Gladstone senior Lauren Sundquist (right) and Escanaba senior Grayson LaMarche shake hands during senior night festivities on May 21, 2025 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

If you’re a loyal reader to The Daily Press, thank you. But this article may not entirely be for you. For those who are new to us, for those who learned where Escanaba and Gladstone are located off the Google search you did five seconds ago and for those who don’t know about either softball team; (in a terrible Stitch impression)… hi.

My name is “The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg, sports editor for The Daily Press in Escanaba, both in the moonlight and daylight. I’ve been covering both Escanaba, the No. 1 softball team in Division 2, and Gladstone, the No. 2 team in Division 3, for the last two seasons.

You probably don’t know a whole lot about either team. Let me fix that for you.

The U.P.’s greatest show on dirt

These two schools are separated by 12 miles. And let me tell you, this is a deep-rooted, passionate rivalry.

It doesn’t matter if it’s football, little league softball, basketball or even euchre, both schools will go to great lengths to make sure they don’t lose to the other.

The Eskymos and Braves play two doubleheaders each season. It is a must-watch softball spectacle if there ever was one. Escanaba won three of four games with Gladstone claiming their victory in the final showdown between the two schools.

But now they’re in separate divisions, wreaking havoc to opposing pitcher’s ERA’s while barreling through their respective competition.

But what makes both teams so great? Let me explain, and based on the coin toss I just did, we’ll start with Escanaba.

Grayson LaMarche is a Player of the Year candidate

When I first moved to the U.P. in July 2023 I was told how insane the pitching battles were between LaMarche and Gladstone’s Tia Schone (more on her later). Yet, through volleyball and basketball season her junior year I was left wondering if LaMarche was THAT athlete.

Then I saw her throw one pitch. I immediately laughed at myself for doubting her abilities in the first place.

Escanaba senior Grayson LaMarche winds up to deliver a pitch during a game against Gladstone on May 13, 2025 at Gladstone High School. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

She possesses the program’s career strikeout record (857 and counting) and career wins record (69 and counting). She needed 73 pitches to throw a perfect game in a 3-0 win over Petoskey in the district championship game, recording 16 strikeouts on the way. And we’re talking about a program that produced the University of Wisconsin’s Gabi Salo, the former Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year.

So far this postseason she’s allowed three hits (all by Gaylord in Saturday’s regional title game), seven walks and 50 strikeouts across 20 2/3 innings. Or as my grandpa would say whenever I did something spectacular “eh, tolerable”.

As a competitor she has laser focus. You won’t see a lot of emotion out of her. It reminds me a lot of Anton Chigurh from “No Country for Old Men” in the sense that everything she does is calculated with incredible composure and confidence to ensure that she doesn’t lose whatever fight she’s in.

She will play collegiately at the University of Michigan.

Katey crushes softballs

Let’s talk about the young lady that sits in the hot corner for a minute, in this case senior Katey Lamb. She’s been described to me as a rockstar, which I can confirm is accurate.

She can also be described as an ERA inflator.

So far this postseason she’s 9-for-18 with four doubles, eight RBIs and scored three times.

Escanaba senior Katey Lamb rounds third base after hitting a home run during a game against Millington on May 10, 2025 at Abrahamson Field in Escanaba. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

In the month of May she hit .481 with 37 hits, six doubles, seven home runs, 41 RBIs and 40 runs scored. I can’t even do that on MLB The Show while playing on rookie difficulty.

She’s also hit two home runs in two innings within the last two seasons. She accomplished the feat in a 12-1 win over Lowell last season. She also belted two grand slams in a 16-1 win over Macomb Dakota last month.

When she steps up to bat with the bases loaded you’ll see everyone wearing orange and/or black lean forward and smile in anticipation, because something big is most likely about to happen.

Who else to watch

I’m only allotted so many words here, so here’s the quick hits on other key players

• Catcher Carly Bowden is a four-year starter and has incredible chemistry with LaMarche. When Bowden (a.k.a C-Bow) gets going the Eskymos go from tough to dangerous.
• Senior McKenzie Engebretson can play anywhere on the field, but for this team she’s at first base. Her swing will look unorthodox, but first base coach Tom Salo described it best: you can watch her swing and find 19 things wrong with it, but she hits doubles. She is 7-for-15 so far this postseason
• In any other lineup in the state, senior Clara Braun probably hits in the top half. For the Eskymos, she hits in the No. 9 slot. She ranks close to the top in nearly every hitting statistical category, and her two-out single against Gaylord ignited a seven-run rally for a 9-0 lead after two innings. If there’s one word to describe Braun, it’s consistent.

Escanaba senior Carly Bowden screams from the top of her lungs after belting a two-run double during the first inning of a MHSAA Division 2 regional championship game against Gaylord on June 7, 2025 at Alma College. This two-run double proved to be the go ahead hit as the Eskymos earned a 10-0 win in five innings over the Blue Devils. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

OK, now to Gladstone

It’s Schone-time people

Like I mentioned earlier, pitching matchups between LaMarche and Shone are must watch. All I heard from sports reporter Adam Hinch and legendary correspondent John Vrancic was how Schone’s work ethic was second to none.

