The Fastpitch Chronicle

In a normal season tonight would mark the night before the end of the season for nearly half of the schools in Division 2, Division 3 and Division 4. However, with the zany weather we had this spring there is a greater chance of teams playing makeup games after they've been knocked out of tournament action.

Still, tonight remains the night before many schools pack up the equipment for another year.

With that in mind, I'll do my usual "Night before many schools pack it in look at the regional pools" and perhaps, just perhaps do a little prognosticating.

I'll start in Division 4 and begin with the way the brackets appear on the WIAA website (www.wiaawi.org). In Sectional #4 there are four pretty good #1 seeds in Thorp, Almond-Bancroft, Wausaukee and Newman Catholic. Thorp has been ranked #1 or #2 all season. I've seen them in action. They are a solid program with tremendous coaching and their lefty slappers cause problems for most teams. Just ask Whitnall about that aspect of their game. Thorp also has some players who hit some pretty hard line drives. I'm giving the nod in this sectional to Thorp but not by a landslide. I believe Almond-Bancroft to be very good as well. I had looked forward to seeing them in action at the Poynette Fastpitch Jamboree but rain did that in. Wausaukee has excellent coaching and tradition. Sue Stoltenberg does a fantastic job up there with the Rangers. Three of the #2 seeds in that sectional are bonafide contenders as well. Take a close look at them.

When I take a look at the seedings in Sectional 3, to be honest, I have to shake my head a little. There is one regional pool especially that I'm interested in seeing what transpires. I think Williams Bay at a #3 seed is going to be upsetting somebody along the way. As a matter of fact they just might be one of the top three teams in the entire sectional along with Belmont and New Lisbon. I've seen New Lisbon face-to-face (got beat by them 3-2 in Portage) and I've seen Belmont and know them to be a pretty tough opponent. Those two teams, New Lisbon and Belmont have played a very tough schedule aqainst some pretty good teams. Williams Bay has two lossed, both to a highly ranked and regarded Horicon team which play in Division 3. Barneveld has the #1 seed in their regional and is another Division 4 school whose coach will pit his girls against any team, anywhere, anytime. They've played as tough a schedule as the others, losing a close game to River Valley ranked in the top 3 in Divison 3. The Eagles flat out compete so it will be interesting. Monticello emerged with the #3 seed in that regional that includes Barneveld and Williams Bay. I don't look for any upsets from the #2 seeds in that sectional but one just never knows how the ball is going to bounce or where the strike zone will be on a given day.

In Sectional #1 Pepin/Alma in a seeded sectional would have to be the #1 seed. However, the Eagles will have to be wary as Cochrane-Fountain City is the #2 in their regional. Elsewhere in that sectional look for a great battle in the regional final between Gilman and Shell Lake. Dummond appears to be the team headed for the sectional semi-final out of the top regional.

Racine Lutheran and Johnson Creek will likely battle in their regional final but up in the top regional sits Algoma, a team that was one play away from playing in the Division 3 state title game last season. The Wolves will be a team to reckon with in that sectional.

Oakfield appears ready to defend their state title but will have to beat a very good Markesan team to get out of that regional. Oakfield nipped Waterloo yesterday 4-3.

I've given plenty of teams some great bulletin board material so I won't give them any more and predict the four teams that will be at Goodman Diamond in June. I'll just let it play out and say, "Sure enough," or let one or more of you say, "Thanks for the Bulletin Board material."

Division 3 Outlook

This outlook gets a bit tougher for me due to the fact that I have "a horse in the race" so to speak. The fact is I do coach one of the Division 3 teams. Here is my preview anyway.

Sectional #2 is an interesting one to get things rolling here. The sleeper in this sectional in my humble opinion is Westfield. They suddenly appear in Division 3 after years of being in Division 2. They have some excellent players. I've seen them in person (split with them 11-6 and 6-9). Their pitchers are what we male fastpitch players refer to as being "sneaky-quick." There's not tremendous velocity but they both deliver that thing so quickly after getting it back from the catcher that most girls can't seem to really get set in the batter's box and ready themselves (there's a scouting report for you). Westfield sits in the #2 seed position at the bottom of that sectional bracket, in the same one as #1 seeded Weyauwega-Fremont. That will be an interesting battle in the finale if Westfield gets there as they have to go through defending Division 3 State Champion Pacelli and defending champions seem to be able to rise to the occasion more times than not.

In sectional #3 lie some pretty powerful fastpitch softball programs as well as some upstarts that are ready to make some moves and waves in the division. In the top of the bracket sit Luther, the state's #1 ranked and unbeaten (20-0)0) team along with perennial powerhouse Arcadia. Those two were supposed to play a twinbill yesterday but only got one game in apparently with Luther winning 3-1. But don't get to excited about a rematch in the regional final yet as Westby also lies in that regional and has beaten Arcadia already this season and battled Luther in a 4-0 game in the first-side of a twinbill earlier.

. Mineral Point has established itself as one of the top teams in the southwestern part of the state. They will look to get past Iowa-Grant or Boscobel in order to take on Luther, Arcadia or Westby in the sectional semi-final.

Brodhead and Parkview, two Rock Valley foes very familiar with each other will face off in the regional final at the bottom of that sectional.

That leaves the last regional pool in that sectional. Poynette has ruled that regional the past three seasons but has had to nip Waterloo all three times to get to the sectional. The Pumas are 18-6 and seeded #1 behind the Pirates. To get to each other Poynette must handle either Pardeeville or Wisconsin Heights while Waterloo will have to get past Deerfield or Cambridge. The edge has to go to Waterloo this season.

Grantsburg has ruled the sectional in the Northwestern part of the state for a long time. They haven't made it to Madison every year but they've been in the sectional forever. They will be the team to beat no matter how you look at it up there. I look for they and Elk Mound to really battle in the sectional final. It there is an edge it might be in Elk Mound's favor as the Mounders have played moer than three times as many games this season as Grantsburg. However, Elk Mound just stumbled in a game against Elmwood/Plum City.

The road to Madison in Sectional #4 goes through Horicon. Actually it goes through Chilton in the sectional final but Horicon is the team to beat there. Kenosha St. Joseph has been making some noise down in the private school regional (save for Palmyra-Eagle) and it is always tough to get information about the teams in the regional right above the. I never get any news from those schools in my inbox for The Fastpitch Chronicle. Knowing absolutley nothing about that regional leaves me no choice but to go with the numbers - I'll pick #1 seed Chilton to beat #2 New Holstein in the final. Chilton had a nice team two years ago but they were up a division then if my memory serves me correctly.

Well that does it for tonight. It's late and I have a trip to Platteville on the docket for Thursday with an 8:15 departure scheduled.

So I'll cover Division 2 tomorrow night.

So
Have a great day!
Keep it Rising
Bob