Bluejays baseball prepares for the playoffs

By Casey Krautkramer

The Athens varsity baseball team has enjoyed its best record this spring since the 2021 season when it shared the Marawood North Conference championship with Abby/Colby and Rib Lake with each team sporting 8-2 conference records.

Athens finished second place in the Marawood North this season with an 8-2 record behind conference champion Rib Lake at 9-1. The Bluejays have a 13-7 overall record this season following Tuesday’s 9-6 home non-conference win against the Eau Claire Regis Ramblers. Sophomore Kian Ellenbecker earned the pitching win against Regis by not surrendering any hits, walks or runs in his two innings of relief. Athens lost Thursday’s road game against Auburndale, 7-3. Freshman third baseman Alex Belter led the Bluejays in batting against the Eagles by going two for three with two RBIs.

The Bluejays received a No. 4 seed in the WIAA Division 4 playoffs and will face off against No. 13 seed Lake Holcombe/ Cornell at 5 p.m. this Thursday, May 29 at Tucker Westfall Memorial Field.

Edgar’s baseball team earned the No. 1 seed in the regional and sectional that includes Athens. Edgar (14-6) received a first-round bye in Thursday’s regional quarterfinal. Just like Athens did, Edgar split its last two regular season non-conference games consisting of a 13-3 home win against Spencer on Thursday and a 42 road loss to a tough Stevens Point Pacelli (21-4) on Tuesday.

It’s possible that Athens will play at Edgar in the WIAA Division 4 regional championship on Wednesday, June 4.

Athens head coach Todd Diethelm reflected on this season. “It’s been a good season,” he said. “We ended up 8-2 in our conference and we played well. We had a nice lead in one game and gave it away, but our pitching is starting to come around a little bit better and we need to improve somewhat on our two-strike hitting. I’m happy with our season but I am not satisfied yet.”

Diethelm likes his team’s chances in the playoffs.

“If our pitching does well then we will be in every game, and I think that’s what I’m excited about the most. We have enough kids that know how to play the game that I think we’ll be okay.”

Athens has a strong stable of pitchers including sophomore Kaleb Cracraft who leads the team in wins this season and senior Nick Pittman who is second on the team in wins.

Raiders win 12th straight

No area high school varsity baseball team has been on a hot streak like Marathon. The Red Raiders have won all their games in the past month including 12 straight.

Marathon’s early-season struggles resulted in it finishing in a second-place tie with Stratford in the Marawood South Conference with 7-3 records each. Edgar won the Marawood South Conference championship with an 8-2 record.

The Red Raiders are 17-5 overall this season after their 12-0 home win against Marshfield Columbus on Tuesday. Junior True Thurs was the winning pitcher.

Marathon junior Drew Woelfel batted a perfect four for four with a double and three RBIs against the Dons. Sophomore Ean Shuda hit two for two with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Junior Evan De-Broux was a perfect three for three with four RBIs. Junior Blake Underwood doubled and senior Cody Radtke batted two for four in the victory.

Radtke was the winning pitcher in Marathon’s 12-0 road victory against Rhinelander on Friday. Thurs doubled and had three RBIs while DeBroux added two RBIs. Sophomore Owen Chrouser hit three for four and sophomore Charlie Ehlert was two for three in the win against the Hodags.

Marathon was awarded a No. 2 seed in the WIAA Division 3 playoffs and earned a bye in the regional quarterfinals on Thursday. Marathon will play in a home regional semifinal at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3, against Thursday’s winner between No. 7 Cadott versus No. 10 Glenwood City. Should Marathon win, then it would host the regional championship, possibly against Stratford, at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4.

Tigers win fifth straight

Stratford’s varsity baseball squad captured its fifth consecutive win following Tuesday’s 7-6 non-conference road game against Spencer. Junior Drew Gage doubled in the go-ahead run in the top of the sixth inning. Gage hit two for three with three RBIs as Stratford’s No. 5 hitter in its batting lineup.

The Tigers beat the Wisconsin Rapids Assumption Royals, 13-1, on the road Thursday to finish tied with Marathon for second place in the Marawood South Conference. Junior shortstop Riley Spindler batted three for five with three RBIs and three runs scored. Junior pitcher Brady Berg hit three for five with five RBIs. Berg, Spindler and junior catcher Jaeger Ormond each hit doubles for the Tigers. Freshman centerfielder Matthew Schoenfuss stole three bases. Starter Berg struck out seven Assumption batters in six innings to earn the pitching win.

Stratford has a 13-4 overall record going into this Thursday’s playoffs. Stratford received a No. 3 seed in the WIAA Division 3 playoffs and will face No. 14 seed Colfax in the regional quarterfinal at 5 p.m. this Thursday, May 29. Should Stratford win then it would host the regional semifinal at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3. No. 2 seed Marathon will likely host the regional championship at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 4.

ATHENS FLAME THROWER- Bluejays senior Nick Pittman throws a pitch during Thursday’s 7-3 road loss to Auburndale. Pittman may have endured a tough game against the Eagles, but he’s been one of Athens’ top pitchers this season and the Bluejays will be counting on him in the playoffs.

STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER