By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
After two seasons as one of the top softball players in the Mid-American Conference, Carly Sleeman says she’s ready for new challenges.
The 2023 Zeeland West High School graduate, who was a first team All-MAC selection as a catcher this past season at Central Michigan University, has announced that she is transferring to the University of Kentucky for the final two seasons of her collegiate career.
Sleeman is coming off a season that saw her break the CMU single-season record for RBIs with 50 and tie the school record for most home runs in a season with 17, while starting every one of the Chippewas’ 51 games behind the plate.
“Honestly, it was a really hard decision (to enter the transfer portal),” Sleeman said in an interview with the Zeeland Record. “It had nothing to do with Central itself. I absolutely loved it there. My coaches were great – they helped me improve as a player, as a person. My teammates are some of my best friends, and honestly, everything was so amazing. But my goals are to play professionally and to be in the Olympics in 2028. With that, it’s a lot harder to achieve those goals coming from a mid-major school … I’m really excited about it. It was my dream to play in the (Southeastern Conference), and now here we are.”
Sleeman decided to enter the transfer portal in mid-May, and was immediately inundated with interest from Division I colleges around the country. She was contacted by more than 40 schools, and narrowed her search to three. In addition to Kentucky, she also visited the University of Notre Dame and the University of Missouri.
Ultimately, Sleeman said her decision came down to Kentucky’s interest in her as a whole person, not just as a softball player.
“Their coaches, right away from the get-go, were talking to me about my family. They were asking about my nieces,” she said. “They’re asking me about why I started playing softball in the first place, stuff like that, which really means a lot to me, because I’m not coming to you just to play softball for you. I want you to actually care about me in the long term. They have this (mantra) at Kentucky called ‘Four for 40’ – you have four years there (to prepare you) for 40 years for life afterwards.”
Sleeman put together an impressive track record in her short stay in Mt. Pleasant. In her freshman season last year, she started all 50 games for CMU, hitting .276 with four home runs and a team-leading 30 RBIs. She also led the team in hits with 45 and doubles with 19, while she threw out 13 runners on the basepaths.
This spring, Sleeman led the Chippewas in nearly every statistical category and was up among the MAC leaders in multiple offensive categories. Her 50 RBIs broke the previous school record of 47, first set by Molly Coldren in 2012 and then equaled by Shannon Stein in 2022. Her 17 homers tied Stein’s single-season record, also set in 2022. She ranked second in the MAC in both home runs and RBIs. She also hit .373 and had a slugging percentage of .737 (ranking second in the MAC) and an OPS (on-base + slugging percentage) of 1.238 (second in the MAC). In addition, she threw out 16 runners attempting to steal.
Sleeman also excelled in the classroom, earning both Academic All-MAC and Academic All-District honors with a 3.74 grade point average.
The daughter of Matt and Deb Sleeman, Carly Sleeman plans to study human communications at Kentucky with an emphasis on sports communications.
Zeeland Record
After two seasons as one of the top softball players in the Mid-American Conference, Carly Sleeman says she’s ready for new challenges.
The 2023 Zeeland West High School graduate, who was a first team All-MAC selection as a catcher this past season at Central Michigan University, has announced that she is transferring to the University of Kentucky for the final two seasons of her collegiate career.
Sleeman is coming off a season that saw her break the CMU single-season record for RBIs with 50 and tie the school record for most home runs in a season with 17, while starting every one of the Chippewas’ 51 games behind the plate.
“Honestly, it was a really hard decision (to enter the transfer portal),” Sleeman said in an interview with the Zeeland Record. “It had nothing to do with Central itself. I absolutely loved it there. My coaches were great – they helped me improve as a player, as a person. My teammates are some of my best friends, and honestly, everything was so amazing. But my goals are to play professionally and to be in the Olympics in 2028. With that, it’s a lot harder to achieve those goals coming from a mid-major school … I’m really excited about it. It was my dream to play in the (Southeastern Conference), and now here we are.”
Sleeman decided to enter the transfer portal in mid-May, and was immediately inundated with interest from Division I colleges around the country. She was contacted by more than 40 schools, and narrowed her search to three. In addition to Kentucky, she also visited the University of Notre Dame and the University of Missouri.
Ultimately, Sleeman said her decision came down to Kentucky’s interest in her as a whole person, not just as a softball player.
