New coach, fireballer lead Port baseball team

Port Washington High School baseball coach Zachary Perkins enters his first year as leader of a varsity program, and he’s got an established ace.

Senior Sam Hoeft has increased the speed on his fastball to 93 mph and has caught the eye of professional scouts.

“He brings the heat, and he’s got some other stuff that’s nasty too,” Perkins said.

“He has worked very hard all offseason with his trainers at BRX Performance (a Milwaukee baseball training center). He takes baseball very seriously. It’s great to have a guy like that set the tone for our team and lay the expectations down.”

Hoeft was named to the North Shore Conference second team last season and was responsible for one of Port’s two victories.

In the playoffs, Hoeft had rival Grafton beat on the road, leading 6-3 after 4 2/3 innings. He allowed two earned runs and four hits with nine strikeouts and four walks.

At the plate, Hoeft hit .400 in the NSC, best on the Pirates.

Other pitchers include freshman Max Webb, who allowed one earned run, three hits three and three walks while striking out five in three innings in the season-opening 11-1 win at Racine Horlick on April 4.

“He’s a very, very talented player. He’s going to probably turn some heads this year with how impressive he is on the mound,” Perkins said.

Hoeft and Webb are already forming a bond.

“It’s really cool seeing that dynamic in practice. They’re throwing together and talking, having Sam show him the way,” Perkins said.

Dawson Dinkel relieved and allowed one hit while whiffing three.

Freshman Jack Bunyan has started a couple of games, and senior Carson Page can pitch, Perkins said.

O’Neal Wright provides a different look as Port’s only lefty pitcher.

Senior Owen Webb, Max’s older brother, will catch, along with sophomore J.J. Bergin.

“They both do good things,” Perkins said.

Senior Kyle Uselding and junior Jackson Dickson will split time at third base.

Hoeft, Uselding and freshman Austin Johnson will see time at shortstop.

Page and Johnson will play second base.

Bunyan and Hoeft will play first base, depending on who is pitching.

Max Webb will primarily play left field when he isn’t pitching.

Bayer White and Uselding will play center.

Wright is in right field when he isn’t pitching.

Port lost its only other all-conference player, Zander Goines, to graduation. Goines got honorable mention after hitting .320 and leading the team in RBIs. He played right field and whiffed 22 batters when pitching.

At the plate, Hoeft is leading off. Wright is in the 3 spot and Uselding is batting cleanup. Page and Max Webb switch between batting second and fifth. Bunyan is sixth with others mixing in the final three spots.

Port has gone 3-1 in nonconference games to start the season, already with one more win than all of last year.

“The boys are working hard every day trying to get better,” Perkins said.

“We’re off to a great start. I’m proud of the boys.”

Port let its first NSC game get away on Monday in a 10-9 home loss to Slinger.

Port was up, 8-5, heading into the sixth inning, when Slinger plated four runs. The Owls added one in the seventh, and Port scored one in the bottom of the seventh but the rally stopped just short.

Hoeft went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Max Webb went 2-for-4 with one RBI. Dickson went 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Page and Uselding each had a hit, RBI and run scored.

Hoeft allowed four hits, five runs (three earned) and three walks while whiffing 10 in five innings. Dinkel allowed seven hits, five earned runs and a walk while striking out one in two innings.

Port lost to Kettle Moraine Lutheran, 14-2, in a snowstorm on April 9, but bounced back to beat Plymouth, 11-1, in five innings last Friday.

Webb allowed two hits, one unearned run and two walks while whiffing six. Dinkel pitched one clean inning.

Hoeft went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Bunyan had two hits, including a double, two RBIs, two runs scored and two steals. Wright had a hit, two RBIs and a run scored. Uselding had two hits and a run scored. Dinkel had a double, RBI and run scored.

Port beat Racine Lutheran at home, 13-5, on Saturday.

Perkins said Bunyan missed a home run by about a foot in clobbering a double off the wall. He had three RBIs and a run scored.

Uselding had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored. Wright had a hit, two RBIs and two runs scored. Dickson had two hits, an RBI and two runs scored. Bergin had two hits. Johnson and Dinkel each had a hit, RBI and run scored. Johnson swiped three bases.

Bunyan, Page and Sam Thompson each pitched two innings. Wright threw one.

“Carson has been hot. Kyle’s hitting the ball well. O’Neal will find more holes. He hits the ball real hard,” Perkins said.

Perkins is in his first year as a physical education teacher at Port High. He is a Cedarburg High grad who remembers playing baseball against the Pirates.

Perkins earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a graduate degree in health, human performance and recreation in 2014.

He worked as strength and conditioning coach at California State University, Bakersfield, then in the same role for several men’s sports at Ohio University. Perkins spent  six years at the Prairie School in Racine focusing on strength and conditioning.

“I enjoy the weight room quite a bit,” he said.

He came to Port to be closer to family. He and his wife are both from Cedarburg and have a 2-year-old and 6-month-old.

Perkins played third base for legendary Cedarburg baseball coach Jack Friess and mentored under him as a coach.

Perkins played football, basketball and baseball and developed a special love for America’s pastime.

“I love the nature of baseball,” he said. “There’s a high level of individual improvement. You can always get better at your craft.”

Perkins jumped at the chance to coach at Port.

“It’s a great opportunity to lead a program of hungry kids who want to get better,” he said. “I’m thankful to be here.”