Rome Raiders Baseball

Since the 2K9 season is over (with the exception of Waterford), it's time to take a look at what will be in store for the Rome Raiders, as well as the entire Southwest Division, in 2010. Stay tuned.

Now that the season is in full swing, it's time to take a look at each team's makeup this year, including some faces missing and also new mugs to remember, as well as other team news. There is a lot more known about certain teams than others, but take a look nonetheless.

Burlington Barons - The Barons were off to the exact opposite start last year, as they were toward the top of the standings for the first motnh or so last year. This year they are at the bottom. They have the basic same crop as last year with a new face in Aaron DeGrave. This is one of the quieter teams around.

Delavan Blackhawks - The Blackhawks are full of veterans on their squad. Keiya Square won't play all summer because of a torn Achilles. Aaron Adsit has played for most of the first part of the Delavan schedule, but will be done for the rest of the summer as he'll be coaching an Independant team in Iowa. Meanwhile, Al Niewenhuis returned to action for the first time in over a year just this past weekend for the Hawks. A promising player in Robert Guzman is no longer apart of the team, either.

Dousman Frogs - The Froggies had a big loss in the offseason when Buck Konkol left to play in the East. That hasn't stopped them so far, going an impressive 4-1 on the year to date. They picked up a second arm behind Dave Roberts, as Tim Gotzler is the #2 man. The Frogs have also picked up a bunch of youngens from around their area, but it looks as though they'll rely heavily on their veterans.

East Troy Express - There was a ton of off-season drama going around East Troy with the potential release of Todd Nabor. That never came to fruition, and in the end, not a whole lot has changed in East Troy.  Kurt Wenzel is now your coach, Nabor is the ace, and they will rely on the vets to get things done. Tim Schafer is back as well for another good arm behind Nabor. Travis Kraus made his LOL comeback and manned first base for East Troy, but looks to give way to some of the younger kids. Jeff Tess is also now a full time second baseman, saving his arm fro even more wear and tear, while his little brother Jory will man shortstop.

Genesee Rebels - Everyone now knows about the Genesee Rebels, who are off to a great start to the year. But what some might not know is that they've done it without arguably their best player. Jason Infusino left the team a couple of weeks ago because he moved up north. Also, All-Star catcher Andy Sturtevant hasn't had a hit this year in 15 at-bats, yet they are rolling right along. Matt Demarais took a sabbatical from Genesee and played in Rome last year and then returned to the Rebels in 2009. With the not-so-surprising departure of Brad Saugestad, it paved the way for Demarais to be the ace of the staff, and it has worked out to date.

Genoa City Red Dogs - The Red Dogs have a ton of players on their squad. With a ton of players come a ton of arms, too. They picked up a southpaw this offseason - a one Tom Clarke. He's a legit pitcher, as are others on their staff. Just look at the 15 runs given up in their first eight games. Other than Clarke, there are some of the same faces as last year on the team.

Mukwonago Lakers - The Lakers get younger and younger by the year. They had two huge losses this offseason when Ryan Toshner and John Rebholz went down with injuries before the season even started. These two veterans were important to the Lakers. Jon Schulz is also no longer a part of the team. J.J. Rickert did make an appearance earlier in the year, but his status is week-to-week for the squad. Mitch Shorougan has taken over the catching duties. He's nowhere near the talent of a Toshner, but he's a young talent. They also picked up a solid defensive centerfielder, Jon Roepke. Mukwonago still plays in the bandbox of a high school, so without the pick up of another arm, it might be a long season for them.

North Prairie Dawgs - A lot has gone downhill for NP. First and foremost, Jon Stillman is officially done for the summer - and more than likely - for good in the Land O'Lakes. Stilly has been a staple in the league for a long time. Dan Stefansky and Matt Herbert have called it quits as well, leaving a couple of ginormous holes in their lineup. To boot, Andy Hemmer is only a part time player now and Scott Matyas, who left midseason a year ago, won't be back in a DAwgs uniform anytime soon, seeing as how he led the Big 10 in saves this past year. Their lineup is nowhere near the same as it used to be. They did pick up a stud catcher from UW-Whitewater though, so he'll fit in nicely (don't know his name). Brian Dominick is back for his second year with the team. He'll be used plenty more this year than last. But, it looks like he may not be enough for them to come back to the form they've had for the past decade or two.

Rome Raiders - The Raiders have been somewhat quiet overall with their moves. All-Star Andy Hotter hasn't played at all in 2009. Also, Jerod Haxton is a part-time player. Other than that, they haven't had a ton of losses. They've had a few key additions including Scott Dybevik and Eric Cutshall, which has solidified their outfield and added some pitching depth. Mike Splittgerber and Craig Nagy have also donned a Rome uniform and have eaten up some innings on the hill this year.

Sullivan Roosters - The Roosters learned of Dave Gerdman's retirement just a few weeks before the season started, giving full reign of the squad to Shaun Behrend.  The move hasn't halped The Bird at the dish yet this year, but he's picked up a few solid players. Andy Kraus has made his LOL return, as so many of you know. The Roosters also picked up Kris Sagert to help spark the offense. Brett Schnuelle is now done is Sullivan and has been replaced behind the dish by Tim Morgan. The Roosters got their ace in Chris Perleberg back for this year as well, which will keep them in most ball games.

Waterford Rivermen - Waterford was dealt a blow when The Beef was hit by a pitch in the hand during the first game of the year. He hasn't played since. They still have most of their guys from last year and, of course, not many new faces because they haven't had any picks. It looks as though their lack of depth has hurt them the last few weeks, as evident of their 3-3 start.

Burlington Barons

2009 Outlook: For one of the teams that have revamped what the Southwest has looked like, they sure keep to themselves. Burlington’s picks were frozen last year because of their league entry, so they didn’t get the normal stud pickup they usually seem to find for themselves. They finished just a game out of the playoffs last year and didn’t even play all that well. Look for them to bounce back this year and at least get to the .500 mark. Now that they are comfy in the SW, expect guys like Ryan Hoffman, All-Star Justin Molle and Tyson Fettes to lead this team. They also return a key cog to their lineup they were missing last year, Aaron DeGrave, who looks to provide a spark. They tend to be a mixed bag as far as hitting and pitching goes. Sometimes they look great, sometimes they won’t. Just hope you get them on an off day is all.

2009 Record: 10-10

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Delavan Blackhawks

2009 Outlook: What happened to Delavan? They did lose a lot of players last season and are basically revamping their roster. We’ll give them that. The Hawks did pick up a nice pitcher in Matt Lisbeth in the middle of last season that made them at least tough to beat. Rob Piedot gives them some depth on the hill as well. Their normally potent offense was dismal, look for it to improve this season. Kieya Square ended up also playing the second half of last season. His return is vital to the squad, as he can protect Todd Niewenhuis in the lineup if need be. Speaking of the man with the long last name, he had a career year last season and took the SW batting title. The bad news for Delavan though, was that if he didn’t have a day at the plate, they weren’t going to score many runs. It looks as though this year will be about the same. Veterans like Joel Katte, Jason Peters and Hank Johnson will have to step up to make Delavan a playoff contender again. They do have a few young guys though, who, if they come into their own, are legit (i.e. Robert Guzman). This is one of those teams that could come out of their shell in 2009, or have a repeat 2008 year.

