Pacelli’s Helms, SPASH baseball lead area All-Conference teams
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.
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.