MONROE - There are many exciting storylines heading into the spring sports season.
Every March and April is when hopes spring eternal for every Major League Baseball team. There are usually six to eight teams in baseball that are World Series contenders, and my favorite team, the Cubs, is in the title mix. The Brewers and Cardinals have both made improvements to make a run at the Cubs. However, I don't think either has the pitching depth to win the Central Division over the Cubs.
Enough about Major League Baseball. These are five of the top prep spring sports stories to follow this season:
Will the Juda-Albany softball team repeat as state champions?
The Panthers have one of the best pitchers in the state in senior Nicki Becker.
When she's on, Becker is overpowering and could throw a no-hitter any time out. The Panthers have to be a favorite to repeat as Six Rivers East Conference champions and a heavy favorite to return to state.
The biggest question about the Panthers is whether they can generate enough offense to win tight games. Having Becker back on the mound means in many games the Panthers will need to score just four runs or more. The Panthers return several starters from last year who will look to continue producing at the plate, led by senior Hailey Kammerer, Sami Detra and Becker. The Panthers will need new hitters to emerge to get back to Goodman Diamond in Madison for the state tournament.
Will Olivia Bobak break the school single season strikeout record and lead the Monroe softball team back to state?
Bobak recorded the most strikeouts in a single season last year with 200. It was just behind former Monroe pitcher Becca Armstrong's school record of 240 strikeouts. Armstrong also still owns the single season record for most wins by a pitcher (25). The Cheesemakers again have a young team, but with six all-conference players back, the Cheesemakers should be able to post enough offense to support Bobak's power pitching.
After knocking off Brodhead in the season opener 10-6 last week, Monroe will get a test this week with four games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves, in the middle of Walt Disney World's Resort in Florida. The Cheesemakers will play Piqua High School (Ohio) today. Monroe will then play a doubleheader against Dallas High School (Pennsylvania) Friday before playing Hilton High School (New York) Saturday.
The numbers show the Cheesemakers had the second-best offense in school history last year with a .363 team batting average. However, Monroe's most prolific offensive season came in 2014 with Monroe coach Joe O'Leksy's daughter, Taylor O'Leksy, on the team. That year, the Cheesemakers set school records in home runs (18), runs scored (278), extra-base hits (94), most hits in a single season (315) and team batting average (.375), and they still didn't make it to state. At the time ranked No. 4 in the state, Monroe was stunned by River Valley in a regional championship 2-1. The loss snapped the Cheesemakers' run of seven straight regional titles.
Anything can happen in softball. A dominant pitcher who gets hot can carry a team a long way. Beloit Turner may have the state's best pitcher in Kailyn Packard. Beloit Turner knocked off Monroe 4-1 in a regional championship last year, and the Trojans went on to finish as the WIAA Division 2 state runner-up.
Will the Pec baseball team finally get over the hump and reach the state tournament?
The Vikings, under longtime coach Jim Strommen, have reached the sectionals two straight years. Pecatonica was the state's No. 1-ranked team in Division 4 last year. After the Vikings jumped out to a 6-0 lead against Oakfield in a sectional championship, the Oaks stunned Pecatonica, scoring 10 unanswered runs - including a six-run fifth inning - for a 10-6 upset.
The Vikings had six errors in the sectional final loss to Oakfield. Improving the defense will be paramount. In the season-opening loss to Mineral Point, Pecatonica committed eight errors.
The Vikings return a team loaded with talent and pitchers with juniors Carter Ruegsegger and Colton Schraepfer and senior Evan Prust. If Pecatonica is going to make a third straight sectional run with hopes of advancing to state, it will come down to defense and pitching.
Can the Monroe boys 3,200-meter relay team return to state and catapult the Cheesemakers into contention for a top-two finish and a trophy in Division 2?
This may seem like a long-shot hope considering the Cheesemakers finished fourth in the Badger South Conference last year. However, Monroe runs in a conference with several Division 1 teams. The Cheesemakers have some top talents that could surprise many at the WIAA Division 2 state meet this year. The Monroe boys 3,200 relay team always is in contention for a gold medal. The 3,200 relay team that finished third at state last year returns every member of that team in Jason Koller, Jonah Tostrud, Drake Ingold and Dylan Scace. Monroe senior Brayden Zettle also medaled in the triple jump at state last year and took eighth in the long jump.