2009 Record: 6-14

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Dousman Frogs

2009 Outlook: The Frogs did look a little better last season after a horrid 2007 campaign. They basically have the same team as a few years ago with even more experience under their belts. The big question is, when are they going to turn the corner? There’s no doubt they have talent, as they normally knock off a few high quality playoff teams a year (North Prairie, Muktown), and it seems as though there's a new found positive attitude and aura around the club. It’ll be tough for them to turn that corner this year, though, as they lost arguably their best player in Buck Konkol, whose playing over in the East now. Really, this team will go as far as Dave Roberts can take them. He’s their ace and a middle of the order hitter. When Roberts is around the dish and his curveball isn’t hanging, he’s very tough to hit. He can also swing a good stick along with Justin Radichael. They’ll need Adam Doolittle and Craig Wambold to have breakout years. Defensively is where this team also needs to improve, especially the now big gap at shortstop. It looks like this year will be much of the same for Dousman…some surprisingly quality wins throughout the year, and then some losses that will make you scratch your head.

2009 Record: 4-16

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East Troy Express

2009 Outlook: The Express was one of the teams in the league that had a dramatic off-season. However, in the end, nothing much happened. Todd Nabor had a foot out the door in East Troy before deciding to venture back to the team he’s carried for the last few years. The lefty hurler is a perennial All-Star and with him, the Express  are once again a team to be reckoned with. They’ll also get lefty Tim Schafer back later in the season, which will help with their pitching depth. ET will also have to wait on a couple of college players in Matt Lange and Ryan Kiehl. Until then, they’ll rely on the arm of Nabor and the sticks of the veteran leaders Justin Keegan, Jeff Tess and newly named coach Kurt Wenzel, who took over after his dad retired last summer. After notoriously finishing in third place for many years in a row, ET finished 4^th last season. They won’t be one of the top couple of teams again, but it looks as if they’ll have enough gusto to make another trip to the playoffs. If they end up playing some quality defense, they may move up a spot or two in the standings. As long as they have Nabor, they’ll be fine.

2009 Record: 12-8 (#5 seed)

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Genesee Rebels

2009 Outlook: Genesee made an interesting move this off-season. They reacquired pitcher Matt Demarais, meaning the Rebels’ pipeline through Carroll College has taken a backseat for now. Demarais, who coaches at Carroll, will be their #1 hurler after Brad Saugestad’s days are done and over with in Genesee. Joel Meier is a quality #2 guy behind Demarais. If they can get any pitching out of these guys, their offense will pick up the rest. For now, they have to wait on two of their best offensive weapons in Andy Sturtevant and Chris Elliot, who are in their last year of college ball. Head coach Mark Wershay looks to keep the ship afloat until then. Their offense will pretty much be there all year long, so it’s the defense and pitching that are question marks for this team. A lot of veterans hung it up this year, too, such as Joe Ellifson, Sean Fleming and Kyle Kiesgan, so they’ll be relatively young. But every year the Rome Webmaster says it. When in doubt, Genesee will be there in the end.

2009 Record: 11-9 (#6 seed)

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Genoa City Red Dogs

2009 Outlook: Many people thought that the Red Dogs were the surprise of the 2008 season. In a sense, they were, but not to the Rome Webmaster. Genoa City is filled with baseball talent. The Red Dogs did all of their damage last season as a first year team in the league with zero picks. Yikes. They now get to use picks, meaning who knows who else they’ll load onto their roster. They have a million arms that can chuck on that squad, so that won’t be a problem. Their defense is rather solid as well. If there is one aspect that teams may be able to take advantage of is their offense. Now, don’t get the Webmaster wrong, they can put up some runs. But at the same time they aren’t invincible. The latter half of the year saw the Red Dogs really come together at the dish, so the teams that get them to start off the season better use it to their liking. GC will be looking to take over the Southwest in just their second season – and they may just do it.

2009 Record: 16-4 (#1 seed)

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Mukwonago Lakers:

2009 Outlook: Mukwonago is a very similar team to the Rebels. The last few years they’ve skinned their way into the playoffs. They play the top teams in the Southwest really tough. They don’t necessarily excel at any particular part of the game, however they don’t have very many holes either. Their lineup is solid, anchored by the veteran bats of Todd Grafenauer and Ryan Toshner. With a good leadoff hitter like John Rebholz and a pesky bottom half of the lineup that includes Andy Just and Jon Schulz, the Lakers can put up runs. Pitching wise can be a question mark for this team. They seem to go through a couple of pitchers a year, but the one staple is T.J. Dinsmoor, who was named the head coach of the team in the off-season. If they can get some quality innings out of anybody this year on the hill, they’ll be back in the playoff mix. Also, playing at that bandbox at the high school in Mukwonago only helps this offense. This is the type of team that you never know what you’re really going to get.

2009 Record: 8-12

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North Prairie Dawgs

2009 Outlook: Here’s another team that’s awfully quiet in the off-season, which is never a good sign. Jon Stillman has taken over the coaching duties. He’ll be heading the train that in years past has been loaded with arms. More than likely, that’ll be the case again this year. Matt Herbert and Scott Matyas is arguably the best 1-2 combo in the Southwest. Assuming they will be back, NP will be a threat to take the league once again. More than likely Stillman and the gang have been busy trying to get a stick into the lineup this off-season. After Dan Stefansky f-ed up his wrist, their offense was very inconsistent. With a healthy Stefansky, he’ll help protect some of the other hitters in the order. The big question is how many of the veterans will be back. Andy Hemmer and Rico Sacharscki were the unsung guys last season, believe it or not. Will they be back? And if so, will it be at a full-time basis? Either way, you can bank on North Prairie, yet again, picking up a quality player this off-season. It always happens.

2009 Record: 14-6 (#3 seed)

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Rome Raiders

2009 Outlook: The Raiders didn’t necessarily make any big splashes over the off-season. They did add some depth though, with the addition of All-Star Eric Cutshall and a couple of youngens (again) from Jefferson such as Mike Splittgerber. They’ll add depth to a team that will be at full strength to start the year, as for the first time in, maybe, forever, they don’t have anyone playing any college ball to start off the season. The Raiders are growing up a bit and look to make the playoffs after missing them by a game the last two seasons. The big question mark is the pitching. Jeff Smith is solid and steady for the Raiders and is the clear-cut main man. But after that it may be a crapshoot. Cutshall, Splittgerber and the healthy (finally) Lance Pedersen will probably be the next couple of arms in line. Meanwhile, Nick Aplin and Adam Gallo look to provide the spark Rome needs in their second year with the club. All-Star Andy Hotter will be on and off this summer with the club, which may hurt them. They’ll rely on some of their new players and their depth to help out. Are the playoffs in Rome’s future this summer?

2009 Record: 13-7 (#4 seed)

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Sullivan Roosters

2009 Outlook: Breaking news out of Sullivan. Dave Gerdman has retired. Gerdman has been a staple in Sullivan for a long time now and has just recently hung up the spikes, giving full reign of the squad to Shaun Behrend. That’s not the only news coming out of Sullivan this off-season. Andy Kraus is making his LO’L return, making plenty of people around the league thrilled. Can’t you just picture Tee Pee Talk now? Also, the Roosters picked up Kris Sagert, as he’ll try to give the lineup a shot in the arm. Sullivan has had some turnover the last few years. They’ve gotten better and finished with eight wins just a year or two ago. They’ve been on the cusp of a breakout season, so will they get over that hump this year? Maybe. They found a legitimate hurler in Chris Perleberg last season, but after that, like many teams, it’s a question mark. They still have the likes of Ray Koscak, who’ll man first base full time this season. Frank Schwefel is also back in centerfield for the squad, who has gotten significantly younger each of the past few years. Defense will be big for Sullivan, who finds themselves in nearly every ball game. Also, they’ll need one or two bats to have breakout years in order to get into the Promise Land. Either way, they’re taking steps in the right direction.

