The Fastpitch Chronicle

Bloomer

Division 3 – Enrollment this school year is 377 – Sectional #1 Group A – Final is in Bloomer
Conference – Heart O’ North - art O'North (Barron, Chetek-Weyerhauser, Cumberland, Hayward, Ladysmith, Northwestern, Spooner)
Head Coach – Keith Poirier – 2nd Year – 17-3 1 Conference title
Assistant Coach is Scott Luzinski
Bloomer claimed the Heart O’ North title in Head Coach Keith Poirier’s first year at the helm. They finished with a 17-3 record before bowing out of the WIAA tournament series. He returns all-conference players Rilee Luzinski, Issabella Jenneman, Kenadi Poirier and Emily Kuehl to lead the club towards another title. Luzinski and Poirier were honorable mention all-district selections a season ago while Jenneman is coming off a season-ending ACL tear last year. She hit four home runs in 10 games before the injury. Kuehl was 17-3 in the circle with an ERA of 2.14. She is now a sophomore. In 20 starts she issued just 11 walks. “Our defense let us down at the end of last season,” said the coach. “We rolled to a 15-1 start then had nine combined errors in our two losses at the end of the season. We should have depth in the circle with the return of Kuehl and incoming freshman Calley Olson. Our Leadership with three players who started on our 2017 Final Four team which lost to Laconia 2-0 in the state semi-final ought to be a factor.” When asked about other tough teams in the Northwest he included Northwestern and Cumberland. Other teams in the Northwest regardless of division in his view are Onalaska who has a tough pitcher as well as Cumberland in Division 3 who has the Heart O’ North Conference Player of the Year returning in Lauren Green who throws pitches in the upper 50 to low 60 mph range. “She is capable of taking them to a long post-season run but will need some help from the rest of the team.”

Shoreland Lutheran

Division 3 – Enrollment this year is 650 – Sectional #4
Conference – Metro Classic (Burlington  Catholic Central,
Head Coach: Kelly Hill – 3rd Year – (33-8) 1 Conference title (2017)
Assistant Coaches : Katie Lecus (4th Year) and Matt Sonntag – 1st Year
Shoreland Lutheran head coach Kelly Hill welcomes back a couple of Metro Classic  Conference all-conference performers this season. Kelsey Hill will anchor things in the circle after posting some good numbers the past two seasons (15-5 record, 2.1 ERA, 96 IP, 151 Ks, batted .333 with 21 runs scored). She will attend Blackhawk College in Moline and plans to play fastpitch there. Junior Emily Jones is a two-year all-conference pick as well. Sheplays shortstop, catches and plays centerfield. A second team selection she batted .377. “We return six starters from last year’s squad and welcome four 9th graders who will fight for a spot on the field,” said the head coach. “Our lone senior who will be in the circle will help us defensively but we will need to find the right fit for those younger players. Our hitting should be a strength. We will have nine solid hitters making a tough out up and down our lineup. IF we stay healthy we canchallenge every team in our conference and make a run to the sectional.  When asked about other strong teams in the MCC the answer was Burlington Catholic Central, Racine Lutheran and Martin Luther along with Shoreland Lutheran. In the WIAA tournament Random Lake was listed as the favorite along with Shoreland Lutheran and St. Joseph. The coach also included some information about other teams and players to watch in the conference and area, specifically East Troy in Division 2. Other players in the MCC to keep an eye on include Christina Paleka of Catholic Central, Kat Schemierer of Racine Lutheran, Alaina Adams of Thomas More and Abby Hafemann of Martin Luther.

Northland Pines

Division 3 – Enrollment this school year is 444- Sectional #2 Group A –Final at Chilton
Conference – Great Northern
Head Coach – Jacob Schueller – 4th year at Northland Pines after 23 years at Elkhorn
Assistant Coach is Jeff Stebbeds
Lucey Lurvey a second team  all-conference player as a freshman returns to lead Northland Pines who will look for improvement and progress this season after a four-win season in 2018. Head Coach Jacob Schueller is working steadily to improve their lot. He sees Mosinee and Antigo as the teams to beat in the Great Northern and says that Peshtigo may be the favorite in their half sectional. Teams in that half sectional ought not look past Tomahawk who returns a nice group of players after taking second place in the WIAA Division 2 State Tournament last season. In the bottom half of the sectional looms Brillion.

Brillion

Brillion has been a tough competitor over the years and 2019 Division 3 – Enrollment this year is 332 – Sectional #2, Group B final at Chilton
Conference  - Eastern Wisconsin (Chilton, Kiel, New Holstein, Manitowoc Roncalli, Sheboygan Falls, Two Rivers, Valders)
Head Coach – Chris Gade – 14th Year )140-119) – 2 conference titles, 1 regional title
Assistant Coach is Becky Foyliclooks to be more of the same. Head Coach Chris Gade (14th Year) welcome back first team all-conference catcher Marrissa Heraly this season. After having graduated 8 seniors of whom 7 were named all-conference there is work to be done in Brillion. Our strengths will be our determination and the fact that we are back-to-back Eastern Wisconsin Conference champions. Our drive to repeat should be a factor. We have a young team but they are hard-working girls according to their coach. Gade views Valders and Chilton to be the toughest conference foes this season while Southern Door ought to be the favorite in the half sectional.