A senior-laden Shelby team has redemption on its mind this year after a tough district semifinal loss brought a sour ending to a 2025 season that included an impressive 21-9 record and second-place finish in the West Michigan Conference Rivers. The Tigers have enough firepower to believe they can write a different ending this time.
“Losing a heartbreaking game to MCC in the district semifinals has pushed these guys to keep working hard,” Shelby coach Brian Wright said.
Shelby brings back eight seniors who were regular starters in 2025, including some of the Tigers’ top pitchers. DayDay Garcia, Cam Smith, Chase Simon and Trevor Weiss all had excellent seasons on the mound.
Garcia and Smith were equally dynamic at the plate. Garcia, who batted leadoff and played shortstop when not pitching, rang up a 3.18 earned run average last season while batting .383 with 36 runs scored, and Smith, a catcher when not on the mound, posted a 2.86 ERA and also batted .383, driving in 33 runs from his No. 3 spot in the lineup.
Also for Shelby, Simon, a third baseman, brings back a 1.35 ERA and a good glove. He’s also a contributor at the plate, with a .284 average. Weiss posted a 0.65 ERA and got eight wins on the hill last year and plays left field.
Shelby’s extensive experience also includes Eli Kelley, who can play most anywhere on the field and hits and pitches well, as well first baseman Neil Gowell and outfielder Jaden Furman. Colin Fenton and Michael Regeczi also lettered last season and return as seniors.
This huge group of seniors is supplemented by sophomore Leighton Belasco, who plays second base and had a solid .326 average as a freshman.
With this much talent and veteran know-how, the Tigers have high hopes for the season, and Wright has beefed up the non-conference schedule accordingly. The Tigers will take on strong opponents like Montague - last season’s WMC Lakes champs - and Evart, a regional finalist last season. The Tigers opened against those Wildcats and earned a sweep. The WMC Rivers should again test Shelby, with powerhouse North Muskegon and a very strong Ravenna team part of the schedule.
