We've moved!

To the faithful readers of Leader-Telegram Sports Extra (all 12 of you) —

We have packed our bags and headed home. The Leader-Telegram sports blog will now be hosted on the Leader-Telegram's Web site. So change your bookmarks, call your friends and tell the kids.

The new blog can be found here: http://www.leadertelegram.com/blogs/blogs.asp?id=4

But wait, there's more. In the first of what should be many spin-offs of the ever-popular main sports blog, Joe Ziemer and I have started an Express blog to bring you all the breaking news concerning Eau Claire's Northwoods League baseball team.

That blog can be found here: http://www.leadertelegram.com/blogs/blogs.asp?id=5

Unfortunately, that means that there won't be any new posts to this particular blog. Please go to the blogs at the L-T site from now on.

- John Casper Jr.

Wendt signs with Predators

Former UW-Stout standout wide receiver Jesse Wendt, who last April signed a contract as an undrafted free agent with the Washington Redskins, has signed with the Chippewa Valley Predators of the Northern Elite Football League, Predators offensive coordinator Matt Risen said Thursday.

Wendt, a former Chetek star who set a state single-game record with 419 rushing yards as a senior with the Bulldogs during the 1998-99 season, will play in the Predators' game Saturday against the Superior Stampede. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Carson Park.

-Justin Harings

Express vs. Loggers

A few pregame notes for tonight's game between the Eau Claire Express and La Crosse Loggers:

* Tonight’s starter, Cal Poly right-hander D.J. Mauldin, arrived in town earlier in the day.

“We’ll see what he can bring to the table and go from there,” manager Dale Varsho said.

* Brooks Pinckard (groin) and Pat Colwell (shoulder) are available again.

* Varsho said the Chicago Cubs will be in Madison on Wednesday to watch David Cales pitch. That outing likely will determine whether or not the Cubs sign Cales, who they drafted in the 24th round earlier this month.

“They need to see him throw and then they’ll decide,” Varsho said.

* Right-hander Chris Odegaard and the Minnesota Twins still are negotiating.

* After the game, "Little Big League" will be shown on a portable screen in the outfield.

- Joe Ziemer

Injury bug biting Express

First there were the draft defections. Now it's injuries.

The already short-handed Eau Claire Express now are even more depleted. Third baseman D.J. Anderson is out two weeks with bicep tendonitis. Outfielders Pat Colwell (shoulder) and Brooks Pinckard (groin)will not play tonight against La Crosse. The extent of their injuries still is unknown.

That makes for a pretty depleted Eau Claire outfield, which is already without Erik Knutson. He'll miss three to six weeks with a sprained ankle. The only healthy outfielders are Kole Calhoun and Robbie Knight.

So, catcher Kyle Holloway very well could start in the outfield tonight. Holloway took fly balls in right field before batting practice.

On another note, I'm still waiting to hear back from Northwoods League president Dick Radatz Jr. on the status of Tuesday night's Express loss to Wisconsin. The Woodchucks used an ineligible player in right fielder Troy Frazier, who should have been suspended for the game after being ejected Monday night. Wisconsin won the game, 4-3, but there's a good case to be made that Eau Claire should win by forfeit.

- Joe Ziemer

Live updates: Barron vs. West De Pere

Looks like the rain is going to hold off for this one. Barron will go with superstar Brad Hallberg as its starting pitcher. West De Pere counters with Garrett Scray. In a first for Eau Claire area teams at this year's state tournament, Barron is the home team. Maybe that will help the Bears avoid the one-and-done fate that sent Eau Claire Memorial and Bruce home.

Top of the first inning: Nick Pierre reached on an error by the second baseman. Andy Pichler reached on a bunt single. Brent Kakwitch was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brent Jansen struck out looking. Barron shortstop Brett Mueller nearly turned an inning-ending double play but bobbled a soft line drive from West De Pere's Travis Romenesko and everyone was safe. Pierre scored. Tony Cantalupo grounded out to the pitcher Hallberg, who initiated the always entertaining 1-2-3 double play. West De Pere grabbed a 1-0 lead, but it could have been much, much more considering the circumstances.

Bottom of the first: Josh Davidson reached on an error by the shortstop. Shay Herrman bunted him over to second. Brad Hallberg worked a 2-0 count before West De Pere intentionally walked him. Andrew Sloan grounded out to third, moving the runners up a bag. Brandon Johns bounced out to second.

I originally criticized the intentional walk of Hallberg, but shows how much I know. West De Pere leads, 1-0, after the first.

Top of the second: Garret Scray reached on an error by the shortstop and was replaced by a courtesy runner of unknown idenity. David Schneider bunted him over to second. Jake Piontek bounced out to the pitcher. Nick Pierre bounced out to the pitcher again. That's the third time Hallberg has forced a ground ball right back to him. He looks sharp.

Bottom of the second: Brett Mueller struck out looking. Jake Kittleson grounded out to first. Trevor Severson grounded out to short.

At the end of two, West De Pere leads, 1-0.

Top of the third: Andy Pichler led off with an infield single. Brent Kakwitch was hit by a pitch — again. Brent Jansen reached on a fielder's choice as Pichler was retired at third. Travis Romenesko walked and was replaced by courtesy runner Derek Willems. Tony Cantalupo flied to left and Kakwitch wisely did not try to tag. Garret Scray reached on an error by the second baseman, scoring Kakwitch. David Schneider singled down the left-field line to score Jansen and Willems. Jake Piontek grounded out to short.

Big inning for West De Pere, and the Phantoms have taken a 4-0 lead.

Bottom of the third: Justin Balts fouled out to first. Josh Davidson lined out to third. Shay Herrman struck out looking. Barron needs something to go its way, fast.

Top of the fourth: Nick Pierre was retired on a nice play by Hallberg, who chased down a weak dribbler and shoveled it to first with his glove. Andy Pichler grounded out to short. The throw was high but first baseman Andrew Sloan got the tag down. Brent Kakwitch flied out to center.

Bottom of the fourth: Brad Hallberg led off with a double, Barron's first hit of the game. Andrew Sloan grounded to first, moving the runner up a base. Brandon Johns struck out looking. Brent Mueller struck out swinging, leaving Hallberg at third.

West De Pere leads, 4-0.

Top of the fifth: Jared Hillbert replaced Hallberg at pitcher. Hallberg went to shortstop. Brent Jansen popped out to second. Travis Romenesko was hit by a pitch. Tony Cantalupo grounded out to second. Garret Scray was hit by a pitch. David Schneider popped out to second.

Bottom of the fifth: Jake Kittleson led off with a single. Trevor Severson struck out. Justin Balts reached on a fielder's choice. Josh Davidson grounded out to third.

Top of the sixth: Jake Piontek singled and stole second. Nick Pierre walked. The runners moved up a base when Barron tried to pick Piontek off second. Andy Pichler's grounder to second scored Piontek. Brent Kakwitch grounded out to third. Brent Jansen singled, scoring Pierre.

Bottom of the sixth: Shay Herrman flied out to left. Brad Hallberg grounded out to short. Andrew Sloan grounded out to third.

Top of the seventh: Tony Cantalupo flied to right. Garret Scray flied to right. David Schneider walked, but was caught stealing second.

Bottom of the seventh: Jacob Schauf pinch-hit for Brandon Johns and led off with a single. Lance Knutson pinch-hit for Brett Mueller and struck out. Jake Kittleson singled. Pinch hitter Derek Borgen struck out. Justin Balts grounded out to second to end the game.

Barron loses, 6-0, making it 0-for-3 for northwestern Wisconsin teams at the state tournament. Check tomorrow's Leader-Telegram for more.

- John Casper Jr.

Live updates: Bruce vs. Rosholt

Good morning. And I do mean morning. We're a few minutes shy of 8 a.m. at Fox Cities Stadium, and in a few minutes, Bruce is about to play its first state tournament game against Rosholt.

There's quite the contingent from Bruce. While doing some research ealier this week, I discovered that there was a fan bus that was going to leave Bruce at 3:30 a.m. for this game. Whether or not that actually happened, I'm not sure. But if it did, that's impressive.

Come back here for inning-by-inning updates.

Top of the first: Kurt Johnson swung at the first pitch, flying out to center field. David Hegeholz singled to center. Kyle Wallace struck out, Hegeholz stole second. Ryan Gerber struck out looking.

Bottom of the first: Charlie Bembenek walked. Mitch Zdroik walked. Kyle McHugh lined to short, but Hegeholz overthrew second baseman Cody Stewart in an attempt to double off Bembenek and the runners advanced a base. Styles Carlson struck out swinging. Austin Klesmith reached on another error by Hegeholz which allowed both runners to score. Kyle Zdroik struck out looking.

It definitely wasn't the inning Bruce wanted. The errors were costly, but Bruce pitcher Kyle Wallace put himself in that position by walking the first two batters. Rosholt leads, 2-0.

Top of the second: Kevin Witkiewicz struck out swinging. Casey Gudis singled to right. Damon Petras flied out to center. Gudis stole second. Ryan Wallace struck out swinging.

Bottom of the second: Kyle Borski grounded out to the pitcher. Dan Osowski walked. Osowski's courtesy runner advanced to second on a wild pitch. Shawn Skibba flied out to center. Bembenek grounded out to short.

After throwing 32 pitches in the first inning, Wallace was much more efficient in the second, only throwing 15. Rosholt leads, 2-0.

Top of the third: Cody Stewart popped out to first base. Kurt Johnson walked. Johnson advanced to second on a balk by Styles Carlson, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. David Hegeholz struck out swinging. Johnson scored on a passed ball. Kyle Wallace singled to left. Wallace stole second. Ryan Gerber flew out to center. Bruce now trails, 2-1.

Bottom of the third: Mitch Zdroik walked. Kyle McHugh homered to left, giving Rosholt a 4-1 lead. Styles Carson was hit by a pitch and replaced by courtesy runner Jeff Singer. Singer advanced to second on a wild pitch. Kurt Johnson came in relief of Kyle Wallace, who moved to first. Singer advanced to third on a passed ball. Klesmith walked. Kyle Zdroik struck out looking. Johnson got out of the inning with a 6-4-3 double play. Bruce has got to start throwing more strikes. Wallace didn't have his best stuff today for whatever reason, and was charged with five walks. All but one of Rosholt's runs initially reached base via the walk.

Rosholt leads, 4-1.

Top of the fourth: Kevin Witkiewicz grounded out tos econd. Casey Gudis walked. Damon Petras walked. Gudis took third on a wild pitch. Petras stole second without a throw. Ryan Wallace popped out to first. Cody Stewart struck out swinging. Bruce may want that inning back.

Bottom of the fourth: Shawn Skibba grounded out to second. Charlie Bembenek singled to right on a ball the Bruce rightfielder lost in the sky. Bembenek stole second. Mitch Zdroik lined out to first. Kyle McHugh was intentionally walked. Styles Carson fouled out to third.

