June 2023 Issue of Varsity Monthly Thumb Magazine

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PROUD TO COVER HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS IN THE THUMB 

June 2023 | Volume 11 Issue 6 

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ON PACE

Owner Jason Parmenter 

Magazine Design Alyssa Buhl 

Photo Editor Kaitlin Gunsell 

Office Manager Brenda Tomlinson 

Regularly Contributing Photographers 

Kaitlin Gunsell - Kaitlin’s Klicks 

Jason Parmenter - Quad N Productions 

Mallory Hughes - Quad N Productions 

Jeff Caverly - Jeff Caverly Photography 

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Caro 

Lakers 

Cass City 

Kingston 

Sandusky 

Bad Axe 

Caro 

Reese 

Cass City 

North Branch 

Marlette 

Harbor Beach 

Mayville 

Akron-Fairgrove 

Deckerville 

CPS 

North Huron 

Peck 

Ubly 

Cros-Lex 

Bad Axe 

Vassar 

USA 

Owen-Gage 

Caseville 

Brown City 

Millington 

Caro 

Frankenmuth 

ON PACE 

COVER IMAGE: 

Lauren Martus from North Branch in BWAC Meet 

at Richmond on 5-23-23. 

Photo by Jason Parmenter 

This Spring Season has been on a 

frantic pace to get all of the events in with all of 

the weather delays at the beginning of the 

season. We have thoroughly enjoyed covering all 

of the different area athletes, and we are on track 

to get all of the varsity teams covered for our 27 

coverage schools. Thank you to our advertisers 

for helping to support our area athletes. Please 

be sure to thank those advertisers when you shop 

at their places of business. 

QR Code to 

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PLAYERS OF THE MONTH 

Athletes are selected as the Players of the Month for their athletic 

accomplishments, leadership roles, and community impact. 

AARON 

BOWER 

MARLETTE 

BASEBALL 

BROOKLYN 

COMPAU 

FRANKENMUTH 

SOFTBALL 

AARON BOWER IS PUTTING UP NUMBERS ON THE 

BASEBALL DIAMOND REMINISCENT OF A VIDEO GAME. 

BUT THIS IS REAL LIFE FOR THE MARLETTE JUNIOR. 

Through late May, Bower was batting a shade under .700, 

with no strike outs, 21 singles, seven 

doubles, three triples, two home runs 

and 32 RBI. His hitting prowess is so 

good, he’s drawn over a half dozen 

intentional walks. 

“He can hit for power, but when he 

needs to, he can get that single or 

double to drive in some runs,” said 

Marlette coach Dave Hayden. “I knew 

he would be a good hitter; I didn’t 

know it would be like that. It’s truly 

amazing to not strike out and always 

put the ball in play.” 

Added Hayden: “He works on his 

swing constantly. He loves baseball 

and he’s always working to improve. He loves the game so 

much; it’s not boring to him to hit off a tee for an hour and do 

the little things that make him better.” 

For good measure, Bower can get it done on the mound, as 

well. This season, he’s pitched a perfect game. 

Bower has played for the Red Raiders on varsity since he 

was a freshman, when he helped the program reach the final 

four. 

Despite being a junior, he’s the guy his teammates turn to. 

“His teammates feed off of him, he’s a good teammate,” 

Hayden said. “He’s a good guy, his teammates appreciate 

him. He helps the younger guys and works with all of them. 

He’s a humble guy, he’s a good dude, he really is.” 

ARTICLES BY PAUL ADAMS 

Photo Courtesy of Rummel Portrait Studios 

FROM A YOUNG AGE, FRANKENMUTH’S BROOKLYN 

COMPAU SEEMED DESTINED FOR GREAT THINGS. 

THROUGH TALENT AND MOST OF ALL DEDICATION AND 

HARD WORK, COMPAU HAS LEFT A LEGACY FOR THE 

EAGLES’ SOFTBALL PROGRAM. 

“When I went to the Frankenmuth program in 2010, she was 

playing youth softball, you could tell she could throw the ball,” 

said Frankenmuth coach Brad Walraven. “Her dad took her to 

the right people and it’s paid off.” 

The raw potential was always there for Compau, but she 

wasn’t satisfied performing off of God-given ability. “She didn’t 

get this way through talent alone. She 

worked very hard to get here,” Walraven 

said. “There were many weekends when 

her dad took her down to tournaments to 

get better. And we’ve reaped the rewards.” 

Through late May, Compau was striking 

out two batters per inning, while posting 

an ERA under 2.00. She gets it done at the 

plate, as well, hitting over .400, bringing 

power to the lead-off spot. 

For her efforts, she was rewarded with 

a scholarship to continue her career at 

Central Michigan University. 

Walraven has seen Compau transform as a pitcher. “I saw 

the leap of her becoming a really good pitcher her junior year,” 

he said. “She had a lot of strike outs and beat a lot of good 

teams. It just clicked for her and she’s picked up where she left 

off last year.” 

With Compau on the rubber, Frankenmuth plays with the 

confidence of a team that expects to make a deep run into 

June. 

“She’s our leader, we have that girl in the circle and it all starts 

there,” Walraven said. “Every time she’s in that circle, she gives 

us a chance to win. She’s a great person and I’m tickled pink 

that she’s on our team.” 

4 June 2023 CONTACT US AT 989-673-5826 VIEW FREE ONLINE AT WWW.VARSITYMONTHLYTHUMB.COM PURCHASE PRINTS AT WWW.MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM 

VIEW FREE ONLINE AT WWW.VARSITYMONTHLYTHUMB.COM PURCHASE PRINTS AT WWW.MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM CONTACT US AT 989-673-5826 June 2023 5

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Photography by Mallory Hughes 

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48 June 2023 CONTACT US AT 989-673-5826 VIEW FREE ONLINE AT WWW.VARSITYMONTHLYTHUMB.COM PURCHASE PRINTS AT WWW.MISPORTSPHOTOS.COM

June 2023 Issue of Varsity Monthly Thumb Magazine

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