This weekend is one that will definitely have Kosmo's interest, because one of the most prominent regular season sporting events for spring sports in the area will take place.
Once again, it's time for the annual Michigan Stars Softball Tournament at Liberty Park in Sterling Heights.
Run by Clarkston softball coach Don Peters, this is a tournament that'll feature many of the best teams from around the state.
There are 48 teams in the tournament, and a waiting list for others wanting to get in for next year should other programs have to drop out.
It's a wonderful two days of softball, with games taking place at nine diamonds around the complex for virtually the entire day.
There are six pools of eight teams each, with each pool winner and two wild cards advancing to the championship flight.
Whichever team wins the tournament on Sunday always feels like they won something special. In fact, short of winning a state title, there's no better tournament to win.
Cost isn't that much, so if the weather is good and you like softball, this should be paradise.
- Kosmo wants to give kudos to three local athletes who have signed to move on in their athletic careers. The first goes to Birmingham Seaholm baseball player Bill Getschman, who has signed to play at Hope. The second goes to Walled Lake Central baseball player Karl Boedecker, who has signed to play at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. Finally, Wolverine Lake native A.J. Jenks, previously a member of the Plymouth Whalers, recently signed a pro contract with the Florida Panthers. Congratulations to all these young athletes and best of luck at your next level.

While enjoying another afternooin in Seer-land, Kosmo received an interesting tip from main spy Keith D., who received some news regarding Stoney Creek boys basketball coach Ken Belote.
Evidently, Belote recently announced his retirement from coaching boys basketball. This is both happy and sad news to Kosmo. Happy because Kosmo is pleased for Belote that he'll get to take it easy, but sad because a truly great coach and man won't be mentoring boys basketball players anymore.
Belote helped build the Stoney Creek program from scratch the last eight years and before that, helped lead Rochester Adams to multiple league titles.
The Highlanders never were the most talented team, but they won titles largely because of how they were coached by Belote.
One of the true nice guys in the business, Belote has always been accommodating to the media, Kosmo and all his spies.
Here's hoping Stoney Creek does something nice for a truly great coach and individual. Kosmo will miss him on the sidelines, but hope Coach Belote enjoys a wonderful retirement.

The other day, Kosmo was chatting with main spy Keith D., who got an e-mail from a reader the other day regarding an article he wrote on an athlete at a private school. The reader wondered how much scholarship aid the athlete got to go to the private school, always a timeless argument.
To that, Kosmo has one question. What's the difference between that and college?
Listen, Kosmo does believe that private schools do offer scholarships or financial aid.
The only thing is this. Signing day ceremonies are rightfully celebrated by parents, coaches and administrators, because they commemorate an athlete getting to not only play sports in college, but get some scholarship money, in some cases a full ride.
It's a great thing to celebrate, as kids who wouldn't otherwise be able to go to college are able to do so because of athletic ability.
So why is this so frowned upon when a kid decides to accept some financial aid or scholarship money to go play in high school based on athletic ability?
It's always great when kids play for the school districts they live in, but given it's a free country and all, they do have a right to go to a private school. If they feel they can have an opportunity for a better education via athletics, then what's wrong with that?
Those who celebrate college signings shouldn't at the same time moan and groan about when the shoe is on a foot of a high school kid. For those that do, Kosmo hopes they know how to spell the word "Hypocrite."

Of all the surprise baseball teams so far this young season, Kosmo admits he's the most surprised by Clarkston.
Previously one of the area's strongest programs, the Wolves have taken a downturn the last three years, and weren't expected to do much this year.
The key word their being "expected."
Clarkston has come out of the gate storming, given it's off to a 7-2 start overall and a 3-1 start in league play.
The Wolves are the only team in the OAA North to beat Rochester Adams this year and swept Auburn Hills Avondale in a doubleheader on Monday, although only one of the games counted in the league standings.
This is a great sight to Kosmo, who always enjoyed seeing the Wolves among the area's best baseball teams earlier this decade.
— Saturday is the big show at Oakland University, with the Michigan High School All-Star games taking place. The girls game will be held at 4 p.m., with the boys game after that at 6. Kudos to D'Mario Dudley for continuing to put on such a showcase event.

Kosmo normally doesn't like blogging about sports that aren't in season, but he was intrigued by an announcement that came out this week in the world of high school hockey.
It was announced that Orchard Lake St. Mary's has accepted an invitation to join the Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League, widely considered the best league in the state.
The presence of state powerhouse St. Mary's should make it even more formidable. The Eaglets will now have two meetings a year with traditional athletic rivals Birmingham Brother Rice, Novi Detroit Catholic Central, Warren De La Salle, Detroit U-D Jesuit, Grosse Pointe North, and of course, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
It should make a for a fun regular season and make each team in the league even more battle-tested for the playoffs, so Kosmo is glad to see St. Mary's and the MIHL formed this partnership.
- While he's talking about hockey, Kosmo would like to wish the best of luck to Jeff Petry, a former St. Mary's standout who has bypassed his senior year at Michigan State to sign a contract with the Edmonton Oilers. Petry is a quality defenseman, and it's good he'll finally be able to fulfill his pro dream.