2009 Record: 6-14

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Waterford Rivermen

2009 Outlook: Each year people say Waterford gets older. As much as that is true, they don’t get any worse. They’re the class of the Southwest, taking yet another title last season and making it to the Grannies once again. The amazing thing about it is that they literally haven’t had a pick in the past handful of years. They’ve done it with the same crew, led by veteran Bart Nowicki and The Beef. The lineup is stacked yet again. They will need it to be, too, as the one spot where teams may be able to pick on will be the pitching staff. Waterford will give up a few runs, so if teams can just hold their offense to a minimum for a little while, they will have a shot. They return most of their guys, including Jason Morgan, Brad Nowicki, Tony Chapman, Wade Axelson, etc. As much as everyone wants to say this team is bound to take a dive sooner or later, it’s just not going to happen. Although, they will have a dog fight on their hands for the regular season crown this year with Genoa City.

2009 Record: 15-5 (#2 seed)

Playoffs Round 1:

#1 Genoa City: Bye

#2 Waterford: Bye

#5 East Troy @ #4 Rome

#6 Genesee @ #3 North Prairie

Here is your 2009 SW schedule. There have been a lot of changes the past feww eeks on the schedule, which is why the whole process was delayed so much. With Farmington dropping out of the league, it caused a bunch of rucous. In place of Farmington games are "Bye" weeks. Apprently, instead of keeping the schedule the way it was, the gurus didn't like the fact that Waterford would have had two "Bye" weeks in a row. So they switched the scheudle around, only to make Dousman AND Rome have two bye weeks in a row......so yeah, either way, this is pretty much the final schedule. The first weekend is April 26th, but Genesee and Rome are goign to make a game out of it a week earlier because of field availability reasons. The season ends a week later, on Saturday August 8th. All single games start at 1:30 p.m. and doubleheaders at Noon, unless stated otherwise.

Sunday, April 19^th:

Genesee @ Rome

Sunday, April 26^th:

Sullivan @ Burlington

Delavan @ East Troy

Genoa City - Bye

Mukwonago @ Genesee

North Prairie @ Dousman

Rome @ Waterford

Sunday, May 3^rd:

Mukwonago @ Burlington

Delavan @ Genesee

Rome @ East Troy

North Prairie - Bye

Sullivan @ Dousman

Waterford @ Genoa City

Sunday, May 10^th:

Delavan @ Sullivan

Dousman @ North Prairie

Waterford - Bye

Genesee @ East Troy

Genoa City @ Burlington

Mukwonago @ Rome

Sunday, May 17^th:

Dousman - Bye

North Prairie @ Delavan

East Troy @ Waterford

Mukwonago @ Sullivan

Genoa City @ Rome

Genesee @ Burlington

Saturday, May 23^rd:

Burlington @ Genoa City

Mukwonago @ East Troy

Dousman - Bye

Genesee @ Delavan

North Prairie @ Waterford

Sullivan @ Rome

Sunday, May 24^th:

Burlington - Bye

Delavan @ Waterford

East Troy @ Dousman

Genesee @ Mukwonago

Rome @ North Prairie

Sullivan @ Genoa City

Sunday, May 31^st:

Burlington @ East Troy

Dousman @ Mukwonago (DH)   11:00 a.m.

Sullivan - Bye

Genesee @ Waterford (DH)

North Prairie @ Genoa City (DH)

Rome @ Delavan (DH)

Sunday, June 7^th:

Delavan - bye

North Prairie @ East Troy (DH)

Genoa City @ Mukwonago (DH)   11:00 a.m.

Rome @ Dousman (DH)

Sullivan @ Genesee (DH)

Waterford @ Burlington   6:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 14^th:

Delavan @ Burlington (DH)

East Troy – Bye

Rome @ Genesee 1:30 p.m.

Genoa City @ Dousman (DH)

Mukwonago @ Waterford (DH)

Sullivan @ North Prairie (DH)

Thursday, June 18^th:

East Troy @ Burlington   7:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 20^th:

Mukwonago @ Delavan (DH)   4:00 p.m.

Sunday, June 21^st:

Dousman @ Genesee (DH)

Genoa City @ East Troy (DH)

North Prairie @ Burlington (DH)

Rome – Bye

Waterford @ Sullivan (DH)

Sunday, June 28^th:

Dousman @ Sullivan

North Prairie – Bye

Genoa City @ Genesee

Burlington @ Mukwonago

Waterford @ Delavan

Friday, July 3^rd:

Dousman @ Delavan   7:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 4^th:

Genesee @ North Prairie   12:00 p.m.

East Troy @ Delavan

Genoa City @ Sullivan

Mukwonago – Bye

Waterford @ Rome

Sunday, July 5^th:

Delavan @ Dousman

Genoa City – Bye

North Prairie @ Genesee

Rome @ Mukwonago

Burlington @ Sullivan

Saturday, July 11^th:

East Troy @ Waterford

Sunday, July 12^th:

All-Star Game @ North Prairie

Sunday, July 19^th:

Burlington @ Rome (DH)

Delavan @ Genoa City (DH)

East Troy @ Sullivan (DH)

Genesee -  Bye

Mukwonago @ North Prairie (DH)

Waterford @ Dousman (DH)

Sunday, July 26^th:

Burlington @ Genesee

Dousman @ East Troy

Mukwonago – Bye

Genoa City @ Waterford

North Prairie @ Rome

Sullivan @ Delavan

Wednesday, July 29^th:

Waterford @ Burlington   7:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 1^st:

Dousman @ Burlington   6:00 p.m.

East Troy @ Rome

Sunday, August 2^nd:

Burlington @ Dousman

Delavan @ North Prairie

East Troy @ Genesee

Sullivan @ Mukwonago

Rome @ Genoa City

Waterford - Bye

Saturday, August 8^th:

Delavan @ Dousman

Burlington – Bye

Genesee @ Genoa City

Eats Troy @ Mukwonago

Rome @ Sullivan

Waterford @ North Prairie

--If nobody has noticed, there have been a few subtle changes within the coaching ranks of the Southwest Division. There are a number of teams that have had the same coach in place for a number of years - see Waterford and North Prairie. But there are a handful of teams that have undergone some changes within the past year or two, and even more recently. Here is your team-by-team look at coaches in the league.

Burlington Barrons: Bud Milroy - Bud isn't necessarily the "head coach" of Burlington, but he oversees the operations. Players like Ryan Hoffman make out the lineups and take care of on the field issues, however, Milroy sitll has plenty of say into what goes in the organization. The Webmaster has no clue how long he's been at the helm, but he's assuming a lot. 

Delavan Blackhawks: Dave Henriott - Shooter is babck for another year. Although he wasn't technically the manager a few years back, after Clint Ginner bowed out, Henriott took over. He's had some help along the way with players like Keiya Square, but Henriott is keeping steady at the helm. He led Delavan to the second round of the playoffs two seasons ago. His biggest addition brought in were Aaron and Andy Adsit, as well as the signing of local product Robert Guzman.

Dousman Frogs: Adam Doolittle - The Frogs are a young squad led by a young Doolittle. This will actually be his third full year as head coach. Although the Frogs have the chokehold off of them with former coach Larry Williams out of the picture, the results have still been inconsistent. Doolittle has kept the core of the team in place and is looking for a key pickup to help out his team.

East Troy Express: Kurt Wenzel - Yes, you read it right, Kurt, not Time Wenzel. Mr. Tim Wenzel retired after this past 2008 season. He had a very successful career as the East Troy head coach, now giving over the reigns to his son Kurt. The Express couldn't deliver a Southwest championship or a trip to the Grannies for Tim, but nonetheless he can be known as the architect of the team you see today. With a mixture of home grown young talent and crafty vets, Tim left a contending squad to Kurt, so the pressure is on. With maybe only a hnadful of years left from some of the veterans on the team, it'll be interesting to see where East Troy goes from here on out.

