Congratulations to seniors Taylor Graf and Izzy Matzek on being chosen to play in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Association All Star Games this week at the Woodside Sports Complex in Wisconsin Dells. The two seniors helped the Cardinals finish with an overall record of 64-17 including two conference championships and a trip to the WIAA State Tournament. Congratulations to both on the culmination of a tremendous prep career .

Last week Both Graf and Matzek were named 1st team All Conference along with senior Addie Raebel and junior Leah French. Kelsey Sterud was named 2nd Team All Conference and Rory Zuehlsdorf was named Honorable Mention. The Cardinals won their second conference championship in the last three years. 

Hats off to Prescott outfielder Nolan Thomley who has been named Academic All State by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association. A three-year letterwinner, Thomley was named 2nd Team All Conference last week. Fellow junior Cullen Huppert was named to the second team along with sophomore infielder Barrett Temmers. Senior Brady Block was named Honorable Mention All Conference for the Cardinals. 

Approximately 50 youngsters participated in last week’s Prescott Baseball Camp at Firehall Field. Peter Brookshaw and Hunter Daymond served as instructors during the two-day event. 

The seven districts of the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association hosted their post season meetings throughout the state over the weekend. A panel of coaches from each district select first and second team players along with those deserving of honorable mention recognition. Additionally, each district selects a player of the year for each division to be nominated for state player of the year. For the second year in a row, St. Croix Falls Brayden Olson was named the Division 3 Player of the Year and will be the odds-on favorite to win repeat at State Player of the Year. In Division 2, Altoona Pitcher Bennett Stokke was selected as the District Player of the Year. Stokke, a sophomore, led the Ramblers to the state tournament for the second time in school history. In Division 4, University of Texas recruit Cole Selvig was named the District Player of the Year after finishing 7-0 with a 0.22 earned run average. Incidentally, all three played at Firehall Field this season. Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association All State Selections with be made this week in Appleton. 

Hats off to junior Sophie Ripley on being named the Prescott High School Student of the Month for May. The talented thinclad set three school records in May. Ripley qualified for the WIAA State Track Meet in both the 4x800 meter relay and the 4x400 meter relay. 

Oral Roberts University qualified for the NCAA Division I College World Series after winning two of three games against the University of Oregon in last weekend’s super regional. It is the first time the Golden Eagles have qualified for the tournament since 1978. The Eagles lost game one of the series by a score of 9-8 snapping a 21-game winning streak. The Summit League Conference Champion had not lost since April 22, when they were bested by Peter Brookshaw and the North Dakota State Bison by a score of 4-2. In the rubber game of a three-game series. Oral Roberts defeated North Dakota State by a score of 8-4 in extra innings. When asked if he thought Oral Roberts had a chance to advance to the college World Series early last week, Brookshaw prophetically replied, “They have a great draw playing in Oregon and they are a really solid team and have a great chance to go to the college World Series.” 

Headshaker of the week. As we close the book on another high school softball and baseball season, individual postseason awards from coaches associations recognize outstanding performances by players throughout the state. As is typical for most coaching organizations, eligibility for association awards is contingent on the head coach being a member of the respective coaches’ organization. Although the vast majority of coaches in the state are members of their coaches’ organization, there are a small smattering of coaches who are not members and therefore forfeit the opportunity for their players to receive recognition. Once again, players from a school whose coach is not a member of the association are ineligible for any kind of recognition because of the inability of the coach to become a member. Now that’s a headshaker.