Brodhead boasts conference champs, COY, POY

By Natalie Dillon

ndillon@

themonroetimes.com

BRODHEAD — The Cardinals had a successful spring season on the diamond, as both their softball and baseball teams won the Rock Valley-Rock conference with multiple all-conference selections.

Brodhead softball, which won back-to-back titles, had the Pitcher of the Year in Ava Risum and Coach of the Year in Steve Krupke.

Risum pitched all but 22 innings in the 2024 season, posting an 18-4 record with a 1.18 ERA. She struck out 217 batters in 125 innings and walked just 15. She was also dominant at the plate. Hitting in the three hole, Risum went 69-for-28 for a .406 batting average. She led the team with 17 walks. She also hit five doubles, one home run, drove in 18 runs and scored another 19.

Cardinal players Sophia Leitzen and Jaelyn Hilliard also made first-team all-conference.

Leitzen led the team in nearly every offensive category, including at bats (87), runs scored (29), hits (47) doubles (10), triples (2), home runs (3), RBIs (30) and batting average (.540). She also drew six walks and stole eight bases. In 24 games, Leitzen struck out just three times and was hitless in only one game. She was also the No. 2 pitcher, posting a 1-1 record with a 1.59 ERA.

Hilliard provided speed from the left side of the plate, stealing a team-best 12 bases. She was 28-for-72 at the plate for a .389 batting average. She scored 20 runs and drew 10 walks.

Teammates Allie Dahl and Jerrica Schwartz earned honorable mention all-conference. Dahl provided some pop, going 20-for-71 for a .282 batting average with three home runs and 23 RBIs. Schwartz was 15-for-60 for a .250 batting average with 10 RBIs.

Brodhead finished its season 19-5 with back-to-back conference, regional and sectional titles. The Cardinals made their second straight trip to Goodman — third in program history — but fell short in the semifinal game against Prescott, 4-1.

Brodhead-Juda baseball won its first league title in over a decade, splitting its final two conference games with Clinton. The Cardinals were led by Coach of the Year Aaron Guilbault and and Player of the Year Gabe Bockhop.

In nine years, Guilbault has compiled a 59-97 record. This is his first conference championship team.

Bockhop earned his second all-conference accolade and first Player of the Year honors. In addition to catching five different pitchers, he went 24-for-68 at the plate for a .353 batting average. He was just one of three Cardinals to hit over .300. Bockhop led the team with nine doubles and 21 walks. He scored 15 runs.

Teammates Ryan Searls and Evan Senobe also earned first-team all-conference.

Ryan Searls led the team with 25 hits, eight stolen bases and a .373 batting average. He tallied eight doubles, drove in 16 runs and walked 18 times.

At the plate, Senobe was 21-for-79 for a .266 batting average and team-best two triples. He also scored 19 runs, walked 13 times and stole five bases. On the rubber, Senobe was Brodhead-Juda’s No. 1 pitcher. He threw 53 1/3 innings, posting a 2-5 record with a 3.02 ERA. He struck out 76 batters and walked 32.

Sam Searls was the only second-team all-conference selection. He was 18-for-70 at the plate for a .257 batting average, but he made the most of his time at the plate, driving in a team-best 18 runs. On the bump, Sam Searls was the most successful pitcher, posting a 5-2 record with a team-leading 2.17 ERA. He struck out 45 batters in 38 2/3 innings pitched and walked 31.

Juniors David Masloske and Clayton Elliott received honorable mention recognition.

Masloske had a knack for getting on base, getting hit by pitch 10 times and walking 15. He was 20-for-68 at the plate with four doubles for a .294 batting average. He drove in 16 runs and scored a team-high 23.

Elliott had some pop in his bat, going 22-for-65 with three doubles and a team-best two home runs for a .338 batting average. He was one of three players to hit over .300. He drove in 12 runs and scored another 18. Elliott also saw time on the bump, throwing 31 1/3 innings. He posted a 3-2 record with a 4.47 ERA.

Brodhead-Juda finished 7-3 in the division with eight games decided by two runs or fewer. The Cardinals won the league title in their last conference game. In the postseason, Edgerton had Brodhead-Juda’s number again, defeating the Cardinals 5-3 in a WIAA regional quarterfinal.

RVC-rock softball

all-conference

First Team Grade

Holly Kynell Big Foot 11

Lily Wolf Big Foot 11

Kate Hummel Big Foot 10

Ava Risum Brodhead 11

Sophia Leitzen Brodhead 12

Jaelyn Hilliard Brodhead 12

Ashley Theisen Clinton 11

Madyson Hoenig Turner 10

Kamdyn Davis Turner 12

Emma Bue Turner 10

Nickie Shaw Edgerton 12

Second Team

Allie Bell Clinton 12

Kamryn Clark Turner 11

Kennedy Crall Turner 9

Autumn Meris Turner 11

Samantha Schleis Turner 11

Ava Vest Evansville 11

Natalie Klamm Big Foot 11

Honorable Mention

Claire Patek Big Foot 10

Mylee Walter Big Foot 10

Allie Dahl Brodhead 10

Jerrica Schwartz Brodhead 12

London Winch Clinton 10

Addison Mueller Clinton 11

Caitlyn Phillips Edgerton 11

Jillian Scharlau Edgerton 12

Haley Ross Evansville 11

Paige Harnack Evansville 11

Player of the Year

Ashley Theisen Clinton 11

Pitcher of the Year

Ava Risum Brodhead 11

Coach of the Year

Steve Krupke Brodhead

RVC-rock baseball

all-conference

First Team Grade

Evan Henningfeld Big Foot 11

Gabe Bockhop Brodhead-Juda 11

Ryan Searls Brodhead-Juda 12

Evan Senobe Brodhead-Juda 12

Gavin Wesling Clinton 11

Collin Gill Clinton 12

Alex Karnes Evansville 12

Andrew Buckley Turner 12

Brayden Ward Turner 11

Jack Fox Edgerton 11

Ethan Stengel Edgerton 12

Second Team

Mark Arnold Clinton 12

Bryce Phillips Clinton 11

Sam Searls Brodhead-Juda 10

Bennett Keller Evansville 12

Zachary Ries Turner 12

Fernando Tillery Turner 11

Connor Weeks Big Foot 11

Honorable Mention

Will Wojcik Big Foot 12

Brady Wojcik Big Foot 11

David Masloske Brodhead-Juda 11

Clayton Elliott Brodhead-Juda 11

Payton Whalen Clinton 12

Logan Hendricks Clinton 10

Olin Zellmer Edgerton 11

Logan Hanson Edgerton 11

Wyatt Nelson Evansville 12

Blake Frey Evansville 12

Brody Berg Turner 11

Ethan Halson Turner 11