Coleman Returns To State

Tops Wausaukee, Rosholt For Sectional Title; Meets Pittsville In D-4 Opener

They’re heading back to state!

Riding a 26-game winning streak, the Coleman Cougars needed extra innings before slipping past host Rosholt in the Division 4 sectional final Tuesday 3-2.

Coupled with a 10-2 semifinal win over M-O Conference rival Wausaukee, Coleman (26-1) will be making its way to the WIAA state baseball tournament for the third time in school history.

Coleman’s opening state opponent will be Pittsville (18-6) in an 8am clash at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton on Wednesday, June 13.

Game two will pit top ranked Greenwood (26-0) against Johnson Creek (18-6) with the D-4 championship game slated for Thursday, June 14 at 9am.

“Going back to state says a lot about these young men. I couldn’t be prouder of the things they have accomplished over the last two years. Probably the best thing that happened to us was losing that first game to Freedom. It was a stepping stone and made the team realize they have some work to do in order to be successful. Winning 26 in row after that shows they took it to heart,” said Kent Casper, who is in his 17th year as Coleman’s head coach.

Ranked third in the state polls, the Cougars lost their opening games during state appearances in 1996 and 2011.

The 10-2 sectional setback to Coleman finished Wausaukee with a 22-4 record.

“I am very pleased how things have worked out for us this year and the 22 wins is the most in school history,” Wausaukee coach Bill Wickman said.

The Division 4 sectional featured some high ranking teams as host Rosholt was second in the last coaches poll, Coleman 3rd and Wausaukee 7th.

Coleman Roughs Up

Rangers In Semis 10-2

Unloading a 12-hit attack, the Cougars knocked off M-O nemesis Wausaukee for the third time this season 10-2 in the sectional semifinals. Coleman owned a 5-2 cushion after two innings then upped the ante to 10-2 in the fifth.

“We had about an hour-plus rain delay in the Wausaukee game and removed our starting pitcher Derek Marquardt in the first inning with the bases loaded. Mason Mergener came on and did a great job, had his giddy up fastball and we kept him in until the lead got to 10-2 in the fifth,” Casper explained.

On the offensive side of things, Casper was all smiles as the first 5 batters reached base on 4 hits and a fielder’s choice. Mitch Champagne and Mike Mergener opened the game with doubles, Mason Mergener lashed a RBI single, Jake Engels fielder’s choice and Mitch Mergener RBI double.

Wausaukee did manage to close within 3-2 in the bottom of the first as Brett Edlbeck walked, Cole Lewandowski lashed a run scoring double and free passes to Eddy Self, Zach Struve and Aaron Schlies loaded the bases.

That marked the end of the line for Marquardt in favor of Mason Mergener. The second of 4 Coleman hurlers, Mason Mergener, fired 3 1/3 innings of hitless and scoreless ball.

Coleman padded its lead to 5-2 in the second on a double by Champagne, singles from Mason Mergener and Engels along with a sac fly by Mike Mergener.

Two more Cougars strolled home in the fourth as Mason Mergener singled, Engels walked and Mitch Mergener blasted a two-run double.

Looking to take control, Coleman tacked on 3 runs in the fifth on just one hit. Two Wausaukee errors along with a walk to Bushmaker and single by Trevor Seewald did the damage.

Trevor Bushmaker worked the fifth inning before Mitch Mergener fanned a trio of Rangers over the final two frames.

Wausaukee starter Beau DeLaet was roughed up for 5 runs on 7 hits over 1 2/3 innings before Edlbeck got the call for the final 5 1/3 frames.

“Defensively we played well but had only one hit in the game. No matter what we pitched, Coleman hit it. They are a good team up and down the lineup,” Wausaukee coach Bill Wickman said.

Bushmaker Shines In

3-2 Sectional Title

Win Over Rosholt

Coleman had its hands full in the title tilt, going 8 innings before knocking off Rosholt, the number two ranked team in D-3, in a 3-2 thriller. The Cougars fell behind 2-0 in the first inning before knotting the score in the 7th and pulling it out in the 8th.

The star of the game had to be senior Trevor Bushmaker, who fired 5 scoreless innings of relief work and drove in the game-winning run.

“What a job Bushmaker did, not only on the mound but at the plate. His pitching line showed 5 strikeouts and no walks over 5 scoreless innings. Then he drives in the winning run. It was a phenomenal performance in a pressure situation. We couldn’t ask for anymore than what he did,” Casper said.

The championship game, which was scheduled to start at 4:30pm, didn’t see the first pitch thrown until 6pm because of rain.

