AUBURN, MI – Tim McDonald is known to talk and talk and talk at his Bay City Western baseball banquets. But in 31 years of long-running speeches, he’s never included a show-stopping comment like this one. “It was a very, very long banquet,” Western senior Kole Wilson said.
“But he made it very clear we were going to win the district this year. Everybody was kind of shocked when he said it. The room kind of went quiet.
“He made a bold prediction. But it showed the trust and faith he has in us.” After going since 2016 without winning a district title, the powerhouse program felt long overdue.
And nothing would stop the No. 4-ranked Warriors from backing their coach’s guarantee. Not the toughest draw possible, not a matchup with a Division I pitching prospect, not a rematch with their chief nemesis, not a showdown with their archrival.
And, no, not even an 8-0 deficit in the bottom of the sixth inning of the district semifinal. Staring at yet another frustrating loss to thorn-in-the-side rival Midland Dow, the Warriors somehow mustered the moxie for an epic season-saving rally. Western charged back for a dramatic 9-8 extra-inning victory for the ages.
The Warriors followed it up with a 10-2 win over Bay City Central – which had worked some semifinal magic of its own – to finally bring an end to the district dryspell. It marked the seventh district championship of McDonald’s storied 31-year career, but the first he had promised to deliver. “Last year at ou.
