WIAA State Spring Baseball Tournament Preview: Division 1
Monday, June 15th, 2015 -- 6:46 AM
The 68th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Spring Baseball State Tournament will take place this Tuesday-Thursday at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.Here's a preview of the Division 1 field.....
LAST YEAR: Sun Prairie won its third consecutive Division 1 championship with a 5-2 win over Kimberly in the title game.
Tuesday, June 16
Division 1 Quarterfinals - 8 a.m.
Game 1 - Kimberly (24-4) vs. Kenosha Indian Trail (22-7)
Game 2 - River Falls (20-3) vs. Milwaukee Reagan (20-7)*
Division 1 Quarterfinals - 1 p.m.
Game 3 - Bay Port (24-4) vs. Oconomowoc (20-7)
Game 4 - Baraboo (22-6) vs. Janesville Craig (26-1)*
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: Last year's runner-up Kimberly will appear in the State Tournament for the second year in a row and for the ninth time overall. The Papermakers won the Division 1 title in 2007 and the Class B championship in 1989. They have finished runner-up four times, including 1988, 1993, 2008 and again in 2014. The Papermakers are the champions of the Fox Valley Association this spring, and they are the winners of the Appleton West Sectional following a 17-12 slugfest win over West De Pere in the final. Oconomowoc is back at State for the first time since 2012 and for the 14th time overall. The Raccoons won consecutive Class A championships in 1980 and 1981 and the State title when there was just one classification in 1959. In addition, they placed runner-up in 1991, 1992 and 1996. They represent the Sun Prairie Sectional after ousting Watertown 4-2 in the final. They finished third in the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference standings this season. Bay Port returns to State for the 12th time and for the fourth straight season. Moreover, the Pirates have qualified nine times over the past 13 seasons. They won back-to-back championships in 2009-10 and finished runner-up in 2012. They are the champions of the Fox River Classic Conference this spring and have qualified for State again with a 5-1 win over Green Bay Preble in the sectional final played at Green Bay Southwest. Janesville Craig is making its first appearance since 2009 and its 12th overall. The Cougars have won three State titles. They were the back-to-back Class A champions in 1983-84 and added a Division 1 championship in 1998. They also finished runner-up in 1999 and 2001. The Cougars trounced Verona 10-0 in five innings in the sectional final hosted by Janesville Parker to earn their way into the State Tournament field. They are the champions of the Big Eight Conference this season. Baraboo seeks its first win in State Tournament competition, having lost in the first round in each of its first two appearances in 1961 and then again in 2000. The Thunderbirds edged La Crosse Central 8-7 in the final of the sectional held in La Crosse, and they finished runner-up in the Badger Conference in 2015. River Falls is making only its second appearance in the State Tournament. Its only previous experience was 39 years ago in 1976 when the Wildcats lost in the quarterfinals of a one-division format. Their return to the tournament was the result of a 5-4 victory over Chippewa Falls in the final of the sectional held at River Falls. The Wildcats finished atop the standings of the Big Rivers Conference this season. Milwaukee Reagan is making its first-ever State appearance, which was earned by blanking Arrowhead 5-0 in the final of the Milwaukee Bay View Sectional. The Huskies were the champions of the Milwaukee City Conference this spring. Kenosha Indian Trail is also making its first appearance in the State Tournament. The Hawks advanced through the Union Grove Sectional, which culminated with an 8-1 win over Wilmot in the final. They finished runner-up in the Southeast Conference standings this spring.
FINALS AIRED LIVE ON FS WISCONSIN: Watch the WIAA State Spring Baseball Championship finals of all four divisions live on FS Wisconsin. Check local cable listings for the channel in your area.
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