Coleman fell behind in the first inning 2-0 as starter Mason Mergener struggled trying to comeback after pitching 3-plus innings in the semifinal win. Mergener wasn’t his usual self, yielding singles to Alex Bombenek and losing hurler Nick Yenter, walking one and hitting a batter.

The visiting team for the championship game, the Cougars did manage to trim the deficit in half in the second. Engels drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a wild pitch before Mitch Mergener cracked a RBI single. Coleman was looking for more runs as Lucas Markiewicz put down a sac bunt, Bushmaker was beaned and Seewald walked to load the bases. The rally ended when Champagne flew out to center.

That 2-1 deficit lasted until the 7th as Mason Mergener and Bushmaker teamed up on the mound to allow their mates time to get even.

The Cougars finally did...in the 7th. Bushmaker singled to open the inning then raced all the way to third base on a bunt single by Seewald. Bushmaker made his way home on a sac fly to rightfield off the bat of Champagne.

The Cougars put together their winning rally in the 8th when Mitch Mergener blasted a double off the fence and Markiewicz got aboard on an error. With two outs, Bushmaker ripped a single down the left field line for a 3-2 edge.

Bushmaker did have some tense pitching moments in the 8th as Zach Bombenek doubled with one out but was left stranded at second base. Seems that Bushmaker used a huge strikeout and popup to second base to end the the game.

“The Rosholt game was a nail-biter. Things didn’t go our way early, but that didn’t bother the kids... kept their cool and eventually it worked out,” Casper said. “It was a fantastic team effort and like I said numerous times throughout the season, different players keep on stepping up for us. Today it Bushmaker’s turn and he came through with flying colors.”

-Division 4 Regionals-

Coleman Captures

Title With 7-1 Win

The Cougars just keep on winning!

Their 24th straight victory resulted in the regional championship Wednesday, besting visiting Bowler 7-1. Coleman overcame a first inning 1-0 deficit and the pitching of southpaw Paul Murphy, who recorded 10 strikeouts while giving up with 3 earned runs.

Coleman’s secret? Sit on the fastball and keep putting the ball in play. The strategy worked for the most part as 7 hits lead to 7 runs and the win.

“He was the best pitcher we have faced so far this year. We tried to hit the fastball and our approach early on was good. Once we got ahead 7-1, we took our foot off the pedal a bit,” Casper said. “We also had a lot of hard hit balls that were caught, more importantly we put the ball in play.”

While the Cougars had to deal with Murphy, winning pitcher Mason Mergener scattered 3 hits over 7 innings, walking one and fanning 6.

“Mason didn’t have his best stuff, but he is a gamer and gutted it out. His good fastball wasn’t there, so he went to other pitches and got the job done,” Casper added. “Despite some infield errors, we played some excellent defense behind him for the most part...our centerfielder Derek Marquardt came up with some great catches to take hits away. Derek struggled at the plate, but has shown a lot of maturity by not letting that take away from his defense.”

Bowler, which finished 16-5 on the season, took advantage of some shoddy Coleman fielding to grab a 1-0 first inning lead. Number two hitter Lucas Kroening got aboard on an infield single, moved to second on the first of 3 errors by third baseman Trevor Seewald, before scoring on a single by Walker Miller.

Coleman answered in their half of the inning with two hits. Mitch Champagne opened the frame with a booming double to left center, stole third and raced home on the first of 3 hits by Mason Mergener.

Bushmaker drew a one-out walk in the second and scored on a single by Champagne to go up 2-1.

In the third inning, Mason Mergener belted a high fastball from Murphy down the rightfield line for a leadoff triple. The very next hitter, Jake Engels, sent a sacrifice fly to center for a 3-1 edge.

Looking for insurance runs, Coleman broke the game open with 4 runs on 3 hits in the fourth inning. Add in a little luck in the form of two batters who struck out, but reached first base and later scored, put the Cougars in control at 7-1.

Markiewicz singled up the middle to start the inning, but was erased on a groundout by Bushmaker. No problem as the sliding Markiewicz forced a bad return throw to first, allowing Bushmaker to make his way to second base. Seewald and Champagne both whiffed, but reached base when sharp breaking curveballs scooted past the Bowler catcher.

The Mergener brothers, Mike and Mason, took care of the remaining runs. Mike sent Seewald and Champagne home with a clutch two-run double to rightcenter while Mason slapped a RBI single to right.

Murphy settled down as the game progressed and set the final 7 Coleman batters down in order, 4 via strikeouts.

Mason Mergener was equally effective allowing 4 base runners over the final 5 innings, before closing out the game with a called third strike.

