalian allowed just one hit, a single to lead off the game.
He struck out 11.
De La Salle’s senior hurler Mason Pilarski said he “didn’t realize until about the fifth or sixth inning” that he had a no-hitter in progress. He struck out the first two batters in the sixth, then walked two batters, before getting the third out on a ground ball to the shortstop.
He nailed his no-hitter striking out the last two batters in the seventh. It was his second no-hitter in a row, accomplishing the feat against Toledo Central Catholic 10 days ago.
“I threw mostly fastballs, changeups and curves,” said Pilarski, who is committed to Western Michigan University. “It wasn’t until after the first two innings that the ball started feeling well in my hand.”
“He’s played other sports, but baseball is his main love and passion,” said his father, Greg Pilarski, who likewise was unaware of Mason’s no-hitter even in his role as the game’s PA announcer.
St. Mary’s unleashed its artillery in the second game of the doubleheader, banging out 17 hits for a 14-3 victory. Every batter in the lineup collected at least one hit. Junior Luke Crighton led the barrage with a two-run homer and two singles. Junior Nate Bauman contributed a double and two singles. Senior Carter Cline also had a double and two singles and three RBIs.
“We’re in a good spot,” Eaglets coach Nick DiPonio said, “playing solid fundamental baseball for the most part. It’s a grind in our league week in and week out. We just have to continue to play consistently good baseball.”
Pilots and Shamrocks split a doubleheader
Dominant pitching spelled the difference in the De La Salle and Novi Detroit Catholic Central doubleheader last Saturday.
The Shamrocks built a 5-0 lead — and the eventual winning score — over five innings in the opener that spoiled De La Salle’s unblemished 8-0 record to kick off the 2025 campaign.
Run-scoring doubles by junior Dylan Fairchild and senior Joe Trader sparked a first-inning 2-0 lead. Colin Lloyd homered over the left-center fence in the third inning. Trader accounted for two more runs in the fifth inning on the combination of his double, an error and a wild pitch.
Meanwhile, junior lefty Andrew Mahoney frustrated the Pilots’ batters, allowing a single in the third inning, while striking out 11. He mowed down the De La Salle lineup 1-2-3 in four innings.
“I was happy with my changeup and slider,” he said. “Really, everything was working.” It was his third complete game of the year. He has a 2-1 record.
The Pilots offense responded with its own 5-0 lead its first time up in the second game. Junior Zack Wagner smacked a two-run blast to right field. Sloppy CC defense, a walk and Mason Stempin’s base hit produced three more runs. The Pilots added a run in the fourth and sixth innings for a 7-2 victory.
Junior Dylan Luepke, firing in the 88-90 mph range, held the Shamrocks to a pair of harmless singles and dealt 11 strikeouts.
“We’re getting better,” Pilots coach Dan Cimini said. “We’re competing at a high level. I hold them to higher standards. We compete in practices with all kinds of competition.”
Cimini coached at Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett for 20 years. He won six state championships (five at Liggett), and just last year, Cimini led Northville High School to their first-ever state title.
Pilots atop the Central
De La Salle leads the Central with a 10-2 record. St. Mary’s is 5-3, Catholic Central 4-6, Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 1-3 and University of Detroit Jesuit 0-2.
Contact Don Horkey at [email protected].