Then, in Negaunee’s gym on Jan. 30, 2024, I watched her tear her ACL and Meniscus while she was five feet in front of me. I sat there in stunned silence. The hardest conversation I’ve ever had in the office was telling Hinch and Vrancic what happened to Schone, and that her quest of earning All-State honors on the softball diamond wasn’t going to happen in 2024.

But here we are in 2025. She got the start in the Braves’ season opener against Ishpeming Westwood on April 14. I had no clue how this was going to go, especially off a major knee injury like she suffered.

Gladstone senior Tia Schone hurls a pitch during a game against Ishpeming Westwod on April 14, 2025 at Gladstone High School. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

Schone then proceeded to throw an immaculate first inning. Of the 18 batters she faced, 16 fell via strikeout. She threw six perfect innings.

Yeah, she didn’t miss a beat.

As a competitor, she’s the polar opposite of LaMarche. Schone is loud, she’s fiery, borderline obnoxious. The kind of competitor you want on your team and would despise if you’re against her. Picture Kimmy Gibbler from “Full House” mixed with Harley Quinn. That’s what you get with Schone. A competitor that has the gift of gab and the gift of firing strikes.

She will play collegiately at Grand Rapids Community College.

Sundquist is a five-tool phenom

I was able to attend a Braves indoor practice last season. The girls were working in the batting cages doing work on tees and soft toss work.

Now, I’ve been at this sports writing thing for almost a decade. I’ve watched a lot of batting practice. But only one person made me internally say two things. The first can’t be said in this article. The second was “who in the world is this kid?”

Gladstone senior Lauren Sundquist (middle) is mobbed by teammates at home plate after hitting a home run during game two of a doubleheader against Ishpeming Westwood on April 14, 2025 at Gladstone High School (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

That person is Gladstone senior Lauren Sundquist.

Her hands move like lightning with the force of a Mike Tyson right hook. She’s a wall behind the plate at catcher and is a menace on the base paths (she finished second with a 13.0 second 100-meter dash time at this year’s U.P. Track and Field Finals).

Her stats back it up too.

In 2024 she had a .549 batting average with six home runs, 39 RBIs and 53 runs scored while blasting 12 doubles and four triples in 102 at bats. She also posted a .627 on-base percentage, a .922 slugging percentage and owned an OPS of 1.549 during her junior campaign, good enough to earn First Team All-State honors for the second time in her career.

It’s also why she graced the cover of our Softball Preview section in April.

And entering this season I thought there was no way she could top those numbers. Once again, I laughed at myself for doubting a Yooper’s abilities on the softball diamond.

Entering last weekend’s regionals she possessed a .649 batting average, an OPS of 1.803 with 11 home runs, 52 RBIs and has 11 walks to five strikeouts in 114 at bats.

She also ripped two lead-off home runs in regionals on Saturday. She needed one pitch to homer off Grayling and waited five pitches before mashing one against Kingsley in the regional title game.

She will play collegiately at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Who else to watch

• Senior Alli Larson has quietly emerged as an incredibly consistent hitter in the No. 6 slot. She registered two hits and two RBIs in a 4-3 win over Gaylord. And honestly, she’s never looked back.
• The Braves graduated six seniors from their 2024 squad. Now, they have six freshmen that are growing into their roles. Lauren Pare’s slugging stats are not that far behind Sundquists and continues to grow her confidence in the circle. Ava Goodman has handled the pressure of playing shortstop better than any freshman should. Tiahna Reynolds and Malia Quigley monitor the corner outfield spots. They also came up with multiple key hits during Saturday’s action. Molly Matthews and Hope Reath are both used as courtesy runners when needed and are acclimating to varsity action nicely.
• Sophomore third baseman Maddy Sundquist and sophomore Emma Trombley have morphed into sound defensive players and are more than capable of coming up with a timely base hit when called upon.
• There are no juniors on the roster. Not really important, but it is something you don’t see everyday.

Gladstone freshmen Hope Reath (right) and Lauren Pare dance along to “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” by Soulja Boy before a doubleheader against Marquette on April 17, 2025 at Braves Field at Gladstone High School. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

The final word

As you can tell, there were times where I doubted what these young ladies could accomplish. And every time I was proved wrong I was able to laugh. But as we enter the final week of the 2025 softball season some people may doubt these young ladies.

The difference?

They won’t be able to laugh it off. They will be forced to watch their season end.

Don’t doubt either team.

“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg is a multi-time award-winning sports writer and photographer who proudly serves as sports editor for The Daily Press and the Upper Peninsula sports scene. He can be reached at mvosburg@dailypress.net. Follow him on Instagram (@themantheycallmitch) and on X (@realmitchvburg).