Consider this week’s WIAA schedule: baseball regionals on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday; softball regionals on Tuesday & Thursday, golf sectionals on Tuesday, girls soccer regionals on Thursday & Saturday, State Individual Boys Tennis on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday…and, oh by the way, State Track and Field Friday & Saturday.

With that being the case, I’m left with no choice than to jam all of my picks for the team sports tournaments into one blog.  Deal with it…disagree with it….whatever.  I’ve been gazing at a serene lake landscape for the better part of the last two days, and nothing is going to bother me at this point.

Talk to me later in the week,  however, as I’m racking up the mileage scrambling between one event to the next, and I may be screaming, “Serenity Now!”    But don’t let that stop you from commenting or disagreeing with my picks.  They are merely one man’s opinion…

BASEBALL

Division 1

No team in the Marshfield Sectional has a hitting lineup as stacked as North.  The Huskies are also very solid defensively, but beyond the gritty Gregory Button, the pitching staff is a bit of a concern, especially if North needs to throw Button in a sectional semi.  Still, I can see the Huskies simply outslugging everyone on their way to Fox Cities Stadium.   However, no team in the bracket can throw Tyler Sparger and Jake Peterson in back-to-back games like Memorial can, so don’t be surprised if the Old Abes are the team advancing to state.  5th-seeded Chippewa Falls could be a party-crasher, and so could River Falls, the #9 seed, or Merrill, the #3 seed.

My picks:

Regional semifinals: River Falls over Superior, Chippewa Falls over Menomonie, Rapids over Hudson, New Richmond over Marshfield.
Regional finals: North over River Falls, Chippewa Falls over Stevens Point, Merrill over Rapids, Memorial over New Richmond.
Sectional semifinals: North over Chippewa Falls, Memorial over Merrill.
Sectional final: North over Memorial.

Other sectional winners: Bay Port, Middleton, Kimberly, Wisconsin Lutheran, Wilmot Union, Oregon, Sun Prairie.

Division 2

Defending sectional champ Bloomer is the #1 seed, but this is not the same team that advanced to the Division 2 state championship game last season.   For that matter, Altoona is not the same team that went unbeaten in ’09 prior to a regional final loss to Bloomer.  Still, the Railroaders can slug it out with anyone in this field, which is why I think they’ll take down the Blackhawks this time around.  Altoona’s my pick to win the sectional as well, although Ellsworth could be a tough out…same story with Spooner.

Regional semifinals:  Spooner over Northwestern, Hayward over Ashland, Unity over Chetek/Weyerhaeuser, Cumberland over Amery, Ellsworth over Prescott, Somerset over St. Croix Falls, Bloomer over Black River Falls, Altoona over Sparta.
Regional finals: Hayward over Spooner, Cumberland over Unity, Ellsworth over Somerset, Altoona over Bloomer.
Sectional semifinals: Hayward over Cumberland, Altoona over Ellsworth.
Sectional final: Altoona over Hayward

Other sectional winners: West De Pere, Beloit Turner, Waupun.

Division 3

Elk Mound made a semi-miraculous comeback to beat Osseo-Fairchild on the Chieftains’ home field in last year’s sectional final.  This season, the two clubs are on collision course to meet again, but this time around, in a regional final.  It’s unfortunate, since these are two of the strongest teams in the entire sectional, but that’s how the baseball bounces.  I also see it bouncing O-F’s way in that game…and with the Chieftains back on their home turf in the sectional, I see them bouncing every other opponent on their way to state.

Regional semifinals: Clayton/Turtle Lake over Grantsburg, Boyceville over St. Croix Central, Hurley over Washburn/South Shore, Chequamegon over Phillips, Osseo-Fairchild over EC Regis, Elk Mound over Colfax, Stanley-Boyd over Cadott, Neillsville over Colby.
Regional finals: Boyceville over Clayton/Turtle Lake, Hurley over Chequamegon, O-F over Elk Mound, Stanley-Boyd over Neillsville.
Sectional semifinals: Boyceville over Hurley, O-F over Stanley-Boyd
Sectional final: O-F over Boyceville

Other sectional winners: Stevens Point Pacelli, La Crosse Aquinas, Winnebago Lutheran.

