WIAA SPRING BASEBALL TOURNAMENT PREVEIW: DIVISION 1
Monday, June 13th, 2016 -- 9:58 AM
The 69th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Spring Baseball State Tournament will take place Tuesday-Thursday, June 14-16, at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute, Wis.Tuesday, June 14
Division 1 Quarterfinals - 8 a.m.
Game 1 - Green Bay Preble (23-5) vs. Middleton (22-5)
Game 2 - Janesville Craig (26-2) vs. Burlington (22-5)
Division 1 Quarterfinals - 1 p.m.
Game 3 - Eau Claire North (23-3) vs. Kimberly (23-4)
Game 4 - Sun Prairie (23-5) vs. Arrowhead (27-2)
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
LAST YEAR: Janesville Craig won the Division 1 championship with a 2-0 shutout over Kimberly in the title game.
THE DIVISION 1 FIELD: Last year’s champion Janesville Craig is making its second consecutive appearance and its 13th overall. The Cougars have now won four State titles. They were the back-to-back Class A champions in 1983-84 and added a Division 1 championship in 1998 and again last year. They also finished runner-up in 1999 and 2001. The Cougars shut out Verona 2-0 in the sectional final hosted by Beloit to earn their shot at a repeat title. They are the champions of the Big Eight Conference this season. Kimberly, the runner-up the past two seasons, will appear in the State Tournament for the third year in a row and for the 10th time overall. The Papermakers won the Division 1 title in 2007 and the Class B championship in 1989. They have now finished runner-up five times, including 1988, 1993, 2008, 2014 and 2015. The Papermakers are the champions of the Fox Valley Association this spring, and they are the winners of the Kaukauna Sectional following a 15-1, five-inning win over West De Pere in the final. Sun Prairie qualifies for the State Tournament for the 13th time. The Cardinals have been crowned champions eight times, which leads the membership. They won the Class A title in 1974 and added Division 1 championships in 1994, 1997, 2005, 2006, and three in a row from 2012-14. They edged Oconomowoc 8-7 in the sectional final hosted by the Cardinals. They finished runner-up to State qualifier Janesville Craig in the Big Eight Conference this spring. Middleton advances to the State Tournament for the second time in the last three seasons and for the 13th time overall. The Cardinals won the State title in 2003 and have finished runner-up three times, in 1968, 1977 and 1995. They placed third in the Big Eight Conference behind State qualifiers Janesville Craig and Sun Prairie this spring and advanced through the Sauk Prairie Sectional with a 5-4 decision over La Crosse Logan in the final. Eau Claire North is making its 11th trip to State. The most recent appearance was in 2011 when the Huskies won their only State title. They have finished runner-up an additional three times, in 1981, 2002 and 2005. They defeated Eau Claire Memorial 14-1 in five innings to win the final of the Marshfield Sectional and gain a berth in the tournament field. The Huskies finished first in the Big Rivers Conference this year. Arrowhead is making its first appearance in the State Spring Tournament since its only other experience in 1957, which resulted in a loss in the first round. However, the Warhawks made seven appearances in the State Summer Baseball Tournament between 1973 and 2009, with the later resulting in their second State title. The other came in 1979. The Warhawks also recorded runner-up finishes in 1973, 1975 and 2006. They finished atop the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference standings this season. They shutout Milwaukee Riverside 6-0 to win the sectional final hosted by the Warhawks. Burlington is making its third appearance in the State Tournament and the first since 2005 when the Demons lost in the quarterfinals. They advanced to the semifinals in their first experience in 1991. The Demons are the champions of the Southern Lakes Conference this spring, and they advanced through the Kenosha Sectional by beating Kenosha Bradford/Reuther 6-2 in the sectional final. The first and only other appearance for Green Bay Preble came back in 2002 when the Hornets fell in the quarterfinal round. This season they advance to State through the Bay Port Sectional following a 6-0 blanking of Green Bay East/West in the final. The Hornets tied Bay Port for the championship in the Fox River Classic Conference during the regular season.
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