Roger Cook, head coach of girls' softball at Grass Lake High School, joins his varsity baseball teammate Ryan to reflect on their alma mater's first-ever Michigan High School Athletic Association state championship in softball.
Grass Lake Caps 2025 Softball Season with Classic Title Clincher | Michigan High School Athletic Association
Grass Lake Caps 2025 Softball Season with Classic Title Clincher | Michigan High School Athletic Association
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We are the warriors who built this town.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm gonna take five minutes with my former high school
baseball teammate, class of ninety two first baseman pitcher, Roger Cook,
who happens to also be the head coach of the
girls' softball program that just won their first state championship
in Michigan High School Athletic Association history, joins us here
on Ryan Schuling Live.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Roger, congratulations, my man, Ryan.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
So good to hear from you, and thank you to Kelly,
who was the first one from Denver, Colorado with us.
Congratulations on the state championship yesterday.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
You've gone national now, Roger, It's official here in Denver, Colorado.
Could not be happier to be talking to you. I
was keeping tabs on this team throughout your run. Ours
sadly ended for our senior year in baseball in the
regional final. I still think about that game every day.
I was hitting behind you in the batting order, and
things happen anyway. You're down two to one, your girls
(00:54):
are down in the sixth inning, going to the seventh,
the final inning, and your girls find a way take
us from there.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Ran our team this year, we don't have any true leader.
We've got three seniors, bre Sauce, Emily Brown and Nadine Hubbards.
But they love all these girls. I mean, we haven't
a questrian playing third base. We've got a basketball all
star playing left, got a stud volleyball player and right.
You know, so they just don't know. We said after
the game, like what are we even doing here? But
it was unbelievable. So when the seven, eight, and nine
(01:23):
came up in the line up there with just that
last inning, it was surreal. I mean one person had
to step up, then it carried on, it carried on
and finished it off there in the seventh.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
There was a fly ball.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I watched the video of this hit late in this contest,
bottom of the seventh.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I think Claire had a runner on third. It was
pretty deep. What was going through your mind and your
heart at that moment, you know, just the.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Fact that we were even there was surreal. So I thought,
you know what, it's a routine flyball.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
We got this.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
The whole thing's just been magical, the whole trip, grass
Lakes getting behind us the whole time, and they happened
to hit it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
To rees late.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Who wasn't even sure if she was going to play softball.
Obviously to Braden Lath full of athletes in that family
chief chomping her feet that ball was in the air
for it seemed like eternity. But she made a great play,
had a great game on it, and when she caught it, oh,
it was just an unbelievable feeling.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
My buddy Roger Cook, former high school teammate grass Lake
back in Michigan, winning the Division three state championship and
girls softball first time ever in school history, defeating Claire
in a nail bier five to four.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Late there. You may have heard the name Brayden.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Lape on this program before because he was on this
program before as a contestant on the voice.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
So here's grass.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Lake, Michigan again, Roger making the headlines. I can only
imagine how proud of this group you must be.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Not just the group, but all of grass Lake, you
know as well as I do. From the days of
dominating in Bryce barn Over there in grass Lakes all
the way up the tradition of eighty eight state championships
with my brother Ryan and then my brothers were part
of that picture. I mean, the tradition continues and obviously
after the game we came in. We had a police
car in front. He volunteered his time. Fire trucks behind
(03:00):
us and the entire grass Lake was and drove down
there as they had a party for us when we
got back.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
This is a town that gets behind its sports teams,
unlike any I've ever seen, I think in Michigan or
even here in Colorado. I know it's kind of inside
baseball pun intended for me to say that, but it
really is unique, Roger. Isn't it that the grass Lake experience,
the hometown that you and I share about, just how
much they rally behind these athletic programs.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Absolutely, French Shop rates donated food, hats of Timetime, Joel
Pine and Joey Pine, the hardware, the are donating water.
