After a decade of all-star games, I feel good saying the Michigan High School Softball Coaches Association on Wednesday put on some of the best I've covered in a while.
Back at Ranney Park for the first time since 2005, it picked the right venue -- and I'm not just saying it because it's a home park. Lansing's a natural for events like this because of its central location in the state, but the renovated Ranney is also just the right size to allow for a pretty full crowd for all four games.
Announcers continuously relayed notes on every player before at bats, taken from a program that included bios on every player in all four games. And there were plenty of presentations between innings to keep the day from becoming monotonous.
The mid-week game day is a great choice against the option of possibly getting more fans, but probably fewer players, on a weekend. But I'd suggest moving the game earlier in July, if not to the end of June. By now, high school fans are thinking more about the fall -- and seniors playing in these games are a month away from moving away to the schools of their respective choice.
High school sports editor 
