Morgan Rode sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Inclement weather pushed the start of the high school outdoor spring sports season back, cramming the regular season into just a few weeks.
In what seemed like a blink of the eye, the regular season for most teams is over and the attention is now shifting to the postseason.
Most local teams already know their first regional opponent or what city they be competing in for the first portion of the postseason.
BASEBALL
The Division 1 seeding has yet to be finalized, but Shawano does know that it will be competing in the Bay Port Sectional. Division 1 regionals begin on May 29 and wrap up on May 31.
Divisions 2-4 regional games open on May 24, continue on May 29 and wrap up on May 30. All sectional games will be played on June 5. State games will be played from June 12-14 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.
Clintonville is the lone area team playing in Division 2. The fifth-seeded Truckers will travel to take on fourth-seeded Oconto Falls to open regionals.
Bonduel leads a trio of area teams in the Division 3 field. The Bears earned a No. 2 seed and a bye for the first regional game. Bonduel will look to keep things rolling when it returns to action on May 29.
Fellow CWC-East foe Menominee Indian earned a No. 6 seed and could face the Bears if it gets past Brillion in its first game. Wittenberg-Birnamwood, a No. 4 seed, is also in the Division 3 field and will host Weyauwega-Fremont on May 24.
Marion and Tigerton will compete in Division 4, traveling for regional games against Rosholt and Tri-County, respectively.
Gresham and Bowler earned No. 3 and No. 5 seeds, respectively, in Division 4. Gresham will host St. Thomas Aquinas/Lena while Bowler will travel to take on Sevastopol on May 24.
SOFTBALL
Local softball teams will open regional play on May 22 and also play games on May 23 and 25. Sectionals take place on May 29 and 31 before state, which runs from June 7-9 at Goodman Diamond in Madison.
Shawano earned a No. 6 seed in Division 2 and will travel to third-seeded Luxemburg-Casco on May 23. Ninth-seeded Clintonville will also compete in the Division 2 field, traveling to take on the Colby/Abbotsford co-op on May 22.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood secured a No. 5 seed in Division 3 and will take on fourth-seeded Amherst on May 23.
Bonduel and Menominee Indian each earned No. 10 seeds and will play their opening regional game on May 22. The Bears will face Wautoma in Division 3 while Menominee Indian will travel to take on Laona/Wabeno in Division 4.
Gresham leads a quartet of local teams in the Division 5 field. The Wildcats earned a No. 5 seed and will travel to take on Wausaukee on May 23.
Bowler, Tigerton and Marion will all open the postseason on May 22. Seventh-seeded Bowler hosts Oneida Nation while Tigerton and Marion travel for games against Wild Rose and Port Edwards, respectively.
TRACK
All track and field regionals are scheduled for May 21, with sectionals being completed on May 24. The state meet will run from June 1-2 at Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse.
Shawano will compete in the Division 1 Bay Port Sectional and then take part in the Ashwaubenon Sectional.
Bonduel and Clintonville will be a part of the Division 2 Clintonville Regional before competing in the Freedom Sectional. Wittenberg-Birnamwood is part of the Mosinee Regional and Colby Sectional.
In the Division 3 field, Gresham/Bowler, Menominee Indian and Wolf River Lutheran will all compete in the St. Mary Catholic Regional and Marathon Sectional. Marion and Tigerton are in the Rosholt Regional and Marathon Sectional.
“We hardly can wrap our heads around the fact that our season is coming to a close,” Tigerton coach Holly Meverden said. “We had so many meets that were cancelled because of the bad weather, that we don’t feel we have had the opportunity to perform up to potential. With not having a track to practice on or a decent pit to jump in in Tigerton, the athletes have been at a disadvantage with having so few meets this season. Even with that, though, the athletes always have a positive attitude and try their hardest to improve and be competitive.”
BOYS GOLF
Local boys golf teams will compete in regionals on May 22 or May 23. Sectional action takes place on May 29 or May 30 while the state meet will be run from June 4-5 at University Ridge in Madison.
In the Division 1 field, Shawano will take part in the Bay Port Regional on May 23. The Hawks are also part of the Kaukauna Sectional, which will take place on May 29.
Bonduel, Clintonville, Menominee Indian/Gresham and Wittenberg-Birnamwood will all compete at the Division 2 Bonduel Regional on May 22. Any qualifying individuals or teams would advance to the Ripon Sectional on May 29.
Bonduel coach David LaBerge knows advancing to sectionals is a tough task and that things could come down to just a few strokes.
“In golf, it usually comes down to one or two strokes to move on to sectionals either as a team or an individual,” LaBerge said. “(We are) Really focusing on having the players not waste strokes on the golf course and to keep their composure as this has been a struggle for many of them all year.”
Marion will join take part in the Division 3 Iola-Scandinavia Regional on May 22. Any qualifying individuals or teams will then compete in the Marathon Sectional on May 29.
BOYS TENNIS
Shawano is the lone local tennis team competing in this year’s tournament. The Hawks will be part of the Rhinelander Subsectional on May 21 and Kohler Sectional on May 23 in the Division 2 field.
“The boys tennis team is excited for Monday’s subsectionals,” Shawano tennis coach Matthew Zoll said. “We have had success against most of the teams that are in the Rhinelander subsectional. The tennis players have worked hard this year and are ready to show that their hard work can pay off.”
Subsectionals can either be played on May 21 or May 22 while sectionals can happen on May 23 or May 24. The individual state tournament runs from May 31 to June 2 while the state team tournament will take place on June 8-9 at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison.
GIRLS SOCCER
Regional games for girls soccer take place on May 31 and June 2. Sectionals will be played on June 7 and June 9. State action will run from June 14-16 at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.
Shawano will be a part of the Division 2 field when the seeding takes place. The Hawks are part of the Marshfield Sectional and regional that also features Antigo, Ashwaubenon, Hortonville, Marshfield, Merrill, Pulaski and Wausau East.
Clintonville will compete in the Hayward Sectional of the Division 3 field. Amherst/Iola-Scandinavia, Medford, Mosinee, New London, Rhinelander, Waupaca and Wautoma/Wild Rose will also be in the regional field.