December 2009, Section 1/4 - Wisconsin Amateur Softball Association

December 2009 — Section 1
Official Publication of the Wisconsin ASA
Bumper Crop of National Champions
Wisconsin ASA teams win 4 titles; Six teams finish runner-up
FREDONIA — Wisconsin Amateur Softball Association teams harvested four national titles in 2009 and narrowly
missed out on a handful of others as the organization produced its greatest showing ever in ASA championship play.
The four national championships are the most ever won in a single year by the WASA, breaking the mark of three
set in 2006.
Wisconsin's 2009 ASA national champions are:
Team
City
Tournament
Oshkosh
Girls Fast Pitch 10-U Class B Northern
Men's Major Fast Pitch
Farm Tavern
Madison
Wisconsin Bandits
Horicon
Team
City
Tournament
Montfort
Men's Fast Pitch Class A
Oshkosh Raiders
Girls Fast Pitch 14-U Class B Eastern
Seymour Flames Red
Eau Claire
Girls Fast Pitch 16-U Class B Northern
"In addition to these four clubs the WASA also had six runner-up finishes plus one third place result and a fourth,"
stated a beaming Torn Raimer, the organization's commissioner. "This was a great showing and I congratulate not only
our champions but all of the WASA teams that competed at the national level this summer."
One singular highlight for the WASA came in the Girls Fast Pitch 16-Under Class B Northern National in Wichita,
Kansas where the only two Wisconsin entries, Seymour Flames Red and Powerhouse from Green Bay, both made it to
the championship game where the Flames prevailed, 5-0.
Besides Powerhouse, the other WASA second-place finishers were:
Farmington
Cushing
Kimberly Cardinals
Kimberly
New Image
Badger Blitz
Baraboo
Men's Fast Pitch 23-U
Girls Fast Pitch 12-U Class A Northern
Girls Fast Pitch 18-U Class A Northern
Freedom Irish
Freedom
Girls Fast Pitch 18-U Class B Northern
Dillinger's and The Box, both from Fond du Lac, took third and fourth, respectively, in the Men's 10-Man Modified
Pitch national staged in their home city over the Labor Day weekend to fill out the remaining WASA teams with final
four national tournament credentials.
See inside this issue of The Messenger for more on the WASA's quartet of national champions along with other
national tournament results.
1
Raimer and Fond du Lac
Receive ASA Honors in Reno
RENO, NEVADA — Wisconsin ASA Commissioner
Tom Raimer and the city of Fond du Lac were among
those recognized with awards at the Amateur Softball
Association of America's 78th Annual Council Meeting in
Reno this Nov. 7-14.
The ASA bestowed a 20-Year Service Award on
Raimer along with a Benchmark Award which is given out
for increases in the registration of adult and youth softball
teams as well as umpires.
Raimer, a resident of Fredonia, received one of 15
Benchmark Awards issued in Reno and pointed out that a
large increase in 2009 Junior Olympic registrations was
the primary factor in attainingthe honor.
"The Wisconsin ASA picked up over 250 new JO
teams in 2009 and I congratulate Dale Ferron, our JO
commissioner, and his staff for their tremendous efforts,"
Raimer stated.
Fond du Lac was one of only 19 cities selected for a
2009 James Farrell Award of Excellence for its exemplary
effort in hosting the ASA Men's 10-Man Modified Pitch
National Championshipover the past Labor Day holiday
weekend.
The Farrell Award is named in honor of the late St.
Louis ASA commissioner and national staff member and
is given to outstanding sites that attain a minimum 90%
rating in each evaluation category as graded by the ASA's
tournament representative, the Umpire-in-Chief at the
event, the teams entered and the ASA national office.
Also feted in Reno was Allan Rivard of Grantsburg.
Rivard received a 30-Year Award for his many years of
devotion to softballacross the border in Minnesota with
the Metro Minneapolis ASA and the ASA's Northern
Region.
The Messenger
The Messenger is an official publication of the
Wisconsin Amateur Softball Assn.
N5372 Loraine Court
Fredonia, WI 53021
WASA Office Phone: (262) 685-7984
Fax: (262) 692-9940
Web site: www.wisconsin-asa.org
Editorial Office at:
Wisconsin ASA Messenger
1901 Michigan Avenue
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Phone: (715) 344-6846 or (715) 341-2804
Personnel:
Editor
Randy Wievel
Commissioner
Tom Raimer
Columnists
Dale Ferron
Design/Layout
Jim Krueger
Assistant Editor
President
Photo Credits
Matt Disher
Dick Buskov
Roger Regez
Matt Disher, Dale Ferron,
Belleville Softball Complex Staff,
Randy Wievel, Don Geiger, Jeff Kloes,
Lynn Nelson, Rex Mehlberg, Kathy
Fields, Rob Whitmire, Jerry Davidsavor,
Gordie Adler, Brian Gauthier.
Mailing List
To be added to The Messenger mailing list,
please send your e-mail request to:
[email protected]
2010 Men’s Slow Pitch
Mandatory Reclassifications
FREDONIA – The following Wisconsin ASA men’s
slow pitch teams are subject to reclassification in 2010:
Team
Reclassification
Blair
Class B
Janesville
Class C
Willow River/
Fleet Feet
Hudson/
Menomonie
Cubby’s
Downsville
Tranberg Roofing
2
City
Venom
Class B
Class C
WASA teams post .564 percentage in national competition
FREDONIA -- Wisconsin ASA adult teams piled up an impressive 62-48 overall record, a .564 percentage, in 2009
ASA national championship play.
