Prep Baseball Teams Prepare for 2024 Season
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Weather permitting, Door County’s four Packerland Conference baseball teams are scheduled to take to the field next week for another season.
The following season previews are in the order the teams finished last year in the conference.
Eagles to Battle for Conference Title
After finishing second in the Packerland last season and losing only in league play to the undefeated champion, Kewaunee, Southern Door will take aim at the top spot in 2024.
“I see no less than six teams as bona fide challengers for the conference title,” said Eagles head coach John Berns. “Of that group, I view Oconto and Algoma as the most dangerous because of returning pitching, and numerous athletes who have experienced much success in baseball and various other sports.”
Berns returns for his second season as Southern Door’s head coach, and his 20th season overall as a high school head baseball coach. His first year, the Eagles (19-4 overall, 14-2 in league play) advanced to the WIAA Division 3 regional title game.
The 2023 Eagles had four first-team all-conference players – pitcher Tyler Neinas, infielder Jack Peterson, outfielder Jaden Diller and utility player Christian Counard. Neinas is back for his junior season. Peterson, Diller and Counard graduated.
Berns’ list of top returning players includes Neinas as well as seniors Will Jandrin, who also saw time on the mound last season, and Matthew Malvitz, with Malvitz likely to be unavailable until May after recent knee surgery.
“Our strengths include two proven varsity starting pitchers, and a solid starting catcher to handle those pitchers,” Berns said. “We will have limited varsity experience with seven new starters in our lineup.”
Berns said the team’s biggest concerns include “developing a group that can consistently hit varsity pitching, and getting players in the proper positions where they can experience some success.”
The Eagles are scheduled to open the season with non-conference road games April 2 against Stevens Point Pacelli and April 4 at Luxemburg-Casco before hosting a conference doubleheader April 6 against Algoma.
Vikings to Fill Multiple Positions
With nine players not returning from last year’s team that placed fourth in the Packerland at 10-6 and went 14-13 overall after ending the season in the WIAA Division 4 regional title game, Gibraltar/Washington Island will have a lot of positions to fill.
Four of the players not back for another season received all-conference honors a year ago. They include: Rylan Caldecott, a first-team outfielder; Noah Greene, a second-team pitcher; Aidan Purinton, a second-team infielder; and Will Friedenfels, an honorable-mention outfielder.
The others not returning include Carl Burgess, Hayden Reetz, Jack Duffy, Nathan Merkel and Quinn Reinhardt.
Jay Kita returns for his 23rd year as the Vikings’ head coach with his list of top returning players including junior catcher Brady Kita, a Packerland first-team selection; junior pitcher Bennett Isaacson, who made the second team, sophomore Aaron Brey, an honorable-mention utility player who also pitched; and senior outfielder Marshall Maltby.
Jay Kita said this year’s team is young with lots of positions to fill, but will be strong in pitching and catching.
Though offense is a concern this season, he said he is looking forward to seeing “our pitcher/catcher combos and seeing our team progress throughout the year with only two seniors on the team.”
Gibraltar/Washington Island is scheduled to open the season April 5-6 at the Adams-Friendship tournament before hosting the first conference doubleheader April 9 against Sevastopol.
Clippers Seek Improvement
Following a sixth-place finish last season in the Packerland at 5-11 and an overall record of 7-16, Sturgeon Bay’s baseball team is looking to improve.
“The goal is to improve each day and be playing our best baseball by the end of the year,” said Clippers head coach Neal Henrigillis. “The goal is to put ourselves into the process of improvement, and hopefully compete for a conference title.”
Henrigillis returns for his second year as Sturgeon Bay’s head coach and his eighth overall as a high school head baseball coach, having previously coached at Peshtigo for six years.
His list of top returning players includes:
• Junior Bryce Plzak, who made the all-conference first team as an infielder and also pitches.
• Senior Brody Kollath, who received honorable mention in the Packerland as a pitcher and also plays first base and is a backup catcher.
• Senior Danny Lodl, who received honorable mention as an infielder and plays shortstop and pitches.
• Junior Caleb Plzak, the team’s starting catcher who also pitches.
“Most of them played summer baseball together last year, which will hopefully pay dividends this spring,” he said of the team.
Henrigillis said the Clippers will need to get over the “mental hurdle of beating certain teams.”
“The Sturgeon Bay baseball team will have to exercise the demons of beating tough competition in the Packerland Conference that has been in its way the past couple years,” he said.
With the Packerland again playing doubleheaders as part of its 16-game conference schedule, Henrigillis said that will pose challenges for the players, with half going to the junior varsity games and half staying with the varsity.
“We are very senior-heavy, and the boys enjoy spending time together,” he said. “I truly believe the chemistry is going to pay off on the field.”
Sturgeon Bay is scheduled to open the season April 2 with a non-conference road game against Green Bay Preble before hosting its first Packerland doubleheader April 6 against Oconto.
Pioneers Seek Winning Ways
Sevastopol finished at the bottom of the Packerland last season at 0-16 and went 2-20 overall. Logan Retzlaf, Mason Bosman, Henry Bley and Nick Peterson graduated from last year’s team.
First-year Pioneers head coach Cody Leist’s list of top returning players includes Frankie de Young, Drake Olson, Oliver Mathews, Chase Haberli and Logan Schuh.
Leist said this year’s team has strong defense and good leaders, but lacks experience and numbers, with only three seniors and two juniors on a team of 15.
“Our young guys need to step up,” he said.
Leist said he is most concerned this season about having enough pitching for the Pioneers’ current junior varsity and varsity schedule.
He said he is looking forward to “finding the guys who want to win and put in the work.”
The Pioneers are scheduled to open the season at home April 4 with a non-conference game against Manitowoc Lutheran, prior to their first Packerland doubleheader April 9 at Gibraltar.