With Jordan Montgomery in the sprints and a mix of newcomers, the Cheesemakers could challenge for sending a sprint relay or two to state. Koller was also a state qualifier in the 400 last year. The Cheesemakers have depth in the long-distance events with junior Kyle Legler, Ingold and Dylan Fahrney. Ingold and Tostrud both were sectional qualifiers in the 800 last season, so with improvements they could break through to the state meet in that race. The wild card would be the Cheesemakers trying to develop a 1,600 relay team that could make a run at state. The mid-distance runners could be there with Zettle and Koller anchoring a 1,600 relay depending on other events they enter.
Can the Sugar River girls soccer team return to the WIAA Division 3 state tournament?
Two years ago, the Sugar River girls made a run to state for the first time and finished as the Division 3 state runner-up, and coach John Ziperski was named the National Federation of State High School Associations Central Section Girls Soccer Coach of the Year for the 2015-16 school year. He also was named the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association small-school coach of the year, and several players on this year's team played on that state runner-up team - Kalin O'Rourke, Aimee Sies, Caitlin Weiser, Sam Trainor, Rachael Heittola and Elawyn Fong.
This season, the Raiders are ranked No. 7 in the Division 3 WSCA state preseason poll. Sugar River has posted a 64-9-3 record the past three years, but the biggest stumbling blocks in the sectional have been Mount Horeb and Madison Edgewood. Sugar River has lost in the sectional semifinals to Mount Horeb and Edgewood each three times in the past nine years. Mount Horeb edged the Raiders 1-0 in a Division 3 sectional semifinal last year.
It will be interesting to see how the Sugar River team comes together with one of the top area soccer coaches and whether they can make it back to state by getting over the hurdle of Mount Horeb or Edgewood.
- Mark Nesbitt is a senior sports reporter at the Monroe Times and can be reached at mnesbitt@themonroetimes.com.
Every March and April is when hopes spring eternal for every Major League Baseball team. There are usually six to eight teams in baseball that are World Series contenders, and my favorite team, the Cubs, is in the title mix. The Brewers and Cardinals have both made improvements to make a run at the Cubs. However, I don't think either has the pitching depth to win the Central Division over the Cubs.
Enough about Major League Baseball. These are five of the top prep spring sports stories to follow this season:
Will the Juda-Albany softball team repeat as state champions?
The Panthers have one of the best pitchers in the state in senior Nicki Becker.
When she's on, Becker is overpowering and could throw a no-hitter any time out. The Panthers have to be a favorite to repeat as Six Rivers East Conference champions and a heavy favorite to return to state.
The biggest question about the Panthers is whether they can generate enough offense to win tight games. Having Becker back on the mound means in many games the Panthers will need to score just four runs or more. The Panthers return several starters from last year who will look to continue producing at the plate, led by senior Hailey Kammerer, Sami Detra and Becker. The Panthers will need new hitters to emerge to get back to Goodman Diamond in Madison for the state tournament.
Will Olivia Bobak break the school single season strikeout record and lead the Monroe softball team back to state?
Bobak recorded the most strikeouts in a single season last year with 200. It was just behind former Monroe pitcher Becca Armstrong's school record of 240 strikeouts. Armstrong also still owns the single season record for most wins by a pitcher (25). The Cheesemakers again have a young team, but with six all-conference players back, the Cheesemakers should be able to post enough offense to support Bobak's power pitching.
After knocking off Brodhead in the season opener 10-6 last week, Monroe will get a test this week with four games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves, in the middle of Walt Disney World's Resort in Florida. The Cheesemakers will play Piqua High School (Ohio) today. Monroe will then play a doubleheader against Dallas High School (Pennsylvania) Friday before playing Hilton High School (New York) Saturday.
