Pecatonica punches program first ticket to state
BLANCHARDVILLE — After 43 years of coaching, Pecatonica head coach Jim Strommen is finally headed to the WIAA state tournament after 2-1 and 5-2 wins in the sectional on Tuesday, June 6. The Vikings defeated Potosi-Cassville 2-1 in the semifinal on a walk-off double from Elijah Knutson and punched their ticket to state with a 5-2 win over Johnson Creek in the final.
“It’s a program win,” Strommen said. “This one is for the green and gold. It’s for all the kids that went through the program. Even though they aren’t the ones actually winning the game, we are winning for them.”
After knocking off Potosi-Cassville 2-1, Pecatonica waited to see who they would play in the sectional final — Johnson Creek or Palmyra-Eagle.
The two teams were knotted at four going into the bottom of the seventh. Palmyra-Eagle had the chance to walk it off with runners on second and third, but a Panther runner interfered with Johnson Creek’s second baseman to end the inning. In the top of the eighth, Johnson Creek scored on a bobble by Palmyra-Eagle’s third baseman. In the bottom of the inning, the Panthers left the tying run stranded on third as the final batter popped out.
Headed into the sectional final game, Knutson knew it was crucial to jump on the Bluejays early, as Pecatonica was the visiting team.
“Palmyra or Johnson Creek will be a good game,” Knutson said before taking the field. “Hopefully we can get to their pitcher soon and get fastballs early in the count.”
The Vikings executed the game plan, scoring three runs on starting pitcher Dugg Hartwig. After two quick outs, Knutson doubled and Coy Ruegsegger drove him home. Carson Kurschner was hit by a pitch, and Max Steele came through with an RBI single that scored Ruegsegger. The last run of the inning came from the bat of Lukas Rue.
Charles Anderson was the third out of the inning, hitting a grounder to first. The end of the inning sent Tyler McKeon to the mound for just the second start of his career.
“He’s got a competitive fire,” Strommen said of the decision to start McKeon. “He’s mentally tough and has good velo (velocity).”
McKeon prepared for the start by listening to “Get up, baseball motivation,” a YouTube video about the mindset it takes to play high-level baseball.
“It helps me relax,” McKeon said. “It helps me be that guy that will make people proud of this town.”
After walking the first two batters, McKeon bore down to get two grounders and a strikeout. He held the Bluejays scoreless in the second and third, adding three more strikeouts to his total.
“Even when he got into trouble, he made big pitches,” Strommen said.
In the top of the fourth, Steele led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Rue. A passed ball put him 90 feet from home, and Anderson’s choppy grounder scored him. The run proved to be the game winner.
Johnson Creek responded in the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back hits. Dylan Bredlow went from first to third on Sylas Hartz’s hit, and Hartz took second on the throw to third. Bredlow then came around to score on a passed ball. McKeon sat the next three batters down with two strikeouts and a popup to Knutson.
Pecatonica erased Johnson Creek’s score with a run of its own in the top of the fifth. Johnson hit a one-out double and scored on an RBI single from Ruegsegger. McKeon threw a shut down inning in the bottom of the frame with two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice.
He nearly escaped the sixth inning unscathed, but Aiden Smith fouled off multiple pitches in an at-bat that ended in an RBI single. McKeon reached 100 pitches that at-bat, but he still ended the inning on an acrobatic play. He fielded a ball up the middle, spun and fired a strike to first for the out.
After a three-up, three-down inning for Pecatonica in the top of the seventh, Johnson Creek applied pressure in the bottom of the frame. After getting the No. 9 batter to ground out, the first two batters of the Bluejay lineup reached via walk.
Ruegsegger got Ian Heald to fly out to center and induced a grounder to Steele at second, which looked to be the final out of the game. Steele’s shovel toss was too late, though, leaving the bases loaded for Johnson Creek with two outs.
The error didn’t phase Ruegsegger, though, as he got Hartz to pop out to himself on the mound, ending the game. The Vikings crowded the mound, as tears fell from Rugsegger’s eyes.
“My grandma passed away a couple months ago,” Ruesegger said. “She supported me at my games. I told my grandpa, I was going to go to state for her.”
Knutson and Steele each went 2-for-3 at the plate with one run scored. McKeon collected the win, throwing 5 2/3 innings with five hits and nine strikeouts. Ruesegger pitched 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief.
Knutson ended the day with four hits, as he went 2-for-4 with the game-winning RBI in the 2-1 win over Potosi-Cassville hours earlier. The doubled sailed over the right fielder’s head.