Farmington Braves: Bill Korallis - This will be Korallis' second year, and he's hoping it's nothing like the first. Farmingotn had trouble fielding a team a season ago but they are still in the league. Korallis does have a core of guys he can count on, but finding dedicated individuals has been a problem. He's trying to right the ship with the help of assistang manager Eric Broom. Supposedly they have a full team for this upcoming season.

Genesee Rebels: Mark Wershay - The Big Diesel is as consistent as his predecessor, as this marks his fourth year at the helm full time. He's taken over all the duties and responsiblities and it doesn't look like he's slowing down any. He still manages to play the field and be the coach, which is harder to do than you think. Diesel has tapped into the water pool at Carroll College and has picked up several nice young players to build around. Wersh and the Rebs have made the postseason all but one of his years as head coach.

Genoa City Red Dogs - Jude Tindall - No doubt Tindall learned a lot in his teams first year of existence in the Land O'Lakes. Tindall has some of the best facilities in the league to work with and has the support system as well. He was planning on being a coach/player, however injuries forced him to miss a portion of the 2008 season. Tindall has picked up a bunch of local talent, as he wasn't allowed to have any players outside of a 10-mile raidus for 2008. His team still finished in third place. Look for him to continue with the success at GC.

Mukwonago Lakers: Nate Rebholz/T.J. Dinsmoor - Rebholz has given up half the duties of head coach to T.J. Dinsmoor, whose been with the Lakers for a handful of years now. Rebholz has had a hard time committing as much time and energy as he did in years past because of his move to Milwaukee and his occupation. Rebholz and Dinsmoor make a nice combination on the field in making decision for the Lakers. Both guys have picked up some quality players for depth to their squad as well. Dinsmoor has only recently been handed over some of the head coaching duties, but it's been working, as the Lakers have made the playoffs for several years ina row now.

North Prairie Dawgs: Mark Wendleberger - Technically Wendleberger is the head coach. HE's led his squad to a couple of division titles and into the Grand Championships as well. He's been steady and reliable for the Dawgs. Wendleberger gets a ton of help with veterans like Jon STillman and Andy Hemmer still on the squad. In fact, often times opposing teams can see Stillman directing his players as far as where to position themselves, and also visiting pitchers on the hill. Wendleberger still taps into the keg at Waukesha West and UW-Whitewater with the help of former players like Mando Hernandez. They've fazed in the young players nicely the past couple of season as well.

Rome Raiders: Brian Gallo - If anyone has had a coaching Carousel, it's been the Raiders. Bill Balk, Aaron Adsit, Lance Pedersen, Steve Haxton, Pedersen again, and now Gallo. Even with all the coaching turnover, the Raiders have kept their heads above water, although they've missed the playoffs the past two seasons by a game. Gallo is taking over a very young team, as Pedersen is the oldest at 26. In fact, Rome keeps getting younger. Gallo hasn't coached in the Southwest before, but he does have a few years of experience with Lannon back in the 80's. Either way, the team is looking forward to having a solid, steady head coach at the helm to guide them. Gallo will be looking into Jefferson for his talent, but also has some contacts back in Lannon and Sussex.

Sullivan Roosters: Dave Gerdman/Shaun Behrend - Again, a team with shared duties at head coach. Many around the league don't know this, but Shaun Behrend made all the on-field calls last season for the Roosters. Bird will be the man in charge on gamedays, while Gerdman has the thankless job of going to meetings, setting up the concession stand, etc. Gerdy has been concentrating on his play in the field, as he will be back for another year. Meanwhile, there's no plan on changing Bird's responsiblities of on-field calls. Sullivan has also gotten a bit younger since the pickup of the Perleberg's. Bird and Gerdy will try to add another piece to the puzzle for 2009.

Waterford Rivermen: Bart Nowicki - Bartman is pretty much a lock as a hall of famer. He's done everything since being in Waterford as the head coach for over a decade or so. Only once has Waterford not won the SW regular season title and gone to the Grannies in the 2000s. His main success comes from finding players who are dedicated and reliable, seeing as how the Rivermen haven't had many - if any - draft picks the past eight years or so. He's had the same core for a long ntime now. Nowicki has taken over the DH role now as a player, so that has helped him conctrate on his coaching duties more, too.

The Rome Webmaster changed the name of this page on the site. It was previously named "2008 Southwest News," in which he thought wasn't necessarily the proper name. In this area of the site, such things as the Scouting Reports, All-Star Teams, General League Info, etc. can be found. If worked out properly, this will also be the area where the Southwest Players of the Week will be in 2009. The Big O is also hoping to put league leaders in certain statistical categories on this page as well, so there is big hope for the new "2009 SW Info & Tidbits" section!

Although the Rome Webmasters 2008 predictions were exactly on, they were damn near close. He knew it was going to be hard to figure out, as two new teams came into the mix, making it a 12-team league and the outlook of the entire season even more blurry.

Well, when you scroll down to see his picks, he did rather well. He had the top four teams in the league right, which includes Waterford as the league champs, followed by North Prairie, Genoa City (who knew?) and East Troy. He also got five out of six playoff teams. He had Genesee  in fifth place, but they ended the season in sixth. Meanwhile, instead of Burlington making the playoffs - which they had a chacne to do the final weekend of the year - Mukwonago got back in once again. The cluster of Genesee, Mukwonago, Rome and Burlington did happen toward the last few weeks of the season, as was his prediction.

The Webmaster is looking forward to the 2009 Scouting Report, in which he'll outline sooner than you think!

Adam Brechtl (Wat) - 10

Todd Nieuwenhuis (Del) - 7

Todd Grafenauer (Muk) - 4

Scott Matyas (NP) - 4

Chris Houk (Rome ) - 4

Total Homeruns in 2008 (approx) - 104 

Catchers:

*Wade Axelson (Waterford) - .484 BA, .645 slg, HR, 2 2B, 14 RBI, 7 BB

Andy Sturtevant (Genesee) - .517 BA, .784 slg, .588 OBP, HR, 8 RBI, 8 R

First Basemen:

*Chris Houk (Rome) - .405 BA, .554 OBP, .762 slg, 6 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 12 R, 8 BB

Chris Harmeling (Waterford) - .481 BA, .692 slg, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 8 BB

Second Basemen:

*Steve Ems (Waterford) - .441 BA, .647 slg, HR, 8 RBI, 8 BB

Joel Katte (Delavan) - .457 BA, .524 OBP, HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB

Third Basemen:

*Eric Cutshall (Sullivan) - .355 BA, 4 2B

Brad Nowicki (Waterford) - .405 BA, 4 2B, HR, 14 RBI, 10 BB

Shortstops:

*Adam Brechtl (Waterford) - .510 BA, 1.078 slg, .603 OBP, 7 HR, 6 2B, 3B, 31 RBI

Justin Molle (Burlington) - .300 BA, 7 2B, 4 3B, 19 RBI

Designated Hitters:

*Bart Nowicki (Waterford) - .405 BA, 17 RBI, 3 HR, 9 BB

Jim Szjana (Genesee) - .435 BA, 6 R, 8 RBI, 5 BB, HR

Outfielders:

*Todd Nieuwenhuis (Delavan) - .529 BA, .824 slg., 4 HR, 16 R, 3 2B, HBP

*Justin Keegan (East Troy) - .400 BA, 2 HR

*Shaun Behrend (Sullivan) - .417 BA, .511 OBP, 6 2B, 2 HR, 13 RBI

Jasin Infusino (Genesee) - .364 BA,.447 OBP,  HR, 9 RBI, 8 R, 3 BB, 2 HBP

Cody Nowak (North Prairie) - . 425 BA, 2B, 3B, 7 SB

Andy Hotter (Rome) - .375 BA, 14 R, 2B, 4 SB, 8 BB, 4 OF Assists

Pitchers:

*Todd Nabor (East Troy) - N/A

Scott Matyas (North Prairie) - .500 ERA, 18 Ks

Anthony Kozelek (Waterford) - 7-1, 1.82 ERA, 50 IP, 14 runs, 35 K

Taylor Dowden (Genoa City) - N/A

Dave Roberts (Dousman) - 4.65 ERA, 63 Ks

Joel Meier (Genesee) - 4-1, 2.18 ERA, 17 Ks, 33 innings

Utility:

Ryan Toshner (Mukwonago) - .286 BA, HR

Eric Broom (Farmington) - .350 BA, 2 HR, 10 RBI

The Rome Webmaster got an early start on his version of the 2008 Scouting Report. He took his time, but finished with a little over a week to go until the opening weekend of the Southwest. With careful deliberation, he has looked at each team’s ins and outs and figured out which place they would finish in the standings come seasons end. It was a little harder this time around with the addition of a brand new team to the Land O’Lakes in Genoa City and an already developed Burlington team, who has been up and down in the East the past few years. There will probably be some bickering back and forth about who finishes where, but that’s half the reason the Webmaster does this; it’s a good jump-start to the season. There are a few surprising picks by the Webmaster, while there are also some of the same old stories.

The Rome Webmaster combined the past couple of scouting report templates, as there is an intro for each team and different categories (in which 3 have grades to them) to read from, and an overall grade.

Here is the list from first place to last place:

First Place – Waterford Rivermen (18-4)

***Surprise, surprise, right? The Webmaster lives by the saying “to be the champs you have to beat the champs.” It’s funny how Waterford just keeps winning despite the ginormous target on their back year in and year out. That, and they haven’t had ANY picks the last three years. Add on to the pile that people keep doubting them because of their age and you get one of the best teams not only in the Southwest, but in the entire Land O’Lakes. Why should that change this year?***

Hitting: It was really no surprise that the Rivermen once again led the league in runs scored a year ago, averaging about 9 per game. That production is actually down from year’s past, nonetheless it’s impressive. The Rivermen still have a dangerous lineup from top to bottom. With Chappy, Bart and Beef in the middle, pitchers have a tough time getting all three out, let alone two of them. Harmeling quietly had another solid season last year, including a 6-RBI game and another All-Star appearance. With these fellas back, Waterford will score runs. There were a few times last year where the Rivermen struggled offensively (cough cough), but Beef seemed to always pick them up, as he led the league with 9 bombs. He should have a big year again in 2008. The bottom of the order is solid. Many pitchers pitch around guys like Beef and Hammer, so Brad Nowicki, Aaron Rank and Wade Axelson need to play a big part again this year. If they can, expect to see more runs in Waterford.

Hitting Grade: A

Fielding: Waterford is smooth in the field. Rarely do they make mistakes that cost them. They’ll boot a few here and there, but no more than any other team. With Steve Ems and Beef up the middle, they have one of the better double play combos. Jason Morgan is still a solid centerfielder. As much as we love Chappy and Hammer, if the Rivermen have a weakness on defense, it is probably the corner outfield spots. Even so, once in a while you still see one of them run one down in the gap. Pretty amazing. Brad Nowicki is pretty good at third base while Wade Axelson is no Bart behind the dish, but is reliable enough to get the job done.

Fielding Grade: A –

Pitching: The Rivermen found yet another diamond in the rough last year when Anthony Kozelek established himself during the regular season. Kozelek isn’t a gasser by any means, but is always around the dish, as he doesn’t walk many at all and hits his spots well. He is hittable, but with a good defense behind him, he doesn’t need to worry. We didn’t hear much from Nick Hunt last year, but the feeling people are getting is that he’ll take up a lot of innings this summer. Noah Wishau is still nowhere to be found. Either way, the pitching staff got a bit of a downgrade this year not necessarily because they got worse, but because Bart isn’t behind the dish anymore.

Pitching Grade: B+

Intangibles: The Rivermen have won five of the last six Southwest titles and keep finding themselves in the Grand Championships. They won it all back in 2002. Let’s be honest, Waterford isn’t getting any younger, so there is a ton of motivation in the clubhouse with veterans like Bart, Chappy and  Hammer, who want a taste of the championship one last time.

Player To Look Out For: It’s hard to say because it’s rare to see anyone hit under .350, so the only surprise Waterford will offer to us is whoever they pick up for the 2008 season.

Overall Grade: A –

Second Place – North Prairie Dawgs (18-4)

***Although it seems quiet on the home front of the Dawgs’ clubhouse, it’s a bad sign when Wendelberger sits at league meetings as silent as a mouse while he contemplates his grand scheme to get North Prairie back atop the standings. Some old names have resurfaced deep inside the NP clubhouse – names like Wichser, Harder, Rainwater and Dominick. It would be a surprise if at least 2 of the 4 didn’t make a return to the Dawgs after their summers up in Eau Claire and other places. Fortunately for North Prairie, if it’s true, they will find themselves back atop the Southwest standings, and it’ll make Wendelberger look like he’s actually coaching the team***

Hitting: We’re going to go through this scouting report as if some of the kids form NP are coming back to town. With that in mind, the Dawgs offense just got a major upgrade. The Dawgs feasted on porous Southwest pitching a season ago, but was inconsistent against some of the better pitchers around the league. The fact is, though, they finished with the second most runs in the league. With Andy Hemmer and Jon Stillman still in the lineup, they can score at any time. A couple of guys stepped up, too, like Cody Nowak and Billy Thompson. Dan Stefansky still hasn’t found the magic he had a few years back, but is still a pretty dangerous hitter in his own right. When Nowak gets on base and the bottom of the order does the job, the NP offense is one of the best in the league. They’ll have spurts, though, where they can’t seem to cross home plate.

Hitting Grade: A-

Fielding: The Dawgs got an upgrade in the outfield where Nowak roams centerfield tracking down a lot of balls in the gaps. They can’t seem to find a permanent third basemen, while Hemmer, who seems to switch positions every year, mans second base with somewhat limited range. With Stillman at his normal first base spot and Aaron Huntemann at shortstop, it makes for a pretty good infield. Thompson is good behind the plate, but can be vulnerable to quicker Southwest players stealing bases. Like all teams, though, NP isn’t invincible in the field.

Fielding Grade: B

Pitching: And the rumors start. Matt Herbert has been said to be unavailable on Sundays this season because of work issues. It’s a lot of hearsay for now, we are going to assume he’ll be back for the Dawgs. And if he is back, it’ll be a huge boost for the team. They’ll return Co-Pitchers of the Year in the Southwest, which includes the Rookie of the Year in Scott Matyas. There was nothing like the 1-2 punch of Herbert and Matyas in the Southwest, and even beyond. With a plethora of doubleheaders this year, it sets up perfect for North Prairie, as they’ll have these two young guns to take seven innings a piece. And if Dominick decides to return to NP this summer? Look out! If either one of these three guys don’t play this year, it’ll put a damper on their chances in the SW, but, it won’t keep them down. They’re still talented enough to play with teams.