Rosholt still leads, 4-1.

Top of the fifth: Kurt Johnson walked. Johnson stole second. David Hegeholz walked. Austin Klesmith came in to pitch for Styles Carlson, who replaced Klesmith in right field. Johnson stole third when Klesmith wasn't paying attention. Hegeholz stole second. Kyle Wallace struck out swinging. Ryan Gerber popped out to third. Kevin Witkiewicz singled to left, scoring Johnson. He advanced to second on the throw home. Casey Gudis beat out an infield single to score Hegeholz. The throw to first was high, and Witkiewicz scored while Gudis advanced to second. Damon Petras flied out to center.

Big, big inning for Bruce, which finally came through with runners in scoring position. We're all tied at 4.

Bottom of the fifth: Austin Klesmith singled to center. Kyle Zdroik tried to sacrifice Klesmith to second, but Kurt Johnson fielded the bunt and whirled around to force out Klesmith. Kyle Borski singled to right. Dan Osowski reached on a fielder's choice. Shawn Skibba reached on an infield single and Borski never stopped running, scoring from second. Charlie Bembenek flied out to deep center.

Bruce was one strike away from keeping the score tied, but Kurt Johnson did a good job of keeping his composure and getting out of the inning without further damage. Rosholt leads, 5-4, but this game is far from over.

Top of the sixth: Ryan Wallace was hit by a pitch and promptly stole second. It was the seventh stolen base of the game for Bruce. Pinch hitter Aaron Ewert tried to lay down a bunt but was unsuccesful. He struck out swining, but the ball was in the dirt and Wallace took third. Kurt Johnson bounced back to the pitcher, who looked Wallace back to third before throwing to first. David Hegeholz flied out to right, stranding Wallace at third.

Rosholt still leads, 5-4. Bruce is down to its final at-bat.

Bottom of the sixth: Mitch Zdroik grounded out to second. Kyle McHugh singled to left. Styles Carson walked. Austin Klesmith doubled to left, scoring Zdroik. David Hegeholz came in from short to relieve Kurt Johnson, who replaced Hegeholz at shortstop. Kyle Zdroik's suicide squeeze scored Carlson. Kyle Borski walked. Dan Osowski struck out.

Rosholt added two very important insurance runs and leads, 7-4, heading into the seventh.

Top of the seventh: Kyle Wallace was hit by a pitch. Ryan Gerber reached on an error. Kevin Witkiewicz singled to load the bases. Styles Carlson, the starting pitcher, returned to the mound. Casey Gudis reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Kyle Wallace. Witkiewicz was forced out at second. Gudis stole second. Damon Petras walked. Ryan Wallace reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Gerber. Cody Stewart struck out to end the game with the tying run on third.

Rosholt wins, 7-6. Check for the story in tomorrow's Leader-Telegram.

- John Casper Jr.

Express fall again.

The Express’ frustrations continued in the abbreviated second game of Tuesday's hybrid doubleheader, which was of the seven-inning variety. A mistake filled top of the sixth allowed the Woodchucks to score three runs and grab a 4-3 win.

The Express led 3-1 heading into the sixth, but a walk, a hit batter, a passed ball, a wild pitch and back-to-back RBI singles by Bobby Pritchett and Kyle Bubak wiped that advantage away.

Bubak slapped an opposite-field single to left field to drive in Pritchett with the go-ahead run. That came off Brooks Pinckard, who relieved starter Robbie Kilcrease after Kilcrease walked Chris Slater with two outs and then hit Chris Wade.

After a passed ball by catcher Braden Degamo, Pritchett hit an RBI single and then Pinckard uncorked a wild pitch to tie the game. Then came Bubak’s go-ahead single.
Aaron Varnum pitched the seventh for his second save of the day and his third in two days. Pinckard was picked off first base to end the game.

The Express had taken a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth on Pinckard’s RBI single and Robbie Knight’s run-scoring double.

- Joe Ziemer

More on Memorial

Baseball can be a harsh game sometimes.

Eau Claire Memorial found that out the hard way at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.

Kenosha Bradford ended the Abes’ season in the WIAA Division 1 state quarterfinals behind a strong outing from pitcher Sam Schissel. The Red Devils won, 6-2.

“We pounded him early, but we just couldn’t hold them down,” Memorial coach Casey Eckardt said. “We’re sad it had to come to an end.”

Check for the game story at www.leadertelegram.com. Here’s a few tid bits that didn’t make it in:

*With Schissel dominating on the mound after the second inning, Memorial needed to play flawless defense. And while the Abes were only charged with two errors, there were several mental mistakes that kept innings alive for the Red Devils, who constantly kept the pressure on Memorial by putting the ball in play.

“We dodged bullets and dodged bullets and dodged bullets,” Eckardt said. “Sometimes that can come back and bite you.”

*This game was a rematch of the 1964 state championship game, won by Memorial. Bradford hadn’t been back since until this season. In 1964 there was only one Kenosha high school, which became Bradford.

*Eckardt made special mention of the seniors that may not get all the headlines — Cory Munden, John Stang, Jordan Walling and Brad Ruesch.

“They were a fun group at practice,” Eckardt said. “They brought energy every day and had a great attitude every day. They knew their role and were always ready, whether they were needed to pinch-hit or pinch-run. In today’s society, there are kids that if they aren’t starting or playing all the time, they go in the tank psychologically. From the best player down all the way to the 18th, they were all great team players.”

- John Casper Jr.

Express lose game one

The Eau Claire Express waited about two weeks for to finish their season opener.
After all that waiting, what they got was missed opportunities and some bad luck for right-hander Drew Kendrick.

With his offense unable to cash in on some early chances, Kendrick left the game injured and took a tough-luck loss as the Express fell to the Wisconsin Woodchucks, 6-2, on Tuesday at Carson Park. That concluded the suspended Northwoods League season opener that originally began May 29.

“We couldn’t execute again,” Express manager Dale Varsho said. “We have a hard time executing with runners in scoring position. We have to start playing good baseball again. We haven’t been playing good baseball for three days now.”

The loss, the first game of a hybrid doubleheader, dropped Eau Claire (4-7) five game behind division-leading Wisconsin (9-2) in the South Division first-half standings. Check back for results of the second game, which will be of the seven-innings variety.

The Express began play Tuesday trailing 2-0 in the middle of the fourth inning. They had plenty of chances early to rough up Woodchucks left-hander Terrance Jackson, who allowed seven baserunners in his three innings of work.

But the Express left runners at third base in the fourth and fifth innings and managed only an RBI infield single by David Cales in the fourth. Jackson, who took over for opening day starter Zac Moore, was wild high early. But the Express didn’t make Jackson fully pay.

“It’s disappointing,” Varsho said. “We just have to start playing good baseball and try to score some runs. They’re giving us runs. All we have to do is hit a groundball and we’re not getting runs. We just have to start playing good baseball and putting the ball in play.”

The Express tied the game at 2 in the seventh inning when an errant pickoff throw by reliever Brad Riddle allowed Robbie Knight to score.
Kendrick, meanwhile, was turning in a stellar long relief outing in what essentially was a start. He took over for Shane Dyer, who started on opening day and allowed two runs. Dyer is no longer with the Express, having signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Rays last week.

Kendrick threw three 1-2-3 innings Tuesday before hitting a rather unfortunate patch in the eighth.

Carson Vitale began the inning with a chopper up the middle that snuck into the outfield. Kendrick then got Brent Weaver to hit what could have been a double-play ball to D.J. Anderson at third base. But Anderson bobbled the ball and everyone was safe.

After Bobby Pritchett’s sacrifice bunt, Troy Frazier drove in the go-ahead run with a single through the drawn-in infield.
Kendrick then left the game with what Varsho said was a groin injury.

“Who knows how serious,” Varsho said, “but I’m sure we’ll get a diagnosis soon and find out where we’re at.”

Kendrick was replaced by Joe Bonfe, who gave up an RBI double by Chris Wade and a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Jeremy Barnes. That made the score 5-2.

Kendrick was charged with three runs – one earned – on two hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out five in 3 1/3 innings but took the loss.
Weaver added an insurance run for the Woodchucks with an RBI double in the ninth inning.

Notes
Several lineup changes were made prior to the conclusion of the game. The Woodchucks, who were short-handed for the opener and had to use three pitchers in the field, made three changes. Pitcher Terrance Jackson, who took over for Zac Moore, still had to bat for himself because Wisconsin forfeited the designated hitter in the opener. The Express made two lineup changes, both out of necessity. Robbie Knight replaced the injured Erik Knutson (sprained ankle) in center field, and Landis Ware took over for Ronnie Olson at shortstop. Olson is no longer with the team after his 10-day contract expired. … Woodchucks left fielder Troy Frazier played in the first game but was ineligible for the second game. Frazier was ejected from Monday’s game so he was suspended for Tuesday’s regularly scheduled game. Because the first game technically was played May 29, he was eligible to play in that game.

- Joe Ziemer

More on Cales and Odegaard

David Cales is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan. But he’s not complaining about drafted by the other Chicago team, the Cubs.

“You know what, it’s just a privilege to get picked by anybody,” Cales said. “I don’t have any disgruntles. I’m glad I am a Cubbie. I’ll still hold a soft spot for the White Sox, that’s for sure.”

Cales, a first baseman/reliever for the Eau Claire Express, was taken by the Cubs in the 24th round of last week’s Major League Baseball draft. He’s batting .240 with five RBIs and has shown a good glove in the field. But Cales’ professional future is as a reliever. The righty closer throws in the high 80s to low 90s and has a good slider. This season he has no record, a perfect 0.00 ERA and one save in 3 2/3 innings. Cales hasn’t pitched since a three-inning outing last Monday against Battle Creek at Carson Park. That outing – which Cales said was one of the longest he’s thrown – happened to take place with Cubs representatives in attendance.

“Three innings is a lot for me,” Cales said. “I’m usually a one-to-two (innings) guy.”

Cales will have another chance to impress the Cubs – and make a case for them to sign him – Thursday.

Chris Odegaard would like to sign with his hometown Minnesota Twins. But he doesn’t have to.

The Glencoe, Minn., native was a 23rd-round draft pick of the Twins last week, but he has some leverage in negotiations. He’ll be a redshirt junior next season, so he has two more opportunities to test his luck in the draft. Should he return to Minnesota State-Mankato, he’d also have the chance to play with his younger brother, Matt.

“The team’s going to be pretty good next year and my brother’s going to be there. So it will be pretty fun if it doesn’t happen this year to just go back and play again.”
Odegaard is 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts this summer. He’s struck out 17 batters in 11 innings, but also has issued a somewhat-troubling 12 walks. Like Cales, he’ll be trying to showcase his arm Thursday with the Twins in attendance.

