By: Jonathan Szczepaniak | Grosse Pointe Times | Published July 27, 2022
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — While the first-round exit in the playoffs wasn’t what University Liggett School was hoping for, the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association brought a sense of accomplishment in the offseason.
Liggett’s Kurt Barr Jr., Matthew Greene and Jarren Purify were named first team all-State for Division III. Barr and Greene were seniors, while Purify was a junior.
Barr, a University of Michigan commit, led Liggett on the mound with a 7-2 record, a 1.30 ERA and 81 strikeouts in just 49 innings of work. The right-hander holds a four-pitch arsenal containing a fastball, slider, curve and changeup.
“Recently, I’ve been focusing more on trying to attack inside with my fastball and establishing to hitters that I can locate that pitch for a strike wherever I want it,” Barr said. “I try to let the off-speed, specifically the slider, play off my fastball.”
Barr now holds back-to-back first team all-state honors, including a Dream Team selection in his 2021 season. Barr was named academic all-state for the 2022 season, as well.
Joining Barr at Michigan is outfielder Matthew Greene, who also earned academic all-state honors this season. Liggett held the highest team grade-point average in the state at a 3.96 with Barr, Greene, junior Jake Martin, junior Ryan Jones and junior Neil Murphy all earning academic all-state honors.
Greene, who plans to walk-on at Michigan, was a second team all-state selection last season who was offensively consistent this year for Liggett. Greene hit .428 with 21 RBIs and 10 doubles in 2022.
“I’m an aggressive hitter,” Greene said. “Usually when I’m up in the count, I always look for hittable pitches to smash. Down in the count, my only priority is to put the bat on the baseball.”
Alongside Greene on the offensive front was back-to-back first team all-state selection Purify.
The starting shortstop had a balanced attack on both sides of the field, hitting .420 with 33 hits from the leadoff spot.
Purify was a threat on the basepaths, swiping 16 bags and scoring 33 runs on the year.
Purify said his improvement in the field was something that he prided himself on.
“My fielding is very advanced, and I have lots of arm strength and range,” Purify said.
Purify committed to the University of Clemson on July 20 to continue his baseball career.
Starting junior catcher Oscar Service, a University of Texas commit, earned second team all-state honors. Service hit .375 with 30 hits and 21 RBIs from the catcher position and will play alongside Purify next year as Liggett looks to place last year’s ending in the rearview mirror.
“We are more locked-in than ever,” Purify said. “We were knocked off this past season by Detroit Edison, and it humbled the team a bit. Our incoming seniors are focused on one job now, and it’s to win another state championship.”