"This is one of the best years the WASA has ever enjoyed in adult championship play from the winning percentage
angle," commented WASA Commissioner Tom Raimer, who added, "We had teams do very well in all divisions of play."
Farm Tavern of Madison was the main contributor to the WASA's success, going 10-1 en route to its third ASA Men's
Major Fast Pitch crown under Rod Peterson.
The Farm's victory in South Bend, Indiana was the only national title earned by the WASA's 23 adult representatives.
However, Farmington from Cushing and New Image of Montfort forged runner-up finishes in Men's Fast Pitch while
Dillinger's of Fond du Lac grabbed a third in Men's 10-Man Modified just ahead of hometown rivals The Box.
Another major contributor to the WASA's glitzy won-loss column was Venom of Janesville, which went 7-2 and tied
for fifth in the Men's Slow Pitch Class D Northern National.
Complete team-by-team results follow for each WASA adult team that played in an ASA national during 2009.
(Check out Dale Ferron's Junior Olympic News column to view this year's JO Girls Fast Pitch national tourney results
that produced three ASA national champions from Wisconsin)
Fast Pitch
Team
Farm Tavern
Farmington
La Crosse Athletics
New Image
The Bar
City
Madison
Cushing
La Crosse
Montfort
Appleton
Team
Dillinger’s
Fleet’s Gaslight Inn
River’s Bend
Symba’s
The Box
Press Box
Townline Pub & Grill
TPS
TTI
City
Fond du Lac
Oneida
Green Bay
Green Bay
Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac
Green Bay
Green Bay
Eden
Team
Cubby’s
Gopher Hills/Mike’s Baytown
Johnnie’s T-Bar
Nasonville Dairy
Ready Randy’s
Ridges Sandbaggers
Tranberg Roofing
Venom
West Wisconsin Merchants
City
Downsville
Spring Valley
River Falls
Marshfield
New Richmond
Wisconsin Rapids
Blair
Janesville
Eau Claire
W
10
4
2
3
3
L
1
2
3
2
3
Place
1
2
5
2
7
Tournament
Men’s Major
Men’s 23-U
Men’s 23-U
Men’s Class A
Men’s Major
W
3
1
0
2
3
3
1
4
1
L
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Place
3
13
13
9
4
5
9
5
9
Tournament
Men's 10
Men’s 10
Men’s 10
Men’s 10
Men’s 10
Men’s 10
Men’s 10
Men’s 10
Men’s 10
W
4
3
4
1
1
0
2
7
0
L
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
Place
13
25
25
7
25
9
17
5
7
Tournament
Men’s Class D Northern
Men’s Class D Northern
Men’s Class D Northern
Coed Class C
Men’s Class C Northern
Coed Class C
Men’s Class C Northern
Men’s Class D Northern
Men’s 35 & Over
Modified Pitch
Slow Pitch
3
Wisconsin Players Earn All-America Honors at Nationals
FREDONIA – Congratulations to the following players from Wisconsin ASA teams who earned either AllAmerica or All-Tournament recognition at a 2009 ASA national championship:
Player
Jeramie Holman
Kris Agnew
John Brandon
Frank Cox
Colin Abbott
Rob Gray
Jeff Goolagong
Team
New Image
New Image
New Image
Farm Tavern
Farm Tavern
Farm Tavern
Farm Tavern
Donny Hale
Zeron Winters
Nicolas Bittor
Don Potting, Jr.
Josh Calleja
Josh Bottolfson
Andy Matthews
Mike Nilssen
Mike Seibel
Justin Haing
Jeff Falk
Tom Bonlander
Troy Bonlander
James Goodfellow
Luke Loehr
Charlie Beau
Jason Ramsdell
Farm Tavern
Farm Tavern
The Bar
Farmington
Farmington
Farmington
Farmington
Farmington
The Box
TPS
TPS
Dillinger’s
Dillinger’s
Press Box
The Box
Dillinger’s
Venom
Player
Team
John Borton
Jesse Bogard
Darrell Tilley
Jim Corbett
Tyson Barkman
Justin Colombo
Nick Peters
4
Venom
Venom
Farm Tavern
Farm Tavern
The Bar
The Bar
The Bar
First Team
Position
Tournament
Infield
Infield
Infield
Pitcher
Catcher
Outfield
Utility
Men’s Major FP
Men’s Major FP
Men’s Major FP
MFP 23-U
MFP 23-U
MFP 23-U
MFP 23-U
Pitcher
Outfield
Utility
Pitcher
Outfield
Utility
Infield
MFP Class A
MFP Class A
MFP Class A
Men’s Major FP
Men’s Major FP
Men’s Major FP
Men’s Major FP
Infield
Pitcher
Catcher
Outfield
Outfield
Utility
Utility
Infield
Infield
Infield
MFP 23-U
Men’s 10 Modified
Men’s 10 Modified
Men’s 10 Modified
Men’s 10 Modified
Men’s 10 Modified
Men’s 10 Modified
Men’s 10 Modified
Men’s 10 Modified
MSP Class D Northern
Position
Tournament
Second Team
Utility
Infield
Pitcher
Utility
Outfield
Outfield
Utility
MSP Class D Northern
MSP Class D Northern
Men’s Major FP
Men’s Major FP
Men’s 10 Modified
Men’s 10 Modified
Men’s 10 Modified
Peak Performance: Peterson and The Farm Exit on Top
SOUTH BEND, IND. — Legendary sports figures
rarely go out on top ... and even fewer stay out.