“My arm’s feeling good, but the walks are up, obviously,” Odegaard said. “That’s my biggest thing right now, is the walks.”

- Joe Ziemer

Express notes: Bench getting thin

At the beginning the season, the Eau Claire Express had one of the Northwoods League’s best-stocked benches.

Suddenly, the Express are a little thin.

The most recent round of defections has the roster down to 26 players.
Right-hander Shane Dyer has left the team after signing with Tampa Bay Rays. Righties Anthony Bass and Brad McAtee will not be reporting after opting to sign with the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies, respectively. And San Diego State shortstop Brett Tanos no longer will be joining the team.

Also gone are Winona State (Minn.) infielder Ronnie Olson and left-hander Ross Hellenbrand, whose 10-day contracts expired.

Because of a new NWL rule this season, the Express cannot add to the roster until they have fewer than 26 players. Last season teams had a 26-man active roster with four inactive spots.

“I think it’s fair,” Express manager Dale Varsho said of the rule change. “It’s something you knew going into the season. I played my cards with the draft guys. I was hoping that would be more of a draft-and-follow than just sign right away. That’s just the way it bounces I guess.”

Varsho isn’t completely out of the woods either. The statuses of St. Xavier (Ill.) first baseman/reliever David Cales and Minnesota State-Mankato right-handed starter Chris Odegaard still are up in the air. Odegaard was a 23rd-round pick of the Minnesota Twins, and Cales was drafted in the 24th by the Chicago Cubs.

“We’re just in negations,” said Odegaard, who’s 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts this summer. “We’re just talking, trying to get close to what each side thinks is a reasonable price.”

Thursday’s home game against the La Crosse Loggers will be an important one for Cales and Odegaard. Varsho said the Twins and Cubs will have representatives on hand and both players will pitch.

“It’s not really too much pressure,” Cales said. “They’ve pretty much got me, so it’s up to them. It’s nice definitely to have someone come up and watch you.”

Cal Poly right-hander D.J. Mauldin also was drafted – in the 48th round by the Seattle Mariners – but Varsho anticipates Mauldin reporting to Eau Claire. Mauldin is only a sophomore, so he can return to school and hope to be picked higher next summer.

Reinforcements
The Express did get a boost from the arrival of four players since the last homestand. Baylor right-hander Wade Mackey, Elon (N.C.) left-hander J.D. Reichenbach, Illinois-Chicago right-hander Adam Worthington and San Diego State outfielder/infielder Pat Colwell are now with the team.

Cal Poly outfielder Ryan Lee also could join the team Friday.

Varsho said Worthington likely will start Friday or Saturday. As things stand now, that would give the team a six-man starting rotation of Mackey, Worthington, Odegaard, Nebraska-Omaha lefty Ryan Hines, Texas Tech lefty Robbie Kilcrease and Reichenbach.

If Mauldin joins the team, he would replace one of those six in the rotation.

“Our rotation’s OK,” Varsho said. “Once Mauldin comes, it’ll be pretty solid.”

Knutson out
Yavapai College (Ariz.) outfielder Erik Knutson will be out three to six weeks with a sprained ankle. Knuton, who is ninth in the Northwoods League with a .407 batting average, was injured Saturday night in Battle Creek.

Knutson went home to Rochester, Minn., to have his ankle checked out.

“Hopefully, it will get better but right now they say at least three to six,” Varsho said. “That’s not going to help our situation.”

Bonfe transferring
Infielder/pitcher Joe Bonfe is looking for a new school after seeing very little playing time at Creighton this season.

Bonfe said he probably will tranfer to Sierra College, a community college in Sacramento. There he will be able to see more action in the field.

- Joe Ziemer

Live updates: Eau Claire Memorial vs. Kenosha Bradford

Looks like we're going to get underway pretty soon. Things seem to be moving about an hour behind schedule, which isn't too bad considering the first game of the day lasted 2 hours, 30 minutes. The way they pack the schedule here at the WIAA baseball state tournament, anything other than a "fast" game backs up the schedule.

The grounds crew is watering the field as I type. First pitch should be about 20-25 minutes away. Check back for updates, which I'll post below.

Memorial will be the away team. Bradford super southpaw Sam Schissel will take the mound for the Red Devils, who have by far the best uniforms of anyone I've seen this year. Classic white with deep red numbers and lettering. Memorial will go with Ben Kincaid.

Top of the first: Jefferson Dahl strikes out swinging. Ben Kincaid walked. Ben Sebesta drilled what appeared to be a hanging curveball off the light post in left-center field, giving the Abes a 2-0 lead. Will Fadness walked. David Donnellan struck out looking. Joe Ackerman bounced out to second. In all, a good start for the Abes, although it had the makings of a big inning. Schissel, by all accounts, has a bit of a temper on the mound and is prone to the big inning if his emotions get the best of him. But the Minnesota-bound lefty composed himself after the walk to Fadness.

Bottom of the first: Matt Lewer singled to right. John Atkins struck out swinging. Sam Schissel singled to right, sending Lewer to third. Kincaid picked out courtesy runner Dustin Proud, who was in for Schissel. Matt Richer struck out swinging. Great job by Kincaid of working out of trouble.

At the end of one, Memorial leads, 2-0.

Top of the second: Brady Sand led off with a double down the left-field line. Tyler Sparger struck out swinging. Cory Munden struck out swinging. Sand stole third. Dahl just missed what would have been a triple down the right-field line by a few inches before grounding out to second to end the inning. Memorial hopes that not getting in Sand doesn't come back to haunt them.

Bottom of the second: Pete Djurickovic grounded out to the pitcher. Eric Corrao singled to right. Matt Chwala walked. Nick Pinnola sacrificed the runners up a base. Brenden Schulz lined out to center as Donnellan made a nice diving catch to end the inning.

At the end of two, Memorial leads, 2-0.

Top of the third: Kincaid popped out to the first baseman. Sebesta made good contact again, but got a bit underneath a fastball and flied out to center. Fadness grounded out to third.

Bottom of the third: Lewer hit one all of five feet but reached first and advanced to second on an error by the catcher Fadness. Atkins walked. Schissel reached on a fielder's choice, Atkins was forced out at second as Lewer advanced to third. Richer was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Djuickovic struck out. Corrao reached on an infield single, scoring Lewer. Sebesta stopped the ball from getting into the outfield, momentarily saving a run. But Kincaid walked Chwala and Schissel's courtesy runner scored to tie the game at 2. Pinnola struck out looking. Bradford finally took advantage of an opportunity.

At the end of three, the game is tied, 2-2.

Top of the fourth: Donnellan struck out. Ackerman was retired when his bunted ball hit him when he was out of the box. Sand lined out to left field. This game may be turning Bradford's way.

Bottom of the fourth: Schulz walked. Lewer reached on a bunt single. Atkins popped out to third trying to bunt. Schissel lined out to center. Richer walked. Djurickovic struck out.

End of four, still tied at 2.

Top of the fifth: Sparger struck out. Munden struck out. Dahl reached on an error by the second baseman and advanced to second. Kincaid lined out to right. Before Dahl reached, Schissel retired 12 straight.

Bottom of the fifth: Corrao was hit by a pitch. Chwala pulled back on a bunt attempt and lifted one to center for a base hit. Pinnola sacrificed the runners upa base. Corrao scored on a sacrifice fly by Schulz. Lewer singled to score Chwala. Atkins bounced to short, forcing out Lewer.

After five, Bradford moves in front, 4-2.

Top of the sixth: Sebesta grounded out to short. Fadness flied out to right. Donnellan grounded out to third. The Abes have three outs remaining on their season, and they are going to have to get it done with the bottom of their lineup.

Bottom of the sixth: Sand is in to pitch for Kincaid, who battled through his five innings. Schissel was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. Richer grounded out to second. Djurickovic singled to left. Corrao singled to center, Djurickovic advanced to third. Djurickovic scored on a delayed double steal. Chwala had an infield single and took second on a throwing error. Corrao scored. Chwala was picked off second base.

After six, Bradford leads, 6-2. The Abes need to score four times off a pitcher that hasn't given up a hit since the second inning.

Top of the seventh: Ackerman bounced out to second. Sand grounded out to third. Sparger singled to left. Pinch hitter Will Sanders walked. Dahl flied out to left.

Memorial, the top-ranked team in the state, ends its season at 22-1. Bradford adavnces to play Wausau West later tonight.

Check back tonight for a bit more on the quarterfinal game, and all day tomorrow for updates on Bruce's D4 semifinal against Rosholt and Barron's D2 semifinal against West De Pere.

- John Casper Jr.

Live from the baseball state tournament

You're looking live at a blog from the WIAA baseball state tournament, where (hopefully) in an hour or so, the Eau Claire Memorial Old Abes will take on Kenosha Bradford in a Division 1 quarterfinal.

La Crosse Central and Kimberly won the morning games. Central beat Beaver Dam, 14-4, while Kimberly throttled Madison Memorial, 11-1, in five innings.

Right now, Wausau West leads Wisconsin Lutheran, 4-1, in the third inning. If Memorial wins, it plays the winner of this game later tonight. If the gods that control time and weather, respectively, are kind to us, we may get out of here at a respectable time.

Check back for an in-game blog from each of our area teams participating at state (Bruce and Barron play tomorrow) and other news and notes from the state tournament.

- John Casper Jr.

Draft aftermath

Despite seeing five pitchers selected, the Eau Claire Express staff may emerge from Major League Baseball’s first-year player draft relatively in tact.

Express manager Dale Varsho said Saturday afternoon that he expects most of his drafted players to remain with the team for the time being.

“I think we’ll be OK,” Varsho said. “I like what we have right now. Hopefully, we can improve as the season goes on.”

One player who will not be in Eau Claire is right-hander Shane Dyer, who Varsho said left the team Saturday morning after signing with the Tampa Bay Rays. Varsho said Dyer, who was drafted in the sixth round, received a $135,000 signing bonus.

But Varsho is expecting to have right-hander Chris Odegaard and reliever David Cales available. Odegaard was picked by the Minnesota Twins in the 23rd round, and Cales was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 24th round.

Neither player has signed yet. Teams have until Aug. 15 to sign draft picks, meaning those organizations could wait and monitor those players’ progress this summer before inking them to deals. Short-season rookie ball leagues don’t start until mid to late June, so there’s not a huge rush.

“We still have to talk about it,” Cales said. “I don’t plan on leaving too soon.”
UC-Davis pitcher Brad McAtee, who has yet to report to the Express, also was picked in the draft, going to the Colorado Rockies in the 45th round. Varsho still expects him to report to the Express once the UC-Davis spring academic semester ends next week. McAtee also likely would be in a draft-and-follow situation.

Varsho is not expecting to see Wayne State (Mich.) right-hander Anthony Bass, who was picked in the fifth round by the San Diego Padres. Bass was waiting to report until after the draft.

