Ty Marzean
WKTV Contributor
Lee baseball coach Ty Emelander has been roaming the dugout at Stubby Overmire Field for the last 20 seasons.
The 2024 season marked his final year leading the baseball program at his alma mater.
Emelander took on the head coaching role in the winter of 2004, becoming the third coach in three years.
“It was my dream job,” Emelander said. “I applied at Rogers, and the Lee coach applied as well. So when they gave him the job, I was happy about it. My first call was to Denny Groendyke, the school board president. I was excited I had a chance to go back to my old school, where I wanted to be anyway.”
The Lee baseball program quickly changed under his leadership, as the former Rebels participated in their first spring trip down south to Georgetown, Kentucky, in his first season.
“The first trip down south was Denny Groendyke and John TerBeek wanting to jump-start the baseball program. We raised some funds, but the school board was very supportive and helped us with that first trip.”
A district title in his first season
Emelander’s first season ended with a district title, thanks to a promising young core and only two departing seniors.
“The first day we worked out in the gym, I knew we had some talent. I was told that might not be the case, but we did.”
The 2024 Legends finished the season with a 5-17 record, during which Emelander achieved his 300th career win as a head baseball coach.
“We were about there sometimes, but we just couldn’t get over the hump. I really enjoyed this team.”
Former player Harrison Yang became a standout pitcher under Emelander from 2010 to 2013.
“Coach Ty was/is the most important male role model I had growing up,” Yang explained. “It was God’s grace that he was placed in my life, and it was God’s grace that I had such an incredible man to look up to, whom I saw as another father figure. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give to Coach Ty is the simple promise that the future generations of my family has been undoubtedly changed thanks to him and his wonderful obedience to the Lord. I owe much of who I am today to that man, and now my children will also reap the great lessons I’ve learned from Coach Ty as a result.”
Emelander said that’s kind of him because he has a great father.
“Harrison is a great kid,” Emelander said. “Harrison is the perfect example of a Lee kid that I watched grow up. I loved coaching him. He was the type of kid who would say, ‘Yes, coach,’ and try as hard as he could.”
From 2008 to 2015, Lee consistently achieved a top-10 state ranking each season and placed second in the OK Silver multiple times.
“In 2008, we had a great team; we went to the regional finals and took second in the conference, but Allendale was state runner-up that year,” Emelander said. “We could just never capitalize; the conference was always strong.”
Decades before taking control of the Lee baseball program, Emelander was a catcher on the 1978-1980 teams. The Rebels picked up a district title his senior year.
“We went 16-5 my senior year, but we lost the regional finals on a walk-off home run against Lansing Catholic Central,” he explained.
All in the family
The Godfrey-Lee community runs deep in the Emelanders’ blood. Cyrus and Amanda, both of Emelander’s children, played at Lee.
“I never coached Cyrus until high school, and I always let others coach him,” Emelander said. “It wasn’t hard for me to coach him, but it was probably harder for him, not wanting to think he was being favored because he was the coach’s son.”
Daughter Amanda in the softball record books
Emelander’s daughter, Amanda, holds the top spot in Michigan with home runs in five consecutive at-bats and is second in the nation.
“She’s all over the state record books,” Emelander said. “They won three consecutive conference titles. Amanda is arguably the best softball player in school history.
“My kids had to share their dad with a lot of other kids growing up. I know they enjoyed it, though, and we don’t have any regrets.”
Also a Lee football coach for a time
Emelander became the head coach of the Lee varsity football team in 2012 after the program had hired head coaches in each of the previous three seasons. During that time, the Lee football program also started a youth league, with as many as 50 elementary players participating in the program.
Emelander has raised over $200,000 in 18 years
Emelander’s impact on the Lee community is far-reaching as he’s raised over $200,000 in 18 years for the baseball program through the “Stubby Overmire” Sports Card Show and Silent Auction.
While coming up through the Detroit Tigers farm system, two-time Cy Young winner and 1968 World Series pitcher Denny McLain was coached by former Lee High School graduate Frank “Stubby” Overmire.
Emelander started the annual fundraiser with a couple calls to former players of Overmire and then came The Call.
“Denny McLain called me up and wanted to come and I didn’t even know it was him,” Emelander said. “I thought it was one of my friends just joking around with me on the phone. Denny was a huge part of getting this event going and keeping it rolling. One day alone in the past he signed over 400 autographs, and has often signed over 200 at our events. And he does it all for free.”
For the entire Stubby Overmire fundraising story, click here.
Emelander finishes his time at Lee with 227 wins over 18 varsity seasons, losing one season to COVID-19 and one in which Lee only fielded a JV team. Before coming to Lee, Emelander collected 74 wins in five seasons as head coach at Creston High School.
“So many people have helped me along the way; it’s such a long list; if I start naming them, I know I’d forget a few,” Emelander said. “I had a great time at Lee and will always pull for the Legends.
“I was a player, coach, a parent, and now I’ll be a fan.”