Vince Lombardi, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan,
to name a few, couldn't do it. Maybe Rod Peterson can.
A few weeks after the 2009 softball season ended
Peterson, 70, and an icon in the world of men's fast pitch,
somberly announced he was retiring from the sport and
that the team he had owned and managed since 1975, The
Farm Tavern of Madison, Wisconsin, had played its final
game.
If so, both Peterson and The Farm are leaving at the
summit of ASA softball.
This past August 2, The Farm won its third ASA Men's
Major Fast Pitch national title at South Bend's Belleville
Softball Complex by sweeping the New York Gremlins
12-5 and 8-1 to conclude a rollicking 10-game ramble
through the loser's bracket.
Peterson's squad also won at "Farm-friendly"
Belleville in 2004 but this summer's performance may
have been their finest hour as they shook off an opening
loss to the Gremlins to not only demolish enemy pitching
but also rewrite the venerable tournament's record book.
The ASA's oldest and most prestigious national championship began its 77th edition Thursday, July 29 with the
two eventual finalists colliding in an evening 1st round
battle that went to the Gremlins, 5-2, as Bryan Newton
frustrated the Farmers on four hits.
This development only served as a wake-up call for
The Farm, which gathered steam on Friday with four conquests by an attention grabbing 46-6 cumulative count.
Momentum was still there on Saturday morning for the
Farmersas they bounced Indiana's Albaugh, Inc., 10-4,
thanks to Donny Hale's pair of homers and Frank Cox's
two-hit effort inside the pitcher's circle.
The Farm then survived the Pueblo (Colorado) Bandits
4-3 in eight tense innings. The Bandits outhit the
Wisconsin club 13-9 but couldn't dent the dish against
reliever Darrell Tilley, who worked five scoreless frames
after replacing Cox.
Farm shortstop Jeff Goolagong was the hitting star
of the crucial win with a single, triple and home run,
(Continued on page 6)
THE FARM — 2009 MEN’S MAJOR FAST PITCH NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: (Front row, from left)
Jeff Goolagong, Tom Owens, Rob Gray, Paul Lynch, Chris Timm, Mike Grant, (back row) Darrell Tilley,
Frank Cox, Jim Corbett, Jason Sanford, Zenon Winters, Donny Hale, Jason Hill, Owner/Manager Rod
Peterson, Colin Abbott.
5
The Farm
(Continued from page 5)
good for three RBIs.
Cox rebounded in his next start to scatter five hits and
eliminate Broken Bow (Nebraska) Patsy's 3-1 to spur his
red-hot outfit to win #7 and into the loser's bracket championship against Iowa's Midwest Stampede, 4-0 losers to
Newton and the Gremlins in the Saturday afternoon clash
of remaining unbeatens.
Long balls from the bats of Zenon Winters, Colin
Abbott and Hale provided The Farm with just enough of
a cushion to blunt a seventh-inning Stampede uprising for
a 6-5 victory that cemented a berth opposite the Gremlins
in Sunday morning's final pairing.
The Farm arrived at Belleville on Sunday wearing predominately black and blue but it turned out to be the
Gremlins who got bruised.
The mashers from Madison erupted for 15 hits, five of
which left the park, to end the opener 12-5 via the ASA
run-ahead rule after six innings and necessitate the "if necessary" championship game.
Hale paced the onslaught with a home run and double,
driving in four, and he was ably abetted by Jim Corbett
with a pair of taters, and Rob Gray and Abbott, who both
went deep and also singled.
The subsequent rubber match for the national championship followed the same script as The Farm pummeled
Newton for 13 hits to win in five, 8-1, behind Cox's twohit hurling.
Winters, Abbott and Corbett all went yard and Gray
lashed a trio of singles while Tom Owens singled twice
and Goolagong tripled as The Farm added the 2009 ASA
championship to the ones from 2003 and 2004
Hale, who equaled the tournament record with five
home runs, was named MVP. In 11 outings the potent
first-sacker hit .400 and drove in a dozen.
He also established new tourney standards with 34
total bases and a lofty .971 slugging percentage.
Cox went 6-0 for the champions with a 3.20 ERA and
45 strikeouts in just over 39 innings to win the Herb
Dudley Award as the event's outstanding pitcher.
Hale, Cox, Abbott, Gray, Goolagong and Winters all
earned First Team All-America recognition from tournament officials while Tilley and Corbett received Second
Team honors as The Farm dominated the post-tournament
awards ceremony.
6
Peterson's club also shattered some significant tournament team records and had individuals break or equal
records in at least seven prominent categories.
Team-wise, The Farm's torrid hitters pounded their
way to new bests in batting average (.378), total hits (116)
and total runs (90).
Individually, in addition to Hale's records in home
runs, total bases and slugging percentage, designated hitter Gray set a new tournament high with 17 hits and tied
the RBI mark of 14.
Goolagong produced a new single game RBI standard
with 6 (in a three-inning game!), while Abbott and
Winters both crossed home plate 13 times to forge another high for runs scored.
The elite level of ASA fast pitch is certainly going to
miss the colorful Peterson and The Farm ... however,
opposing pitchers most assuredly will not.
What a way to go out!