Pitching Grade: A+

Intangibles: The Dawgs seem to have a nice partnership going with young kids around the Waukesha area and UW-Whitewater. It seems as though every year they get one or two new kids that make an immediate impact. Their recruiting is an intangible that has been overlooked. Getting kids like Stefansky (back in the day), Dominick, Harder, Wichser and Rainwater, just to name a few, is rather impressive. Let’s see who they got this year.

Player To Look Out For: Cody Nowak…Nowak did make the All-Star team last year, but he still wasn’t a popular name that was being thrown around as one of the better ball players in the Southwest. Nowak has good wheels, can steal a base and hit to the opposite field. Every once in a while he’ll have some pop, and if he finds a gap, can easily go for a triple. Look for him to have another All-Star year.

Overall Grade: A-

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Third Place – Genoa City Red Dogs (15-7)

***The Rome Webmaster went out on a limb here, mainly because he doesn’t know much, if anything about the Red Dogs. He does know if Genoa City finishes in third place, it’ll be talent all inside a 10-mile radius. The Southwest, as in years past with teams like Delavan, told Genoa City that they wouldn’t have any picks to start the year. That shouldn’t slow the Red Dogs down, though, because it’s a baseball town with a minor league-looking field. Jude Tindall is the coach, and a good player in his own right. His connections will certainly help, so look for Genoa City to open a few eyes this summer and win some ball games***

Hitting:   Inc.

Fielding:   Inc.

Pitching:   Inc.

Overall Grade:   Inc.

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Fourth Place – East Troy Express (14-8)

***The Easy Troy Express placed third in yet another season in 2007. Look for different results this summer – 4^th place. This isn’t much of a stretch only because the Express return their core group of guys. With the addition of some very young, but very talented players, they have the makings of heading into the post-season once again, and maybe making some noise. Many of the veterans are getting to the point that if ET can win the division or even get to the grannies, they could retire with a bang. Until then, look for Tim Wenzel and his crew to keep digging in***

Hitting: The top half of the East Troy order is solid. With names like Jeff Tess, Kurt Wenzel, Andy Balgord and Justin Keegan, it’ll be tough for opposing pitchers to get through these names unscathed. The bottom of the order is another story for East Troy. Since the departure of Steve Senft in the middle of last year, ET had a hard time putting together runs at the bottom. They’ll need unsung play out of guys like Tom Pluess, Tim Salopek, Jason Fidler and the reacquired Travis Krause. Jeb Loth had a tough time a year ago at the dish, so they’ll need him to step his game up. When the summer time comes around, they’ll also need their young guns like Matt Lange and Jory Tess to take over.

Hitting Grade: B-

Fielding: East Troy used to be one of the better fielding teams in the league. However, the last year or two has seen their play in the field decline. It isn’t surprising to see ET boot a couple of balls per game. The good news though is that their errors don’t come back to haunt them as much as other teams since they have a pitching staff that can get out of tough situations. The Express outfield is pretty solid, with Keegan and Wolters in center and left. Loth is also a good defensive catcher.

Fielding Grade: B-

Pitching: The pitching has been a staple of the Express for a long time now. The staff did take a big hit when they lost both of the Piedot brothers this offseason. Ryan Piedot retired while Robbie went to Delavan. These two guys gave ET the most depth out of any pitching staff in the league. They gave up the second lowest runs (67) in the Southwest last year. Todd Nabor is still a beast and will take the ball whenever he can. The Express have another lefty in Tim Schaefer who will need to throw a lot of innings this season. He pitched well in spurts last year, including a gem against Rome. His health might be a question, having surgery just a year or two ago. The Express are still looking for that third pitcher to replace Piedot. Look for the name of Andy Kiesow to pop up in the summer.

Pitching Grade: B+

Intangibles: The veterans are sick and tired of finishing in third place and not making it to a championship game. They seem to always play well during the regular season, but they have a hard time advancing. These guys are hungry and with many retirements looming, including head coach Tim Wenzel, they’ll want to go out on top.

Player To Look Out For: Jory Tess…..Tess is the younger brother of Jeff. He played sparingly last season for East Troy, but wasn’t a full time player. He’s a senior in high school, so we won’t see him until at least Mid-May. Tess is versatile, playing any infield position, and toeing the rubber. Look for him to try and revive the bottom of that order.

Overall Grade: B

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Fifth Place – Genesee Rebels (12-10)

***What Mark Wershay has done over in Genesee has gone way overlooked. After Fox retired a handful of years back, the Rebels were thought to be in deep trouble. Wershay has kept the winning tradition alive, bringing in new talent and also reusing old talent to make the playoffs two of his three years as coach. A bunch of unknowns stepped up for the Rebels last year, including Jason Infusino and Chris Elliot. They seem to have their core players back, as well as some other talent they picked up. The Rebels are one of those teams, though, that desperately needs to keep the ship afloat until mid to late May, as they have several young college players that they’ll use over the summer. The Rome Webmaster thinks that Genesee should no longer be questioned about their talent or whether or not they’re good enough to make the playoffs. Their track record speaks for itself***

Hitting: The Rebels improved their offense dramatically from a season ago. Thanks to the help of Infusino, who led the league with a .481 batting average, Genesee scored the fourth most runs in the league (120). Chris Elliot tied for the team lead with two home runs and with veterans Derek Stebbins, Mark Wershay and Gary Schmidt still hitting good wood, the Rebels had a potent offensive attack. Matt Bauer, who like Elliot and Infusino is from Carroll College, was also somewhat of a no-name until he led the squad with 15 RBIs on the year. Genesee no longer needs to rely on their pitching so much, which is a good thing if you’re guys like Brad Saugestad and Joel Meier.

Hitting Grade: B

Fielding: Genesee has had some question marks in the field. They’re infield can be shaky at times, but they seem to get the big out when needed. Infusino is solid defensively, too, but the rest of the outfield can be in question. Another question mark is the catching position. Since Jake Burac retired, guys like Kyle Kiesgan have been behind the dish. Not to say that’s a bad thing, but the consistency of a catcher has been a bit of a problem for Genesee. Other than that, Wershay is a great defensive first baseman, so he saves the Rebs a lot of runs.

Fielding Grade: B-

Pitching: Maybe the reason why Saugestad has had some troubles the past year or two on the mound is because of the lack of a full-time catcher. Saugestad was lights out a few years ago, but has been plagued with some arm trouble, too. He’s pitched through that pain, but hasn’t been noticeably as dominate as before. Joel Meier has been a serviceable backup for Saugestad. From there, the pitching depth for Genesee gets a bit thin, as they lost their third pitcher to Rome. We’ll see if Wersh can pick up another arm for his rotation. If he does, Genesee may be a legitimate threat every time they step on the diamond.

Pitching Grade: C+

Intangibles: The Rebels have had some success in the playoffs the last couple of years. That success has given them the gusto to look for the missing pieces. It looks like they’ve found that as they now have a pipeline to talent from Carroll College. Once again, with Wersh at the helm, his leadership will snowball to the rest of his crew. They have a good mix of vets and those young guns now.

Player To Look Out For: Joel Meier…..It isn’t that Meier’s name hasn’t been heard of. But last year, after having a great season by hitting .457, he went somewhat unnoticed because of Infusino’s numbers. Meier has been a nice addition for the Rebels, posting solid numbers over the past two years as well as eating up some key innings on the mound. The Webmaster forgot if he made the All-Star team or not, but either way he is the type of player every team needs - a gamer who shows up week in and week out.

Overall Grade: B –

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Sixth Place – Burlington Barons (12-10)

***The Rome Webmaster thinks that both new Southwest teams will end up making the playoffs this year. The Barons have had decent success in the East, which is a tough division in its own right. Burlington has been more known for having a good pitching staff than anything else. They won’t return all of their arms this year, but they should have enough of them to get them over the top. We all know that if you have pitching, you can win games in this league. The only problem the Barons will run into this year is the fact that the Southwest put a freeze on all of their picks. They were set to get all four picks in the off-season, but, as the league has followed its tradition, they are not allowing Burlington to use them. Either way, the Barons should be good enough to squeeze into the playoffs***

Hitting:   Inc.

