2001 Season Summary

The Muskegon ChannelCats 2001 edition played a record 44 games for the season. The rugged schedule featured the best teams from all over Michigan, the Midwest and Canada. The ChannelCats posted an over all record of 21-23, with an 11-6 record in Wood Bat Tournaments. The Cats tough schedule qualified them once again for the AABC Connie Mack district tournament in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Coach Matt Houseman, in his first season at the helm, led the youngest group of talented players to wear a ChannelCat uniform. "This team showed a lot of spirit and fight all season long. Each player can build on what they experienced on & off the playing field this year." These "Diamonds in the Rough" came together from 9 different area high schools along the Lakeshore.

Ryan Kane led the Cats hitting attack with a team high .466 batting average while Ryan Bertoia finished second with a .408-batting clip

Ryan Kane also scorched the base paths for a team record 30 stolen bases, while Ryan Bertoia was the leading RBI man with 36 RBI while Dustin Johnson had 24 RBI. Kane finished 1st on the team by belting 3 round trippers on the season and also ripped 11 doubles & 7 triples for a team high. Aaron Skiles & David Hilton led the team with games played at 40.

The ChannelCats top pitchers were Dustin Johnson (3-0) with an ERA of 1.83, Jeff Wagenmaker (5-1), who was 2nd in strikeouts with 37 K's, and Curtis Miller, who posted the most stikeouts on the staff with 48 K's.

Miller also earned iron man honors by throwing 55.2 innings, while Wagenmaker topped the ChannelCats staff with 12 game appearances.

The Cats showed well in the several Wood Bat Tournaments this year. The ChannelCats made it to the semi-final round of their own Diamond Classic Wood Bat Tournament, finishing at 4-1. In the tough Saginaw Wood Bat Tournament the 'Cats sported a 4-2 record with wins against Maryville (6-3), St. Louis (3-1), Saginaw Panthers (8-2) and Manley Attorney (3-1).

This year's ChannelCat team kept the fans and parents coming back for more of those exciting finishes. Especially when you think back to the exciting doubleheader sweep over the Midland Berryhill Post 165 at Marsh Field to close out the regular season. "The ChannelCats always bring their "A" game to Marsh."