As the 2024 baseball season ends, Glen Lake, Suttons Bay, and Lake Leelanau St. Mary each had memorable seasons. The 2024 Enterprise baseball Dream Team is voted by coaches Kris Herman (Glen Lake), Doug Periard (Suttons Bay), Toby Wegener (St. Mary), and sports editor Brian Freiberger.
MVP: Cooper Bufalini (Glen Lake)
Glen Lake senior Cooper Bufalini went into the 2024 baseball season with something to prove and he succeeded by being named the 2024 baseball Dream Team MVP.
“(Bufalini) is the perfect leader, and the perfect baseball player. He did a fantastic job leading the team this year and it’s that presence that we miss as much as anything else,” Glen Lake coach Kris Herman said.
Bufalini finished the season with not one, but two no-hitters on the season. Bufalini was named second team all-state for his effort throughout the season.
In 80 innings pitched, Bufalini gave up only 28 runs with 133 strikeouts. Bufalini had a record of 11-3 while going 5-0 in Northwest Conference play.
Bufalini was also a force at the plate as he scored 42 times and stole 36 bases. He had an excellent batting average of .457 with 24 hits.
“(Bufalini) dedicated a tremendous amount of time over the years to his craft. He’s very serious about it … (Bufalini) was a perfect senior leader for us,” Herman said.
Benji Allen (Glen Lake)
Glen Lake junior Benji Allen almost claimed MVP but was edged out by his teammate. Regardless, Allen was a versatile weapon for the Lakers that relied on him all season long.
“(Allen) is only the third true five-tool player that I’ve ever coached. He’s ultra competitive and very coachable, which is a great combination. He still has parts of his game that he wants to work on … It’s going to be even more impressive than it was this year, period,” Glen Lake coach Kris Herman said.
Allen threw two perfect games during the 2024 season, one against Lake Leelanau St. Mary and Suttons Bay to begin and end the season.
“When (Allen) dialed in, he’s one of the best pitchers in the state. (Allen) legitimately would have had a shot at making all state as a pitcher as well with his record,” Herman said.
Allen was named first-team All-state for his efforts in the infield and at the plate.
Peter Gelsinger (Glen Lake)
Glen Lake junior Peter Gelsinger proved why he’s one of the best catchers in the state thanks to his 2024 performance.
“(Gelsinger) is a great leader and he’s unquestionably one of the best catchers in the state. It’s pretty foolish to run on him,” Herman said. “If you run on him, it’s a fool’s errand because he will get you … (Gelsinger) is always watching baseball, studying baseball, asking about baseball. He just loves the game and wants to be as good at it as he can be,” Herman said.
Aiden Gokey (Glen Lake)
Glen Lake senior Aiden Gokey claimed his spot on the Dream Team at the first base position.
Gokey has been stationed at first base for most of his career.
“(Gokey) is one of the quietest leaders by example that we’ve ever had and he was exceptional at it. He’s actually going to join the coaching staff next year because he’s such a good teacher of the game and such a good model of what you want a baseball player to be,” Herman said.
Lucas Gordon (Suttons Bay)
Suttons Bay senior Lucas Gordon had a heck of a senior season to be named on the Dream Team.
Gordon, a Delta College commit, was a triple-threat in the field, pitching, and hitting. Gordon scored 29 times with 25 hits.
Gordon was an ironman, pitching 64 innings throughout the season.
“(Gordon) never missed an inning at short-stop, catcher, or wherever we needed him,” Suttons Bay coach Doug Periard said.
Gordon had a 4-4 record on the mound with 113 strikeouts across 64 innings pitched. Gordon had 15 strikeouts in one game this season.
“My favorite moments were being able to play and hang out with my friends, and make it a memorable last high school season,” Gordon said.
Tyler Porter (Suttons Bay)
Suttons Bay senior Tyler Porter made his mark on the Norseman program throughout his high school career.
“(Porter) has been one of those solid guys since his freshman year. He played pitcher, outfield and wherever,” Suttons Bay coach Doug Periard said.
Porter scored 17 times on 26 hits with 11 RBIs during the season.
“This season was a blast … There were a lot of new and young players that really improved throughout the year and made us better as a team,” Porter said. “I feel our relationship throughout our team was also really close and connected. We had good chemistry throughout the field … Even though we maybe lost a game that we shouldn’t have, we come back and go beat his team that was better than us. We always kept their heads high and worked hard,” Porter said.
Jackson Loucks (Suttons Bay)
Suttons Bay junior Jackson Loucks had a terrific season for the Norse leading to his spot on the Dream team.
“(Loucks) will be a senior next year and we are looking for him to improve. His versatility and leadership will be important next year,” Suttons Bay coach Doug Periard said.
Josh Bunek (St. Mary)
Lake Leelanau St. Mary sophomore Josh Bunek earned his spot on the Dream Team for his performance on the mound and at the plate.
“(Bunek) had a really good year on the mound and pitched in all of the big games,” St. Mary coach Toby Wegener said. “(Bunek) really took a step up in his pitching and we are looking forward to him improving over the next two seasons.”
Pieter Hamilton (St. Mary)
In his first baseball season, Lake Leelanau St. Mary senior Pieter Hamilton claims a spot on the dream team.
“(Pieter) did awesome. He ran some balls down and covered some ground,” St. Mary coach Toby Wegener said. “(Pieter) is a really fast player and quickly became the No. 2 hitter.”
