SHOTS from the Hip

Congratulations to Aiden Russell on wrapping up what has been a stellar athletic sea son for the recent Cardinal graduate. Russell finished fourth in the high jump at the WIAA State Track and Field Tournament last weekend at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse. Recently voted the Most Outstanding Male Ath lete by Cardinal head coaches, Russell will attend Northern State University. The Wolves are a NCAA Division II team that competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Middle Border Conference Softball Co Conference Champion Baldwin Woodville earned the #1 seed in the WIAA State Tournament and will play #4 seed New Hol stein this Friday at noon at Goodman Field in Madison, Wis. This is the fourth time Baldwin Woodville has quali fied for the state tournament, the first since 2013 when they won the Division 2 State Title. When it comes to Middle Bor der teams qualifying for the state tournament, Prescott and new conference member Al toona have also advanced to the final four six times. Amery has made the trip three times and Ellsworth qualified for the state tournament once in 2019.

The Prescott High School coaching staff and players will be hosting a two day baseball clinic June 8 and 9 for young sters from third through eighth grade this week at Firehall Field. The mini clinic begins each day at 12:45 p.m. and concludes at 3 p.m.

Peter Brookshaw made his Eau Claire Northwoods League debut this weekend and went 5 12 at the plate as the Express swept a three

game series against the Water loo Bucks. Brookshaw played

second, third, and shortstop for the Express who are now 6 1 on the season and are in first place in the Great Plains East Division of the Northwoods League.

Senior center fielder Justin Syverson finished the season with 35 base hits tying John Peterson (1999), Jake Hintz (2012), Bryan Early (2012), and Luke Murphy (2017) for 12th all time. Peter Brookshaw holds the record with 60 base hits in 2017. Syverson also finished with 22 stolen bases, tying Steve Bowe (2002) and Zach Dolan (2017) for sixth all time. The top base stealer in Cardinal history is Bill Brook shaw who swiped 37 bases in 2012.

The Prescott Senior and Junior American Legion base ball teams begin play this week. The teams will be coached by Mike Thomley, Mike Sterud, Lee Huppert, Jason Bayer, and Thad Magee.

Five teams the Prescott Cardinal baseball teams played this season won re gional championships last week. Osceola, Jefferson, Eau Claire Regis, St. Croix Falls and Altoona all are vying for a trip to the WIAA state tourna ment in Appleton next week.

Hats off to volunteer Ed Lucas. The former Prescott and Hudson School District educator spent a considerable amount of time painting the outfield fence posts at Firehall Field last week. Lucas has spent dozens of hours over the past two summers completing a number of projects for Prescott baseball teams. Bravo Mr. Lucas.

West Texas A & M guard Parker Nielsen and Michigan Tech guard Isabella Lenz have been shooting hoops in the Prescott High School gymna sium recently. Nielsen is poised to begin his third sea son with the Buffaloes and Lenz will soon head back to Houghton, Mich. later this month to begin preparing for her second season with the Huskies. Both were among the most prolific scorers in Prescott basketball history.

Headshaker of the week: The Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association is an or

ganization with over 750 members. Along with an ex tremely popular and successful February clinic, the WBCA sponsors and provides awards/certificates at the dis

trict and state level. Addition ally, the association sponsors the All Star Classic each year in Oshkosh. In order for play ers to be eligible for the wide array of recognition, head coaches must be members of the WBCA. Sadly, there are a few dozen head coaches in the state who are not members of the association and thereby forfeit the opportunity for their players from receiving WBCA award recognition. One of those coaches this spring won a conference and regional championship and possibly could advance to the state tournament in Appleton. Head coaches not being a member of the WBCA? It’s a headshaker.

By Cripe Olson