Fielding:   Inc.

Pitching:   Inc.

Overall:   Inc.

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Seventh Place – Rome Raiders (11-11)

***Rome seems to lose key players every season. But each year they bounce back. This year is no different with players such as Jake Brown, who was an All-Star last year, not back this summer. Jon Smith and Marky Gonzalez, two pick-ups last season who were key role players, won’t be back either. Kris Sagert and Kyle Kowalkowski are taking early retirements, too. Rome has reloaded with young players and some faces of old, such as Pete Panagos. The Raiders missed the playoffs for the first time in five years when they lost to Sullivan in the final game of the season last summer. There head coach is also gone after just one year at the helm, so Lance Pedersen is taking over for the second time – the first time around Rome went 10-8 and made the playoffs. The Raiders will struggle to stay afloat before their college players and coaches come back in mid-May, as they’ll have 10 guys to start the year. Pedersen won’t be back until late May, too, as he had off-season shoulder surgery***

Hitting: The Raiders were hit and miss at the plate last year. With the absence of Brown, the offense will struggle that much more. They still have mainstays, though, like Chris Houk, Jerod Haxton and Aaron Linse. Pedersen will be a key piece once he’s healthy and newcomer Nick Aplin is a new left-handed stick that will hopefully replace Brown’s bat, which is hard to do. Players like Andy Hotter and Carson Hoffman are now seasoned vets in the league. When they get on base at the bottom of the order, Rome can be dangerous. The Raiders will lack some homerun power, but have a lot of guys who can hit for average.

Hitting Grade: C

Fielding: Rome has committed themselves to playing good defense. Each year they seem to get better. Haxton and Linse combine up the middle for one of the best double play combos in the league. Houk is also solid at first base and Hotter is an athlete who covers a ton of ground in center field. The big hole to fill, obviously, will be catcher. With Brown’s absence, the Raiders will have a couple of different options for the year. One of them is newcomer Craig McDermott, who plays at Jefferson High School right now. Until then, they’ll rely on Kyle Schicker and another pickup to fill the void.

Fielding Grade: B-

Pitching: The Raiders have a pretty good one-two punch with Jeff Smith and Schicker. Smith logs a ton of innings for Rome. He keeps hitters off balance and is tough on lefties. Smith will have to throw a good amount of innings to start the year, too. Schick is a nice change of pace. He struggled getting the ball in the zone last season, but his track record shows that may have been a bit of a fluke. After Schick, Rome has picked up pitcher Matt Demarais, who threw last year for Genesee. Demarais will be a nice third addition once he gets back from coaching Carroll to be the third arm in the Rome rotation.

Pitching Grade: B

Intangibles: The Raiders feel the need to prove that they can bounce back from their off-season losses. They’re hoping one or two of their new pickups will pan out, too. Another intangible for this squad is team speed. With the exception of maybe Hoffman, the majority of their squad is capable of stealing a base at any time. Look for Rome to play small ball and take advantage of their speed this season.

Player To Look Out For: Nick Aplin…..Aplin plays college ball out in Platteville where he is a solid stick near the top of their lineup. He’s another guy with speed, and his left-handed stick will work wonders at the Rome Dome. He’ll man third base as well, a position that has been a turnstile for the Raiders in the past few years.

Overall Grade: C+

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Eighth Place – Delavan Blackhawks (11-11)

***If the secret isn’t out about Delavan, it is now. The Blackhawks have made the playoffs the last couple of years, advanced to the title game against Waterford and were just two runs away from the Grand Championships. The rumors are abound throughout the Blackhawks organization, though. They’ve lost a number of players, such as Matt Perdue, Al Niewenhuis, Rob Tilton and (maybe, maybe not) Hank Johnson. DUBB will also be gone until at least June. Not to mention the fact the Soup Campbell won’t be making as many appearances this summer. Unless Dave Henriott has something up his sleeve, Delavan won’t be the same team as last year or even the year before***

Hitting: Yes, Delavan still does have Todd Niewenhuis and Keiya Square in the middle of the lineup. Andy Adsit also makes a return to D-town. These three guys can go yard on any pitch at any time. At the same time they can be taken advantage of if pitchers get ahead. With DUBB out of the middle of that lineup to start the year, Delavan may find it hard to score some runs. That’s a hard thing to ponder after they scored 117 last year. In fact, they underachieved with those 117 runs. They made up for it in the playoffs, though. Robert Guzman was a nice addition a year ago, he might be the bat in the lineup that saves the day. If not, Delavan could struggle to score to start the year.

Hitting Grade: B

Fielding: Delavan has always had some troubles in the field. Moving Todd Niewenhuis to third base helped them defensively a season ago. But that wasn’t enough to plug the holes they had. Dru is an athlete and made some nice plays in the outfield a year ago, but he can’t get to every ball. Meanwhile, Square can run to the gaps but he struggled a year ago getting a rhythm out there. There were a few games Delavan could have won (Waterford and East Troy) if they would have just cut their error total in half. Delavan will need a steady catcher, too.

Fielding Grade: C-

Pitching: Soup Campbell has fit in well with Delavan. He’s using more of a wide variety of pitches to set up his fastball. He doesn’t have the power he used to, but his array of pitches keeps hitters off balance. He was a key part to last years late season success, too. Tilton has decided to retire for the 63^rd time of his career. If his record precedes him, he’ll more than likely he’ll be back sooner than later. If Delavan can get some quality innings out of Robert Guzman, that will be key. He didn’t pitch much, if at all, a season ago. The pickup of Rob Piedot will be big for them too, as he’ll eat up innings. Any way you slice it, Delavan has good pitching, not great. Losing Matt Perdue at the back end of the bullpen may come back to bite them.

Pitching Grade: C+

Intangibles: Delavan now knows what it tastes like to get to the big game, albeit it wasn’t the Grannies. They played the top echelon teams tough last year, so that will factor in their season this year, knowing they’ve kept up with these teams in the recent past. Another intangible is the fact they have a hitters ballpark and are tough to beat at home.

Player To Look Out For: Robert Guzman…..Guzman was a stud coming out of high school last summer, as he was the Southern Lakes Player of the Year. He was relatively under the radar last season; playing with the names of Niewenhuis, Square and the Adsit’s will do that. Guzman will be a big factor for Delavan all summer long. Look for him to hit in DUBB’s vacated spot in the order. He also has pop in his bat, as evidence of his big bomb against Rome that still hasn’t landed. If he can pitch, he’ll be that much more important for Shooter.

Overall Grade: C+

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Ninth Place – Mukwonago Lakers (10-12)

***The Lakers always seem to stay relatively allayed and assuaged most seasons, not being overly loud or faintly quiet. Nate Rebholz and the gang have put together a couple of quality seasons. They don’t necessarily stand out offensively or defensively, or even on the mound. However, they get the job done more times than not. Mukwonago always plays the good teams tough, but run into trouble with the lesser quality opponents. The Lakers are getting consistency out of their players – for the most part. In years past it was hard to know who was going to show up and who wasn’t for Muktown game in and game out. Also, add into the fact that they have a home field that is actually taken care of, it has helped them settle into a comfort zone. Muktown is one of those teams that could be affected, as far as a playoff birth is concerned, with the two new squads***

Hitting: Mukwonago has a couple of bangers in their lineup to watch out for. Todd Grafenauer is always a threat to go deep. Ryan Toshner has found himself in the All-Star game two years in a row now and part of the reason is because of his solid bat. When J.J. Rickert is in the lineup – which means he has to be healthy – Mukwonago is dangerous offensively. However, they’re a team that needs the bottom and top of their lineup to get on base consistently. If they aren’t, they have trouble scoring runs. Players like Andy Just, Jon Schulz, and John Rebholz are key factors in the offense, even though they don’t necessarily light up the scoreboard. The Lakers were delivered a huge blow when Zach Young, who tore up the Southwest in the first half of the season last summer, quit halfway through the year. Plain and simple, it’s easier to pitch to a Grafenauer or Toshner if nobody is on base, therefore, Muktown will need all 9 guys to stroke.