We weren't even asking.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Hey, what can we give you? What can we give you?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
They came out people I haven't talked to in years,
sitting in the stands. I've had over four hundred techs,
you know, from grass Lake people and around the county.
It's just that's the best part about it, you know.
And like I told the kids after and told the crowds,
these are just good kids. They're just really really good kids.
No one better than the others, just all get along
and that's what comes out of it. So very proud
you're part of that building block there too, Ryan, So
(04:02):
don't tell yourself. Sure you've been there since the beginning
at grass Lake.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Well, thank you, Roger.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Appreciate that tremendous offensive output throughout the season too.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
This was a special group for so many reasons.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
You mentioned the multiple talents, and I just want to
close I think with one play that I saw. You
mentioned your equestrian third baseman, but there was a bunt,
laid down runner charging home from third and.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
She executes this spin move.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I don't know that I can do it justice just
over the radio, but can you take us through that play?
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Pretty unbelievable move by her. We work on it in practice.
I called time out. We got we talked to her.
Usually they have a choice if they want to throw
it a first or get the runner. We said, we've
got to get the runner if it comes to you,
if it's anybody else, if you don't have a play,
get the out. Sometimes in practice she throws it off
the catcher ninety miles an hour from five feet away,
but she looked like Michael Jordan. I was a dance
(04:50):
move right there, cossing at the home she well deserved.
She's a freshman, made a fantastic play right there for
grass Lake.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Such a great mix of talent and a bunch that
will be remembered for all time as the first ever
state champions and girls softball from my high school alma mater,
grass Lake, my buddy Roger Cook, high school teammate all
those years ago. Roger, I can't put into words how
proud I am of the school, of the community of
you and the job that you did as head coach.
Thank you so much for taking a few minutes with
(05:16):
me here today, Brian.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
We knew you were going to be famous from the
first days of announcing up in the broadcast booth at
grass Lake.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Man, I miss you, brother.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Congratulations to you.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
All right, go Warriors.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Roger Cook there, and thanks for indulging me for a
moment there as I reflect upon my high school alma
mater and Roger graduated with me class of ninety two.
That'll do it for me from here for now. John
Caldera filling in for Dan kaplis next
We are the warriors who built this town.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm gonna take five minutes with my former high school
baseball teammate, class of ninety two first baseman pitcher, Roger Cook,
who happens to also be the head coach of the
girls' softball program that just won their first state championship
in Michigan High School Athletic Association history, joins us here
on Ryan Schuling Live.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Roger, congratulations, my man, Ryan.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
So good to hear from you, and thank you to Kelly,
who was the first one from Denver, Colorado with us.
Congratulations on the state championship yesterday.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
You've gone national now, Roger, It's official here in Denver, Colorado.
Could not be happier to be talking to you. I
was keeping tabs on this team throughout your run. Ours
sadly ended for our senior year in baseball in the
regional final. I still think about that game every day.
I was hitting behind you in the batting order, and
things happen anyway. You're down two to one, your girls
(00:54):
are down in the sixth inning, going to the seventh,
the final inning, and your girls find a way take
us from there.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Ran our team this year, we don't have any true leader.
We've got three seniors, bre Sauce, Emily Brown and Nadine Hubbards.
But they love all these girls. I mean, we haven't
a questrian playing third base. We've got a basketball all
star playing left, got a stud volleyball player and right.
You know, so they just don't know. We said after
the game, like what are we even doing here? But
it was unbelievable. So when the seven, eight, and nine
(01:23):
came up in the line up there with just that
last inning, it was surreal. I mean one person had
to step up, then it carried on, it carried on
and finished it off there in the seventh.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
There was a fly ball.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I watched the video of this hit late in this contest,
bottom of the seventh.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
I think Claire had a runner on third. It was
pretty deep. What was going through your mind and your
heart at that moment, you know, just the.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Fact that we were even there was surreal. So I thought,
you know what, it's a routine flyball.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
We got this.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
The whole thing's just been magical, the whole trip, grass
Lakes getting behind us the whole time, and they happened
to hit it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
To rees late.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Who wasn't even sure if she was going to play softball.