Wausaukee Whips

Florence 13-3 In

Title Game Rout

Continuing their dominance over the Northern Lakes Conference, the Rangers needed just two innings to claim regional honors with a 13-3 whipping of Florence. Wausaukee finished the season with an 8-0 record against the Northern Lakes teams, including playoff wins over Elcho and Florence.

Wednesday afternoon senior righthander Brett Edlbeck needed just 66 pitches to toss a 7-hitter in the title game win. Edlbeck fanned 5 and did not walk any batters in his 5-inning mound stint.

“Brett was very efficient and pitched well except for getting the ball up in the zone in the 4th inning. Florence is a good hitting team, but for the most part Brett was able to stay out of trouble,” Wickman said.

The Rangers backed the mound exploits of Edlbeck by scoring 5 runs in the first inning and 8 in the fifth to win going away.

A total of 8 Rangers stepped to the plate in the first inning, highlighted by 3 hits. Edlbeck walked, stole second and was joined on the bases by Beau DeLaet (single). Cole Lewandowski and Carter followed with RBI singles, before Zach Struve and Aaron Schlies chipped in with sacrifice flies.

Edlbeck protected that lead until the fourth when Florence pushed across 3 runs on 4 hits. Kyle Abbas singled, Jeremy Schallow doubled, Jeremy Streu unloaded a two-run double, before Jackson Baumgart added a RBI single.

With their lead trimmed to 5-3, Wausaukee went to work in the 5th inning and scored 8 runs on 5 hits. Schlies punched out two safeties in the frame, including a two-run single to end the game via the run rule. DeLaet added a two-run double, Joe Jaworski RBI single while Struve and Eddy Self chipped in with singles.

“Five of our runs in the inning were scored after two outs. The kids maintained their focus throughout the rally and we were able to end the game after 5 innings,” Wickman added.

-Division 3 Regionals-

Crivitz Upends

Peshtigo 6-0

For D-3 Title

Continuing a late season winning surge, Crivitz captured the Division 3 regional championship with a stunning 6-0 victory over host Peshtigo Wednesday.

Stunning?

You betcha! Especially after Crivitz fell to Peshtigo (8-15) twice during M-O play 12-7 and 9-4.

The post-season affair was different as the Wolverines punched out 10 hits off a pair of Peshtigo pitchers, while junior southpaw AJ Garcia spun a nifty 4-hitter during a complete game performance.

“Looking at the teams in the regional, we knew going in that it was possible we could win it. We split with two teams from the Packerland Conference that Oconto was in and was competitive with the rest of the field. We had to play well obviously and the kids took the attitude the pressure was not on us. We peaked at the right time and has been the case all season against some of the better teams, we would hang around and thought we could eventually steal a win. It worked out for us,” Crivitz coach Jeff Dorschner said.

After knocking off top seed Oconto in the semis, the Wolverines made it two in a row besting Peshtigo on its home diamond 6-0. Winning pitcher Garcia and freshman Jake Sawinski slapped out two hits each.

Crivitz finally broke the scoreless affair in the fourth inning as Garcia lashed a two-out single and scored on a double by Tyler Wieting.

The Wolverines gained more breathing room in the fifth pushing across 5 runs on 5 hits.

With one out, the 8th and 9th batters, Spencer Schwartz and David Poh singled. Getting back to the top of the order, singles by Cody Wolf (RBI), Parker DeLosSantos and Garcia (2 RBIs) upped the lead. The final Crivitz run scored on a Peshtigo error.

Peshtigo tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth as Derek Koronkiewicz punched a two-out single, Matt Borkovec walked and Joey Sparks reached on an error. With the bases loaded, Trevor Bero saw his hot shot down third hit Koronkiewicz, who was standing in fair territory. The end result? The third out and no runs.

“We came out flat and I really thought whichever team got the lead early would win. We had a chance in the second inning but Tom Quigley couldn’t get a bunt down after Thomas singled. There was a passed ball after that, so we would have potentially had one run. The fifth was another scoring opportunity we blew, bases loaded and can’t get a run home,” Peshtigo coach Pat Robbins said. “Crivitz showed a lot more patience at the plate than we did. Bork did a good job for the most part.”

Not going down without a fight, Peshtigo put Koronkiewicz (walk) and Joey Sparks (single) on base in the 7th inning before Garcia got Bero swinging at strike three to end the game.

Garcia finished with 5 strikeouts and 3 walks during his 7-inning mound work.

“AJ doesn’t throw very hard, so we started just about every hitter with a curveball. I have never seen anything like this as he had 11 infield popups in the game,” Dorschner said. “A run like this can make a bad season successful.”