- Joe Ziemer

McAtee to the Rockies

UC-Davis right-hander Brad McAtee, an Express signee, was picked in the 45th round by the Colorado Rockies. McAtee, who has yet to report to Eau Claire, was the 1,364th overall pick.

If he doesn't sign with the Rockies, McAtee won't arrive in Eau Claire until mid June, when UC-Davis finishes its school year.

- Joe Ziemer

Frew picked by Phillies

Two-year Express veteran Bryan Frew was picked in the 43rd round by the Philadelphia Phillies. Frew, who played at Nebraska-Omaha, was the 1,306th overall pick.

Frew is tied for the Express career record for most games played with 128. He also set a team record for most walks in a season, when he drew 35 in 2007.

- Joe Ziemer

Huber picked by KC

Former Express left-hander Tim Huber was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 27th round -- No. 805 -- of the MLB draft.

Huber, who played at Division II Nebraska-Omaha, is Eau Claire's career leader in ERA (2.44), wins (14), strikeouts (129), starts (22) and innings (158.2).

- Joe Ziemer

Cales taken by the Cubs

This one you could kind of see coming.

The Chicago Cubs took Express infielder/reliever David Cales in the 24th round of the MLB draft with the 731st overall pick.

The Cubs had representatives on hand Monday, when Cales threw three innings of relief. Cales struck out five in those three innings.

He's played a lot of first base for the Express but Cales' professional future lies as a reliever. Cales, who is now at St. Xavier (Ill.) after stops at Missouri and Illinois-Chicago, throws from a three-quarters right-handed delivery. He generally is in the high 80s but will touch the low 90s. He throws a fastball with a good slider and is working on a changeup.

Cales entered the season as a big part of the Express' bullpen picture, likely sharing closing duties with Kole Calhoun. It remains to be seen if he will stay with the Express or sign with the Cubs. Interestingly enough, Cales is a die-hard White Sox fan.

- Joe Ziemer

Twins pick Odegaard

After seeing Shane Dyer be drafted yesterday, the Eau Claire Express just had another starting pitcher taken on day two of the MLB draft.

Chris Odegaard, a hard-throwing right-hander from Minnesota State-Mankato, was taken by his hometown team, the Minnesota Twins, in the 23rd round. Odegaard was the 696th overall pick. He's a native of Glencoe, Minn.

Odegaard earned a no-decision Thursday night in the Express' loss to Waterloo. The 6-foot-3 righty strikes out a ton of hitters -- 17 in 11 innings this season -- but struggles with his control at times. He walked five batters in his first start and seven last night.

Stay tuned as to whether or not Odegaard remains with the Express.

- Joe Ziemer

O's take former Express pitcher

The Baltimore Orioles picked UC-Davis' Eddie Gamboa in the 21st round, the 626th overall pick.

Gamboa, a right-handed pitcher, went 4-1 with a 1.74 ERA last summer for the Express. After beginning the season in the bullpen, he stepped into the starting rotation in place of the injured Jon Ganzen and never left. Gamboa earned the victory in game three of the Northwoods League South Division playoffs, beating the Green Bay Bullfrogs on the road to get the Express into the NWL championship series.

It's hard to find a nicer guy than Eddie, who was a favorite of everyone in the Carson Park press box.

- Joe Ziemer

Priday drafted in 11th round

Former Eau Claire Express slugger Jacob Priday was taken in the 11th round -- No. 332 overall -- by the Houston Astros on day two of the Major League Baseball first-year player draft Friday.

Priday, who plays at Missouri, hit eight home runs for the Express in 2005 -- the franchise's first season. That not only is the club's single-season record, but the career record.

- Joe Ziemer

More on Dyer

A quick update on Shane Dyer's status. I caught up with the Express right-hander during a 32-minute rain delay here at Carson Park, and while he wouldn't come out and say it, he certainly sounded like a guy who's going to be starting a professional career very soon.

“I want to stay here in Eau Claire as long as I can, but I want to make this thing happen as soon as possible and get on the road, get after it and start a career," Dyer said. "If that doesn’t happen, so be it. I’ll stay here all summer and go to Nebraska next year.”

For more on Dyer, see Friday's Leader-Telegram.

- Joe Ziemer

Dyer selected by Tampa Bay

The Eau Claire Express likely just lost part of their starting rotation. Right-hander Shane Dyer, who earned the win in Wednesday's win over Waterloo, was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays with the first pick of the sixth round -- No. 173 overall.

Dyer, who pitched for South Mountain Community College (Ariz.) last season, is 1-0 with a 7.20 ERA this summer. Should he choose not to sign -- which seems unlikely -- he would play for the University of Nebraska this fall.

I'll try to catch up with Dyer after tonight's game and get his thoughts on being drafted.

Dyer joins former Express catcher Jacob Jefferies as Rays draft picks.

- Joe Ziemer

Padres take Bass

Here's guessing Wayne State (Mich.) right-hander Anthony Bass will not be showing up in Eau Claire this summer.

Bass just was selected by the San Diego Padres in the fifth round -- No. 165 overall.

Bass was waiting to join the Express until after the draft. And given what kind of signing bonus he's looking at as a fifth-round pick, odds are he'll be joining the Padres organization quite soon.

- Joe Ziemer

Jefferies picked by Tampa Bay

Former Eau Claire Express catcher Jacob Jefferies was picked with the first pick of the third round -- No. 78 overall -- by the Tampa Bay Rays in Thursday's Major League Baseball first-year player draft.
Jefferies is the second Express catcher in the Rays system, joining Nevin Ashley, who was taken in the 2006 draft.
Jefferies batted. 350 with 21 RBIs last summer. He hit .387 with four home runs and 54 RBIs for UC-Davis this season. Here's what MLB.com had to say about Jefferies:

"Not on the map to start the season, Jefferies has had a tremendous junior campaign and has been steadily moving up the ladder all year. A terrific contact hitter who almost never strikes out, he hasn't shown much power. Defensively, he's pretty good, though the arm is fringy. Whichever team sees more arm or more power in the future will likely be the one to take him."

- Joe Ziemer

More on Battle Creek and the draft

You have to give the Battle Creek Bombers credit. Whatever they did last season just didn't work. So they cleaned house and started over. In came a new manager in Matt Fonteno, who's an assistant at UNLV, along with a new coaching staff. And in came an entirely new group of players.

“Just kind of get a breath of fresh air with everything and a whole new attitude," Fonteno said of his approach to taking over the Bombers. "My coaching staff and the new players – there isn’t any returners from last year’s squad. We’re just kind of starting over and developing a whole new atmosphere.”

* On an unrelated note, we're now about an hour into the 2008 Major League Baseball first-year player draft. I'll try to keep you posted throughout the day on any Express-related picks. I would imagine the first player with Eau Claire connections to come off the board would be UC-Davis catcher Jacob Jefferies, who's expected to go in the first four or five rounds. There's been a mini run on catchers early in the first round, so Jefferies might climb up a few boards. Jake was a big, big part of the Express' run to the Northwoods League championship series last summer and is a real nice kid.

A few current Express players also should come off the board -- whether it be today or tomorrow, when the draft concludes. I'll have my draft tracker up during batting practice and tonight's game against Waterloo. So stay tuned.

- Joe Ziemer

Express offense comes to life

And to think, two days ago the Eau Claire Express were struggling to score runs.
Now it seems the Express can’t stop scoring.

Wednesday the dam burst in a big way for previously-offensively-challenged Eau Claire. The Express broke out for 12 runs on 17 hits as they won a 12-7 slugfest against the Waterloo Bucks at Carson Park.

“It was a great feeling today,” said left fielder and leadoff hitter Brooks Pinckard, who was 3-for-5 with a run scored and two RBIs. “It seemed like everybody had a hit or two. Everybody’s starting to come through with hits and I think everybody’s starting to feel really good.”

Almost everyone had a hand in Wednesday’s offensive romp. Kole Calhoun was on base five times, scored four runs, stole two bases and drove in two runs – including a scorched RBI double to the gap in left-center field. Yavapai College (Ariz.) teammate Braden Degamo homered and drove in two runs. David Cales drove in three runs. Joe Bonfe hit the ball hard. And slumping center fielder Robbie Knight had his first two hits of the season.

“We started swinging it good,” Calhoun said. “Hopefully, we can stick with that all year. We’re starting to mesh in the field. Things are looking up right now.”
The offensive tide began to turn late in Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Battle Creek and that momentum carried in Wednesday’s win, which pushed the Express (3-3) back to even on the season. Both of those performances came with the speedy Pinckard at the leadoff spot.

Tuesday Pinckard played shortstop and was on base twice. Wednesday he was in left field. On the roster, he’s listed as a pitcher.

“Brooks is a good athlete,” Express manager Dale Varsho said. “He’ll put the ball in play and try to beat things out. He’s so fast. I really am going to use him at every position possible. He’s just so valuable to have in the lineup that I can’t take him out. His speed creates so many problems.”

The Bucks (2-5) stayed within striking distance of the Express for most of the game. But Eau Claire finally seemed to shake free of the visitors in the sixth inning, when Cales smashed a single back up the middle in the sixth inning to score Calhoun and put the Express up 9-6. Two innings later Cales gave the Express firm control of the game by singling in two more runs. Ronnie Olson then added an RBI double to give the Express a 12-6 lead.

The red-hot Eau Claire bats made a winner out of starter Shane Dyer, who at times labored through five innings. Dyer, who could be taken in today’s Major League Baseball first-year player draft, allowed four runs on five hits while walking three.

“We’re really trying to be more aggressive at the plate,” Varsho said. “We just have to keep putting the ball in play. If you had told me before the year we’d have less strikeouts than the other team every game, I’d think we’d be undefeated. It hasn’t gone that way for us. We just haven’t done very well with the bats until tonight and last night. Hopefully, we can continue that.”

Notes
Mankato State right-hander Chris Odegaard will start tonight’s season finale. Odegaard (0-1) started the Express’ season opener against Wisconsin. He allowed three runs on four hits in five innings. Only one of those runs was earned though. Odegaard, who throws in the 90s, struck out 10 but walked five. Waterloo will counter with Villanova right-hander Brian Streilein. … Odegaard is another Express player likely to be taken in the MLB draft, held today and tomorrow. Other potential draft concerns for the Express include Cales, Calhoun, right-hander John Kessick and three right-handed pitchers who have yet to report – UC-Davis’ Brad McAtee, Wayne State’s Anthony Bass and Cal Poly’s D.J. Mauldin. … Wednesday’s attendance was 833 – the third consecutive game the Express have drawn fewer than 1,000 fans. … Bonfe made his first start at third base and made several nice plays. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Bonfe had been used at first base, designated hitter and pitcher in his Express career. Bonfe was 2-for-4 with an RBI in the game. Two of those outs were very hard hit. “Right now Joe Bonfe’s just on fire,” Varsho said. “He’s hitting the ball hard every at-bat. He found some holes tonight.”