2009 ASA Men's Major Fast Pitch National
Championship Final Standings
Belleville Softball Complex — South Bend, Indiana
Madison, WI
10-1
1. Farm Tavern
2. NY Gremlins
Staten Island, NY
4-2
3. Midwest Stampede Bondurant, IA
3-2
4. Broken Bow Patsy's Broken Bow, NE
3-2
5. Bandits
Pueblo, CO
3-2
Grey Sox
Vancouver, BC
3-2
7. Albaugh, Inc.
Elkhart, IA
2-2
3-3
The Bar
Appleton, WI
9. Explorers
Midland, MI
1-2
Dolan & Murphy
Aurora, IL
1-2
Ashland Mets
Ashland, OH
1-2
Duncan Outlaws
Elkhart, IN
1-2
13. Anderson Lawmen Anderson, IN
1-3
Stock Pack
Ashland, OH
2-2
Lightning
Marshall, MI
0-3
DC Current
Bremen, IN
0-3
0-3
17. Quad City Sox
Davenport, IA
Most Valuable Player: Donny Hale, Farm Tavern
Batting Champion:
Shawn Vanduvall, Bandits,
.529 (9-for-17)
Home Run Champion: Donny Hale, Farm Tavern, 5
Herb Dudley
Pitching Award:
Frank Cox, Farm Tavern, 6-0
Players from The Farm, Jeff Goolagong (left photo) and Donny Hale (right photo) receive awards from
Tournament Director John Walczewski at the 2009 ASA Men’s Major Fast Pitch National Championship in
South Bend, Indiana. Goolagong earned First Team All-America recognition while Hale was the tournanament’s
most valuable player and home run champion, in addition to also receiving First Team All-America recognition.
(Photos courtesy of Belleville Softball Complex Staff and South Bend Parks & Recreation)
EAST FARMINGTON, playing out of Cushing, finished runner-up in the 2009
National Championships July 30-Aug. 2 at North Mankato, MN. Farmington won the
2008 title last year. Five players were named to the All -American team. Pictured are
(front row, from left) Matt Petterson, Joby Davidsavor, Josh Calleja, Josh Bottolfson,
Mike Neillsen, (back row) Coach Jason Bottolfson, Tommy Wells, Brandon Larson,
Danny Wells, Andy Matthews, Junior Potting, and Coach Don Potting Sr.
7
Seymour Flames Scorch Competition, Win 16-Under National
WICHITA, KS — Stay away from the Flames!
That's positive advice when the subject is fire safety
but it also was extremely relevant at the 2009 ASA Girls
Fast Pitch Class B 16-Under Northern National
Championship at Wichita's Two Rivers Youth Club July
29 - August 2.
The Seymour Flames Red team from Eau Claire,
Wisconsin ignited over the weekend to win six consecutive games and the first national title for the Seymour Ball
Club, an organization that runs a flourishing youth program at Seymour Park, just east of Eau Claire.
The Flames bested Powerhouse Fast Pitch from Green
Bay, 5-0, in the all-Wisconsin Sunday afternoon finale of
the 21-team event. The two rivals were the only
Wisconsin entries in a field that featured teams from eight
states.
Seymour had only managed a fourth-place finish in the
Wisconsin ASA state tourney but according to head coach
Jeff Kloes "Got the pitching staff healthy just in time for
Wichita."
The Flames started the double-elimination tourney
Friday morning with a 9-2 dispatching of Lady Shocker
Purple from Bellevue, Nebraska and came back that afternoon with a 5-2 decision against the Midwest Slammers
of Council Bluffs, Iowa.
A 7-1 triumph Saturday morning versus the Glenview
(Illinois) Titans advanced the Flames into the lower bracket afternoon semifinal against Powerhouse, which was
unbeaten in its two outings.
The first collision between the Badger State foes
evolved into an instant classic. Seymour opened a 6-0
advantage after five innings which Powerhouse trimmed
to 6-2 through six.
The Green Bay gals then pushed four more across in
the bottom of the seventh to square it 6-6 and had runners
on second and third with one out only to see the Flames
wriggle off the hook.
Seymour then countered with three more of its own in
the top of the eighth and survived, 9-7. "The kids showed
real character coming back after losing the lead and having Powerhouse put the potential winning run on third,"
Kloes commented.
The dramatic win set up Sunday morning's winner's
bracket final against the Rochester (Minnesota) Tigers,
which Seymour took 2-1.
"That was a typical nail-biter which many of our
games were," Kloes admitted .
Powerhouse then eliminated the demoralized Tigers 41 to forge the all-Wisconsin championship duel.
The 5-0 whitewash behind the mound duo of Barb
Malyuk and Hillary Jennes in the title game boosted
Seymour's 2009 tournament record to 32-8. Along with
the national championship the Flames also won an ASA
national qualifier in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and the Hallie
Flash tourney in Hallie, another Eau Claire suburb that,
like Seymour, is a softball hotbed.
"It was a great year," said Kloes, who's been with the
team since they were 12.
"Winning the Northern National was definitely a team
effort. We had 13 players and you could pick out a couple
of different ones who excelled in each game in Kansas.
(Continued on page 12)
SEYMOUR FLAMES — ASA
GIRLS FAST PITCH CLASS B
16-U NORTHERN NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS
8
Go East: Bandits Take Different Direction to 14-U Title
DAYTON, OHIO — Years ago the late Horace
Greeley famously wrote "Go West, young man."
But he apparently didn't say anything about young
women.
Disregarding Greeley, the Wisconsin Bandits 14Under girls fast pitch team based in Horicon journeyed
east to Ohio and wound up "discovering" a coveted ASA
national championship.