“Their coaches, right away from the get-go, were talking to me about my family. They were asking about my nieces,” she said. “They’re asking me about why I started playing softball in the first place, stuff like that, which really means a lot to me, because I’m not coming to you just to play softball for you. I want you to actually care about me in the long term. They have this (mantra) at Kentucky called ‘Four for 40’ – you have four years there (to prepare you) for 40 years for life afterwards.”
Sleeman put together an impressive track record in her short stay in Mt. Pleasant. In her freshman season last year, she started all 50 games for CMU, hitting .276 with four home runs and a team-leading 30 RBIs. She also led the team in hits with 45 and doubles with 19, while she threw out 13 runners on the basepaths.
This spring, Sleeman led the Chippewas in nearly every statistical category and was up among the MAC leaders in multiple offensive categories. Her 50 RBIs broke the previous school record of 47, first set by Molly Coldren in 2012 and then equaled by Shannon Stein in 2022. Her 17 homers tied Stein’s single-season record, also set in 2022. She ranked second in the MAC in both home runs and RBIs. She also hit .373 and had a slugging percentage of .737 (ranking second in the MAC) and an OPS (on-base + slugging percentage) of 1.238 (second in the MAC). In addition, she threw out 16 runners attempting to steal.
Sleeman also excelled in the classroom, earning both Academic All-MAC and Academic All-District honors with a 3.74 grade point average.
The daughter of Matt and Deb Sleeman, Carly Sleeman plans to study human communications at Kentucky with an emphasis on sports communications.
Central
Michigan’s Carly Sleeman rounds second and heads to third during a game
against Western Michigan this past season. Sleeman, a 2023 Zeeland West
High School graduate who received All-Mid-American Conference honors
this season, has announced that she is transferring to the University of
Kentucky for the last two seasons of her college career.
Photo by Lauren Verellen/Central Michigan University Athletic Communications
East’s Thome Named All-State in Baseball
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Recent Zeeland East graduate Quincy Thome finished his high school baseball career on a high note as he was named first team Division 1 All-State by the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association.
Thome, an infielder, was named to the 23-man All-State first team after a season that saw him hit .540 in leading the Chix to a 22-11 record and a second-place finish in the O-K Black Conference.
Thome had 67 hits on the season, including five doubles and five triples, had 20 RBIs and scored 42 runs. He struck out just three times in 124 at-bats, and was also was a threat on the basepaths, stealing 19 bases without being thrown out all season.
But to East coach Matt Sattler, Thome’s value to his team went way beyond numbers.
“Quincy is the epitome of what a teammate is. He never cared about his own statistics or accolades, he only wanted to win,” Sattler said. “He moved out of position to play shortstop for us this year because we needed him there. He also moved out of the 3-hole to lead off for us because we needed our best hitter to set the table.”
Sattler called Thome “as selfless as a player as I have ever coached,” and cited his ability to get the bat on the ball consistently.
“He is a tough out and almost always hits the ball hard somewhere,” Sattler said. “It doesn't matter if it's 65 or 95 mph, he finds a way to get the barrel to the baseball. We will miss Quincy and his production a great deal, but we will miss the person and teammate even more. We can't wait to watch him continue to grow and succeed at the next level.”
Thome, who also was a starting lineman in football and a valuable contributor off the bench in basketball for the Chix during his senior year, will attend Muskegon Community College in the fall.
Zeeland Record
Recent Zeeland East graduate Quincy Thome finished his high school baseball career on a high note as he was named first team Division 1 All-State by the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association.
Thome, an infielder, was named to the 23-man All-State first team after a season that saw him hit .540 in leading the Chix to a 22-11 record and a second-place finish in the O-K Black Conference.
Thome had 67 hits on the season, including five doubles and five triples, had 20 RBIs and scored 42 runs. He struck out just three times in 124 at-bats, and was also was a threat on the basepaths, stealing 19 bases without being thrown out all season.
But to East coach Matt Sattler, Thome’s value to his team went way beyond numbers.
“Quincy is the epitome of what a teammate is. He never cared about his own statistics or accolades, he only wanted to win,” Sattler said. “He moved out of position to play shortstop for us this year because we needed him there. He also moved out of the 3-hole to lead off for us because we needed our best hitter to set the table.”
Sattler called Thome “as selfless as a player as I have ever coached,” and cited his ability to get the bat on the ball consistently.
“He is a tough out and almost always hits the ball hard somewhere,” Sattler said. “It doesn't matter if it's 65 or 95 mph, he finds a way to get the barrel to the baseball. We will miss Quincy and his production a great deal, but we will miss the person and teammate even more. We can't wait to watch him continue to grow and succeed at the next level.”
Thome, who also was a starting lineman in football and a valuable contributor off the bench in basketball for the Chix during his senior year, will attend Muskegon Community College in the fall.
Wyckoff Named to All-State Softball Team
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Madison Wyckoff had a big season this year, both as a pitcher and as a hitter, for the Zeeland West varsity softball team.
Wyckoff, a recent West graduate who will continue her career next year at Saginaw Valley State University, has been named a first team Division 1 All-State selection by the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association.
Wyckoff led the Dux to a 22-10 record this season and a runnerup finish in the O-K Black Conference.
As a pitcher, Wyckoff put together a 12-3 record with an earned run average of 1.44. She struck out 160 batters over 97 innings. She allowed just 82 hits and walked 25 batters on the season.
Among Wyckoff’s pitching victories this season was a complete-game six-hitter against defending Division 1 state champion Hudsonville on April 23. She struck out eight and walked two in the game, and also went 4-for-5 at the plate that included a two-run double as the Dux routed the Eagles, 10-1, to snap Hudsonville’s 48-game winning streak. She also had 14 strikeouts in a shutout of Holland Christian May 19.
At the plate, Wyckoff hit .475 with an on-base percentage of .529 and a slugging percentage of .737. She had 56 hits, including 14 doubles, four triples and three home runs. She drove in 29 runs and scored 49.
Zeeland Record
Madison Wyckoff had a big season this year, both as a pitcher and as a hitter, for the Zeeland West varsity softball team.
Wyckoff, a recent West graduate who will continue her career next year at Saginaw Valley State University, has been named a first team Division 1 All-State selection by the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association.
Wyckoff led the Dux to a 22-10 record this season and a runnerup finish in the O-K Black Conference.
As a pitcher, Wyckoff put together a 12-3 record with an earned run average of 1.44. She struck out 160 batters over 97 innings. She allowed just 82 hits and walked 25 batters on the season.
Among Wyckoff’s pitching victories this season was a complete-game six-hitter against defending Division 1 state champion Hudsonville on April 23. She struck out eight and walked two in the game, and also went 4-for-5 at the plate that included a two-run double as the Dux routed the Eagles, 10-1, to snap Hudsonville’s 48-game winning streak. She also had 14 strikeouts in a shutout of Holland Christian May 19.
At the plate, Wyckoff hit .475 with an on-base percentage of .529 and a slugging percentage of .737. She had 56 hits, including 14 doubles, four triples and three home runs. She drove in 29 runs and scored 49.
Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Protect Student-Athletes’ NIL Rights
State Rep. Joe Tate, a Democrat from Detroit, has introduced legislation to safeguard the rights of college athletes in Michigan to earn compensation for the use of their name, image and likeness (NIL) — free from undue interference by universities or athletic governing bodies.
“Student athletes deserve the same basic rights as any other student — the ability to profit from their own talent, image and effort,” said Tate, a former football student-athlete at Michigan State University. “I’ve lived the student-athlete experience. I know the dedication, sacrifices and challenges that come with balancing academics, athletics and personal growth.
My legislation guarantees student athletes can pursue those opportunities without fear of punishment from their schools or sports organizations.”
House Bill 4643 ensures that postsecondary educational institutions and athletic organizations cannot prevent student athletes from receiving compensation for their NIL rights. The bill also prohibits penalties, restrictions or retaliatory actions against athletes, agents, institutions or third parties engaging in legal NIL activities.
Tate’s bill would:
• Prohibit colleges and universities from enforcing any rule that limits a student’s right to earn NIL compensation.
• Ban athletic associations or conferences from retaliating against athletes, agents, institutions or third parties involved in NIL agreements.
• Challenge the legality of third-party NIL approval processes that limit market-based compensation.
“This policy to amend the current NIL law allows all universities in the state of Michigan to provide maximum financial opportunities for their student-athletes without any artificial cap placed on compensation. In addition, it gives these institutions the opportunity to compete at the highest level nationally,” said Dr. Thomas Dieters, board president of Charitable Gift America (CGA).
The CGA has written more than 1,000 NIL contracts with students across the state over the past four years.
The legislation comes on the heels of a major national legal development. On June 6, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved a $2.8 billion class-action settlement in the case of House v. NCAA. While this landmark decision ends one chapter of NCAA control over athlete compensation, it introduces new bureaucratic hurdles and raises serious concerns about fairness and transparency.
“Representative Tate’s legislation provides robust protections and freedoms for Michigan college athletes to earn NIL money from their institutions, NIL collectives and other third parties. It creates key standards for athlete agents to protect athletes from bad and negligent actors while ensuring transparency in NIL contracts for all parties,” said Ramogi Huma, Executive Director for the National College Players Association.
At its core, the bill recognizes NIL as a matter of economic fairness. While universities and athletic programs generate millions in revenue, the athletes themselves often receive nothing beyond scholarships. This legislation works to ensure that those contributing to that success are not shut out of the economic opportunities they help create.
“As athletes, we want to maximize our market value without having to be concerned about falling under a cap. Only about one percent of athletes will ever play in college, and a fraction of those will play professionally. While it is always the goal to play at the next level, we need to ensure that we are setting ourselves up for success when our playing days are over,” said Buru Naivalurua, a member of the men’s basketball team at Oakland University.
“This gives Michigan the chance to be a leader in college athletics. By removing the cap, the state is saying it believes in its student-athletes and wants to create an environment where we can thrive. That kind of support attracts talented athletes who want to be part of something special, which makes our programs stronger,” said Joseph Dzierwa, Big Ten baseball pitcher of the year this spring at MSU.
“Student athletes deserve the same basic rights as any other student — the ability to profit from their own talent, image and effort,” said Tate, a former football student-athlete at Michigan State University. “I’ve lived the student-athlete experience. I know the dedication, sacrifices and challenges that come with balancing academics, athletics and personal growth.
My legislation guarantees student athletes can pursue those opportunities without fear of punishment from their schools or sports organizations.”
House Bill 4643 ensures that postsecondary educational institutions and athletic organizations cannot prevent student athletes from receiving compensation for their NIL rights. The bill also prohibits penalties, restrictions or retaliatory actions against athletes, agents, institutions or third parties engaging in legal NIL activities.
Tate’s bill would:
• Prohibit colleges and universities from enforcing any rule that limits a student’s right to earn NIL compensation.
• Ban athletic associations or conferences from retaliating against athletes, agents, institutions or third parties involved in NIL agreements.
• Challenge the legality of third-party NIL approval processes that limit market-based compensation.
“This policy to amend the current NIL law allows all universities in the state of Michigan to provide maximum financial opportunities for their student-athletes without any artificial cap placed on compensation. In addition, it gives these institutions the opportunity to compete at the highest level nationally,” said Dr. Thomas Dieters, board president of Charitable Gift America (CGA).
The CGA has written more than 1,000 NIL contracts with students across the state over the past four years.
The legislation comes on the heels of a major national legal development. On June 6, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken approved a $2.8 billion class-action settlement in the case of House v. NCAA. While this landmark decision ends one chapter of NCAA control over athlete compensation, it introduces new bureaucratic hurdles and raises serious concerns about fairness and transparency.
“Representative Tate’s legislation provides robust protections and freedoms for Michigan college athletes to earn NIL money from their institutions, NIL collectives and other third parties. It creates key standards for athlete agents to protect athletes from bad and negligent actors while ensuring transparency in NIL contracts for all parties,” said Ramogi Huma, Executive Director for the National College Players Association.
At its core, the bill recognizes NIL as a matter of economic fairness. While universities and athletic programs generate millions in revenue, the athletes themselves often receive nothing beyond scholarships. This legislation works to ensure that those contributing to that success are not shut out of the economic opportunities they help create.
“As athletes, we want to maximize our market value without having to be concerned about falling under a cap. Only about one percent of athletes will ever play in college, and a fraction of those will play professionally. While it is always the goal to play at the next level, we need to ensure that we are setting ourselves up for success when our playing days are over,” said Buru Naivalurua, a member of the men’s basketball team at Oakland University.
“This gives Michigan the chance to be a leader in college athletics. By removing the cap, the state is saying it believes in its student-athletes and wants to create an environment where we can thrive. That kind of support attracts talented athletes who want to be part of something special, which makes our programs stronger,” said Joseph Dzierwa, Big Ten baseball pitcher of the year this spring at MSU.
