June 2023 Issue of Varsity Monthly Thumb Magazine

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
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