Most Wisconsin ASA representatives play in the
ASA's Northern Nationals but the Bandits elected to travel to Dayton for the 2009 Girls Fast Pitch Class B 14-U
Eastern National July 29 - August 2 instead of competing
in the Northern National held at the same time in Overland
Park, Kansas.
This turned out to be a decision 39 other teams from 10
states would regret in Ohio.
Following a 1-1 showing in the basically meaningless
pool play (the loss was 9-8 in extra innings to the NAC
Stingers Black from Perry, Ohio) the Bandits proceeded to
put on a virtuoso performance.
They won six straight outings in the double-elimination "main event" while surrendering only two runs to win
the Bandit organization's initial ASA national title.
Wisconsin's victims were, in order:
Opponent
City/State
Score
MC Madness Red
Valley City, OH
4-1
Roselle Rampage
Bloomington, IL
6-0
Miss Scottie's
Ballstonspa, NY
4-0
Heartland Thunder
Cecilia, KY
3-0
Indy Fusion
Pittsboro, IN
9-1
Roselle Rampage
Bloomington, IL
3-0
In the championship rematch with the Rampage, who
were on one through the loser's bracket, the Bandits broke
the ice with a run in the third and added two more in the
fifth as their winning formula of great pitching and
defense held firm.
Tom Fields, a former high school coach at Rosholt and
also in the WASA's Junior Olympic program, was on hand
(Continued on page 12)
WISCONSIN BANDITS — ASA GIRLS FAST PITCH CLASS B 14-U EASTERN NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS: (Front row, from left) Riley Kruel, Nikki Jakel, Kelsey Wasilczuk, Shelby Fields,
Ashley Holz, Andrea Olsen, (middle row) Brennan Kurkowski, Jenny Reicher, Melanie Leopold,
Brianne Hechimovich, Char Pegram, (back row) Coach Krista Shafer, Coach Don Olson, Coach
Tim “Bubba” Holz and Coach Dennis “Beans” Hechimovich.
9
Oshkosh Raiders Finish On High Note With 10-U Crown
BLOOMINGTON, IND. — The Oshkosh Raiders 10Under girls fast pitch softball team's 2009 season began on
a tragic note but ended in joyful triumph when the Raiders
successfully defended their ASA Class B 10-U Northern
National title here July 28- August 1 at Twin Lakes Sports
Park.
The Raiders, appearing in their third consecutive
Northern National championship game, eased past the
Wabash Valley Sharks from Terre Haute, Indiana, 2-1, to
become the first Wisconsin ASA Junior Olympic team to
win back-to-back ASA national titles.
Oshkosh's victory capped an incredible 36-1 campaign
that was dedicated to pitching coach Denis Utecht, who
passed away unexpectedly in April at the age of 62.
"Denis was the main reason our program's so strong
and why we've been so successful," declared Brian
Gauthier, the Raiders' co-head coach along with his wife,
Kim.
The mighty Raiders rolled into Bloomington 30-0 on
10
the year but lost their second game of pool play to Team
Indiana before rebounding to rack up five straight wins in
bracket action that featured a pair of 2-1 thrillers over
Wabash Valley.
“The two games with Wabash Valley were great
games,” Gauthier said. “Wabash was the best team we
played all year. They were very good.”
Shrugging off the unusual sting of the pool play defeat,
the Raiders won their first two contests in the doubleelimination tourney by a whopping 29-3 cumulative
score, then nipped the Sharks 2-1 in a pivotal Friday afternoon semifinal behind righthander Shaye Gauthier, the
co-coaches' daughter.
Later that evening Oshkosh bested the Crete (Illinois)
Crush 6-1 to gain the national finals, slated for noon
Saturday, once again.
The Sharks eventually surfaced from the loser's bracket for a rematch in the finale thanks to a three-game win(Continued on page 11)
OSHKOSH RAIDERS — ASA GIRLS FAST PITCH CLASS B 10-U NORTHERN
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: (Front row, from left) Shaye Gauthier, Mollie Bartlett,
Lauren Schiek, Shannon Horel, Ellerie Laatsch, Lauren Neveau, Sammy Buerger,
Hannah Hestekin, Abby Walker, Haley Hestekin, Gabrielle Gauthier (batgirl), Bailey
Schultz Back Row: Coaches Brian Neveau, Kim Gauthier, Brian Gauthier.
Oshkosh Raiders
(Continued from page 10)
ning streak that included a 5-4 verdict over Raider nemesis Team Indiana and an 8-0 romp against the Crush.
The Raiders quickly grabbed the momentum in the
championship game by scoring twice in the first and that
was just enough for Haley Hestekin, their other righthanded ace, who made the early advantage stand up by allowing only a single tally to the Sharks in the second inning.
"The whole team did a great job defensively and every
girl contributed," Brian Gauthier remarked. "Bailey
Schultz and Ellerie Laatsch led us at the plate in Indiana
and both pitchers, Shaye and Haley, were tremendous."
The Raiders' leader also commended the tournament
umpires as being "Very, very good."
For the entire 37-game 2009 season the Raiders scored
293 runs and gave up a parsimonious 25 as their pitchers
fired four perfect games and amassed an astonishing 14
no-hitters.
This year's national champions returned five players,
including Gauthier and Hestekin, from the 36-2 squad that
won the 2008 Northern National in Rochester, Minnesota
but Brian Gauthier didn't think there was much pressure to
repeat on his 12-player roster, all of whom hail from
Oshkosh.
