The Fastpitch Chronicle

Mosinee

Division 2 – Enrollment this year is 637 – Sectional 1 at Baldwin-Woodville
Conference – Great Northern (Antigo/White Lake, Lakeland,  Medford,Northland Pines, Tomahawk,Rhinelander)
Head Coach – Todd Felch – 14th at Mosinee after 10 at Wausau East (345 wins  overall, 247-72 at Mosinee)
Assistant Coaches: Amanda Hoppe, Kristin Schreier, Leslie Felch and Kelly Remondini
 The 2017 season saw Mosinee put together a great season along with a great tournament run as they played for the Division 2 State Championship at Goodman Diamond against Whitnall. Although they dropped a tough one 3-1 there the season they put together was fantastic. They did not play their first game until April 24th. They lost their fourth game of the season on May 5th to eventual Division 1 state champion Sun Prairie then did not lose in May and not again until the state title game. They beat Denmark 8-7 in a great battle at the state semi-final. Head Coach Todd Felch enters his 25th year as a head coach in Wisconsin having won 345 games. His teams have won 10 conference titles, 10 regionals, 2 sectionals, been to the Final Four two times and won the whole shebang once. Mosinee will return first team players Sydni Gburek  (1b/P) and Paige Wicklund (CF) along with second teamers McKinzey Johnson at third base and Kyla Osowski also a pitcher/first sacker. Gburek and Wicklund were all district honorable mention. Felch says that two players to watch this season in addition the aforementioned are Osowski and Johnson. He feels his team’s strength are their tradition and experience along with team chemistry but it will be interesting to see who steps up. This writers bet is that when you take a look at those strengths along with the strength of the coaching staff we can look for Mosinee knocking on the door to get to Goodman Diamond again this season.

Cudahy

Division 2 – Enrollment this school year is 740 – Sectional  4 Group B – Final is at Plymouth
Conference – Woodland
Head Coach is Justin Biever – 13th Year (166-108) 6 regional titles
Assistant Coaches: Dennis Brand, Rick Chojnacki, Sam Gorski
Cudahy returns six all-conference players in 2019 in outfielder Sarah Jankowski, first sacker Tori Gorski, shortstop Emily Schubert, catcher Hannah Drummond, outfielder Matisen Verley and third sacker Kaitlyn Sagan. Gorski was also named All-District last season. Head coach Justin Biever feels his team’s strengths are defense and solid hitting. He says that like many teams they will look for improved work in the circle in the upcoming season. He sees Whtinall, the state division 2 state champions as the team to be favored and at the sectional level it should be Whitnall and New Berlin Eisenhower.

Milwaukee Lutheran

Division 2 –Enrollment this school year is 810 – Sectional 4 Group A Final is in Plymouth
Conference – Woodland
Head Coach: Kyle Barth –2nd Year (9-11)
Assistant Coaches: Josh Atkinson, Jon Heup, Kevin Knight and Caleb Atkinson
At Milwaukee Lutheran High School head coach Kyle Barth returns sophomore second team all-conference infielder and honorable mention catcher Erin Knight. Another fine player Barth says that people should keep their eye on is sophomore infielder Kathleen Knight. He says his team’s strengths are going to be the fact that they return most of the position players from a year ago. “Offensively we should improve,” said the coach. “Our pitching staff is green and will have to improve quickly for us to have a chance to improve overall. He sees Whitnall, Cudahy and both New Berlin schools, West and Eisenhower as the conference power teams. At the sectional level he feels that Kewaskum is the favorite along with Waupun.  “Whitnall is the defending state champion so that says a lot about our conference right there.” 

Delavan-Darien

Division 2 – Enrollment this school year is 729 – Sectional  3 Group B final is at Evansville
Conference – Southern Lakes
Head Coach: Hank Johnson – 9th year – 120-86 record 5 regional titles, 1 sectional title, 1 Final Four
Assistant Coaches: Marty Speth, Nieves Gonzalez, Kaitlyn Acker
When Hank Johnson thinks about the upcoming season in the Southern Lakes Conference he sees tough competition from the likes of Westosha Central and Wilmot. Delavan-Darien is the only Division 2 team in the Southern Lakes so there are accustomed to battling great teams. In Division 2 they have been extremely competitive and this season could be the same for them. Johnson welcomes back honorable mention player Jasmine Speth and says that other players opponents ought to be aware of are Sydney Anderson and  Gabie Warrenburg. He sees his team’s strengths in the fact that all but one starter from last season returns. “We have a lot of experience returning from a team that was one run short of playing in the Final Four last year,” he stated. “We will be working hard on our work in the circle along with improving our defense.