Check out which area baseball players made the All-Ski Valley teams

GAYLORD ― The Gaylord area was home to some of the most competitive baseball teams in Northern Michigan this season.

All three area high school baseball teams turned in winning records, including both Ski Valley Conference schools, Gaylord St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston. While chasing down the defending conference champions, Inland Lakes, turned out to be a bit too lofty of a goal to achieve for either squad, GSM and JoBurg both turned in succesful seasons on the diamond in 2024 and were rewarded when the All-SVC baseball honorees were announced recently.

Both GSM and JoBurg had five total players on the all-conference lists, led by GSM senior Dillon Croff, GSM junior Daniel Jacobson and JoBurg junior Rylan Rosso on the first team.

Croff, the Gaylord Herald Times Baseball Player of the Year, was the first-team All-SVC selection at first base. He shined as one of the most dominant pitchers in the Gaylord area, posting a 7-5 record with 77 strikeouts and a 3.27 earned-run average. He was also one of GSM's most consistent hitters, posting a .375 batting average, 24 runs batted in and 23 runs scored.

Jacobson, meanwhile, was one of GSM's most consistent all-around players, hitting for a .360 average, 28 runs scored and 7 RBI as the team's everyday shortstop.

Rylan Rosso, JoBurg's lone first-team selection, had a breakout year at the plate as JoBurg's most consistent hitter, finishing the year with a .440 average, 33 hits, 33 RBI and 20 runs scored.

Both teams' starting catchers were second-team all-conference selections, GSM's Brett Koscielniak taking the second-team catcher spot while JoBurg's Collin Lake was the at-large/utility selection. Koscielniak hit for a .377 average with 23 hits, 15 RBI and 17 runs scored. Lake, meanwhile, hit .398 with 35 hits, 15 RBI and 38 runs scored.

Koscielniak also threw out nine runners trying to steal, while Lake threw out seven.

GSM had two honorable mentions, Logan Greenier and Sam Kuznicki, while JoBurg had three, including Tanner Basinski, Benny Lindbert and Thomas Fox.

All Ski Valley Baseball Team

First team

Pitchers: Connor Wallace, IL (Player of the year), Dylan Szymoniak Onaway

Catcher: Aidan Fenstermaker, IL

Infield: Ryan Naumcheff, MAN; Drayten Evans, CL; Ty Kolly, IL; Daniel Jacobson, GSM

Outfield: Andre Bradford, IL; Garrison Barrett, CL; Jackson Chaskey, Onaway

First base: Dillon Croff, GSM

At-large/Utility: Rylan Rosso, JoBurg; Luke Lovelace, Onaway

Second team

Bearup, Bellaire; Patton, FA; Koscielniak, GSM; Willey, IL; Selke, ON; Morgan, MAN; Shafer, CL; Signer, FA; Battershell, Bellaire; Kramer, ON; Veal, ON; Miller, CL; Lake, JoBurg

Honorable mentions

Teuthorn, IL; Schmalzried, PELL; Lane, PELL; Bonter, PELL; Fox, JoBurg; Basinski, JoBurg; Lindbert, JoBurg; Bennett, MAN; Greenier, GSM; Kuznicki, GSM; Coy, FA; Dewey, Bellaire

Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen