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Written by STEVE OSTERMANN
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 14:20 |
 A familiar foe with an impressive resumé awaited the Grafton Black Hawks in their first game of the WIAA state summer baseball tournament in Stevens Point this week.
West Bend West, the North Shore Conference champion that spent much of the season as the state’s top-ranked team, was Grafton’s opponent in a quarterfinal game that was to be played at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at Bukolt Park.
The winner will advance to Thursday’s semifinals against the winner of 10:05 a.m. quarterfinal between West Salem and New Holstein.
West (33-2) entered the tournament as one of the title favorites. The Spartans are making their 11th state appearance, including six in the last seven seasons, and have won three titles, most recently in 2007.
In two conference games this season, West defeated Grafton, 10-0 and 4-1. However, the Hawks didn’t use their pitching ace, senior Conor Fisk, either time.
“They haven’t seen Fisk, so that should be to our advantage,” said Grafton coach Brian Durst, who has guided his team to its first state appearance since 1983.
“We were thrilled to make it through the sectional tournament, but we realize there are more games to play. We have a lot of respect for West, but we’re not happy with just winning a sectional title.”
However the Hawks’ state quest turns out, they have already compiled one of the most memorable seasons in team history.
Coming off a 4-23 record with a young team in 2009, Grafton was expected to improve. However, the Hawks’ 21-9 record this year — including a third-place, 11-7 mark in North Shore play — underscored a remarkable turnaround.
Their success has been fueled in no small part by the memory of former teammate Matt Malkowski, who died in April after being injured in a car accident.
The Hawks dedicated their season to Malkowski, who would have been a senior outfielder this year. Team members have worn a patch with the letters “MM” and No. 14, Malkowski’s number, stitched on their jerseys.
At the start of the season, Grafton unveiled a similarly designed sign on the outfield fence on their home field. Malkowski’s jersey has been at every game — either worn by his mother Jan or hung in the dugout.
Throughout the community, students and adults have worn “I hit for Matt” T-shirts.
“The kids are excited about the way the season has gone, especially after everything they’ve been through,” Durst said.
“We’ve carried Matt’s memory with us throughout the season. He’s been a huge part of this.”
Durst is well aware that his team faces an uphill battle at the state level. In addition to drawing West in their opener, the Hawks will need pitchers other than Fisk to step up for as many as three games in two days.
Thursday’s semifinals start at 10:05 a.m., followed by the championship game at 3:35 p.m.
“Conor is the kind of pitcher who can put a team on his shoulders and carry them, but we have other kids who can do the job, too,” said Durst, mentioning Dylan Mayer, C.J. Koehler and Alex Nennig.
“They know we have to have other people step up.”
Mayer, a senior right-hander, came through big in the sectional semifinals last Friday with a complete-game effort in the Hawks’ 4-2 win over Brown Deer.
In Thursday’s other state quarterfinal games, New Berlin West plays Franklin at 3:35 p.m., and Germantown faces Waukesha West at 6 p.m.
GRAFTON’S STATE title hopes depend heavily on pitcher Conor Fisk. Photo by Sam Arendt |
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News
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Written by STEVE OSTERMANN
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Wednesday, 28 July 2010 14:20 |
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A shortage of players that forced the Cedar Grove-Belgium baseball team to forfeit its last seven games this summer didn’t keep the Rockets from earning postseason honors.
Two Cedar Grove-Belgium sophomores were recognized in recent All-Central Lakeshore Conference voting by coaches.
Taylor Klopatek was named to the all-league second team as a pitcher and received honorable mention as a catcher. Luke Kaat received honorable mention as an infielder.
Klopatek had a 2-3 record and a 1.71 earned-run average in league play for the Rockets, who had a 4-6 mark before forfeiting their final five conference games. He also hit a team-best .373.
“Taylor kept us in virtually every game,” Cedar Grove-Belgium coach Mike Johnson said.
“He was our best pitcher and did a wonderful job defensively when we needed help with the catching position.”
Kaat, who split time at first base and third base, was the Rockets’ top defensive infielder.
“Luke struggled offensively, but he was invaluable defensively,” Johnson said.
League champion Howards Grove led all teams in the All-CLC selections, with four of its players named to the top squad. They were pitcher Eric Dickmyer, infielder Cole Reinemann, outfielder Mike Verfuerth and utility player Cam Hurtienne.
Dickmyer and Reinemann were unanimous choices.
Rounding out the all-league first team were Elkhart Lake’s Josh Schneider (pitcher), Dane Blake (infielder) and Nick Pritzl (outfielder);
Random Lake’s Jeremy Lewis (catcher) and Andy Pohl (infielder); and Sheboygan Lutheran/Kohler’s Christian Ertel (first baseman) and Adam Kellner (outfielder).
Lewis, Blake, Pohl and Kellner were unanimous selections. |
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News
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Written by STEVE OSTERMANN
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Wednesday, 21 July 2010 16:05 |
Fisk’s high-powered pitching, early offense lead Grafton baseball team to 6-1 win in WIAA regional final
A familiar combination turned the trick for the Grafton baseball team in a WIAA regional title game Tuesday night.
While pitcher Conor Fisk was busy handcuffing opposing batters, his teammates supported him with plenty of early offense, leading the host Black Hawks to a 6-1 win over Port Washington.
Fisk, a senior right-hander, allowed just two hits, struck out 14 and walked two in six innings, and Grafton had little trouble taking control. Port was hitless until the sixth, when Trevor Swartwout doubled to left-center field.
Fisk struck out the first seven batters he faced and had nine strikeouts in the first three innings.
“It was a great to start the tournament,” said Grafton coach Brian Durst, whose team won its first regional title in at least 10 years and will face Brown Deer in a sectional semifinal at 1:30 p.m. Friday at Cedarburg.
“Conor was very strong, and we really got our bats going early.”
The Hawks did all their scoring in the first three innings against Port starter Taylor Devenport, beginning with a two-run outburst in the opening frame.
Ryan Hartwig singled to start the inning and raced to third base on an errant pickoff throw. After Robbie Doring walked, Kevin Scholz’s infield single scored Hartwig. Dylan Mayer’s RBI groundout made it 2-0.
After a run-scoring groundout by Skyler Bohn made it 3-0 in the second inning, Grafton doubled its advantage in the third.
Hartwig stroked a leadoff double and scored on Doring’s triple. After Scholz walked, he stole second base. Nennig struck out on a pitch in the dirt, but when the catcher had to throw to first base to complete the putout, Doring sprinted home with another run. Fisk’s RBI single made it 6-0.
The Pirates were poised to spoil the shutout in the top of the fifth after Swartwout doubled. But when Swartwout tried to score on a single to left field by Devenport, Hartwig threw him out with a perfect throw to the plate.
Port finally broke through in the seventh against Mayer, who relieved Fisk for the final inning. Swartwout reached on an infield single and scored on a double by Devenport.
Doring, Hartwig, Fisk and C.J. Koehler each finished with two hits. Doring was 2-for-2 with a pair of triples and a walk in three plate appearances.
The Pirates, who finished the season 4-25, were led by 2-for-3 efforts from Devenport and Swartwout.
Grafton, the No. 2 sectional seed, will take a 19-9 record into Friday’s sectional semifinals. The Hawks beat No. 6-seeded Brown Deer, 10-0, on May 29, when Fisk pitched a five-inning perfect game.
The winner of the 1:30 p.m. semifinal will face the winner of the Nicolet-Whitefish Bay semifinal at 10:30 a.m. Friday for the sectional title at 4:30 p.m. the same day at Cedarburg.
In other regional finals Tuesday, top-seeded Nicolet defeated Shorewood, 13-4; Whitefish Bay edged Homestead, 6-4; and Cedarburg lost to Brown Deer, 5-3. |
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