A leadoff home run by Aidan Dorau in the top of the sixth inning in game two of a doubleheader against Ellsworth was not only the game winner, but the screaming blast to left gave the Cardinals their first undisputed Middle Border Conference Championship in over a decade. Prescott shared the title in 2016 and 2014. It was the second home run hit by the Cardinals this season and the first of his career. 

The last Prescott Cardinal to hit a homerun during a high school game at Firehall Field was Justin Tobias in 2005. 

The one-two combination of senior righthander Dain Pechacek and senior lefthander Cole Platson has been formidable all the season. The two three-year letters winners have combined for a record of 12-2 and an earned run average of 1.15. In 91 innings pitched Pechacek and Platson have struck out 104 hitters in 91 innings pitched.  

Baseball aficionados understand effective pitching must be complimented by equally effective catching. This season Cardinal signal callers Brody Temmers and Joaquin Magee have done a marvelous job behind the plate. Time and time again home plates umpires have commented to the Prescott coaching staff on the impressive receiving skill set possessed by the Cardinal junior - senior catching combination. Most coaches will say you have to be strong up the middle, and Temmers and Magee have been anchors defensively for the Cardinals all season. 

As expected, monstrous is the best word to describe the offensive statistics of senior softball catcher Leah French. With a batting average of .517, seven homeruns and 33 runs batted in, the All Everything receiver has been the bane of pitchers in western Wisconsin all year. Additionally, let’s not forget the eye-popping numbers of fellow senior Rory Zuehlsdorf. Along with a team-leading 39 runs batted in and 11 doubles, the talented lefty has slammed five home runs and scored 32 runs for the Cardinal this season. 

From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: The DNR encourages the public to slow down on our roadways for turtles that are emerging from waterways to nest. Wisconsin’s 11 turtle species lay eggs in shallow, buried nests from late May through June, where they are often seen along roads and in residential yards. Drivers can help reduce turtle road mortality – a leading cause of turtle decline throughout Wisconsin – by being cautious when driving near swamps, lakes and rivers.

“Nesting season is an important but risky time for turtles,” said Andrew Badje, Wisconsin DNR conservation biologist. “They’re more active and they face threats like road mortality while crossing roads and increased levels of predation from raccoons, skunks and coyotes. Some protected species are also taken from the wild and sold in the illegal pet trade both in state and overseas. Protecting adult females and turtle nests in the wild is essential for conserving Wisconsin’s turtles for future generations.”

From the WIAA: A trio of changes to address when goaltending and basket interference are called are among the changes to high school basketball rules for the 2025-26 season. A rule has been added to indicate that a ball is considered to be on its downward flight once it contacts the backboard on a legitimate shot attempt. Therefore, it is goaltending if a defensive player touches the ball after it contacts the backboard. Prior to this change, an official determined if a shot attempt was still ascending and out of the cylinder before goaltending could be called. Also, only a defensive player can commit goaltending, eliminating the possibility of an offensive goaltending violation. The change removes the need to determine whether a ball in flight is a field-goal attempt or a pass. Any alteration of a shot attempt with contact to the basket or backboard by an offensive player would be considered basket interference.

And in the words of 1960’s television Private Gomer Pyle “Surprise, surprise, surprise.” Basketball bench decorum will be a point of emphasis this season for the WIAA. Sure it will. 

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater beat UW-Oshkosh 10-0 in Super Regional action of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship to win the best of three series and secured a spot in the NCAA Division III World Series. It is the second straight year the Warhawks have advanced to the eight-team double elimination championship and ninth time in program history. Whitewater won the opening game by a score of 14-1, but Oshkosh won game two by a score of 5-2. The Division III Championship series runs from May 30 to June 5 and will be held at Classic Auto Group Park in Eastlake, Ohio. Whitewater enters the tournament with an overall record of 44-6 and are ranked #3 in the nation. 

Headshaker of the week. Next month the Badger Boys and Girls State Conventions will be held at UW-Eau Claire and UW-Oshkosh respectively. The two week-long experiences provide opportunities for soon-to-be high school seniors to become actively engaged in the civic process. Mock conventions, committee meetings, and simulated elections are all a part of a program created to give students the opportunity to experience and appreciate the democratic process. Arguably, there are few better resume builders than being chosen to participate in Badger Boys or Badger Girls State. Sadly, interest in this extremely important program has waned over the last few years. The primary culprit? Summer sports. From June through the first part of August, AAU basketball, American Legion baseball, club baseball, volleyball camps, golf tournaments, wrestling competitions, baseball and softball select games, and 7 on 7 football dominate the calendars of high school teenagers, leaving little or no room for the Badger State experience. Plummeting interest of high school athletes participating in Badger State? It’s a headshaker.