Division 4

Bruce has played a very tough schedule this season, to get the Red Raiders ready for what awaits in the postseason.  Beyond that, Bruce gets home field advantage in the sectional.  Still, as long as Andy Davis is healthy (i.e., healthy enough to swing a bat), McDonell is the team to beat in the sectional.  Unfortunately, the Macks and Red Raiders will likely meet in a regional final.   If you seeded all the teams in the sectional, you’d probably have McDonell #1, with Bruce #2.

Regional semifinals: Northwood over Birchwood, Shell Lake over Luck, Drummond over Bayfield, Mellen over Solon Springs, Spring Valley over Pepin, Plum City over Elmwood, McDonell over Prairie Farm, Bruce over Cornell.
Regional finals: Shell Lake over Northwood, Mellen over Drummond, Spring Valley over Plum City, McDonell over Bruce.
Sectional semifinals: Shell Lake over Mellen, McDonell over Spring Valley.
Sectional final: McDonell over Shell Lake

Other sectional winners: Rosholt (Hornets will beat Greenwood in a sectional final, after the Indians dispatch Immanuel Lutheran in a regional semi, Loyal in a regional final, and Athens in a sectional semi), Barneveld, Gibraltar

SOFTBALL

Division 1

Chippewa Falls has an ace in Kendra Bowe, and a solid defense anchored by shortstop Jordyn Hubin, who is also one of the area’s better hitters.  As long as Chi-Hi doesn’t have to play Stevens Point, I see the Cardinals continuing to win.   That matchup wouldn’t happen until the state semi’s…

Regional semifinals: Menomonie over Memorial, North over Superior, Hudson over River Falls, Antigo over Merrill, Wausau West over Rhinelander, D.C. Everest over Wausau East.
Regional finals: Chippewa Falls over Menomonie, North over Hudson, Wausau West over Antigo, DCE over Wausau West.
Sectional semifinals: Chippewa Falls over North, DCE over Wausau West.
Sectional final: Chippewa Falls over DCE.

Other sectional winners: Verona, Ashwaubenon, Stevens Point, Kettle Moraine, Muskego, Kenosha Bradford, Homestead.

Division 2

All signs point to yet another Altoona vs. Rice Lake meeting in the sectional final.   I haven’t seen the Warriors in person this season, but I’ve seen the Railroaders on multiple occasions.  What I see is a typical Jim Turner-coached team: very good pitching, a lineup full of contact hitters, speed on the basepaths, and excellent defense.   I’ll say that defense is the deciding factor, as  Altoona gets to make tracks for state once again.

Regional semifinals: Altoona over West Salem, BRF over G-E-T, Ellsworth over Durand, B-W over Amery, Rice Lake over Barron, Northwestern over Ashland, Medford over Witt-Birn, Mosinee over Medford.
Regional finals: Altoona over BRF, Ellsworth over B-W, Rice Lake over Northwestern, Medford over Mosinee.
Sectional semifinals: Altoona over Ellsworth, Rice Lake over Medford.
Sectional final: Altoona over Rice Lake.

Other sectional winners: Waupun, Freedom, Sauk Prairie.

Division 3

A team with state tournament aspirations needs a quality pitcher.  Bloomer has two: Sabra Meinen and K’trina Ruff.   There’s only one thing standing between the Blackhawks and a trip to state: the industrial-sized roadblock that is Grantsburg.  The Pirates could play up a division or two and it wouldn’t matter–they’d still be one of western Wisconsin’s best programs.

