Summer Diamond Memo

Some OC summer baseball news;

Back in Black

Bloomfield Hills High School named Mike Boyd the Blackhawks baseball coach, after serving the past four years in the dugout at BH Andover. This fall, Andover and Lahser merge into Bloomfield Hills. Boyd led Andover to a district title and spot in the regional championship game in 2011. He prepped locally himself at Berkley prior to playing in college at Eastern Michigan.

College landings (Going DI)

Recent Rochester Adams' grad, Ben Hart (2b-centerfield) signed with Oakland University and Birmingham Groves' Chase Turner (of) signed with Ball State. Hart is a sharp and smart top-of-the-line-up guy that was also a standout wide out on the Highlanders football squad. He helped spark Adams to a district title on the diamond last month. Turner is a lead-off dazzler and base-swiper extraordinaire (57 steals in '12) with a hot stick and a sweet glove in the field. Although 2013 wasn't the greatest campaign for the Groves diamond-cutters, he was a key member of the Falcons' back-to-back league championship in 2011 and 2012.

Mr. Smith Goes to Saline

Former Birmingham Brother Rice southpaw fire-baller Josh Smith has officially moved to Saline with his family and will enroll at Saline High School in the fall. Smith, who is entering his junior year, already has a DI scholarship in tow, committing to Kentucky last summer. Because of a stacked roster, Smith struggled to find playing time with state-powerhouse Brother Rice these past two springs. The afternoon following the Warriors' loss in the state finals last month, he announced his intention of leaving Brother Rice and heading to Saline.