“It feels great. I was hoping he wouldn’t make a wonderful play going backward and diving for it or something,” Knutson said.
Strommen knew the game would be close, as the Chieftains previously defeated the Vikings 3-2 for their only loss of the season.
“I just knew it was going to be another close game again,” Strommen said. “Eli Adams had beaten us the first time 3-2, and he pitched another excellent game today. When he got into a jam, he made big pitches to get them out of trouble. It was survive and advance.”
Aside from the walk-off, a majority of the action happened in the fifth inning.
Starting pitcher Jameson Johnson had Adams down in the count 1-2 before a miscommunication in pitch-calling led to a lead-off triple. Johnson was then called for a balk, not coming set before pitching, sending Adams home to tie the game at one. Johnson ended the inning on three straight grounders to short.
“You just have to start over,” Strommen said of the mental errors. “With no one on, he [Johnson] got the next three guys out. After that point, they didn’t have a base runner. He was really big for us today.”
In the bottom of the inning, Drew Hendrickson reached on an error. Pinch runner Trevor Doescher was awarded second on Adams’ own balk. McKeon then laid down a bunt up the first base line. Ethan Kerkhoff was so worried about McKeon and his speed, that he forgot to secure the ball before attempting to tag McKeon out running down the base line.
With a stolen base, Pecatonica had runners on second and third with no one out. Johnson then hit a hard ground ball to third, and Doescher went home on contact. He was thrown out at the plate for the first out of the inning.
The Vikings still had opportunities to score that inning, as Johnson subsequently reached on a fielder’s choice, and Ruegsegger reached on an error. Adams got out of the inning without giving up a run, though, with a strikeout.
“That was a mistake on our part,” Strommen said of making the first out at home. “They made us pay for it. Even after that we could have had guys come up and get a hit, but he [Adams] shut us down that way too. We let them off the hook twice in the inning.”
Down to their last outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Vikings rose to the occasion. McKeon reached base for the fourth time in as many plate appearances with a lead-off single. Johnson moved him into scoring position with a bunt, setting up Knutson for the RBI opportunity.
Heading into the inning, Adams was nine pitches away from the 100-pitch maximum. Knutson pondered taking him deep in the count to force a pitching change, but knew he couldn’t pass up the chance at a pitch down the middle.
“I was thinking about letting the count play out and get him over 100 pitches,” Knutson said. “Then the next guy would get a new pitcher. But I said, ‘if he’s going to give me a pitch over the plate, I’m going to hit it as far as I can.’”
Knutson then drove a ball deep to right — over the outfielder’s head — that easily scored McKeon from second. Knutson finished the day 2-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and one run scored. McKeon also had a multiple-hit game, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. Johnson got the win in game one, throwing a complete game. He struck out nine and didn’t issue a walk.
After 12 unsuccessful sectionals, Pecatonica played the way Strommen has taught for years.
“Just keep doing what we do — win pitches, make plays on defense and timely hitting,” he said.
Hill of Thrills
BLANCHARDVILLE — Under 43 years with head coach Jim Strommen, Pecatonica baseball has created a dynasty — 19 conference championships and 13 regional titles. But it hasn’t been able to add sectional champion or state qualifier to that list. This year, that changed.
The Vikings hosted the Division 4 Sectional 4 and knocked off Potosi-Cassville 2-1 and Johnson Creek 5-2. Coming into the tournament, No. 2-ranked Pecatonica had just one loss — 2-1 to Potosi-Cassville on May 5.
Pecatonica has posted a 6-1 record in seven, one-run games. Three of those wins have come in the postseason.
“It’s not about the team that has the best record or the best players,” Strommen said. “It’s the team that plays the best that day. We’ve been better.”
To compile a 23-1 record this season, Pecatonica has proven to be battle-tested team — from clutch hitting, solid defense and air-tight defense.
An “MLB pitching staff”
The WIAA sectional format — playing two games in one day to advance to state — pushes pitching staffs to the limit. With the introduction of pitch counts and mandatory rest days, teams can no longer rely on one act to carry them.
“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have quality pitching,” Strommen said. “I’ve done this for a long time, and back then, you could have one or two good pitchers. Now, with the pitch count, you have to have a major league staff. Everyone could be called on to pitch at some point.”
This spring, six different players have toed the rubber for the Vikings, but the team relies heavily on the arms of Jameson Johnson, Coy Ruegsegger and Tyler McKeon.
“We are an interesting staff,” McKeon said. “We might not be the best, but we are the best of working out of trouble.”
