It's a can of corn!
Things are really winding down in the zaniest of high school fastpitch softball seasons in the history of the sport in Wisconsin. Tomorrow wraps up the week and for the Division 2, 3 and 4 schools there are only two more days to play games unless they are in a bracket with less than eight teams and have one of the byes. Schools in that category could make up some games or play some games if they can find another school who has a bye and an opening in its season slate of games. Teams that have to play on the 16th only have Monday and Tuesday to play any games.
Division 1 schools again have an extra full week (6 days) to play games than the three lower divisions do.
We'll rank teams two more times. Some things are surely going to change in the rankings after the past week's action. Seeding has taken place in Division 2, 3 and 4 and those brackets can be viewed on the WIAA website. Take a look at them.
Tomorrow (that might be today if you're reading this on Saturday) there are lots of events statewide. In Poynette we are hosting our Second Annual JV/Frosh Jamboree as well as Wausau West and Pacelli varsity teams. They along with Poynette will play a round robin event beginning at 11:15 am. Pacelli will play Wausau West first at 11:15. The JV Jamboree features 10 teams playing on two fields at Poynette High School and two fields in Arlington. The teams in Arlington are Waterloo, Montello, Lodi and Cambridge. The JV teams in Poynette are Stevens Point PJ Jacobs, Stevens Point Ben Franklin, Poynette JV, Poynette Frosh, Barneveld, and Pacelli. The JV event begins at 9:30 am at both venues.
There is an event in Baraboo, one in Reedsburg, Waupun, Beaver Dam and there are others statewide. We were able to fill up the Indpendence/Gilmanton event when Pepin cancelled their event and chose to go to Chad Risler's event in Independence.
Things are progressing with our "sister" webiste at fastpitchchronicle.net. I loaded some pictures that a friend sent to me from Pepin. If you have a picture you'd like people to see on the new Fastpitch Chronicle website just e-mail it to me. I'll add it to the home page.
I boosted Grantsburg Head Coach Don Bjelland up to the 300 win mark on the Coaches Honor Roll. The Pirates have now won more than 300 games under Don's tutelage. The 300th came on April 29th against Frederick/Luck in five innings.
Don wanted to be sure and mention this. In a game between Grantsburg and Superior on April 29th, Superior beat Grantsburg 17-8 in eight innings. Superior hit six automatic home runs in that game. "We hadn't give up that many home runs in Grantsburg in 16 years," said Don. "Four of them were in the 9th inning. Give Amy Zembo and her team credit, they had a game to remember."
Remember, Grantsburg is in Division 3 and is a good bet to return to Goodman Diamond and battle for another state title in June no matter how many home runs they gave up on that day and no matter how many regular season games they get in up there. That is a solid program!
Speaking of Grantsburg and this is not a fastpitch softball story. One of the things on my "Lifetime To-Do" list was to someday get to Grantsburg for the World Water Skipping Championships. My wife and I were at our family retreat just outside Minong a couple of years ago on the weekend that the World Championships were being held. We headed for Grantsburg and took in what, for me, was a great day of fun. I'm sure it wasn't as high on my wife's list, however. She was ready to depart after the first race we watched finished. Snowmobiles on soft water taking three laps around a wet course with many sinking was hilarious to say the least. There was a huge crowed there as well. I'd go back in a heart beat.
The Poynette Summer Jamboree has a 10-U opening and a 14-U opening in June (21-23). Contact me or go to www.eteamz.com/poynette and fill out the registration form. Waunakee has a couple of openings in their June tournament as well. They are looking for 3 more U12 teams and 3 more U14 teams. You can contact Waunakee Head Softball Coach Tammy Rademacher for more information.
Again, it's late (11:00 PM) and I have a 13-team event to run tomorrow. I better say---Have a great weekend. Make it a Fastpitch Weekend and
Keep it Rising!
Bob
Tag(s): Bulletins