Every fall, much is made of the terrific rivalry on the football field between Rochester Adams and Lake Orion, and rightfully so. Those two annually are among the area's and state's best, so it's understandably an anticipated matchup when they get together. However, it's not the only sport where there's a terrific rivalry between the two schools.
Kosmo has a good feeling for a long time in the future, the baseball programs at the two schools will have as good a rivalry as there is in the state.
Adams and Lake Orion have two of not only the best young coaches around, but two of the best period. Adams coach Chuck Van Robays and Lake Orion head coach Andy Schramek are two of the most passionate and dedicated coaches you'll find, and they haven't taken too long to build their teams into two of the area's best each year.
They both not only dedicate themselves during the season, but also during the summer.
Each year, there should be talent at the schools in baseball, and with the teams being in the same league and district round of the state tournament, it should be as good of a rivalry as there is in the county, regardless of sport.
Adams won the first meeting of 2010 between the two on Monday, earning a 6-0 win. The teams will meet once more at Adams, and then there's a good chance they'll meet in districts. It should be a fun show if they do, one that showcases a rivalry every bit as good as the one between the schools in football

This past Wednesday, one of Kosmo's favorite coaches achieved a signature win for his career.
Fran Scislowicz, longtime girls basketball and softball coach at Adams, recorded his 500th softball victory this past Wednesday when the Highlanders defeated Royal Oak in a doubleheader.
It was a great achievement for what truly is one of the county's best coaches and classiest gentlemen, so Kosmo wants to extend his heartfelt congratulations to Coach Scislowicz.
- If Friday's action is any indication, then we're in for a wild year in the Oakland Activities Association North Division for baseball. Both of the league's supposed best teams, Lake Orion and Rochester Adams, lost.
Lake Orion lost at Avondale, 11-8, while Adams suffered a 12-10 home loss to surprising Clarkston, which is off to a 6-2 start. Add the fact Stoney Creek lost to Troy Athens, it made for a Friday full of upsets, whether they were small or big.

Every year at about this time, Kosmo pours through the paper and sees how area baseball teams try to fit in doubleheaders.
At that point, Kosmo just starts laughing. No, it's not to make fun of anybody, particularly league commissioners and athletic directors who understandably want to save as much gas as possibly by playing two games at once.
They're just trying to do their job.
The problem is that playing doubleheaders this time of year normally leads to tripleheaders in May.
With the exception of the doubleheaders played in the Catholic League, which has quicker games because of they play with 3 balls and 2 strikes, rarely are teams able to fit in both games in April.
Then, come May when another doubleheader is played at the other school site, they have to spend time finishing up the second game of the previous doubleheader and then playing another doubleheader.
Teams should just do what the OAA does, and have two single games in league play. Either that or just play more league doubleheaders on Saturday.
- Kosmo wants to say congratulations to Country Day point guard Ray McCallum for choosing to play for his Dad at Detroit Mercy. It showed great respect and loyalty to the man who taught him the game and is largely responsible for making him the player he is now. Without question, his presence should also reinvigorate Detroit Mercy basketball. Fans should flock down to Calihan Hall in droves next season, so it'll be a fun winter.

Kosmo was saddened to hear about the horrific collision between Lake Orion outfielders Vinnie Booker and Phil Serzo on Saturday. Both are outstanding athletes who were good football players last fall and who are two of Lake Orion's best baseball players. Both collided going for a ball and left the field in an ambulance. Booker shattered his orbital bone and had to have three hours of surgery afterwards, while Serzo had a concussion. Serzo is out of the hospital now, while Booker still needs a few more days of care before he's released. It's not likely Booker will return this season, although given the toughness he showed during football season, don't completely rule it out. Serzo should be back in a few weeks. The news of the collision probably touched all baseball coaches in the area, who probably went though some increased outfield drills in practices just to show what can happen, even when two hard-nosed kids are doing what they should be doing and going for a ball.

No matter what happens on Saturday in the finale of the inaugural Oakland County Spring Break Classic, Madison Heights Lamphere showed on Wednesday that it could be one of the hidden gems this year on the county baseball scene.
Granted, it was just a tournament game that often features younger pitchers thrown in there to get some experience, but Lamphere still made a statement by recording a 12-4 win over what is usually one of the county's gold standards for baseball, Lake Orion.
The Rams suffered from an assortment of injuries last season, but are healthy this year and immensely talented.
Look for them to obliterate the competition in the MAC and be a candidate to make a run in the Division 2 state tournament.

Next week is spring break for many schools within the county, but many baseball teams in the area will still be in action at what is a first-time event.
Rochester, Stoney Creek, Madison Heights Bishop Foley and Madison Heights Lamphere High Schools will be hosting a special spring break baseball tournament that'll feature many county teams who will play round-robin games on Monday and Wednesday. Ultimately, there'll be a championship game held at 4:30 p.m. next Saturday at Oakland University.
This is a great sight to Kosmo, who wishes there could be an annual Oakland County baseball tournament at some point in the spring. This is the closest thing to that, and will be a great way for teams to open up the season. A big matchup to watch will be on Wednesday, when Lake Orion plays at Madison Heights Lamphere at 3 p.m. in what should be a game between two of the area's best teams this spring.