Ruegsegger and McKeon agree that Johnson is the team’s ace. In 39 2/3 innings pitched, he has given up 13 runs, four of which were earned, for a 0.71 ERA. His specialty is velocity, with 69 strikeouts. Ruegsegger relies on off-speed pitches, with equally impressive stats. He’s compiled an 11-0 record with a team-leading 47 innings pitched. Ruegsegger has given up just one earned run on 24 hits. McKeon, the team’s closer, has 48 strikeouts with an 0.82 ERA.
Behind the plate, Elijah Knutson mans the staff. He has committed just two errors and has 18 assists with two put outs. His arm limits potential base runners.
“Being a catcher is important,” Strommen said. “They can completely stop a running game. You notice it right away. He [Knutson] has been big for us, starting since his freshman year.”
Aside from defense, Knutson also produces at the plate.
Balanced offense
Knutson is one of seven batters hitting over .300, and one of five hitting .400 or better. While production comes from up and down the lineup, Pecatonica’s top four hitters do the most damage.
McKeon, batting leadoff, reaches base at a .554 clip. He leads the team with a .516 batting average and 26 steals. Johnson supplies the power with six homeruns and a .937 slugging percentage. He, Knutson and Ruegsegger also drive in the most runs with 25, 25 and 26 RBIs, respectively.
(For more offensive statistics, see breakout box below right).
Closing in on history
With two wins in the sectional, Jim Strommen has compiled a 645-224 record in 43 years of coaching. He is just two wins away from tying Royall baseball coach Joe Vitcenda’s all-time wins record of 647 — despite nine less years of coaching.
Royall made an early exit in the 2023 playoffs, losing in the first round. If Pecatonica wins the Division 4 state title, Strommen would tie Vitcenda for the all-time career coaching record.
“I want to give a shout out to my former players, assistant coaches, fans, field preppers — every role is important no matter how big it is,” Strommen said. “Everyone sees the tip of the iceberg — the starters, head coaches — but there’s so much more underneath the surface that people don’t see.”
In 43 years, Strommen has coached many great teams and individual players, including McKeon’s uncle Butch. The older McKeon was an All-State pitcher, played at UW-Madison and went on to the major league level with the Padres.
“It’s crazy to be one of the starting nine to go to state under coach Strommen,” Tyler McKeon said. “My uncle was much better than me, but I’m the first McKeon to take Strommen to state.”
Although the 2023 team wanted it for themselves, they also wanted to get their coach to that elusive big stage.
“It feels great,” Ruegsegger said. “We really wanted to take Strommen to state for the first time.”
Top dog
As the highest ranked team remaining in Division 4, Pecatonica earned the No. 1 seed. They will play the No. 4-seeded McDonell Catholic Macks, who, despite a 9-10 regular-season record, won its last 10 games of the season to make the tournament. This game will occur at approximately 10:40 a.m. after the 9 a.m. game between No. 3 Edgar, another first-time state qualifier, and No. 2 Ithaca.
“We just need to build off of what we’ve already done,” Strommen said. “Yeah, it’s a brand-new venue with more fans, but the hardest part was getting here. It’s been a hill of thrills.”
WIAA State Baseball Tournament
Division 1
Quarterfinals - Monday, June 12 - 9 a.m.
Game 1 - #5 Whitefish Bay vs. #4 Menomonee Falls
Game 2 - #1 Stevens Point vs. #8 Hartford Union
Quarterfinals - Monday, June 12 - 2:30 p.m.
Game 3 - #6 Burlington vs. #3 Franklin
Game 4 - #7 Middleton vs. #2 Hortonville
Semifinals - Wednesday, June 14 - 2:30 p.m.
Game 5 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
Game 6 - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
Championship - Thursday, June 15 - 6 p.m.
Game 7 - Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6
Division 2
Semifinals - Wednesday, June 14 - 9 a.m.
Game 1 - #3 Altoona vs. #2 St. Thomas More
Game 2 - #1 Denmark vs. #4 Jefferson
Championship - Thursday, June 15 - 3 p.m.
Game 3 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
Division 3
Semifinals - Tuesday, June 13 - 2:30 p.m.
Game 1 - #3 Kiel vs. #2 Saint Croix Falls
Game 2 - #1 Aquinas vs. #4 Random Lake
Championship - Thursday, June 15 - Noon
Game 3 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
Division 4
Semifinals - Tuesday, June 13 - 9 a.m.
Game 1 - #3 Edgar vs. #2 Ithaca
Game 2 - #1 Pecatonica vs. #4 McDonell Central Catholic
Championship - Thursday, June 15 - 9 a.m.
Game 2 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2