Borkovec took the loss giving up 6 runs on 8 hits over 5 innings, before being relieved by Jordan Berth for the final two frames.

“We faced Garcia twice during the season and had about 10 hits per game off him. We swung at some bad pitches and weren’t focused,” Robbins added. “Crivitz is playing well and right now a better team than we are.”

Crivitz Blanked In

Sectional Semis

By St. Mary’s 5-0

The Wolverines (9-14) saw their season come to an end in the Division 3 sectional semifinals with a 5-0 loss to St. Mary’s Central of Menasha.

The biggest problem for Crivitz was trying to solve the pitching mystery of southpaw John Quigley. The lefty gave up just one hit while fanning 7 during a 7-inning mound stint.

“Quigley had a tight breaking ball that he could throw anytime in the count. He also made a number of nice defensive plays on comebackers to the mound and was riding high in confidence,” Crivitz coach Jeff Dorschner said.

The lone hit for Crivitz was a third inning single by number nine hitter Lange to rightfield.

Cody Wolf started for Crivitz and was tagged with the loss, giving up 5 runs on 5 hits over 4 innings of work. AJ Garcia provided two innings of scoreless relief help.

After taking a 1-0 first inning lead, the Zephyrs pushed across 2 runs each in the third and fourth frames to take control.

Recent stories, opinions and photos

Issue Date	Department	Headline
05-16-2013	Front Page	Mike, Anita Folgert Are Recipients Of Touhey Award
05-16-2013	Front Page	Predicts New Learning Center Will Be “A Shining Light” For Marinette Schools
05-16-2013	Front Page	Tourism Draws Millions For State, 4 County Area
05-16-2013	Front Page	Water & Sewer Committee Moves Ahead With Loan
05-16-2013	Front Page	Commend City Officer’s Work On Murder Case
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Lorna M. Techmeier
05-16-2013	Obituaries	James R. Schaut
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Nora E. Salewsky
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Ralph R. Runge
05-16-2013	Obituaries	James P. Reindl
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Uta Rasmussen
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Virginia Ellsworth Plier
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Ursula J. Peters
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Walter J. Moucha, Sr.
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Kasimir Melnyk
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Bernadette E. Meek
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Shirley Jean Johnson
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Julie N. Jeske
05-16-2013	Obituaries	George L. Hayden
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Patricia L. Gomber
05-16-2013	Obituaries	James A. Erickson,
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Frank M. Dudek
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Judith A. Carrillo
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Shirley Ann Bishop
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Donald M. Allard
05-16-2013	Sports	Marinette Golfers Win Menominee Meet; Bieberitz Is Medalist
05-16-2013	Sports	Track Regionals To Begin May 20
05-16-2013	Sports	Peshtigo Captures M-O Conference Crowns
05-16-2013	Sports	Coleman Finishes Perfect�Again!
05-16-2013	News	Set Babysitting Class for May 25
05-16-2013	News	Town Peshtigo Sets Cleanup Day
05-16-2013	News	Marinette Legion Brat Fry Dates
05-16-2013	News	Church Dinner, Auction May 19
05-16-2013	Perspectives	From our readers
05-16-2013	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
05-16-2013	Perspectives	Country Cousin
05-16-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Grand Germany Tour Sept. 15-24
05-16-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Blood Drive is June 10
05-16-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Memorial Services Slated May 27
05-16-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Students Help Plant Nursery Stock Trees
05-16-2013	Community - Crivitz	Jeff Diges Memorial Bike Run June 29, Hold Pool Tourney
05-16-2013	Community - Crivitz	TB Rescue Bake, Rummage Sale
05-16-2013	Community - Crivitz	Co. Elderly Golf Scramble July 12
05-16-2013	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Sister Cities Future On Line At May 22 Meeting
05-16-2013	Community - Coleman	Coleman High School Graduation is June 1
05-16-2013	Community - Coleman	2 Top Coleman Seniors
05-16-2013	Community - Coleman	Fine Art Nite at Coleman School
05-16-2013	Community - Coleman	Coleman Services for Memorial Day
05-08-2013	Front Page	Marinette Police Memorial To Officers Lost In Duty
05-08-2013	Front Page	City Adopts New Sewer Rates, Fire Dept. Fees
05-08-2013	Front Page	Co. Move Toward Medical Examiner Model Rejected
05-08-2013	Front Page	Centenarian Marks Birthday May 5th
05-08-2013	Front Page	Folgerts Chosen For Touhey Award Recipients
05-08-2013	Front Page	Million Dollar Bail Set In Homicide Case
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Irene Zoellner
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Lila V. Tippett
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Clarence E. Treptow
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Dennis L. Tachick
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Roger K. Schiefelbein
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Sharon A. Ronan
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Robert Ranallo, Sr.
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Jerry Rakowski
05-08-2013	Obituaries	James Prefontaine
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Spencer B. Patz