Regional semifinals: Bloomer over Fall Creek, Cadott over Elk Mound, Prescott over Spring Valley/Plum City,  Arcadia over Osseo-Fairchild, Chetek over Cameron, Flambeau over Chequamegon, Grantsburg over Cumberland, St. Croix Central over Boyceville.
Regional finals: Bloomer over Cadott, Prescott over Arcadia, Chetek over Flambeau, Grantsburg over St. Croix Central.
Sectional semifinals: Bloomer over Prescott, Grantsburg over Chetek.
Sectional final: Grantsburg over Bloomer.

Other sectional winners: Horicon, Stratford, Waterloo.

Division 4

I have a very selfish reason for wanting Immanuel Lutheran to make a long postseason run: the high school career of Katherine Kazemba is coming to a close, which means I’m running out of opportunities to say, “Katherine Kazemba — ay caramba!”,  during Lancers highlights.  The good news: younger sister Christine Kazemba has two more years of eligibility at Immanuel Lutheran.  Can I modify the line and still get a chuckle out of my co-anchors for the next two years?  While I ponder that, here are the picks:

Regional semifinals: Frederic over New Auburn, Shell Lake over Bruce, Hurley over Drummond, Butternut over Northwood, McDonell over Glenwood City, Immanuel Lutheran over Elmwood, Thorp over Cornell, Gilman over Prentice.
Regional finals: Frederic over Shell Lake, Hurley over Butternut (Midgets defeat Midgets, thus ending one of the longer postseason runs for any Butternut team in recent memory), McDonell over Immanuel Lutheran, Thorp over Gilman.
Sectional semifinals: Frederic over Hurley, Thorp over McDonell.
Sectional final: Thorp over Frederic.

Other sectional winners: Oakfield, Rosholt, Belmont.

GIRLS SOCCER

Division 1

Memorial will upset River Falls in a sectional semi, but for a second straight season, the Old Abes will come up short against Wausau East in the sectional final.

Division 2

Rice Lake will make a nice run through the bracket, including an upset of Ashland in a sectional semi, but the Warriors will not be able to take down powerful Xavier in a sectional final.

Division 3

Spooner kicks its way past Somerset in a sectional semi, but the Rails’ route to Uihlein Soccer Park is derailed by Wrightstown in a sectional final.

Your thoughts? Post them in the comment section below.

-BOB BRADOVICH

 

Posted under Hometown Sports

I spent the better part of the past four days at Eau Claire’s Gelein Field, covering the 2010 NCAA Division III Softball Championships.   Most of my time was spent in the pressbox, providing the play-by-play for the live webstream of the games…although, Monday, I spent some thirteen innings shooting video from a perch on a scissor-lift parked behind the right field fence–a veritable griddle in the 90 degree heat.

While the entire event brought out a nice contingent of fans (most from the respective college and universities, along with a few from the community), one demographic was conspicuously absent: young female softball players.   Over the four days, I did notice a few HS  teams in attendance, along with a few dads with their young daughters, but I’m perplexed as to why there weren’t more youth teams in the stands.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with a college basketball coach at a state HS basketball tournament.   The coach had a good point: why don’t all these youth leagues stop scheduling their tournaments for just one weekend so the kids could come to watch the state tournament?  After all, isn’t this to what the youngsters aspire?

I”m all for youth sports, and I think it’s great for kids to have an opportunity to compete.  Still, I know more than a few youngsters who spend far more time traveling to and from their weekly squirt hockey tournaments than they do on the ice, honing their skills.   That’s a trend that’s not just limited to hockey, either. 

So, how about it, parents & coaches?  Is it time to step back just a bit for a better look at the big picture?  Could kids benefit from less time competing, and more time practicing?  And how about letting the young athletes take a few moments away from their games to watch some of the older ones play?

You could find far worse role models than the athletes in Division III college sports–where being successful in the classroom is the rule, rather than the exception.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

I’m kidding, of course, regarding the Brewers.  If you know me, I try to avoid the knee-jerk, overreaction of your average sports talk radio caller or message board poster.  Granted, this team has been infuriating to watch, but let’s keep it in perspective: the Brewers are 37 games into a 162-game season.   It’s like going into panic mode during halftime of the fourth NFL game of the season.

