By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
COLDWATER—Otsego senior Kaleb Hildebrand turned in arguably the best pitching performance of his career in arguably the biggest game of his career.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Coldwater starter Owen Tappenden was just a little bit better.
Despite a complete-game effort from Hildebrand—who scattered five hits and allowed one run with two walks and eight strikeouts—Otsego dropped a 1-0 decision to Coldwater in a Division 2 regional semifinal Wednesday, June 3.
The loss ended the Bulldogs’ season one game after they captured a district championship.
Just four days earlier, Hildebrand tossed a complete game and allowed only one run in Otsego’s district championship victory over Plainwell, a performance coach Matt Eldred described as one of the best outings of the senior’s career.
Against Coldwater, Hildebrand may have been even better.
The senior threw all seven innings on 99 pitches, including 64 strikes, consistently working ahead in counts.
“Kaleb pretty much put us on his shoulders in the district final and the regional game,”
Eldred said. “In the 14 innings, he had 14 strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs. Just incredible command of his arsenal in these last two games.”
Eldred said Hildebrand’s success went beyond the numbers.
“(He’s a) super intense kid, especially when he is on the mound,” Eldred said. “I felt my main purpose was just trying to help keep him centered.”
Eldred also credited catcher Nolan Whitmore for helping guide the Bulldogs through the postseason.
“(Hildebrand) and Nolan Whitmore called their own game,” Eldred said. “Those two really worked well together.”
Tappenden matched Hildebrand pitch for pitch for much of the afternoon. The Coldwater right-hander retired the first 11 batters he faced before Jaxon Ray broke up the perfect-game bid with a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Ray stole second to move into scoring position, but a groundout ended the threat.
Coldwater scored the game’s lone run in the top of the fourth.
After a leadoff double, Hildebrand recorded a strikeout before a single put runners on the corners. A fielder’s choice later in the inning brought home the run.
Otsego continued to battle offensively despite Tappenden’s dominance.
The Bulldogs put another runner aboard in the fifth when Merrill Bailey was hit by a pitch, while Landon Wrobleski drew a leadoff walk in the sixth. Coldwater erased both opportunities with pickoffs.
Otsego’s final chance came in the seventh.
With one out, Ray singled for his second hit of the game against reliever Dayton Ennis, who entered after Tappenden reached his pitch limit. The hit brought the potential tying run aboard, but Ennis struck out the final two batters to end the game.
“This game was just a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel,” Eldred said. “Two guys with great stuff commanding it and pitching with incredible confidence.
“We made some mistakes that you cannot make in a game like that. But I’m incredibly proud of the way our kids competed to the very end.”
The defeat closed the curtain on a memorable season for the Bulldogs.
Otsego did not pick up its first victory until April 23, but the Bulldogs continued to improve throughout the spring before ultimately capturing a district championship and advancing to the regional semifinals.
The season also carried special meaning for Eldred and his family.
Prior to Otsego’s first win, the Bulldogs wore hats embroidered with the name of Eldred’s daughter, Abby, who passed away during the offseason.
After that victory, the players placed their hats on the mound.
“I think it was to recognize Abby, and I took it also as a wonderful gesture of love for me and my family,” Eldred said.
Looking back, Eldred said the Bulldogs never allowed a difficult start to define their season.
“Clearly, the easy path for our kids would have been to lounge around in our mediocrity,” he said. “They made a choice, instead, to continue to grind and work so that they would be in the best position possible to have something fun happen at the end of the season.”
Eldred also credited captains Brennan Brinkhuis, Brennan Perry and Landon Wrobleski for helping keep the team moving in the right direction throughout the season.
“The 2026 Bulldog baseball team certainly left a legacy that we are all proud of,” he said.