- Joe Ziemer

Express break out against Bombers

That’s what the Eau Claire Express had been looking for.
Finally, some hard-hit balls.
First it was a ringing RBI double off the bat of Kyle Holloway. Then two batters later a lined, run-scoring single from Erik Knutson.
Granted, those eighth-inning runs didn’t decide the game. But they turned a slim, two-run lead into a more comfortable four-run margin as the Express beat the Battle Creek Bombers, 4-0, on Tuesday at Carson Park.
Those two RBIs also gave a big boost to an offense that’s been struggling early in the Northwoods League season.
“It felt very good,” said Holloway, who was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. “I’ve been struggling myself a little bit, so it felt good to get that hit.”
Knutson was 2-for-4 with an RBI and run for Eau Claire (2-3), which entered the game hitting just .150. Tuesday the Express had eight hits and finally squared up some pitches.
“You always worry when you’re struggling but when you’re doing good, it all flows,” Holloway said.
Prior to the eighth, the Express had used some small ball to scratch out two runs in support of starter Robbie Kilcrease, who tossed seven shutout innings.
Ronnie Olson led off the bottom of the fifth inning by spraying an opposite-field single to left. He moved to second on Joe Bonfe’s sacrifice bunt, took third on a balk by the Bombers’ Jesse Hernandez and scored on D.J. Anderson’s groundout to the right side of the infield.
Then in the seventh Knutson started things with a single that took a high hop over the head of third baseman Evan Sharpley. An errant pickoff attempt by Hernandez put Knutson at second, and Olson’s groundout to second moved him to third. Knutson then scored on a sharp single to left by Bonfe.
“I think we played really well tonight,” Express manager Dale Varsho said. “Robbie Kilcrease did awesome. He threw strikes, got ahead, his changeup was phenomenal.”
As it turned out, two runs were about all Kilcrease needed – though the offense-starved Express weren’t complaining about extra runs. Kilcrease, a left-hander from Texas Tech, didn’t allow a run on six hits. He struck out six and walked two. Used as a reliever by the Red Raiders, Kilcrease is still in the process of being stretched out as a starter. Tuesday was a pretty good first step.
“I felt good,” Kilcrease said. “I had good defense behind me. They made a lot of plays for me. I’m pretty excited.”
Willie Beard pitched the final two innings to earn his first save. Beard did not give up a run or a hit. He walked two and struck out two.
“Willie’s been really good,” Varsho said. “He’s got a really good curveball. He throws strikes. In his two appearances, he’s done a really good job for us.”

Notes
Right-hander Shane Dyer, who started Thursday’s suspended season opener, will take the mound tonight against Waterloo. … Battle Creek second baseman Colin Kaline is the grandson of Hall of Famer Al Kaline. Kaline had nine assists in Monday’s game and another seven Tuesday. … Bombers third baseman Evan Sharpley made two starts at quarterback for Notre Dame last season. … Trax the Express mascot won the mascot race Tuesday – against a child – for what is believed to be the first time in four seasons. … Tuesday’s attendance of 790 was the smallest in franchise history. … Eau Claire right fielder Kole Calhoun made a nice diving catch of a sinking fly ball in shallow right in the top of the seventh. … Holloway became the first Express player this season to record a three-hit game.

- Joe Ziemer

Express notes

We're about 10 minutes away from the first pitch of tonight's game between the Eau Claire Express and Battle Creek Bombers at Carson Park. It's an overcast evening, so let's cross our fingers that this game gets played.

Here are a few game notes:

* New Mexico right-hander Drew Kendrick is making his first start since high school. Kendrick was injured last season, but went 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA for the Express in 2006. Kendrick has pitched solely out of the bullpen in his collegiate career.

* Wayne State right-hander John Kessick joined the Express over the weekend. Manager Dale Varsho expects the Baylor duo of infielder Landis Ware and right-hander Wade Mackey to join the team Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

* Texas Tech lefty Robbie Kilcrease will start Tuesday’s season finale against Battle Creek. Kilcrease is an unknown quantity to Varsho, who will be getting his first look at the southpaw in the game. Shane Dyer likely will start Wednesday game against Waterloo. Right-hander Chris Odegaard would follow Thursday.

* Varsho hopes Mackey would be available to take the place of Joe Bonfe in the rotation. Bonfe, a righty from Creighton, started Saturday’s win over Alexandria, but primarily will be used as a reliever. Varsho also isn’t sure whether or not Nebraska-Omaha lefty Ryan Hines will remain in the rotation.

*Right-hander Adam Worthington and Illinois-Chicago were eliminated from the NCAA tournament Sunday. When Worthington arrives – Varsho is hoping to have him in three to four days – he’ll immediately slot into the six-man rotation. Cal Poly righty D.J. Mauldin also will be a starter once he arrives in mid June.

“Starters won’t be my problem,” Varsho said.

- Joe Ziemer

Live updates from state track: Day 2

Greetings everyone. We're back at UW-La Crosse for day two of the state track meet. It was a late one last night. A near two-hour delay extended everyone's night. Hopefully the weather will be better today.

Once again, I'll be posting updates as I can throughout the day. For up-to-the-minute results, go to www.wiaawi.org.

- John Casper Jr.

Quick hitters: Sorry for the lack of updates, but the finals come one right after another on Saturday and I didn't want to miss any local participants. Here's a quick run down of what has happened so far: Mary Theisen of Regis has a title in the discus to go with her title in the shot put. The Ramblers, however, lost thier spot atop the team standings to Whitehall. Chelsey Simon was a repeat winner in the 100 for the Norse, and also ran on the second-place 800 relay team. Durand's Mike Zika took second in the shot put. Memorial's Chim Okoroji ran a season-best 12.16 in the 100, but took third.

Amateur sports preview: May 31-June 1

BASEBALL
Wisconsin State League
Eau Claire Cavaliers
Record: 5-0, 0-0.
Standing: Tied for second in the WSL, one-half game back of Addison (Ill.).
On tap this week: First, a pair of doubleheaders against the defending WSL champion Lombard (Ill.) Orioles, 4 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday at Carson Park. The Cavs then have a pair of non-league games, at Hastings (Minn.) on Wednesday and home against Red Wing (Minn.) on Friday.
Notes: The biggest WSL weekend tilt for the Cavs very well could be this one — the first of the summer. The Orioles and the Cavs finished 1-2 in the WSL last season and were co-champions with Kenosha in 2006. The Orioles took three of four a year ago. It’s obviously early, but it’s not far-fetched to think the outcome of this series could go a long way in determining how the WSL ultimately shakes out.
Question: Will the Cavs have enough arms to get through the all-important four-game series?
Answer: It’ll be close. First-year manager Mark McHorney still is waiting on a number of high school arms but can’t get their services until the prep season ends. However, they still will have Garrett Nix, one the team’s most reliable last season, in addition to lefty Dan Olson, hard-throwing Cody Bunkelman, Yoshinori Machida, Dave Oestreich and Troy Peiffer. If none of the starters blow up early and wreck the light bullpen, the Cavs should be OK until the reinforcements arrive.


FOOTBALL
Northern Elite Football League
Chippewa Valley Predators
Record: 1-0, 1-0.
Standing: Tied for first in the Western Conference.
On tap this week: at the Superior Stampede, 4 p.m. Saturday.
Notes: It took some doing before the Predators got their offense rolling in a 24-0 victory to open the NEFL season against the Green Bay Gladiators. They didn’t need much offense, though, considering their defense was lock-down — much like it was last season.
Question: Will the offense get its legs under it any quicker on the road against a proven Superior team?
Answer: It will have to if the Preds want to stay undefeated. The Stampede blew out the East Metro (Minn.) Phoenix, 41-0, in Week 1. The Stampede, who beat the Preds in a rain-shortened game last season, have as good a chance as any at scoring some points against the Preds defense. If they do that, and quarterback Nick Schumacher — who misfired on his first 11 passes in Week 1 — has another slow start, it could be a frustrating night for first-year coach Martin Adams. But, again, that ball-hawking Preds defense is athletic enough to keep the team afloat in a close game.

Eau Claire Crush
Record: 2-0, 1-0.
Standing: Tied for first in the Eastern Conference.
On tap this week: A home game against the Central Wisconsin Panthers at 6 p.m. Saturday at Carson Park.
Notes: After tagging the Minnesota Valley Wolfpack in a 58-0, non-league victory to open their season, the Crush went on the road and came away with a much closer, 14-0 victory over the Northern Wisconsin Wolverines a week ago.
Question: Can the Crush put up a third straight shutout?
Answer: It’s certainly possible. That’s a pretty high expectation, though. The Crush, who have all kinds of new personnel on both offense and defense, haven’t shown any signs of slowing after getting to the Great Plains Football League championship game last season. New quarterback Ben Luehrs has been strong under center, and the backfield has been good led by John Wolfe, so the Crush usually won’t need a zero from their defense.

Questions? Comments? Drop me a line at justin.harings@ecpc.com.

-Justin Harings

More from Lisa Stone

University of Wisconsin women’s basketball coach Lisa Stone was back in Eau Claire on Thursday afternoon along with a number of other Badgers coaches as part of the university’s statewide Badger Days tour.
Stone coached at UW-Eau Claire from 1988-89 to 1999-2000, going 277-59 (.824) and taking the Blugolds to the NCAA Division III tournament in all 11 seasons. To read about her ongoing connection with the Eau Claire community, click here.
Below are her thoughts on the approaching season for her Badgers. It’ll be Stone’s sixth. Last season, the Badgers went 16-14 overall, 9-9 in the Big Ten Conference and bowed out in the second round of the Women’s National Basketball Invitational.

On what she expects from her team next season. Keep in mind she will be without Jolene Anderson, UW’s all-time leading scorer — men or women. Anderson graduated and was drafted 23rd overall by the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun.
“The biggest question mark might be, ‘What do you do without Jolene Anderson?’ Well, you know what? We have a very excited group of people coming back that are going to have to pick up some scoring for her but a great freshman class coming in. Just hired two new assistants, and we’re real excited about that. There’s great energy, passion. Our kids are really excited about next year.”

On the May 1 hiring of assistant coach Kathi Bennett, the daughter of former UW men’s basketball coach Dick Bennett. She was the head coach at UW-Oshkosh from 1989-90 to 1995-96, and she coached against Stone in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
“She knows what I need from assistants. To partner with somebody that you went head-to-head with ... When I played against Kathi and she played against me, we brought the best out of each other, and that’s what you’re seeing in the office. It’s great passion, great energy. We’ve already been to talk to Dick Bennett already himself. I’m real excited about the additions of the staff, our news kids coming in and the bright future for our program.”