So many things have gone wrong so far this season that the law of averages says things have to start getting better: a fan falls onto the field at Miller Park and later dies, the iconic radio broadcaster needs heart surgery, a veteran pitcher goes on the DL with inflammation of the membrane around the heart,a young outfielder obtained in the offseason via a trade strains his left rotator cuff diving back into a base, while a veteran outfielder added to the roster to provide depth for just such a situation winds up missing time after straining an oblique muscle on a check swing.  

With all that in the bad karma column, was it any surprise Saturday when a ball hit by the Phillies’ Chase Utley was drop-kicked over the right-field wall by Corey Hart?  At least the Brewers got the benefit of the call, which gave Utley a ground-rule double.   Still, Milwaukee lost the game.

The Brewers have done a lot of losing at Miller Park in 2010: their 4-14 home record is the worst in the majors.   However, it’s not like anyone is really running away with the NL Central.   If Milwaukee were playing .500 ball at home, the Brewers would have a 20-22 record, be sitting in third place, just a game back of the Reds and 1/2 game behind the Cardinals, and no sane fan would be calling for anyone’s firing or demotion.

Some may argue that canning Ned Yost was the spark the 2008 Brewers needed to make the playoffs, but I’d respond that having CC Sabathia on the mound every fourth day was much more important to getting the team to the playoffs.   Having an effective Trevor Hoffmann didn’t hurt, either…nor did a productive Prince Fielder.

Whatever Ken Macha does or doesn’t do this season, he’s not going to have public screaming matches with his players, and he’s not going to manage through the media.   Fans don’t really care how a manager manages, they just want the team to win–and when the team doesn’t, whatever style the manager or coach employs is therefore the wrong one.

Joe “Skip” Riggins of the movie “Bull Durham” may have used the motivational ploy of throwing the team’s bats at the players while they were showering, but don’t forget, the Durham Bulls’ hot streak began well after that tirade.

If the Brewers are going to start winning, players need to start playing better.  First on that list is Prince Fielder: .268, 6 HR, & 17 RBI is fine if your name is George Kottaras, but not fine if you think you’re worth Ryan Howard-type money.   Next is Yovani Gallardo: sure, 4-2 and a 3.06 ERA isn’t too  bad when the team is 15-22, but a staff ace’s numbers need to be better than “isn’t too bad.”   Rickie Weeks needs to hit better than .258 and improve his on-base percentage from its current  .367, while Trevor Hoffman has to drastically raise his saves/blown saves ratio from where it stands now:  an abysmal 5/4.  

If those players improve while some of the rest get healthy, then the Brewers could certainly climb back to respectability.   Maybe the best thing for the team now is to go out on the road.   Still, if we’re having this same discussion in mid-July, then you can expect plenty of changes…firings, among them.  By that time, I may just be on board with wholesale changes.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

I’ve said it for years: HS sports is your best entertainment value, bar none.   It’s never more true in the underrated spring sports season, especially when you can watch two good programs go at it–for free.  How can you top that?

It was a pretty dreary Monday night in Eau Claire, but the rain and the chill didn’t stop nearly 1,000 fans from showing up at Carson Park to watch two of the top high school baseball teams in the state.    The weather conditions didn’t keep the North Huskies and Memorial Old Abes from playing errorless baseball, either.   Beyond that, each team got excellent pitching and played solid defense, which kept the game moving along.  The seven-inning affair was done in about 1 1/2 hours…or, in other words, 3 innings of your average Red Sox-Yankees game.

Huskies vs. Old Abes may be a rivalry game, but it’s one filled with a lot of mutual respect, from top to bottom of the respective programs.   The postgame handshakes are genuine, since almost all the players have been youth or American Legion teammates at some point in the past.  As I filed out of Carson Park, North first baseman Tom Mewhworter was chatting with Memorial pitcher Tyler Sparger–and it wasn’t a Dallas Braden-Alex Rodriguez conversation, either…

Like a lot of crosstown rivalry games, this one had late drama…after generating very little against Huskies’ pitcher Gregory Button all game, the Old Abes managed to load the bases with 2 outs in the top of the 7th, before the rally fizzled.