Obviously to Braden Lath full of athletes in that family
chief chomping her feet that ball was in the air
for it seemed like eternity. But she made a great play,
had a great game on it, and when she caught it, oh,
it was just an unbelievable feeling.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
My buddy Roger Cook, former high school teammate grass Lake
back in Michigan, winning the Division three state championship and
girls softball first time ever in school history, defeating Claire
in a nail bier five to four.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Late there. You may have heard the name Brayden.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Lape on this program before because he was on this
program before as a contestant on the voice.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
So here's grass.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
Lake, Michigan again, Roger making the headlines. I can only
imagine how proud of this group you must be.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Not just the group, but all of grass Lake, you
know as well as I do. From the days of
dominating in Bryce barn Over there in grass Lakes all
the way up the tradition of eighty eight state championships
with my brother Ryan and then my brothers were part
of that picture. I mean, the tradition continues and obviously
after the game we came in. We had a police
car in front. He volunteered his time. Fire trucks behind
(03:00):
us and the entire grass Lake was and drove down
there as they had a party for us when we
got back.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
This is a town that gets behind its sports teams,
unlike any I've ever seen, I think in Michigan or
even here in Colorado. I know it's kind of inside
baseball pun intended for me to say that, but it
really is unique, Roger. Isn't it that the grass Lake experience,
the hometown that you and I share about, just how
much they rally behind these athletic programs.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Absolutely, French Shop rates donated food, hats of Timetime, Joel
Pine and Joey Pine, the hardware, the are donating water.
We weren't even asking.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Hey, what can we give you? What can we give you?
Speaker 3 (03:41):
They came out people I haven't talked to in years,
sitting in the stands. I've had over four hundred techs,
you know, from grass Lake people and around the county.
It's just that's the best part about it, you know.
And like I told the kids after and told the crowds,
these are just good kids. They're just really really good kids.
No one better than the others, just all get along
and that's what comes out of it. So very proud
you're part of that building block there too, Ryan, So
(04:02):
don't tell yourself. Sure you've been there since the beginning
at grass Lake.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
Well, thank you, Roger.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Appreciate that tremendous offensive output throughout the season too.
Speaker 1 (04:09):
This was a special group for so many reasons.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
You mentioned the multiple talents, and I just want to
close I think with one play that I saw. You
mentioned your equestrian third baseman, but there was a bunt,
laid down runner charging home from third and.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
She executes this spin move.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I don't know that I can do it justice just
over the radio, but can you take us through that play?
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Pretty unbelievable move by her. We work on it in practice.
I called time out. We got we talked to her.
Usually they have a choice if they want to throw
it a first or get the runner. We said, we've
got to get the runner if it comes to you,
if it's anybody else, if you don't have a play,
get the out. Sometimes in practice she throws it off
the catcher ninety miles an hour from five feet away,
but she looked like Michael Jordan. I was a dance
(04:50):
move right there, cossing at the home she well deserved.
She's a freshman, made a fantastic play right there for
grass Lake.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Such a great mix of talent and a bunch that
will be remembered for all time as the first ever
state champions and girls softball from my high school alma mater,
grass Lake, my buddy Roger Cook, high school teammate all
those years ago. Roger, I can't put into words how
proud I am of the school, of the community of
you and the job that you did as head coach.
Thank you so much for taking a few minutes with
(05:16):
me here today, Brian.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
We knew you were going to be famous from the
first days of announcing up in the broadcast booth at
grass Lake.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Man, I miss you, brother.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Congratulations to you.
Speaker 1 (05:25):
All right, go Warriors.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Roger Cook there, and thanks for indulging me for a
moment there as I reflect upon my high school alma
mater and Roger graduated with me class of ninety two.
That'll do it for me from here for now. John
Caldera filling in for Dan kaplis next
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