-Justin Harings

Live updates from state track: Day 1

Greetings from Veterans Memorial Stadium on the campus of UW-La Crosse. Intrepid part-timer Travis Mester and I are at the WIAA state track meet, and we will be providing updates throughout the day, so come back often.

Up-to-the minute results can be found online at www.wiaawi.org.

- John Casper Jr.

Okoroji qualifies for 100 finals: It wasn't much of a surprise, but Memorial senior sprinter Chim Okoroji qualified for the Division 1 girls 100 finals by running a 12.63 in the prelims. Jasmyn Hudgins of Milwaukee Tech turned in the top qualifiying time with a 12.10. Okoroji's time was the sixth-best.

Luer takes fourth in the shot put: His best throw came in the warm-ups and he scratched in the finals, but Menomonie senior Grant Luer isn't leaving La Crosse empty-handed. He took fourth in the boys Division 1 shot put with a toss of 56-8½. Jared Hassin of Kettle Moraine won the title with 59-8¾. "I feel pretty good," Luer said. "I'm just looking forward to the discus tomorrow." Luer is the top seed in the discus.

Cumming recovers to win the 3,200: Hudson's Katie Cumming was a repeat champion in the girls Division 1 3,200, but it came at a price. Cumming was knocked to the ground, forcing a restart. She received brief medical attention, some bandages, and shook off the incident to win her second state title in the event.

Warner wins the D3 high jump: Tessa Warner of Eau Claire Regis claimed the area's first state championship by winning the girls Division 3 high jump with a leap of 5-5. She narrowly missed her two attempts at 5-6, which would have tied a personal best she said at an indoor meet in April.

Hetke takes second in the 1,600: He was a bit surprised, but Paul Hetke of Chetek is the boys D2 runner-up in the 1,600 nonetheless. Hetke ran a 4:19.11, almost 12 seconds faster than his sectional time, to win the silver medal. His time set a school record.

Other highlights so far: John Gillespie of Altoona took fourth in the boys D2 triple jump, Holly Mertens of Stanley-Boyd took third in the girls D2 high jump, Rickey Hagen of Colfax took fourth in the boys D3 discus, Nicole Flakey of Ladysmith took third in the girls D2 shot put, Jodi Bender and Chelsey Simon of Whitehall took second and fifth in the girls D3 long jump.

We're in a delay: Blame this one on Travis. Less than 10 minutes after he made a positive comment about the weather, ominous skies started to develop to the west, forcing WIAA officials to delay the meet and clear the stadium at 6:15 p.m. We're midway through the 400 relay preliminaries and will have about five track events and a handful of field events to complete once the meet resumes. Nobody is entirely sure, but some are saying it is the first delay since 2002.

Express opener suspended

For the second year in a row, the Eau Claire Express were unable to complete their scheduled home opener. Thursday’s season opener against the Wisconsin Woodchucks was suspended because of weather in the middle of the fourth inning with the Woodchucks leading 2-0.
The game will be resumed at a later date – the most likely day would seem to be June 10, when the Woodchucks return to Carson Park.
Wisconsin took advantage of some wildness by Express starter Shane Dyer and some shaky defense to score two strange runs early.
The first came with two outs in the top of the second, when Bobby Pritchett came around to score all the way from second on a wild pitch. Dyer’s offering went between the legs of catcher Kyle Holloway, who couldn’t locate the ball. That allowed Pritchett to round third and slide in safely with the game’s first run.
Another wild pitch – also between Holloway’s legs – put runners at second and third with no one out in the third. Jeff Cowan then came across to score when third baseman D.J. Anderson bobbled a chopper off the bat of Carson Vitale. Anderson appeared to have a play at home but bobbled the ball on the transfer.
The game was played in fairly steady rain. It finally was delayed at 8:55 p.m., when flashes of lightning appeared just as Express left fielder Brooks Pinckard gloved a fly ball to end the top of the fourth.
After a 38 minute delay, during which the rain increased, the game finally was officially called at 9:33 p.m.

- Joe Ziemer

It's opening day

Well it looks like the weather is going to hold off long enough for the Eau Claire Express to at least get their season opener underway. It's cloudy and drizzly but I think we're going to have baseball at Carson Park.

That being said, here's a few game notes:

*Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez threw out the first pitch prior to the game. All the Badgers coaches – in town for Badger Days at Carson Park – also were introduced to the crowd by Matt Lepay, the radio voice of the Badgers.

*The Express unveiled their new alternate jerseys. The more light-weight burnt orange tops feature black shoulders and a logo on the breast. Last season’s orange unies were heavier and had “Express” printed on the chest.

*Woodchucks manager Jim Gantner has little choice but to forgo the DH. Wisconsin has only five position players available for the game, meaning starting pitcher Zac Moore has to hit for himself, right-hander Bobby Pritchett is playing center field, righty Chad Moreland is playing left field and lefty Eric Dayton is at first. All four bench players are pitchers.

*Right-hander Chris Odegaard will start tonight’s game for the Express, while the Woodchucks will counter with righty Kyle Gumieny. Odegaard, a hard-throwing 6-foot-3 sophomore from Minnesota-Mankato, went 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in three appearances last summer for the Express.

- Joe Ziemer

Calhoun likely staying put

Kole Calhoun strolled into Carson Park on Tuesday night with a big grin on his face.
Last season’s Northwoods League co-MVP looked right at home. He was back in familiar surroundings and flanked by a quartet of friends — last summer’s running buddies, David Cales and Dominic Piazza, and Yavapai College (Ariz.) teammates Braden Degamo and Erik Knutson.
It’s safe to say the Eau Claire Express’ standout right fielder/closer is happy to be back in Eau Claire.
“I’m so happy,” Calhoun said. “Me, Dom and Dave have been driving around all day, just checking out stuff. I’ve got some friends from Yavapai up here now, so it’s fun to show them around and tell them it’s going to be a great summer.”
Early indications are Calhoun will be in Eau Claire for the duration, despite a monster sophomore season and the looming Major League Baseball first-year player draft.
While Calhoun said he’s had contact with the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, he’s not expecting his professional career to begin this summer.
Outside of Calhoun, the Express’ biggest draft concerns likely are right-handed pitchers Shane Dyer (South Mountain Community College), Brad McAtee (UC-Davis), Anthony Bass (Wayne State) and Chris Odegaard (Mankato State).
Dyer will start Thursday’s season opener and Odegaard will start Friday.
Bass won’t be reporting to the team until after the draft, held June 5 and 6.
Calhoun will head to Arizona State this fall and his intent is to play a year at the Division I level before going pro. So barring an overwhelming signing bonus, he’ll be in an Express jersey all summer.
“They all know I’m going to ASU and are just kind of laying off me I guess,” Calhoun said. “It would take a hefty amount because I want to play there. It would take a lot. I’m more looking to next year — kind of prove myself a little more and get some more education too.”
Calhoun’s stature — he’s a stocky 5-foot-10 — may scare some scouts off, but the left-handed batting and throwing fan favorite can put up statistics with the best of them.
He tore the cover off the ball — while using a wood bat — this spring at junior-college Yavapai. Calhoun hit .402 with 17 home runs, 20 doubles, four triples and 56 RBIs. He had a .527 on-base percentage and an equally jaw-dropping .820 slugging percentage. Oh, and he stole 18 bases in 21 attempts.
The Roughriders finished their season roughly two weeks ago, so he should still be relatively in rhythm.
“I’m pretty locked in right now,” Calhoun said. “I’m excited to be back — to see Dave again. Me, Dom and Dave are back together. It’s just going to be a fun year.”
Calhoun said he didn’t draw much interest from the Cape Cod League — generally regarded as the nation’s premier summer showcase — but that really wasn’t of much concern to him.
“I didn’t want to go there anyway,” Calhoun said. “You only play two or three times a week. Here you get to play every day. Plus I had a great experience last summer and wanted to do it again.”

- Joe Ziemer

Dahl verbally commits to Wisconsin

Eau Claire Memorial standout Jefferson Dahl has verbally committed to the University of Wisconsin men's hockey team following an official visit over Tuesday.

Dahl, who earlier this month was traded to the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League, will spend the next two seasons honing his skills at the USHL level before joining the Badgers for the 2010-11 season.

"They have such a nice venue there, the coaching staff was awesome and everyone wsa really friendly there," said Dahl, who grew up a Badgers fan. "It was my first choice."

Dahl enjoyed a stellar senior campaign, leading the Old Abes to their first state title and grabbing the state's Mr. Hockey Award, given each season to the state's top senior, along the way. He finished his senior season with 36 goals and 40 assists, the highest single-season total in school history.

Dahl also leaves the Old Abes program holding the school record in career goals (96), assists (112) and and points (211). Dahl is the second Eau Claire native in the past three years to commit to an NCAA Division I program, joining former Eau Claire North standout Derrick LaPoint, who just finished up his first season as a member of the North Dakota Fighting Sioux.

Be sure to check out Wednesday's Leader-Telegram for more thoughts from Dahl on the commitment.

-- Adam Parks

Sand sings with Thunder

I just got off the phone with Eau Claire Memorial goaltender Brady Sand, and he confirmed that he'll be joining the Albert Lea Thunder of the North American Hockey League this season.

After a conversation with Thunder coach Paul Willett Friday and a breakfast Sunday, Sand decided to join the newly-formed NAHL squad, which is entering its first year of existence.

Sand is one of two goaltenders who have signed tenders with the Thunder and will be heading down to Chicago to take part in the team's tryout camp June 20-22.

Sand was a perfect 20-0 for the state champion Old Abes last year, compiling a 0.93 goals against average and a .954 save percentage.

Be sure to check out tomorrow's Leader-Telegram for more on Sand's tender signing.

-- Adam Parks

More on the WIAA soccer playoffs

Three Things to Watch
* Don’t forget about the Old Abes: Eau Claire Memorial finally may have lost a Big Rivers Conference game, but that doesn't change the Abes' status as favorites in the Division 1 sectional.

Memorial isn't as dominant as last year — it would be hard to be — but the Abes still put a ton of quality on the field. Lisa Marco, Carrie Kishaba, Emily Humphreys and friends are top-notch players.

* Impact freshmen: Second-seeded River Falls and No. 4 Eau Claire North are two teams capable of challenging the Old Abes. Both have freshmen playing key roles.

Left wing Kelsey Buchholz has emerged as one of the Huskies' top performers this season. She takes all of the team's corner kicks and also provides quality service on crosses, tallying five assists to go along with her five goals. If Buchholz and the Huskies can beat Hudson in their playoffs opener, they could set up an intriguing second-round matchup with Memorial.

A very solid River Falls team has been getting a ton of production from defensive midfielder Taylor Kizlik, a good ball-winner who distributes well for the possession-oriented Wildcats.

Keep an eye on River Falls in the bottom half of the bracket.