The North win gives the Huskies a little cushion atop the Big Rivers Conference standings, but it’s still early.   The next ECN-ECM game is scheduled for May 27, and that one could very well decide the BRC once and for all.

I’m no weather guy, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say the temperature will be much warmer on that evening.   Nice weather, free admission, two excellent high school baseball teams, historic Carson Park–why wouldn’t you show up?

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports

Not that long ago, I wrote a blog post about the previous 100 blog posts…not a single one pertained to the Milwaukee Bucks.  The Bucks have always had a place within the News 18 sportscasts over the years, but more often than not, that place was well down on the pecking order of priority that begins with the Green Bay Packers.

Still, there’s nothing quite like winning to add bodies to a bandwagon; two things the Bucks did in 2009-10.   Somehow, a team that looked like it was going straight to the NBA Draft Lottery managed to work its way into the playoffs.  Even more surprising was how that team, minus its one bona fide All-Star (Andrew Bogut), pushed the far more talented Atlanta Hawks to seven games in a first round playoff series.

There’s plenty of credit to be passed around, but head coach Scott Skiles deserves to get his share and then some.  Sure, I’ve been a Skiles supporter dating way back to his playing days at Michigan State (which included Skiles mouthing off to Georgetown head coach John Thompson during an NCAA Tournament rout of the Hoyas by the Spartans: “If you’re such a good defensive coach, get someone out here who can guard me!”), but his coaching  job with the Bucks this season bordered on the miraculous.   Skiles was a flat-out scorer in college, but he remade his game in the pros, setting an NBA record for assists in a game (30) while with the Orlando Magic.   This past season, he got this Bucks team to share the basketball, and the result was a playoff berth.  It makes you wonder what Skiles could do if he had a roster with more talent…

Which is why, for the first time in forever, I’m actually intrigued by what the Bucks might do in the offseason.   The Brandon Jennings-Bogut combo gives Milwaukee a solid core around which to build.   John Salmons was an excellent late-season acquisition by GM John Hammond, but Salmons’ play down the stretch makes him a higher-profile free agent.  Will the Bucks be able to entice him to stick around?

Other free agents: Luke Ridnour, Jerry Stackhouse, and Kurt Thomas.      Ridnour and Stackhouse have some value to the Bucks, given how their styles of play fit with what Skiles wants.   If  Senator Herb Kohl was willing to invest in a Way-Back Machine, then the team would want to keep Thomas …but there are far better ways to spend money than on either a non-existent invention or an aging, undersized center, so I think Thomas is the first of the Bucks to leave Milwaukee.

Speaking of money and the senator, there’s that small matter of the $18.5 million owed Michael Redd for the upcoming season.     (Here’s where that WBM could come in handy again, but there are no Way-Bay Machines nor do-overs in the NBA.)  The Bucks’ best hope is that some team with plenty of cap room has a need for a shooting guard.   Milwaukee would be wise to take just about anything in return for moving Redd’s hefty salary off the Bucks’ books.

Ordinarily, the Redd situation would be a major problem, but this upcoming free agency period should result in some high-profile NBA talent changing addresses.  The result of that shuffling will be more teams that think they’re a piece or two away from making a long playoff run…meaning that Redd becomes a viable option for someone other than the Bucks.  

Will the Bucks be a player in free agency?  What can Milwaukee do to strengthen the team via the draft?  The Bucks pick 15th in the first round, so there’s a chance a quality big guy will still be around, although it’s likely that Cole Aldrich and Patrick Patterson will both be gone by then.  Otherwise, does Hammond take the “best player available?”

I don’t have the answers, but I’m posing questions…about the Bucks…which is a first for this blog.

-BOB BRADOVICH

Posted under Hometown Sports