This story was originally published in LSJ’s June magazine. To see the PDF version, click here.
By Nate Thompson
LocalSportsJournal.com
Dave Sherman had a strong inkling that Emma Herremans was going to be a special player even when she was just scratching the surface of her potential in middle school.
“I’m not going to lie, usually I don’t spend a lot of time watching or scouting kids in youth sports,” Sherman said. “But with Emma, I remember seeing her as a seventh-grader and hitting some shots at Conklin Park that hit the roof at the ice skating park. So yeah, even back then, you had an idea she had a chance to be special.”
Maybe her hitting skills were developed even years earlier when she hacked away as a kid at the training toy Better Batter Baseball with her dad, Scott Herremans.
Hey, it’s never too early to develop crucial hand-eye coordination.
Now more than a decade later, Herremans, the daughter of Scott and Marie Herremans, is in the closing stretch of a brilliant four-year career at Ravenna High School, one in which saw her hit at least .570 all four seasons. Amazingly, opposing pitchers have only been able to strike her out 15 times in four seasons.
Herremans takes a cut during the Division 3 state semifinals. Photo/Tim Reilly
More importantly to Herremans, she’s been a part of four-straight district championships and some incredible postseason runs. The Bulldogs were eliminated in the regional finals in 2022, reached the state semifinals in 2023, advanced to the quarterfinals a year ago. and made it back to Michigan State University’s Secchia Stadium on June 14 in this year’s Division 3 semifinals. The Bulldogs had to stomach another difficutl loss in the semifinals, this time a 2-1 heartbreaker to Clare.
While Herremans and her team had dreamed of a state title, the four years of achievements gave a little more a perspective to the adversity along the way. Herremans had to overcome a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her knee that cost her a good chunk of her junior season and required surgery and grueling rehab before she could return to the field.
Having the game taken away from her for several months has been the fuel to Herreman’s quest of leading the Bulldogs on another deep tournament run. But the Ravenna community has been key in carrying this team along the way too.
“With all the challenges and adversity this team has gone through, with injuries and changing positions, we’ve had so much community support these last four years, it is just so special.”
Herremans makes a throw from third base during the Division state semifinals. Photo/Jason Goorman
Ravenna took its first step in the postseason on May 29 and 31, when it got past Newaygo, 8-4, and steamrolled Kent City, 10-0, to win the district championship.
The challengers at Saturday’s regional tournament were met with more success with impressive victories over Central Montcalm and Grandville Calvin Christian. That gave the Bulldogs another regional title.
“This (district title) is the most special because it’s my last one with this team,” Herremans said. “It’s been amazing to be a part of four district championships. But this group has worked really hard in the off-season, both individually and we’d get groups of four together to do workouts.”
Herremans said before the season started, every player on the squad listed both a team and personal goal on a note card.
“Every single one said ‘Make it back to Secchia,’ Herremans recalled. “We made it to the quarterfinals last year and we all know what this team is made of and where we want to be.”
The Bulldogs were one win shy of Secchia a year ago, as they lost to Buchanan, 3-1, in the quarterfinals with Herremans stuck in the dugout. She suffered her torn ACL during the GMAA city tournament weeks prior.
Facing Reeths-Puffer ace pitcher Lainey McDaniel, Herremans pulled a ball that landed just foul in the outfield. While racing to first and keeping an eye on if the ball had landed fair or foul, Herremans accidentally locked legs with the Rockets’ first baseball, causing her knee to twist awkwardly.
“I felt a pop,” Herremans said. “And when I tried to get back up, my leg just gave out on me.”
In her true unselfish manner, Herremans said she was torn that Ravenna dedicated the rest of the season in her honor. Her teammates brought balloons to her house following her surgery on May 30, 2024.
“It was really sweet, but I also didn’t want them to think it was just about me, because it’s the whole team,” she said. “But I realized I had to step up and become more of a cheerleader. I still was at every practice and tried to help out the girls any way I could.”
Her next challenge was rehabbing the knee with physical therapist Nate Rosel at The Center for Physical Rehabilitation in Belmont. The initial two months involved mobility and strength exercises, as well as a practice called stem cell therapy, which involved injecting concentrated stem cells into the injured ligament. This process helps reduce inflammation, promotes tissue repair and blood vessel formation and overall, speeds up the recovery process.
Sure enough, after nine months of work, which included going to the rehab center twice weekly during the final stages, Herremans was cleared to get back onto the softball field a month early. She still relies on injury prevention stretches and wears a knee brace during action.
Herremans admitted that early on, the thought of re-injuring her knee crossed her mind, especially when rounding the bases, but any hesitation surely hasn’t slowed her down on the field.
Sherman admits that she rarely sees multiple good pitches to hit during her at-bats, and that might be why she’s hitting a career-low .573 batting average this spring.
“There was a doubleheader earlier this year when I walked five times,” Herremans said with a laugh. “At some point, I think I’m being too selective, and I shouldn’t be as picky. But I know I should stay patient and wait for my pitch to hit.”
But Herremans is still on pace to come close to her career-best of 73 runs batted in, which she tallied as a sophomore. Through the regular season this year, she had 53 RBIs, scored 44 runs and hit a career-best nine home runs.
Photo/Tim Reilly
“I’d label her as the best hitter in the area, not just power hitter,” Sherman said. “She was hitting .717 when she got injured last year.”
Added Bulldogs’ assistant coach and statistician Penny Sherman: “Not only that, but she’s just a great kid. She’s taken on a huge leadership role. She’s more likely to lead by example, but she’s also a positive role model. She shows the younger kids the right way to do things, but in a respective way.”
Aside from her hitting prowess, Sherman said Herremans is also outstanding with the glove. With her range and tremendous throwing arm at third base, Sherman said she eliminates the opposing team’s ability to play small ball, as she can simply mow down any hitters’ bunt or slap attempts. Combine that with Ravenna’s two outstanding pitchers in senior Addison Gillard and sophomore Natalie Rosel, and the Bulldogs are keen at keeping opposing bats silent.
Emma also was a vital part of the Bulldog bowling team that captured a state championship this past season.
When faced with the decision on which school she wanted to continue her softball career at the next level, Herremans said it was an easy choice. She’ll be joining Gillard at Ferris State University, and the duo will also rekindle with former teammate, Ravenna grad Emma Gillard, a sophomore middle infielder for Ferris.
“Ferris always felt like home to me,” Herremans said. “I was way more comfortable with the coaching staff and all of the players than any other school. Plus, it’s closer to home, so my friends and family can watch me play more often.”
Ferris State has a local feel on its coaching staff as well, as Jake Schumann and his wife Sharon, are the head coach and associate head coaches. The duo coached at Oakridge in 2020 and 2021 before longtime coach Joe Colletta returned in 2022.
That reunion in Big Rapids will cap a vision started by both the Herreman and Gillard families.
“When we were younger, this group of girls all started playing together,” Emma Herremans explained. “My dad and Coach (Mike) Gillard all got us into travel ball and I think that’s a big reason why we’ve been so successful now.”
Herremans always took it a step further, playing on regional-based teams with players often a year older than she was, such as the Rockford Crush and West Michigan Sabercats. She also traveled to tournaments nationwide with the squad OC Batbusters Michigan.
And the success shouldn’t slow down in Ravenna with Emma Herremans and Addison Gillard departing, although Sherman said they’ll be very difficult to replace.
Ravenna’s roster had nearly double-digit freshmen or sophomores, including Herreman’s younger sister Reese, a first-team all-conference selection.
“She’s better than me than when I was a sophomore,” Emma said.
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