* Division 2 Warriors: Rice Lake has shown marked improvement this season. The Warriors ended a string of last-place finishes in the Big Rivers Conference. Rice Lake finished 2-8-2 in conference play this year, earning two wins over Menomonie and drawing with River Falls and North. The Warriors have played everyone tough and now drop down to Division 2 for the playoffs. With the experience they’ve gained against D1 teams, they have a real shot at doing some damage in the D2 bracket.

"I think we’re starting to want a little more than just showing up and playing hard," Warriors coach Mike Shomion said.

"I think if anything, it sets us up better for next year, as far as the conference. We can go in saying, 'Hey, you know you can play with these guys. So let’s take the next step — not just staying close all the time but maybe pulling out a few of these games.'"

— Joe Ziemer

Kulig named Eleva-Strum boys basketball coach

When longtime Eleva-Strum boys basketball coach Rich Roginski stepped down last month, assistant coach Cory Kulig seemed the logical successor.

It's now official. Kulig is the Cardinals' new coach.

Kulig was informed of his hiring a week and a half ago and approved by the school board Monday night.

"I'm definitely excited," Kulig said. "It's going to be a lot more pressure. We've had a lot of success the past few years. It's a new challenge for me. It's something different. I'm looking forward to working with the kids I've worked with at the JV level the past few years."

For the past six seasons Kulig has served as Roginski's top assistant. In his playing days, he was a standout at Independence and later UW-Eau Claire.

The 6-foot-8 Kulig was a 1992-'93 first-team All-Northwest pick as a senior. While in college he also served as an assistant at Eau Claire Regis, coaching the freshman team. There he coached under current Memorial coach Greg Van Grunsven.

Kulig takes over an Eleva-Strum team that went 27-0 and won the WIAA Division 4 state title. Nearly the entire rotation graduated.

"We definitely have our work cut out for us," Kulig said. "We'll have a big bull's-eye on our chest. We've got some good athletes, good kids. I think we can accomplish some good things."

— Joe Ziemer

Donnellan, Frey drafted; Dahl traded in USHL draft

It was a busy day for some area hockey players in the USHL draft. Eau Claire Memorial had a pair of players have their name called during the draft today with defenseman David Donnellan going to the Sioux Falls Stampede and Jefferson Dahl being traded to the Green Bay Gamblers. River Falls standout Trent Frey was also selected, going in the 18th round to Sioux Falls.

Donnellan was selected with the 8th overall selection by the Stampede after having an impressive showing during his senior year with the Old Abes.

“He is a steady, stay at home defenseman,” head coach Kevin Hartzell said in a release on the 6-foot-0 185-pound defenseman. “His game is much similar to Chris Berenguer and will compliment the skilled defensemen we have returning.”

After being drafted by the Des Moisnes Buccaneers last season, Dahl was traded to the Gamblers during the first selction of today's draft. Green Bay traded the rights to Aaron Crandall, Jacob Youso and Joe Gleason to Des Moines in exchange for the rights to Dahl as well as their first round (#2 overall)and third round #23 overall)picks in the 2008 draft.

Frey was selected in the final round by the Stampeded after finishing his senior year with 32 goals and 54 points.

-- Adam Parks

Alberson signs with D1 school

Flambeau senior Beth Alberson signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at Centenary College, a Division I school located in Sherevport, La. Alberson was being courted by several WIAC schools and had a late offer to walk-on at Wisconsin, but chose to play for the Ladies (yes, the women's athletic teams are called the Ladies while the men's athletic teams are called the Gents).

Centenary was 4-25 last season and competes in the Summit League with schools like Oakland (Mich.), Oral Roberts, Missouri-Kansas City, etc.

Alberson was a two-time first-team All-Northwest selection and helped lead the Falcons to three WIAA Division 4 state championships. She received honorable mention all-state the past two seasons.

Alberson is the second girls basketball standout to sign with a Division I school. Eau Claire North's Hannah Quilling will play at UW-Green Bay.

Express update

Here's an update on how a few Eau Claire Express products are faring in college:

Jacob Priday, a senior at Missouri, hit four home runs in a game against Texas last Friday. Priday was 5-for-5 in the game, a 31-12 Tigers win. The four homers are a Big 12 Conference single-game record.

Pat Colwell, who won a Northwoods League Silver Glove award in the outfield last summer, became the first player in San Diego State history to hit for the cycle. Colwell, a sophomore, singled in the third inning, homered in the fourth, doubled in the sixth and tripled in the eighth. Colwell's homer was of the inside-the-park variety.

Kole Calhoun, last summer's league co-MVP, is hitting the snot out of the ball at Yavapai College (Ariz.). Currently, Calhoun is batting .392 with a .525 on-base percentage and an .810 slugging percentage. In 48 games, he leads the Roughriders in hits (62), runs (47), walks (40), home runs (13) and RBIs (47). He's second on the team in doubles (19), triples (four) and stolen bases (15). Not bad. Not bad at all.

Also, at some point I'll be starting up an Express-only blog. So keep an eye out for that.

- Joe Ziemer

End of an era

Eleva-Strum boys basketball coach Rich Roginski’s retirement is a bittersweet thing for me and everyone else in the local media.

On one hand, it’s great that a coach of his quality is able to go out on top with an undefeated season and a state championship. It’s also great that he can take a step back, relax and spend time on his hobbies because for 23 seasons Roginski poured his heart and soul into that basketball program.

But it’s also a bit sad because I’ve gotten to know Roginski over the past few seasons. I’ll definitely miss seeing him around and talking hoops with him. He’s a bit of a character and was very, very good for area basketball. WQOW’s Bob Bradovich and I were talking about Roginski’s retirement after work last night at a local establishment and we both said the same thing: “It’s kind of a bummer.”

When it comes to coaching, I’ll put Roginski against anyone. He certainly had a talent-laden team at Eleva-Strum but talent alone doesn’t win state titles. The Cardinals won not only because they were talented but because they outworked and outhustled almost everyone they played. The way they carried themselves on the court and the way they played were reflections of Roginski.

There’s a bit of a changing of the guard in the area coaching ranks. Jim Kasmarek left Eau Claire Memorial after last season, and Pat Hammond is nearing the end at North. While it’s exciting to see the next wave of coaches cut their teeth, it’s also sad to see guys who have given so much to area basketball step away.

As for the Cardinals, they should be in good hands. Assistant Cory Kulig would be a great choice to succeed Roginski, who’s laid a strong foundation for years to come.

- Joe Ziemer

More on Ryan Braun

Just wanted to share a few extra thoughts about and quotes from Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun. He's certainly a confident dude. Cocky? I'm not sure about that. But he's very sure of himself.

It's not necessarily a bad thing. He doesn't come off as a bad guy, he's quite approachable and easy to deal with from a media standpoint.

I have to say his selection of "Superstar" by Lupe Fiasco -- one of my favorite artists -- as a walk-up tune is pretty fitting (You can check out the video here:). There's also a good remix featuring Young Jeezy and T.I. floating around Youtube if you're into that genre of music.

Anyway, here are a few quotes from Braun that didn't make the article in today's Leader-Telegram:

On his goals for the season:
“Just stay healthy and try to help the team win in as many ways as possible. That’s it.”

On the Brewers' talent:
“From a pure talent perspective, I think I’d put us up there against any team in baseball. For me, it’s exciting to be a part of it. It’s fun to come to the field and watch everybody play every day. I’m really enjoying it.”

On his reaction to switching to left field:
“I was excited about it. Whenever you have an opportunity to acquire someone like Mike Cameron, it’s exciting. It makes us a better team, and I was all for it.”

On the transition itself:
“Eddie Cedar, our baserunning, outfield coach, he’s been great. He’s been awesome to work with. I’m trying to get my fundamentals down — footwork and reading balls of the bat. Stuff like that.”

On what his key to hitting is:
“Just seeing the ball well. I think my approach is good, I’ll hit the ball and drive the ball the other way.”

On the importance of hitting to the opposite field:
“It’s just a sign of staying on the ball. For me, the longer I’m able to stay on the ball, the better off I normally am and the more successful I am.”

- Joe Ziemer

About the All-Northwest girls team

This was the first time I had to pick an All-Northwest girls basketball team, and I can't imagine a more difficult year to pick the squad.

After a solid three weeks of comparing players, going over stats and talking to area coaches, I finalized the team Saturday afternoon. In my mind, there were easily 10-15 players that could have made the first team and another 30-40 that could have made teams three through five.

Needless to say, it wasn't easy.

I especially agonized over the player of the year choice. The handful of times I had a chance to see Rice Lake's Casey Weber, I was blown away. As the article stated, nobody was better when the game was in the balance. But as the year went on, I took a closer look at North's Hannah Quilling. I also considered Flambeau's Beth Alberson. Anyone that leads a team to three straight state championships has to be considered.

Combined with what I saw during the regular season, their stats and what I heard from a variety of coaches, it became apparent the right choice was Weber.

Quilling was a very close second. In fact, if I had to build a team, I'd start with Quilling. She is a real coach on the floor, and I can see why UW-Green Bay offered her a scholarship.

I was also impressed with Quilling's character. After North lost to Marshfield in a sectional final, WQOW's Bill Port, WEAU's Matt Queen and I waited outside the North locker room, hoping for a quote or two from a player. Most were a little too upset to talk, and we understood that. But Quilling knew it was her job — so to speak — as the team leader to talk with the media. Her answers were well-thought out and sincere. It probably seemed like a small thing to her, but she handled that interview with more class than several professional athletes I've dealt with in the past few years. I really appreciated it, as did Bill and Matt.

The rest of the first team is also worthy. There was quite a bit of support for Flambeau's Beth Alberson to win player of the year, especially from the Lakeland Conferences. Altoona's Tiffany Gregorich was one of the best emotional leaders you'll ever find. And I really liked the unselfish of Memorial senior Katie Pospishil. If she wanted, she probably could have scored 30 points a night. But in order for the Abes to be successful, she needed to kick the ball back outside to their shooters.

I felt it was a solid first team. And, for my own sanity, I hope next year's is a bit easier to pick.

Billy Hall finding a groove?

Yeah, it's early. But Brewers fans have to like what they're seeing from Bill Hall.

The infielder-turned-outfielder-turned-infielder-again has two home runs today. He's only done that two other times — June 21, 2005 at Chicago and July 24, 2006 against Pittsburgh. The six RBIs is a career high.

A hot start may be just what Hall needs after coming off a subpar season. He hit .254with 14 home runs and 63 RBIs, all of which were down quite a bit from the year before. Hall, who played exclusively in center field last season, signed a four-year, $24-million deal after the 2006 season and struggled to reproduce the same numbers he had to warrant the deal.

