Chris Caporale, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School senior Dylan Sumnicht picked up his first win of the season in a 1-0 victory over New London on Friday. He will likely start against Xavier at home on Thursday.
A LOOK AHEAD
BASEBALL
Shawano vs. Xavier
After three of Shawano baseball’s first four games have been postponed or canceled due to the weather, the Hawks will get back out on the Memorial Park diamond at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Shawano (1-0, 1-0 Bay Conference) will likely throw senior ace Dylan Sumnicht on the mound in the team’s only conference game until next Tuesday. The Hawks have a doubleheader with Rhinelander on Saturday and a meeting with Oconto Falls at home on Monday.
After Tuesday’s home contest with Menasha, Shawano will have played each of its first five games on the home diamond.
Xavier, which has yet to play a game this spring, returns 6-foot-4 junior Nate DeYoung on the mound. When the team’s met last spring, the Hawks won both meetings by a combined three runs.
SOFTBALL
Bonduel vs. Oconto
Bonduel will play its first home game of the season in a nonconference matchup with the Oconto Blue Devils, one of the top regional teams in the Bears’ WIAA Division 3. The teams will square off at 1 p.m. Saturday in Cedar Park.
The Bears (1-0), who scored a 10-1 victory over Crivitz to open the season, will count on senior Cameri Gehm in the circle. But against Oconto, Bonduel will need to find a way to produce runs.
Junior Brynn Reinke had three hits and senior Brittany Wudtke posted three runs in Bonduel’s season-opening victory. More of the same will be needed Saturday to take down Oconto (1-2, 0-1 Packerland Conference).
After an 8-2 season-opening victory over Coleman, Oconto dropped back-to-back games to Marinette (3-2) and Sevastopol (17-0). Oconto, however, has games Thursday and Friday to get back on track before coming to town to face the Bears.
STANDOUT
Shawano pole vaulter Payden Buck won his second consecutive track meet, starting the season with two victories by soaring 12 feet in the Wausau West Indoor Invitational on March 18 and 13 feet at the Watertown Indoor Invitational on Saturday.
Buck will start his outdoor season Friday at the Wausau West Boys Invitational. The junior reached 12-6 in last year’s WIAA Division 1 Green Bay Preble regional, finishing in fifth place.
QUICK HITS
• The 30 runs scored by the Gresham softball team Tuesday was the second-highest total over the past two seasons. The Wildcats defeated Bowler 35-7 last April.
• Wittenberg-Birnamwood junior Maddy Pietz won three individual events at Friday’s Rosholt Invitational.
• Clintonville softball picked up an 8-7 win in its season opener Tuesday against Wittenberg-Birnamwood. The Truckers already have half of 2016’s win total.