Sun Prairie Only Defending Champ Back: Division 1 Preview
Monday, June 10th, 2013 -- 10:22 AM
Here's a preview of the Division 1 field for the WIAA State Spring Baseball Tournament starting Tuesday at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.Tuesday, June 11
Division 1 Quarterfinals - 8 a.m.
Game 1 - Waunakee (20-3) vs. Sun Prairie (22-2)
Game 2 - Neenah (12-16) vs. Stoughton (14-10)*
Division 1 Quarterfinals - 1 p.m.
Game 3 - Bay Port (22-2) vs. Hartford Union (9-11)
Game 4 - Stevens Point (25-4) vs. Kenosha Bradford (22-5)*
Division 1 Semifinals - 6 p.m.
Game 5 - Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #2
Game 6 - Winner of Game #3 vs. Winner of Game #4*
THE DIVISION 1 FIELD: Defending champion Sun Prairie qualifies for the State Tournament for the 11th time. The Cardinals have been crowned champions six times, winning the Class A title in 1974 and capturing Division 1 championships in 1994, 1997, 2005, 2006 and again last year. They defeated Sheboygan South 10-0 in five innings in the Oconomowoc Sectional final. The Cardinals are the champions of the Big Eight Conference this spring.
Stevens Point is making its second straight appearance in the State Tournament and its 14th overall. The Panthers won State championships in 1979, 1987 and 1989, and were runners-up in 1975 and 1984. They are the champions of the Wisconsin Valley Conference this season, and they are the representatives out of the Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Sectional by virtue of a five-inning, 11-1 victory over Hudson in the final.
Last year?s runner-up Bay Port returns to State for the 10th time and for the seventh time in the last decade. The Pirates won back-to-back championships in 2009-10. They are the champions of the Fox River Classic Conference this spring and return to State following a 10-0 win over Antigo in five innings in the sectional final played at Bay Port.
Neenah is the qualifier out of the Kaukauna Sectional following a 1-0 shutout over Kimberly in the final. It is the Rockets? ninth appearance at State and their second in the last three years. They won a State championship in 1972 when there was just a single division, and they have finished runner-up in 1966, 1986 and again in 2011. They placed eighth in the Fox Valley Association this spring.
Waunakee will experience its eighth State Tournament, with its most recent appearance coming in 2010. Their furthest advance in the tournament has been to the semifinals on a number of occasions and most recently in 2010. They finished tied for first place with Mount Horeb in the North Division of the Badger Conference this season and defeated Middleton 6-0 in the Sauk Prairie Sectional final to advance to the State quarterfinals.
Hartford returns to the State Tournament for the fourth season in a row and for the sixth time overall. The Orioles advanced to the semifinals in 2002 and again in the last two seasons, which accounts for their furthest advancement in the tournament. They were sixth in the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference standings this season and have qualified out of the Milwaukee Bay View Sectional with a 23-13 triumph over Milwaukee Ronald Reagan in the final.
Kenosha Bradford makes its third consecutive appearance in the State Tournament and its fourth overall. The Red Devils won the State title in its first appearance in 2008. They are the champions of the Southeast Conference this season. They edged Wilmot Central 5-4 in the final of the Badger Sectional to gain entry into the final field of eight.
Stoughton returns to State for just the second time. The Vikings? only other appearance was back in 1986 when they advanced to the semifinals in Class A before being eliminated from title contention. They are the champions of the Beloit Memorial Sectional following their 11-4 win over Beloit Memorial. The Vikings are the champions in the South Division of the Badger Conference this season. The remaining two qualifying teams will be the winners of the Middleton versus Waunakee and the Kimberly against Neenah games Friday.
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