Perhaps the move back to the infield has helped Hall focus at the plate a bit more, or maybe the emergence of Ryan Braun as the club's No. 2 power threat has taken some of that pressure off, but Hall seems to have a better approach at the plate this season.

- John Casper Jr.

Sanchez looking good ...

Brewers starter Carlos Villanueva has tied a career high with six strikeouts but he's not the only pitcher throwing well at the moment. After a shaky first inning, Giants lefty Jonathan Sanchez has settled down and held the Brewers offense in check. He has a career-best eight strikeouts.

And after I wrote all of that, Gabe Kapler just singled in the fourth Milwaukee run of the game. The Brewers officially are threatening ... I'll just stick to my usual assortment of nerdy jokes. Another RBI single, this time by Prince Fielder, just chased Sanchez. Still, he looked decent in stretches.

On an unrelated note, I think I went 0-for-9 in my walk-up music predictions. Villanueva's song does seem to have the exact same beat as "Gasolina," though. So that's at least in the ballpark.

- Joe Ziemer

Hanel switches numbers

There is one sad young man in the Eau Claire area today.

Marcus Hanel, who has been the Brewers bullpen catcher since 1999, no longer wears No. 54. He had to give it up when the club acquired reliever David Riske. Hanel now wears No. 55.

Why does this matter to you?

It probably doesn't. But when I was out enjoying a local establishment with some friends on Monday night, there was someone wearing a customized Marcus Hanel jersey that was autographed. I've seen some crazy jerseys in my day, but that was the first bullpen catcher jersey I've seen on anyone other than, well, a bullpen catcher.

So to Marcus Hanel's biggest fan in Eau Claire, looks like you need some new threads.

- John Casper Jr.

Melvin remains modest

Although he is considered the chief architecht of the Milwaukee Brewers' turnaround, general manager Doug Melvin isn't about to pat himself on the back just yet.

"I have a bad rotator cuff and arthritis," Melvin said. "I can’t get my coat on. Patting yourself on the back would be a tough thing to do."

Nobody would blame him if he did. The current 25-man roster has to be considered the Brewers' best since the early 1980s. Budding superstars Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder are coming off breakthrough seasons in which they combined for an NL-best 85 home runs. The pitching rotation is a solid mix of veterans and promising youngsters. And the bullpen, a major weakness last season, appears to be improved after an offseason facelift.

But Melvin wouldn't take too much credit for that.

"I’m just as happy for all the Brewer employees that have been here through all the down times that now get to come to work knowing there’s a chance to go to the postseason," he said. "I get to push the final button, but there’s a lot of people here sharing their input. I’m happy for them that they can feel good about what is going out there for the next 159 games."

- John Casper Jr.

Weeks sets franchise record

When he scored on Prince Fielder's single in the first inning today, Rickie Weeks carved out his own little place in Milwaukee Brewers lore.

It was the 17th straight game in which Weeks scored a run, breaking the record previously held by Paul Molitor. It also tied the NL modern-day record held by Ted Kluzewski and Rogers Hornsby.

The MLB record of 18 straight games is shared by Red Rolf and Kenny Lofton.

- John Casper Jr.

Lineups are in

I've finished my chicken sandwhich and am back on press row here at Miller Park. While Casper lays waste to the dessert bar, here is the Brewers starting lineup, complete with my predictions for what each player's walk-up music will be:

1. Rickie Weeks 2B: I'm going to say "Good Life" by Kanye West.

2. Gabe Kapler CF: Kapler's pretty buff and seems kind of intense. How about "Whiskey in the Jar" by Metallica.

3. Prince Fielder 1B: "Sweetest Girl" by Wyclef. I think there's an outside chance of Prince bumping "Umbrella."

4. Ryan Braun LF: Something by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

5. Bill Hall 3B: That Usher Song with Young Jeezy.

6. Corey Hart RF: It's probably going to be some newer heavy metal or rock song that I a. don't know and b. don't like. I'll guess something by Nickelback.

7. J.J. Hardy SS: "Low" by Flo Rida. Someone's got to have it.

8. Carlos Villanueva P: "Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee.

9. Jason Kendall C: Stone Cold Steve Austin's old WWF entrance music.

There you have it. If I get even one of those correct, I think that's pretty good. Check back throughout the game for wit, wisdom, insight and bad jokes from John and I.

- Joe Ziemer

Gwynn out for today's game

Don’t expect to see Tony Gywnn Jr. make an appearance in today’s game.

The young center fielder injured his hamstring during Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs and is most likely out of commission today.

“I’m just trying to stay positive,” said Gwynn, who sounds almost exactly like his Hall of Famer father. “Hopefully I won’t be (out for) too long.”

Gwynn had a rather productive series in Chicago, going 4-for-7. He had the game-winning RBI in the season opener and was the only Brewers player to have a hit in all three games.

Brewers manager Ned Yost said before today’s game he wasn’t sure how long Gwynn would be out or if he’d need to go on the disabled list. Gwynn was holding out hope he’d be able to play Saturday, but if the hamstring doesn’t get much better overnight, he probably won’t risk it.

For more on Gwynn, check tomorrow’s Leader-Telegram.

- John Casper Jr.

Live from Miller Park

Greetings from a rather empty Miller Park, where in a few hours the Milwaukee Brewers will play their first home game of the 2008 season against the San Francisco Giants.

After a night in a rather posh suburban Milwaukee hotel that featured an HDTV, some of the softest pillows your cheek will ever touch and $3.50 bottles of water, we (meaning Joe Ziemer and I) are ready to provide you with reports throughout the day from the Brewers' home opener.

Be sure to check back after noon or so. For actual game updates, check www.mlb.com. Joe and I will provide you more of a behind-the-scenes look at today's game.

Enjoy.

- John Casper Jr.

Picking the All-Northwest team

Another Leader-Telegram All-Northwest boys basketball team is in the books. I have to say, picking this year’s teams wasn’t easy. But after a lot of discussion and pondering, I like what we ended up with. If I was a coach, I certainly would like my odds with our first team on the floor.

For those interested, the process of picking the teams is basically this: After the season we send out nomination forms to area coaches. After reviewing those Ron Buckli and I sit down and make a preliminary list. We’ll slot players into teams, sleep on it, discuss them some more, talk to a few more coaches and then finalize our teams.

(What’s a sign that your job’s getting the better of you? Try waking up at 3 a.m. thinking about high school basketball and then going to the computer to review all-conference teams on the internet.)

Statistics certainly play a part in All-NW selection, but stats alone don’t decide the teams. If they did, there wouldn’t be much suspense. You could just pull out the area scoring leaders and count them off by five.

The biggest factors for us are what we’ve seen and what opposing coaches have to say. When a coach says Player X is the best defender or toughest matchup in the conference, that definitely counts for something.

A perfect example is Eau Claire Regis’ Jack Eaton. He’s not the leading scorer on his team, but he earned second-team honors because of his consistency and how many big shots he hit. The kid’s cold-blooded. Almost every coach I’ve talked to raves about his shot. And almost every time Buck or I saw him play, he hit a big shot.

The choice for player of the year was a pretty easy one after the performance Eleva-Strum’s Lance Rongstad put on at the state tournament. His combination of skill, poise and athleticism is one we might not see in this area for a few years. I agree with his coach, Rich Roginski. Rongstad could play DI ball.

Those are just a few of my thoughts on the teams. Feel free to share yours by leaving a comment. That’s the great part about sports, being able to debate. Thanks for stopping by.

- Joe Ziemer

Flambeau wins third straight title

Look out Milwaukee Washington and Cuba City. You’ve got company.

Tiny Flambeau High School cemented its place in WIAA girls basketball lore Saturday, beating Neenah St. Mary Central, 61-36, in the Division 4 state championship game at the Alliant Energy Center. It became the third team — and the first in Division 4 — to win three straight titles.

Milwaukee Washington won three straight Division 1 titles from 1994-’96, while Cuba City won three straight from 2005-’07.

Although the WIAA didn’t sponsor a girls basketball state tournament until 1976, winning three straight championships is nothing to sneeze at. Other than Flambeau, Washington and Cuba City, only nine schools have won two straight titles. In boys basketball, which started a state tournament in 1916, only 30 teams have won consecutive titles and five have won three straight.

Randolph is the only school in boys or girls basketball to win four straight titles.
Flambeau is also just the sixth girls team to have won four state titles. It’s other championship game in 2000.

- John Casper Jr.

Flambeau up at the half

Flambeau coach Ted Alberson said Friday that his team won because of desire.

That’s pretty much the same for today. Flambeau certainly isn’t lighting it up from the field, but offensive rebounding and a few defense-into-offense baskets have the Falcons ahead, 25-17 at the half.

Flambeau’s Susan Bischoff leads the Falcons with eight points. Lindsey Brost, who had a big game Friday, has seven points and four rebounds. Freshman Shelby Sterba continued her coming out party with six points.

Reegan Cheslock has 10 points to lead St. Mary Central. No other player has more than two.

Flambeau is shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and has 10 offensive rebounds and nine second-chance points. It also has scored 20 of its 25 points in the paint. St. Mary is shooting 26.1 percent from the floor.

The first quarter was a bit rocky by Flambeau standards.

The Falcons turned over the ball eight times and made just one of six free throws. St. Mary didn’t seemed phased at all by Flambeau’s press and even started to establish its own. The Zephyrs led, 11-9, at the end of the first quarter.

Flambeau opened the second quarter by going on a 8-0 run and has kept its lead above five points ever since.

- John Casper Jr.

Altoona trails, 30-16, at halftime

Whether it is state tournament jitters, an off shooting night or problems with Monroe’s zone defense, things aren’t going too well for Altoona in its Division 2 state semifinal against Monroe at the Alliant Energy Center.

The Railroaders are shooting 31.8 percent from the floor while Monroe is connecting at a 52.6-percent clip. The result is a 30-16 lead for the Cheesemakers, who won the state title in 2006 but have an almost entirely new roster from that championship team.

Brittany Gregorich leads Altoona with eight points while Tiffany Gregorich has five.

Altoona missed its first nine shots and fell behind 12-1 before Tiffany Gregorich’s 3-pointer with 49 seconds left in the first quarter. She added a driving layup just before the buzzer to make the score 12-6 at the end of the first quarter.

The Rails cut it to two points on two occasions, but were stuck on 14 points for almost 3 minutes. Meanwhile, Monroe took advantage of a depleted Altoona frontline. Six-foot sophomores Ashley Hermanson and Jamie Armstrong scored 13 of Monroe’s 18 points in the second quarter.

Foul trouble became an issue in the second quarter. Four players — Brittany Gregorich, Aimee Reyzer, Rachel Larson and Monica Rasmussen — had two fouls midway through the second. That’s partly why Hermanson and Armstrong have taken over.

They have a combined 18 points and 10 rebounds at the half.

On another note, I don’t see the Monroe mouse. I’m devastated.

- John Casper Jr.