Pacelli Catholic High School senior shortstop/pitcher Nate Helms was named the 2019 Central Wisconsin Conference South Baseball Player of the Year. (John Kemmeter photo)

Portage County Gazette

By John Kemmeter

Pacelli Catholic High School senior shortstop/pitcher Nate Helms was named the Central Wisconsin Conference (CWC) South Player of the Year, while the Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) baseball team received eight All-Wisconsin Valley Conference (WVC) selections, to highlight the 2019 All-Conference teams for baseball.

SPASH had four First Team All-WVC selections in senior center fielder Brady Franz (Unanimous), sophomore pitcher Logan Schulfer (Unanimous), senior first baseman Jack Kelly, and junior third baseman Austin Beyer.

Franz led the WVC with a .643 on-base percentage and was third in the conference with a .435 batting average, as he drew 13 walks and only struck out once, while Schulfer won the WVC ERA Title after he went 3-0 with a 0.54 ERA and one save, as he struck out 32 in 26 innings. Kelly hit .306 in conference play, while Beyer led the WVC with 14 RBI and was seventh with a .378 batting average.

SPASH senior shortstop Brett Ehr, senior second baseman Justin Morton and senior pitcher Reese Gaber were each named Second Team All-WVC, while senior left fielder Tristan Aldrich was Honorable Mention All-WVC for the Panthers, who went 11-1 to win the WVC Title this season.

SPASH senior center fielder Brady Franz was a First Team All-Wisconsin Valley Conference selection this year for the second consecutive season. (John Kemmeter photo)

Helms was named the CWC South Player of the Year and was a Unanimous First Team All-CWC South selection for Pacelli, which also had two more First Team All-CWC South selections in senior shortstop/center fielder/pitcher Zach Zimmerman (Unanimous) and senior catcher Seth Shulfer.

Sophomore second baseman/pitcher Kaydin Mayek was Second Team All-CWC South for the Cardinals, while freshman outfielder Brycen Cashin, freshman utility/pitcher Drew Kedrowicz, and junior outfielder Tim Tippel were Honorable Mention All-CWC South for Pacelli, which finished second in the conference this season with a 9-3 record.

CWC South Champion Rosholt had a pair of Unanimous First Team All-Conference selections in freshman pitcher/infielder Blade Niewiadomski and sophomore pitcher/catcher/infielder Isaac Cychosz, while head coach Jack Brooks was named the CWC South Coach of the Year.

Niewiadomski went 2-3 with 1.81 ERA overall this season on the mound, with 24 walks and 49 strikeouts in 31 innings, and had a .373 batting average with 16 runs scored and seven doubles at the plate. Cychosz went 5-0 with a 1.01 ERA overall on the mound this season, with only five walks and 53 strikeouts in 34 and 2/3 innings, and hit .343 with 16 RBI.

Senior pitcher/catcher/infielder Tony Kropidlowski, senior pitcher/infielder Hunter Garski, senior outfielder Isaac Groshek and sophomore pitcher/first baseman Nate Lemanczyk were each named Second Team All-CWC South for Rosholt, which won the CWC South Title with a 10-2 record this season.

Almond-Bancroft sophomore pitcher/shortstop Thomas Hunt was also a Unanimous First Team All-CWC South selection, while senior pitcher/shortstop Cade Lamb, sophomore first baseman Danny Baumgartner and senior catcher Zach Bunders were Second Team All-CWC South for the Eagles.

Junior third baseman Gage Meddaugh and sophomore second baseman Connor Newby were both Honorable Mention All-CWC South, after Almond finished fourth in the conference with a 7-5 record.

The Amherst High School baseball team had five selections on the CWC East All-Conference team, after the Falcons went 8-4 in the conference to tie for second place with Bonduel (8-4), behind Iola-Scandinavia (12-0).

Amherst senior center fielder Josh Rieck hit .460 overall this season with 11 doubles and 24 RBI and was a Unanimous First Team All-CWC East pick, while junior pitcher Cyle Zblewski was a First Team All-CWC East selection after he went 4-0 with a 0.95 ERA overall this season, with nine walks and 41 strikeouts in 36 and 2/3 innings.

Senior third baseman Isaac Premus was a Second Team All-CWC East choice, while junior pitcher Sterling Lutz and sophomore outfielder Jake Hoffman were both Honorable Mention All-CWC East for Amherst.