"They didn't seem concerned with the pressure,"
Gauthier commented. "My wife sort of puts them in a
bubble and they do what they're supposed to do. The kids
don't get rattled. It's amazing, really."
The Raiders were the only Wisconsin entry in the
Northern National's 16-team field and Gauthier emphasized the invaluable support his youngsters received from
the Badger Blitz, an 18-U club from Baraboo that was also
in Bloomington for their own Northern National (The Blitz
took second in the 18-U Class A event with a 5-2 record).
"We had a delay before our championship game and the
Badger Blitz girls were there and helped keep our kids
loose while they waited to play. Then they cheered us on
during the game. The support from the Blitz really helped
a lot."
The 2010 ASA Class B 10-Under Northern National is
targeted for Topeka, Kansas where the Raiders, if they
make the trip, will attempt to become the first Wisconsin
ASA team at any level to win three consecutive national
championships.
Denis Utecht may be gone but his Raider pitching
prodigies are doing their utmost to keep his legacy very
much alive.
The top four finishers in the 10-U Northern National
were:
1. Oshkosh Raiders **
Oshkosh, WI
5-0
2. Wabash Valley Sharks Terre Haute, IN
5-2
3. Crete Crush
Crete, IL
3-2
4. Team Indiana
Hamilton County, IN 3-2
** Oshkosh was the only Wisconsin ASA entry in the
16-team field.
Oshkosh Raiders pitchers
Haley Hestekin (left) and
Shaye Gauthier (right)
went undefeated in leading
the Raiders to the ASA
Class B 10-U Northern
National Championship.
11
Seymour Flames
Wisconsin Bandits
"I kept telling the girls in Wichita that we really didn't
have the best players there but that we had the best team.
And they proved it.
"This was a good mix of girls and a neat team to
coach.”
The Flames are comprised of girls who play in the
Seymour Ball Club's program and many of them attend
Eau Claire North.
Kloes, for one, envisions even better things to come for
the Seymour program.
"We have people involved who care and are devoted to
the sport. Folks hear good things about us and that's why
our program's growing every year."
to cheer on the Bandits and his daughter Ashley, and he
reported, "Everything clicked.
"We were the only team in Dayton from Wisconsin and
weren't getting much respect early. It seemed like some
people were surprised we even had softball in Wisconsin.
"Then, after the win over Miss Scottie's, things changed
and we developed a bit of a following with the fans."
The Bandits concluded the 2009 campaign with 53
wins in 60 tries with the seven setbacks coming by a grand
total of 8 runs.
The new Eastern National champions also managed to
defeat all of but one of the teams they lost to and made the
finals of every tournament they played in.
The top four finishers in Dayton:
1. Wisconsin Bandits **
Horicon, WI
6-0
2. Roselle Rampage
Bloomington, IL 7-2
3. Indy Fusion
Pittsboro, IN
4-2
4. OFC Explosion
Mason, OH
4-2
** The Bandits were the only Wisconsin ASA entry in the
tournament.
(Continued from page 8)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
7.
9.
2009 ASA Girls Fast Pitch Class B
16-Under Northern National Championship
July 29 - August 2 — Wichita, Kansas
Final Standings (Top 12 of the 21 entries)
Seymour Flames Red
Eau Claire, WI
6-0
Powerhouse Fast Pitch Green Bay, WI
5-2
Rochester Tigers
Rochester, MN
3-2
Mid-State Magic
Springfield, IL
5-2
Hays Lady Sharks
Hays, KS
2-2
Midwest Slammers
Council Bluffs, IA 3-2
Kansas Elite
Hillsboro, KS
3-2
Farmington Freeze
Farmington, IL
2-2
Glenview Titans
Glenview, IL
1-2
Omaha Lightning
Omaha, NE
2-2
Hogan's Select
Kearney, NE
1-2
New Ulm Red Lobsters New Ulm, MN
1-2
(Continued from page 9)
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12
Place
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
5th
7th
7th
9th
9th
9th
9th
13th
13th
13th
17th
17th
17th
17th
17th
17th
ASA Men’s 10-Man Modified Pitch National Championship
Sept. 4- 7 — Fond du Lac
Team
Alexander’s Stallions
Bonnell’s Softball
Dillinger’s
The Box
TPS
The Press Box
TM Logistics/Schmidt Electric
Secory Flyers
Symba’s
Townline Pub & Grill
Gillie’s Pockets Softball
TTI
Cosmo’s
Fleet’s Gaslight Inn
River Bend
Jets Pizza/O’Connor’s Auto
Home State Bank
Shawno’s
Frank & Forster
Full Quiver & More Rebels
Italian Club
Hometown
Port Huron, MI
Erie, PA
Fond du Lac, WI
Fond du Lac, WI
Green Bay, WI
Fond Du Lac, WI
Delano, MN
Port Huron, MI
Green Bay, WI
Green Bay, WI
Midland, MI
Eden, WI
Cosmos, MN
Oneida, WI
Green Bay, WI
Bay City, MI
Atwater, MN
Templeton, MA
Saginaw, MI
Fort Gratiot, MI
Masontown, PA
All-American Team
