Congratulations to Leah French on being named Division 2-3 First Team All State. The Concordia St. Paul catcher recruit wraps up her prep career as among the most decorated Cardinal softball players in Prescott High School history. Rory Zuehlsdorf also wrapped up an impressive Prescott softball career and was named to the second team.

Speaking of softball, what an impressive year for North Dakota State College of Science softball pitcher Ella Stewart. A 2024 Prescott alumnus, Stewart and her Wildcat teammates won their second 2025 NJCAA Division 3 Softball Championship last month. Stewart tossed 17 innings for the Wildcats in the eight-team World Series and was named the Pitcher of the Tournament. 

Stewart finished the season with a record of 12-2 with an ERA of 1.60. The Cardinal alumnus struck out 150 hitters in 105 innings pitched as the Wildcats finished the season with a record of 54-14-1.  

Reportedly discussion items at the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association All State meeting included the criteria used to select WIAA State Tournament umpires, moving from four to five divisions, and having All State selections be division specific. Wisconsin and most of the country continues to deal with the shortage of baseball umpires and a number of coaches shared their concerns that the WIAA is not doing a good enough job at assigning state tournament games to younger umpires. Also, a couple WBCA District representatives inquired as to whether or not the WIAA has considered moving to five divisions for tournament play as is the case with softball. Finally, the same district reps asked if the WBCA has considered having All State teams selected based on division rather than having only one All State Team. The 2025 First Team All State team included nine players from Division 1 schools, two players from Division 2 schools, and two players from Division 3 schools. There were no players from Division 4 schools. Incidentally, the two Division 3 selections played for Kenosha St. Joseph’s, located in a city of over 98,000 people.  

This spring the Rhinelander Hodag was named the best mascot and nickname in Wisconsin high school sports. In the finals of the Frontier Communications Mascot Online Voting Challenge, the Hodags outpaced the Hortonville Polar Bears 23,400 to 19,133 to claim the title of best mascot. More than a half a million votes were cast during the six week-long contest. The Hodags advanced to the finals by besting the Washburn Castleguards in one semi-final and in the other the Polar Bears of Hortonville squeaked by Horicon Marshmen by one vote. A number of northern Wisconsin fans cried foul during the “tournament.” Reportedly a handful of schools, specifically those voting for the Granite Diggers of Mellen, cited poor internet connection as the reason the beloved Granite Diggers did not advance in the northern half of the bracket.

Congratulations to Johnson Creek, private school Kenosha St. Joseph’s, New Berlin Eisenhower, and Muskego on winning WIAA State Baseball Championships. It is the second state title for Johnson Creek, the fifth for the private school Lancers, and the first spring state title for both New Berlin Eisenhower and Muskego. 

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: The DNR is celebrating National Eagle Day (June 20, 2025) and the 85th anniversary of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Wisconsinites can support the next species' comeback in Wisconsin with an Endangered Resources license plate. Bald eagles have made an amazing recovery in our state thanks to a combination of the national ban on the pesticide DDT, added state and federal protections, like the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, river cleanups under the Clean Water Act and Wisconsin DNR nest monitoring and protection with support from the Endangered Resources Fund.

Headshaker of the week. As Ronald Reagan said during his debate with Walter Mondale in 1984, “There you go again.” Scores of fans were none too impressed with the behavior of the Division 1 State Champion Muskego players and coaches. Players on the field and especially those in the dugout were warned repeatedly by umpires and WIAA staff of unsportsmanlike behavior, specifically for what has been called “bench jockeying.” Hilariously, the NCAA has specific rules regarding this behavior and states “discouraging and distracting prohibited activities orchestrated activities/cheers by bench personnel designed to distract, intimidate, or disconcert the opposing team or reflect poor sportsmanship are grounds for ejection from the contest.” There is no specific rule regarding “bench jockeying” within the WIAA Officials Handbook. Such shenanigans are said to be covered under the association's “Sportsmanship Rule.” For all three games the suburban Milwaukee school was warned by umpires and WIAA staff. As per usual, there were consequences. However, my guess for the umpteenth year in a row, sportsmanship and bench decorum will be a WIAA point of emphasis next spring. Hilarious and a headshaker.