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Lila E. Miller
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Patricia Mathey
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Helen J. Lemery
05-08-2013	Obituaries	William H. Keller
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Alice Johnson
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Ronald Cedric Henning
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Algin T. Hendricksen
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Paul G. Grunwald
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Cheryl Lynn Gallo
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Gyneth Gadtzke
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Crystal Ann Gabriel
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Curtis P. Frank, Sr.
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Della A. DeStarkey
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Daniel P. Barney
05-08-2013	News	Girl Scout Carnival at Peshtigo June 2
05-08-2013	News	5th Annual EMS 5K Walk/Run
05-08-2013	News	Brazeau Annual Fundraiser July 27
05-08-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wagner Board Meets May 14
05-08-2013	Community - Wausaukee	SC Fire, Rescue Auxiliary May 13
05-08-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Lions To Clean Hwy. 180 May 11
05-08-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Legion Post 66 Meeting May 11
05-08-2013	Community - Crivitz	CHS 5K Run/ Walk is June 1
05-08-2013	Community - Crivitz	Legion Trap 22
05-08-2013	Community - Crivitz	Middle Inlet Plans for Memorial Day
05-08-2013	Community - Crivitz	Middle Inlet Plans 33rd Annual Reunion
05-08-2013	Community - Coleman	Area Cadets at State Challenge Academy
05-08-2013	Community - Coleman	Parkway Ladies Start
05-08-2013	Community - Coleman	Comins Graduates Basic
05-08-2013	Community - Coleman	Graduates Basic
05-08-2013	Sports	Wausaukee Golfers Win 9-Hole M-O Tournament
05-08-2013	Sports	Bulldogs Grab M-O Lead
05-08-2013	Sports	Marines Shine At Home Invite
05-08-2013	Sports	Coleman Clinches M-O Title Share
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Patricia J. Waschbisch
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Bessie Riley
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Russell D. Thurow
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Anne Schumacher
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Janette B. Perry
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Marilyn Mc Keefry
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Timothy J. Lynch
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Donald J. Kubiak
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Marilyn Mc Keefry
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Reino L. Lampinen
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Lonnie L. Kasbaum
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Dave Gajeski
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Gyneth I. Gatzke
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Virgil L. Erdman
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Albert J. Demers
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Bernard L. Courchaine
05-02-2013	Obituaries	David Campbell
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Roy Bylund
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Dale P. Bundy
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Gerda M. Barrick
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Antoinette A. Bacon
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Bonnie R. Artz
05-02-2013	Front Page	Peshtigo Woman Murdered
05-02-2013	Front Page	Crivitz High School Ranks 22 in Survey
05-02-2013	Front Page	Heyer Changes Plea in Murder
05-02-2013	Front Page	City Parks, Recreation Director Marquardt Takes County Job
05-02-2013	Front Page	Public Hearing On 4 Ordinances Precedes May 7 Council Meet
05-02-2013	Perspectives	From our readers
05-02-2013	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
05-02-2013	Perspectives	Country Cousin
05-02-2013	Sports	Oconto Falls Girls Dominate Invite
05-02-2013	Sports	Suring Cruises To Track Sweep; Cops 22 1st Place Marks
05-02-2013	Sports	Bulldog Booster Bash On May 4
05-02-2013	Sports	Coleman Improves To 6-0
05-02-2013	News	Walking Club To Paddle on River
05-02-2013	News	Pound Senior Club Meeting is May 6
05-02-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Car, Lightning Cause Outages
05-02-2013	Community - Wausaukee	SC Fire, Rescue Auxiliary May 13
05-02-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Ladies Luncheon at Assembly Church
05-02-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Eight Wausaukee Music Students Advance to State
05-02-2013	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz High School 2013 Graduation Ceremony May 18
05-02-2013	Community - Crivitz	OWI Task Force Town of Stephenson
05-02-2013	Community - Crivitz	List Theme for July 4th Parade
05-02-2013	Community - Crivitz	CYI Summer Youth Programs
05-02-2013	Community - Coleman	Smarter Than 5th Grader at Coleman
05-02-2013	Community - Coleman	Pound Senior Club Meeting is May 6
05-01-2013	Front Page	Suspect Will Face Homicide Charges In Marinette County
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Roger C. Winter
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Alfred W. Weissgerber
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Josephine H. VandenBush
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Julius Torzala
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Anna Szkolny
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Sylvin J. Steffes