The numbers show the Cheesemakers had the second-best offense in school history last year with a .363 team batting average. However, Monroe's most prolific offensive season came in 2014 with Monroe coach Joe O'Leksy's daughter, Taylor O'Leksy, on the team. That year, the Cheesemakers set school records in home runs (18), runs scored (278), extra-base hits (94), most hits in a single season (315) and team batting average (.375), and they still didn't make it to state. At the time ranked No. 4 in the state, Monroe was stunned by River Valley in a regional championship 2-1. The loss snapped the Cheesemakers' run of seven straight regional titles.
Anything can happen in softball. A dominant pitcher who gets hot can carry a team a long way. Beloit Turner may have the state's best pitcher in Kailyn Packard. Beloit Turner knocked off Monroe 4-1 in a regional championship last year, and the Trojans went on to finish as the WIAA Division 2 state runner-up.
Will the Pec baseball team finally get over the hump and reach the state tournament?
The Vikings, under longtime coach Jim Strommen, have reached the sectionals two straight years. Pecatonica was the state's No. 1-ranked team in Division 4 last year. After the Vikings jumped out to a 6-0 lead against Oakfield in a sectional championship, the Oaks stunned Pecatonica, scoring 10 unanswered runs - including a six-run fifth inning - for a 10-6 upset.
The Vikings had six errors in the sectional final loss to Oakfield. Improving the defense will be paramount. In the season-opening loss to Mineral Point, Pecatonica committed eight errors.
The Vikings return a team loaded with talent and pitchers with juniors Carter Ruegsegger and Colton Schraepfer and senior Evan Prust. If Pecatonica is going to make a third straight sectional run with hopes of advancing to state, it will come down to defense and pitching.
Can the Monroe boys 3,200-meter relay team return to state and catapult the Cheesemakers into contention for a top-two finish and a trophy in Division 2?
This may seem like a long-shot hope considering the Cheesemakers finished fourth in the Badger South Conference last year. However, Monroe runs in a conference with several Division 1 teams. The Cheesemakers have some top talents that could surprise many at the WIAA Division 2 state meet this year. The Monroe boys 3,200 relay team always is in contention for a gold medal. The 3,200 relay team that finished third at state last year returns every member of that team in Jason Koller, Jonah Tostrud, Drake Ingold and Dylan Scace. Monroe senior Brayden Zettle also medaled in the triple jump at state last year and took eighth in the long jump.
With Jordan Montgomery in the sprints and a mix of newcomers, the Cheesemakers could challenge for sending a sprint relay or two to state. Koller was also a state qualifier in the 400 last year. The Cheesemakers have depth in the long-distance events with junior Kyle Legler, Ingold and Dylan Fahrney. Ingold and Tostrud both were sectional qualifiers in the 800 last season, so with improvements they could break through to the state meet in that race. The wild card would be the Cheesemakers trying to develop a 1,600 relay team that could make a run at state. The mid-distance runners could be there with Zettle and Koller anchoring a 1,600 relay depending on other events they enter.
Can the Sugar River girls soccer team return to the WIAA Division 3 state tournament?
Two years ago, the Sugar River girls made a run to state for the first time and finished as the Division 3 state runner-up, and coach John Ziperski was named the National Federation of State High School Associations Central Section Girls Soccer Coach of the Year for the 2015-16 school year. He also was named the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association small-school coach of the year, and several players on this year's team played on that state runner-up team - Kalin O'Rourke, Aimee Sies, Caitlin Weiser, Sam Trainor, Rachael Heittola and Elawyn Fong.
This season, the Raiders are ranked No. 7 in the Division 3 WSCA state preseason poll. Sugar River has posted a 64-9-3 record the past three years, but the biggest stumbling blocks in the sectional have been Mount Horeb and Madison Edgewood. Sugar River has lost in the sectional semifinals to Mount Horeb and Edgewood each three times in the past nine years. Mount Horeb edged the Raiders 1-0 in a Division 3 sectional semifinal last year.
It will be interesting to see how the Sugar River team comes together with one of the top area soccer coaches and whether they can make it back to state by getting over the hurdle of Mount Horeb or Edgewood.
- Mark Nesbitt is a senior sports reporter at the Monroe Times and can be reached at mnesbitt@themonroetimes.com.