First Team
Record
6-1
8-2
3-2
3-2
4-2
3-2
3-2
3-2
2-2
1-2
2-2
1-2
1-2
1-2
0-2
0-2
0-2
0-2
0-2
0-2
0-2
Position
Player
Team
Pitcher
Ray Randle
Alexander’s Stallions
Pitcher
Ken Menale
Bonnell’s Softball
Pitcher
Mike Seibel
The Box
Justin Haing
TPS
Catcher
Outfield
Jeff Falk
TPS
Outfield
Brian Fanion
Alexander’s Stallions
Outfield
Tom Bonlander
Dillinger’s
Outfield
Lee Rohan
Bonnell’s Softball
Utility
Aaron Carpenter
Secory Flyers
Utility
Troy Bonlander
Dillinger’s
Utility
James Goodfellow
The Press Box
Infield
Luke Loehr
The Box
Infield
Charlie Beau
Dillinger’s
Infield
Brandon Richardson
Bonnell’s Softball
Infield
Kyle Stocker
Alexander’s Stallions
MVP: Ray Randle, Alexander’s Stallions
Batting Champion: Justin Haing, TPS
Home Run Champion: Brandon Richardson, Bonnell’s Softball
13
2010 WISCONSIN ASA STATE TOURNAMENTS
SLOW PITCH
MEN’S
Class B
Class C
Class D
TBD
TBD
July 16-18
Pending
Pending
Stevens Point
Class E
$275.00
TBD
Pending
WOMEN’S
Class C/D
TBD
Pending
COED
Class A
TBD
Pending
July 23-25
July 23-25
July 23-25
Pending
Pending
Ashwaubenon
Class C 10 Man
$275.00
July 25-26
Pending
WOMEN’S
Class A
July 23-25
Ashwaubenon
$195.00
GIRLS
18/16/14/12/10
& Under
Class A
18/16/14/12/10
& Under
Class B
18/16/14/12/10
& Under
Class C
GIRLS
18/16 Under
Class A
14/12/10U
Class A
14
(715) 341-2804
July 9, 2010
MODIFIED PITCH
MEN’S
Class A 9 Man
Class A 10 Man
Class B 10 Man
MEN’S
Class C/D
WOMEN’S
Class A/B/C
Randy Wievel
P.O. Box 663
Stevens Point, WI 54481
Rex Melhberg
2155 Holmgren Way
Ashwaubenon WI 54304
Rex Mehlberg
2155 Holmgren Way
Ashwaubenon, WI 54304
July 10, 2010
July 10, 2010
(920) 492-2331
July 9, 2010
July 17, 2010
(920) 492-2331
July 9, 2010
FAST PITCH
TBD
Pending
TBD
Pending
J O (YOUTH) FAST PITCH
July 8-11
$400.00
July 8-11
$400.00
Aug. 6-8
Watertown
Eau Claire/
Seymour
Baraboo
$300.00
Scott Pomerenke
N9650 Dewey Rd
Watertown, WI 53094
Fred Hankel
5776 Perth Dr.
Eau Claire, WI 54703
Carl Jacobsen
421 Moore St.
Baraboo, WI 53913
(920) 261-5212
June 30, 2010
(715) 552-4428
July 1, 2010
(608) 335-7673
July 28, 2010
JO GREAT LAKES NATIONAL QUALIFIERS
June 24-26
Watertown
$400.00
TBD
Pending
Scott Pomerenke
N9650 Dewey Rd
Watertown, WI 53094
(920) 261-5212
TBD
Wisconsin Line Drives
By Roger Regez
In my opinion no team has helped raise more funds
for softball teams and other good causes in this state
than the barnstorming softball team King and His
Court which featured the late Eddie Feigner.
The four-man team began in 1946 and has a long
and rich history. At Madison they drew a crowd of
4,212 in 1974. Fourteen years earlier they played
before a crowd of 3,571 in the same city.
Most of the time their newspaper-reported trips to
Wisconsin drew in the 1,000-2,000 range. I remember
former ISC executive director Milt Stark saying that,
in his opinion, Wisconsin had the best fast pitch in the
nation, at the opening ceremonies of the 2001 ISC
World Tournament in Eau Claire.
Feigner was not afraid to play against the best
Wisconsin teams. No player has put more fans in the
stands than the King.
Feigner was billed as having 19 different windups,
14 different deliveries, 12 different curve balls, and
five different speeds. I saw him pitch once in 1960 at
Blair, Wisconsin and his speed amazed me but at that
time I had never seen major pitching either.
He pitched blindfolded and from second base. He
would explain that the reason they have a four-man
team rather than just three or two was because they
had to have someone bat when they had the bases
loaded. He seemed to be unbeatable if he had a nineman team. There was much comedy in their show.
Searching, I did find a few Wisconsin teams that
did record wins.
On July 10, 1974, Madison Poole's scored a 3-1
victory over Feigner who gave up eight hits, one walk,
and struck out 1.
On June 23, 1963, the Madison All-Stars won 7-1,
as Bill Gothard and Dean Armen hit home runs.
Gothard's homer came while Feigner was blindfolded.
Remember, in many cases the home runs did not go
over the fence, they were balls hit into the outfield that
would roll out of reach of the two infielders trying to
chase it down.
Nevertheless, Armen and Gothard had to have
made good contact. On this particular date, it was
Feigner's second game of the day. They had played a
2:00 p.m. game at Wisconsin Rapids that ended 3-3
against an All-Star team. Traveling from Wisconsin
Rapids to Madison did not leave much time for rest
between games. Feigner struck out 15 but gave up
three home runs to Jack Cepek, Tuffy Sommerfeldt,
and pitcher Art Lieber. Again there is no mention if
any of these home runs left the park .
