Our Mission
Huron Valley Athletic Complex is committed to providing an outstanding environment for entry level players all the way up to high level training.
Meet the Team
Huron Valley Athletic Complex Location
Nick Di Ponio is the current Head Baseball Coach of the nationally renowned Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Preparatory baseball team. This is Coach Di Ponio’s second stint at OLSM. Di Ponio previously served at the helm as Head Coach from 2005-2010. In his six previous seasons, Di Ponio led OLSM to six district titles, three regional titles, and State Runner-Up finishes in 2007 and 2009. Several of his former players went on to play college and professional baseball.
Di Ponio graduated from OLSM in 1998. He led the 1998 baseball team to its first state championship in school history. As a senior, he was named to the All-State Dream Team, and was an USA Today All-American honorable mention.
After high school, Di Ponio continued his baseball career at Oakland University where he finished with a career .339 batting average, and currently ranks in the top ten all time in several offensive categories. Following his collegiate career at Oakland, he played overseas in the Italian Professional Baseball League (Rovigo & San Marino Baseball Club) for four seasons. In 2002, he participated in the European Cup in Barcelona, Spain. Di Ponio also owns and operates the Huron Valley Athletic Complex (HVAC) in Milford, MI, and the West Oakland Wings (WOW) travel baseball and softball program.
Coach Matt is a 2002 graduate of Livonia Churchill High School. While at Livonia Churchill he was a 3-year starting shortstop and pitcher. As a senior, he was named to the All-Conference team and was named team MVP. After high school, Coach Matt continued his baseball career at Madonna University, where he played shortstop and second base. Following his collegiate career at Madonna University, Coach Matt spent 11 years at the YMCA of Metro Detroit. He started out as a part time Sports Coordinator and grew that to a full time position, he also spent time as a Youth and Family Director and most recently as the Regional Director of Sports overseeing eight branches in total. Three and a half years out of the 11 were spent at the Carls Family YMCA in Milford. Coach Matt has run clinics, camps, programs and leagues for kids from the age of 3 to 18. He has experience coaching and running programs for basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, and baseball. He will also be coaching in the West Oakland Wings youth travel baseball program. Certified as a USA Baseball Coach.
Angela is a Graduate of Indiana University with a degree in Psychology and Business (Go Hoosiers!). She is also a lifelong sports fan and proud supporter of her 3 children’s sporting endeavors. Angela has worked in Human Resources, IT and started working in youth sports after watching her children develop a love for soccer. She began volunteering with the Huron Valley Soccer Club, as a board member, and later as treasurer. That eventually lead to the role of league administrator for the Huron Valley Travel Recreational Soccer league as well as assisting in administrative duties for the Huron Valley Jaguars Travel Soccer Program. Angela has also worked as a guest teacher in the Huron Valley District from 2015-2020. She continues to oversee the recreational soccer league now offered through the HV Athletic Complex. Angela manages our front desk, scheduling, marketing and tries to keep our office staff on task. She is passionate about the kids in our community having access to a variety of sports and is excited to be a part of the HV Athletic Complex team!
Pat graduated from Western Michigan University and played four seasons for the Broncos. He was then drafted in the 7th round by the San Francisco Giants. He has played over 14 seasons of professional baseball, parts of six seasons in the Major Leagues with the Giants and New York Mets. Also, making stops with the Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Miami Marlins, Santurce Cangrejeroes (Puerto Rico), Lamigo Monkeys (Taiwan), and Orix Buffaloes (Japan). His goal is to provide workouts and routines designed for each individuals needs and goals, develop habits to stay healthy and strong, create positive mindsets with mental training, help you understand how your pitches work, and help you reach your greatest potential.
Coach Lutz started his high school basketball coaching career in 1999 at Milford High School under Hall of Fame coach, Don Palmer. After spending 8 years as the Freshman and JV head coach, Lutz took over the Milford High School Boys’ Varsity position in 2007. In 2011 – 2012, he led his team to an 18 – 5 record, KLAA West Division championship and a #1 defensive ranking in the State of Michigan, per MaxPreps. In 2014 – 2015, as the Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach at Walled Lake Western, Lutz coached them to a 21 – 2 record, a KLAA North Division Championship, a KLAA Lakes Conference Championship and the KLAA Association Championship. After stepping down as the Boys’ Varsity Coach to spend more time coaching his own children’s teams, Lutz stayed on at Walled Lake Western as the Girls’ Varsity Assistant Coach. He and Coach Mike Stevenson (Associated Press Class A Coach of the Year), led the Lady Warriors to a 2017 KLAA North Division Championship, MHSAA District Championship and a Regional Finals appearance. Since 2017, Coach Lutz has partnered with Coach Brugger as the Director of Basketball at the Huron Valley Athletic Complex, where they have developed Inspire U Basketball into a well respected youth travel basketball organization and off-season training program.
Coach Brugger was an all state honorable mention player at Tawas Area High School and then standout player at Adrian College where he still ranks in the top ten all time for free throw shooting percentage. After Coach Brugger’s playing days, he immediately began coaching high school by serving as Freshman coach at Milford High School for three seasons. Following his stint as freshman coach, Coach Brugger was hired as the Lakeland High School varsity basketball coach. Combined with one varsity season as varsity coach at Brighton High School, Coach Brugger coached 18 total years as a varsity basketball coach compiling an overall record of 221-170. HIs teams won numerous district and conference championships, including twice reaching the regional finals (Sweet 16 in the state of Michigan). Those regional finalist teams still match the farthest any Huron Valley Boys Basketball High School team has advanced in the state tournament.
After stepping down as Lakeland Boys’ Basketball Coach to spend more time with his own children, Coach Brugger and Coach Lutz began Inspire U Basketball. Since 2017, Coach Brugger has partnered with Coach Lutz as the Director of Basketball at the Huron Valley Athletic Complex, where they have developed Inspire U Basketball into a well respected youth travel basketball organization and off-season training program.
Connor Rutz played high school soccer at Walled Lake Northern High School before attending Schoolcraft College in 2016. Rutz scored five goals in 19 appearances in his single season with the Ocelots, before transferring to Saginaw Valley State University in 2017. With the Cardinals, Rutz scored 17 goals and tallied eight assists in 39 appearances, missing the entire 2018 season. In 2017, he was named All-GLIAC First Team midfielder, earned United Soccer Coaches First Team and D2CCA All-Midwest Region Second Team honors. In his senior year, Rutz was earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year and All-GLIAC First-Team honors, D2CCA All-Midwest Region Second-Team honors, was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region First-Team, and the United Soccer Coaches All-America Second-Team.
In 2018 and 2019, Rutz also appeared for USL League Two side Cincinnati Dutch Lions, making 26 appearances and scoring three goals.
Rutz joined National Independent Soccer Association club Detroit City FC for their 2020 season, scoring two goals in seven games, helping the team to become the Great Lakes Region champions. He stayed with the club in 2021, where the team were Great Lakes Champions, regular season champions and won the Legends Cup. He continued with the team in 2022 as the club made the move to the USL Championship.
Coaching License:
U.S. National C Licensed Coach
Team Honors Include: National Independent Soccer Association
· Season Championship Champions (2): 2020–21, 2021
· Fall Championship Champions (1): 2020
· Legends Cup Champions (1): 2021
· NISA Independent Cup
Great Lakes Region Champions (2): 2020, 2021
Individual Honors Include: National Independent Soccer Association · NISA All-League first team: 2021
During Cole’s time as a student athlete at Saline High School, his baseball accomplishments were astounding!
- State runners-up 2016
- Baseball State Champions 2017
- Named All State Dream Team Baseball player 2017 and 2018
- Ranked the No. 89 left-handed pitcher in the country by Perfect Game
- 9th ranked player in Michigan 2018
- 22nd ranked left-handed pitcher in the country 2018 by Prep Baseball Report and the No. 225 player overall
- Nominated for Detroit Free Press Baseball Player of the Year 2018
- 2018 Rawlings-Perfect Game Honorable Mention All-American
Jake Lee is a 2013 graduate of Milford High School where he was a 4-year letter winner for the Mavericks baseball team. After high school, Jake continued his baseball career at Hillsdale College where he started as an infielder and pitcher during his freshman season. He then transferred to Oakland University to finish his collegiate career. At Oakland, Jake was a starting pitcher who as a senior was an All-Horizon League second team selection. He led the Horizon League in strikeouts in 2017 and 2018 with 86 and 112 respectively. During his Senior season, Jake’s 112 strikeouts broke the single-season school strikeout record at Oakland University, and ranked fourth nationally in strikeouts per nine innings. He pitched a one-hit complete game against UIC with 14 strikeouts which earned him the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division 1 National Pitcher of the Week, one of Collegiate Baseball’s National Players of the Week, and the Horizon League Pitcher of the Week. Jake was then drafted in the 9th round by the Los Angeles Angels. His first professional season was played in Utah with the Orem Owlz where he was named a Pioneer League All-Star.
Coach Farquhar is a lifelong Huron Valley resident and has been a Health and Physical Education instructor in Huron Valley Schools for the past twenty-seven years. Coach Farquhar’s coaching resume includes:
- Catcher, University of Detroit Mercy
- Graduate Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of Detroit Mercy
- Minor League Strength and Conditioning Coach, Los Angeles Dodgers
- Head Varsity Baseball Coach, Lakeland High School
2018, 2022, 2023 District Coach of the Year
2022 Regional Coach of the Year
- Assistant Varsity Football Coach, Lakeland High School
- Head Coach Junior Varsity Football, Lakeland High School
- 9th Grade Basketball Coach, Lakeland High School
- Boys and Girls Middle School Basketball Coach, White Lake Middle School
- Multi-Sport Strength and Conditioning Coach, Lakeland High School
- Assistant Coach, Spring Arbor University
- Co-Founder and Coach, West Oakland Wings (WOW) baseball program
During Coach Farquhar’s eleven years as Lakeland High School’s Varsity Baseball Coach, he has achieved many team successes. Some of them include: Five consecutive league championships, three district championships, a Sweet 16 appearance in the MHSAA tournament as well as being state ranked every season finishing the 2019 regular season ranked 3rd in the State of Michigan. Coach Farquhar retired as Lakeland’s Head Coach at the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Coach Farquhar has helped dozens of athletes reach their goals of playing college baseball. Some of his players have even advanced beyond college and into professional baseball organizations. His exemplary coaching has also assisted players to make major league debuts! We are extremely fortunate to have Coach Farquhar here at HVAC working alongside our athletes!