By Morgan Rode sports@newmedia-wi.com
Leader Photo by Morgan Rode Bowler’s Logan Thiex delivers a pitch during a conference doubleheader against Manawa on May 10 in Bowler. Thiex was one of four Bowler players named to the CWC-North first team.
Leader Photo by Morgan Rode Marion’s Carter Goke throws a pitch during a conference road clash against Gresham on May 10. Goke made the CWC-North second team after a strong year on the mound.
The Bowler High School baseball team had a conference-best four players named to the Central Wisconsin Conference-North Division first team after a strong spring season.
Bowler finished second in the conference with an 8-2 record and were rewarded by having a total of seven players earn all-conference recognition.
Five Tigerton, three Marion and two Gresham players also earned honors.
Bowler
Leading the seven Bowler players on all-conference teams was the quartet of Landan Kroening, Logan Thiex, Zach Fehrman and Lane Schultz, who all made the first team.
Schultz, Fehrman and Thiex all finished with 12 hits in conference play, while Kroening had nine and reached base at a .429 clip.
Thiex led the team with 13 RBIs, while also stealing 11 bases and scoring 10 runs. On the mound, he earned two wins, posted a 0.93 ERA and struck out 16 batters over 15 innings.
“I am really appreciative of being named first team all-conference as a sophomore,” Thiex said. “This honor means all of my practice and hard work on and off the field paid off. I put it all out on the field this year and it was noticed.”
Fehrman led the team with 14 stolen bases after getting on base at a .529 clip.
On the mound, Fehrman won four games and struck out 32 batters over 25 innings. He tossed a no-hitter against Tigerton on April 30.
“Being named all-conference shows that all the hard work that me and the team put in was worth it, and being a junior it gives me so much more confidence going into my senior season,” Fehrman said. “Hopefully with more confidence we can make another run for conference champs.”
Schultz was another on-base machine for the Panthers, getting on at a .629 clip. He stole seven bases and scored 13 runs. Schultz also earned a win on the mound.
“It means everything to me. All the hard work I’ve put into being an athlete has paid off at a young age and I achieved my goal as a sophomore,” Schultz said. “Now all I can do is keep working and see what else I can do…”
Kroening played several positions for Bowler, including serving as another strong pitcher. He earned a win and struck out 15 batters over 11 innings pitched in his senior season.
Sophomore Brock Strassburg represented the Panthers on the second team.
Strassburg had a .369 batting average, but got on base about 60 percent of the time. He scored nine runs and stole eight bases.
Senior Ezra Spencer and junior Dylan Biermann each earned honorable mention status.
Spencer got on base at a .417 clip, drove in seven runs and stole five bases.
Biermann made the most of his six hits, driving in nine runs. He also stole five bases.
Bowler earned a No. 4 seed for the postseason, but was upset by fifth-seeded Sevastopol.
Tigerton
Austin Hoffmann earned a spot on the first team after a strong junior year for Tigerton.
Hoffmann finished the season with a .425 batting average, 14 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
On the mound, he struck out 23 batters over 18 innings and earned one win.
“Getting the first team all-conference award as a junior is only going to push me to earn more next year, which is player of the year,” Hoffmann said. “It’ll push me to work harder and make my last year of high school baseball my best year.”
Senior Izaiah Hidde, junior Landon Prey and sophomore Isaac Schoen all made the second team for the Tigers.
Prey hit .378 and got on base at a .489 clip. He drove in eight runs and also covered nine innings on the mound, striking out 11 batters over that span.
Hidde finished with a .348 batting average and five RBIs. He also stole five bases.
Schoen was the team’s top pitcher, posting a 3.26 ERA over 19 1/3 innings. At the plate, he hit .333, while also stealing six bases.
Sophomore Mitch Zimdars was an honorable mention pick.
Zimdars hit .314 on the season and got on base at a .455 clip. He drove in seven runs and swiped 14 bases.
Tigerton went 5-5 in CWC-North play before being eliminated by Edgar in the postseason.
Marion
Cayden Schoen represented Marion on the first team after a big junior year on the diamond.
Schoen batted .433 in conference play. He stole 13 bases and scored 11 runs. Schoen also pitched 12 2/3 innings.
“To make any all-conference is truly amazing and such a good feeling, especially when you know your hard work in the weight room and in practice is paying off,” Schoen said. “This motivates me to work even harder in the offseason and the practices coming into my senior season so I can be the best baseball player I can be.”
Marion’s other two all-conference selections— sophomore Carter Goke and freshman Alex Zimmerman — made the second team.
Zimmerman hit. 333 at the plate while posting a 4.38 ERA to earn two wins on the mound. He drove in nine runs and stole seven bases.
Goke was the Mustangs’ workhorse, striking out 30 batters over 39 1/3 innings pitched. He earned three wins. On the offensive side, Goke scored 10 runs.
Marion finished 4-6 in conference play. The Mustangs were upset by Newman Catholic in their playoff opener.
Gresham
Gresham’s Nathanial Juga enjoyed a strong senior season and landed on the first team as a result.
The highlight of Juga’s season with a grand slam homer against Marion on May 10.
“The thing I’m going remember is the moment I had with my assistant coach Ben Smith when I finally hit my home run,” Juga said. “It was a special moment between us. I’ve known Ben since I was in elementary school. It was the best moment of my baseball career.”
Junior Chase Bugler was the team’s other all-conference selection, landing on the honorable mention team.
Gresham went 3-7 in conference play. The Wildcats were forced to forfeit their postseason game with only eight players available.