Back on June 18, 1961 Don Annen homered for the
Madison All-Stars in a 4-2 win in which Feigner struck
out 13. Annen may be the only Wisconsin player to
have hit more than one round-tripper off the King.
On June 15, 1965 at Oshkosh, Tom Boettcher of
Wertsch Motors hung up a very rare shutout over the
touring four, 6-0. Feigner reportedly had a sore arm, he
pitched just four innings. A trivia question ... Who
relieved Feigner? It may have been the only time the
King and His Court went to the bullpen. It was Mark
Bailey. The duo fanned 14. For the record Boettcher
allowed four hits and struck out five. They also lost at
Eau Claire July 8, 1974.
Members of the King and His Court had some great
individual performances on Wisconsin softball fields.
On July 22, 1957 Jerry Jones slammed three home
runs at the Janesville 4H fairgrounds. Jones was
regarded as the fastest player to ever play for the team.
He had the ability to catch fly balls against the outfield
fence starting from his shortstop position. Feigner
struck out 18 Southern Wisconsin All-Stars in a 5-1
three hitter.
On June 2, 1963 Jones hit two home runs in a 2-1
win over powerful Oshkosh Wertsch Motors. Feigner
struck out 16 and allowed five hits . At Junction City
on June 29, 1965 Feigner threw a no-hitter, had 16
strikeouts, walked two and hit two, winning 8-0. He
recorded 19 strikeouts in a game at Wisconsin Rapids
beating Edgetown 4-1 at Witter Field.
On June 7, 1964 the King struck out two consecutive batters while blindfolded in an 8-3 win over a
Madison All-Star team. He allowed four hits and
struck out 17. Al Jackson reportedly went to bat over
400 times during the 1972 season and never recorded
a strikeout.
On August 23, 1960 Feigner himself homered in a
5-2 win over the Madison All-Stars before 3,571 and
struck out 18. At Junction City on June 12, 1966 they
came away with a 5-4 win over an area all-star team.
Feigner struck out 10, allowed four hits, and walked
three. Losing pitcher Nate Carpenter had a no-hitter
(Continued on page 16)
15
Wisconsin Line Drives
(Continued from page 15)
going into the sixth. The winners scored two in the
seventh to win it.
One report mentioned the King having "influenced"
an umpire's decision. On July 21, 1974 at Sheboygan
Jerry Walters slammed a home run followed by Tom
Martin who hit another. Feigner talked the umpire into
calling Martin's home run a ground rule double. In the
end, the King and His Court defeated the Sheboygan
A's 2-1.
I found seven newspaper reports that gave full statistics on his performances. I decided to total those just
to see what they look like. These are his stats facing
mostly the most outstanding Wisconsin fast pitch hitters of the 50s, 60s and 70s.
IP
H
R
SO
BB
16
113
14
48
27
Take away the strikeouts and only 58 balls were put
into play in the 48 innings. Prorating from the ISC
World Tournament statistics, even with a nine-man
team 58 balls put into play would result in approximately 19 hits allowed. The amazing stat is the 2.35
strikeouts per inning, pitching against some of the
state's best hitters. Another amazing stat is the fact that
on 58 balls put in play, considering they had only three
defenders other than the catcher, they still converted
46.5 percent into outs.
Al Jackson set the individual one-year record of 94
home runs for the four man team in 1974. Three years
later Eddie Feigner, Jr. hit 95. Feigner, Jr. caught his
father most of the time. Some of their outstanding
feats have been lost with time.
I also found a feature in a May 1, 1955 Long Beach,
CA, Independence Press Telegram newspaper issue
which mentions, early in his career, Feigner once
pitched an entire game blindfolded. He was the winning pitcher in a 2-1 win over the Western Canadian
champions, allowing one hit, three walks, and he
recorded 18 strikeouts. In another game he hit six
home runs, had nine RBIs and struck out 18. Still
another game, 74 Ks in a 34-inning game.
Players listed on their 2009 tour were Mike
Branchaud, Charlie Dobbins, Russ Fittje, and Rich
Hoppe. Branchaud and Hoppe are listed as pitchers.
Hoppe has pitched in 17 world and national fast pitch
tournaments. Hoppe reportedly had a 130-game win-
16
ning streak going into the 2007 season. He also dons
the blindfold in his appearances.
They are booking for the 2010 season now according to their Web site, http://kingandhiscourt.com. They
list their phone 509-735-2878, ext. 204 or 205.
I would think softball fans would like to see more
bookings for them in Wisconsin. I still believe they
will put fans in the stands. If you are looking to raise
funds for your team or some other good cause, you
might want to consider bringing the King and His
Court to your city. I think it would be a great fun event.
Regez authors another book
on high school basketball
EAU CLAIRE — Roger Regez, the longtime columnist for The Messenger and self-styled "statistical sports
nut" has recently authored his second book on Wisconsin
high school basketball.
Entitled The (1st) Mississippi Valley Basketball
Conference 1933-1965, the book is a detailed history of
the MVC, which included schools from Arcadia,
Augusta, Black River Falls, Durand, Mondovi, Osseo,
Whitehall and, eventually, Chippewa Falls and
Cochrane-Fountain City.
The book features box scores, photos, statistics, player and coaching profiles, all-MVC teams, etc., and "is
selling really well" the author reports.
It can be ordered for $18.50, which includes postage
and handling, payable to Roger A. Regez, 1605
Edgewood Lane, Eau Claire, WI 54703.
Regez's earlier publication on the Trempealeau
Valley Conference is also still available for the same
price.
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