James Bourque grew 3 inches and put on 15 pounds in between his junior and senior baseball seasons at Huron High School.

Going from 6-foot-1 to 6-foot-4 certainly made him more attractive to college coaches. Adding 10 mph onto his fastball sealed the deal.

On Thursday, University of Michigan baseball coach Rich Maloney announced that Bourque -- a right-handed pitcher -- would be the 11th member of the Wolverines’ 2011-12 recruit class.

"James was an outstanding student as well as an athlete in high school," Maloney said in a statement on Thursday. "He is a late bloomer that we've really made our living on. In my 16 years of coaching, he fits the bill as much as any of the other guys who have ended up being successful for us.”

Bourque was 5-8, 150 pounds prior to his junior year in high school. He was 6-1 by the time last season began.

"I was taller, but my arm hadn't quite caught up to my body," Bourque said. "This summer my velocity caught up, and I kept growing."

Michigan first showed interest in Bourque in November. He chose the Wolverines over Notre Dame.

"Michigan was always at the top. I looked into some to some others, but growing up close to downtown, I knew it's where I wanted to be," Bourque said.

In a tough Southeastern Conference, Bourque’s numbers on the season weren’t spectacular. He had 41 strikeouts to 19 walks in 42.1 innings with a 3.97 ERA. He was 1-5 as a starter with a save, but Huron coach Terry Bigham said the statistics don’t do Bourque justice.

“We were very young, he kept us in games that, to be honest with you, we wouldn’t have been in otherwise,” Bigham said. Huron was 13-18 on the season. “He throws three pitches, and he throws them all for strikes.”

Bigham thinks that Bourque’s changeup -- which contrasts his high 80’s fastball -- will be more effective against college-level hitters because most high school hitters don’t catch up to the fastball and benefit from the dial down in velocity.

“He’s still a bit raw,” Bigham said. “But as he learns more how to pitch, finds out what his out-pitch is, I think he can be real successful.

Bourque is one of two local players, along with Father Gabriel Richard’s Donnie Eaton, to sign with the 2011-12 class and joins other former Ann Arbor area players currently on the roster Sam Cleary (Huron) and Bobby Brosnahan (Pioneer). Pioneer junior shortstop Travis Maezes has made a verbal commitment to Michigan for next year.

THIRD TIME THE CHARM?

For the third time this school year, a stick-wielding girls team from Pioneer High School will vie for a state championship. Pioneer -- which finished runner up in field hockey in the fall, and ice hockey in the winter - will take on Brighton on Saturday at Troy Athens High School for the Division 1 MHSAA state championship.

Brighton (15-5-1) ousted the Pioneers (18-3) from the playoffs last year in the regional semifinals and eventually lost in the state championship game to Rockford. Pioneer defeated Rockford 15-14 on Wednesday in the semifinals to book the school’s first trip to the state championship game since finishing runner up in 2007. “We haven’t played Brighton this year, but like the last few games, I expect it to be back and forth and come down to the last possession,” said Pioneer coach Zach Maghes. “It’ll be a tight one.”

Rachel Freeman scored the game-winning goal against Rockford, one of her six in the game, while fellow senior Emy Guttman -- the only Pioneer player who was a member of both the field and ice hockey teams -- scored four.

Maghes expects Guttman and Freeman to play a huge role in Saturday’s outcome.

Though the scores of Pioneer’s last two wins - Pioneer beat South Lyon 12-11 in overtime of the regional championship/state quarterfinal game on Saturday - doesn’t suggest defense has played a huge role in the Pioneers’ success, Maghes said that’s not the case. Maghes said that Pioneer goalie Yoojin Chang made saves on the last three shots attempted by Rockford on Wednesday, and several in overtime on Saturday.

He expects her to play a big role against Brighton as well.

The finals will be broadcast live on MHSAA.tv and FoxSportsDetroit.com at 4:30 p.m. There will be a separate audio stream available at MHSAANetwork.com.

FINDING THEIR A-GAME

Pioneer girls soccer coach Lumumba Shabazz didn’t think his team was at its best in a scoreless draw with Saline on Tuesday, May 24. The Pioneers took advantage of a chance at redemption Wednesday, defeating Saline, 2-1, in the regional semifinals at Dearborn Edsel Ford.

“To be honest, we felt that game against Saline it was pretty washed out as well as our play,” Shabazz said of the rain-soaked regular-season finale. “Our girls were ready to go home, hoping it would get canceled. (Wednesday) there was a more business-like attitude.”

The Pioneers’ defense has been a strong point all year, but so far this playoffs, they’ve added a crucial finishing touch up top. Senior Megan Schectman has provided the link at midfield to tie it all together.

“She’s that kid that does more of everything, does just about everything we ask of her,” Shabazz said of Schectman who stepped out of her usual role as a distributing midfielder to score on a 30-yard strike against Saline. Freshman Emily Turner had the other goal for Pioneer.

“It’s coming together at the right time, we have achieved a certain level of consistency the past three or four games,” said Shabazz.

Shabazz opted not to have his team stick around to scout its opponent in the late game on Wednesday after trudging through the 90-degree heat of a 5 p.m. kickoff.

“We didn’t mean (leaving) as a sign of disrespect, we just know if we can stay consistent with our own ideas, we can be successful, and we know any team that makes it this far is going to be a good squad,” Shabazz said.

The Pioneers will play Grosse Pointe South at 2 p.m. Saturday at Edsel Ford for a spot in the state semifinals.

Have a story to tell about a local high school team? Email petercunningham@annarbor.com or call the prep sports desk at 734-623-2565. Follow Pete Cunningham on Twitter @petcunningham.