Hitting Grade: C+

Fielding: The other reason Mr. Toshner has made the All-Star team is because of his defense behind the plate. Everyone knows that the catcher is the most important position on defense. Without a good one, your pitching staff turns average, opponents score easy runs on pass balls and teams seem to steal a base every time they get someone on. Toshner has a rocket arm, exemplified when he threw out a baserunner on his knees during the All-Star game last year. However, other than Toshner, Mukwonago is very average defensively. Just is a pretty good fielding shortstop and Rickert is a great right fielder – again, when healthy. But there are holes in the field for the Lakers. Graf has had arm issues for a while now and has a tough time relaying any throws, let alone turning a double play. Fielding may be a key aspect for the Lakers if they want to make a playoff run this year, which would be their third straight appearance.

Fielding Grade: C

Pitching: The Lakers have T.J. Dinsmoor as their number one starter, a guy who isn’t overpowering, but can throw three different pitches for strikes. He also eats up a ton of innings for the squad. Mukwonago will more than likely have the services of Jay Grutzmacher back. If they do, Dinsmoor and Grutz make a pretty good one-two combo. Beyond them, though, there are a ton of question marks. Nate Rebholz had some elbow surgery last year, so he was unavailable for most of the season. Mukwonago picked up a quality arm for the bullpen, a kid from Hartland, but he decided to leave the team after appearing in just a couple of games. With 22 games on the docket, they’ll need to find a third arm in order to keep pace in the Southwest. If Rebholz can back from the injury, it’ll help.

Pitching Grade: C+

Intangibles: After being the “last team out” for a few years, the Lakers have made the playoffs two straight seasons. They now know what it takes to get there. Rebholz seems to have a pipeline from unknown spots because they usually get one new guy a year that steps up big.

Player To Look Out For: Tyler Mueller…..Mueller will be another key ingredient in the Muktown lineup. Mueller was a virtual unknown last year, but still made the All-Star team as a left fielder. Look for his quiet approach to make some more noise at the dish this year.

Overall Grade: C

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Tenth Place – Sullivan Roosters (7-15)

***Talk about a team that’s been on the cusp of the playoffs. Sullivan has been either one or two games away from a playoff spot for three straight seasons. They haven’t been able to get over that hump. This will be another team affected by the inclusion of Genoa City and Burlington to the league. Will they have enough to get over the hump, though? The Roosters were literally carried by their pitching last season, as Ray Koscak made the All-Star team by throwing 6,000 innings. There hasn’t been a lot of talk coming out of the Sullivan clubhouse this off-season, but there is sure to be something up Gerdy’s sleeve. Speaking of Gerdy, he’s back for another year. And why not when you’re one of the team’s leading hitters?***

Hitting: Sullivan averaged just four runs per game a year ago. There weren’t many hitters to pitch around in their lineup. The Roosters depended on playing some small ball last year, stealing bases, bunting guys over and the occasional clutch shot. The re-addition of Shaun Behrend figured to be key before the season, but The Bird was a bit rusty after a brief hiatus from the Southwest. Look for him to pick it up this year. There have been rumblings of an Andy Kraus comeback. Although many of you just rolled your eyes, he’s a key piece in the Sullivan order. Like many teams, Sullivan will need a couple of guys to step up, including Brett Schnuelle, who has a good plate approach as their leadoff hitter, Eric Cutshall and Aaron Wockenfuss. Fuss had a down year last season after a career year in 2006. If Sullivan didn’t add a big bat this offseason, they may struggle putting up a lot of runs again this year.

Hitting Grade: C-

Fielding: The Sullivan defense hasn’t changed a ton over the past few years. They can make a Sportscenter highlight reel one play and then boot an easy ball the next. Schnuelle is pretty solid behind the dish and Bird is a big target at first base. Other than that, Sullivan holds their breath when the ball is put in play. Once again, fielding is a huge part of whether or not Sully wants to get to the postseason.

Fielding Grade: D+

Pitching: What made Koscak’s season that much more impressive last year was the fact that he didn’t get a lot of help behind him, or much run support, as Sullivan scored just 65 runs all year long (3.6 per game), which was the lowest total in the league – yes, even behind Farmington. Koscak threw a ton of complete games, including a couple of shutouts. He allowed just one run to Rome in 18 innings last summer, too. Ray will need to eat up just as many innings this year with a 22-game schedule ahead of him. Sullivan doesn’t have a solid #2 guy. If either Bird or Kraus (if he’s back) can take up some innings, it’d give them a huge boost. Also, Todd Evers is a name that hasn’t been mentioned a ton lately. Evers is a family man, but if he is able to sneak out of the house for a few games, he is a very solid arm.

Pitching Grade: B –

Intangibles: Sullivan has a good mix of young guys and veterans.  Gerdy is a solid coach who wants to change the attitude and atmosphere around Sullivan. He just might be able to do so, too.

Player To Look Out For: Eric Cutshall…..Cutshall is a gamer. He doesn’t hit a ton of homers or drive in a bunch of runs, but he shows up week in and week out and plays hard. In his second year last season, he was a key part in the order after Kraus left, and playing the shortstop position, he’ll be asked to make a ton of plays out there.

Overall Grade: C-

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Twelfth Place – Farmington Braves (1-21)

***There’s no reason to believe Farmington will be that much more improved from last year to this year. They’ve had a tumultuous off-season, let’s leave it at that. They have a new head coach, too, so there are a ton of question marks as far as who is coming back and who isn’t. The new coach will have a lot of work to do either way. Without a doubt the highlight of their season last year was beating Dousman on the last game of the year to stay out of the cellar in the Southwest. The Braves will have a tough time putting together a team to start the year, but as in years past, they’ll get more guys back as the weeks go by***

Hitting: For the first time in three years, Farmington wasn’t last in runs scored. They found a few gaps and hit a few bombs when needed last season. Cale Hecht and Kris Holmes are pesky hitters at the dish, but other than that, Farmington doesn’t have many big threats. The Braves also have a tough time against top-notch pitchers, but seem to handle the mediocre arms pretty well. If Farmington wants any shot at more wins this year, they will have to cut down on their strikeouts and feast on the other bottom tier teams.

Hitting Grade: D+

Fielding: This was probably the ugliest aspect of Farmington’s season one year ago. They threw the ball away way too many times, often times needing 5 or 6 outs to get out of an inning. From the catcher on down to the right fielder, the Braves will need to step up defensively. If not, they’re looking at more big losses at the hands of their opponents.

Fielding Grade: D –

Pitching: Another area where Farmington needs to get better. The Webmaster forgot their ace pitcher, who does have some college ball experience. When he toes the rubber, he normally keeps them in ball games. After him it gets dicey. Unless they get another arm, they’ll have to use a bullpen by committee approach this season. Farmington gave up the most runs last summer (163, which is over 9 per game). It may be the same story again this year.

Pitching Grade: D -

Intangibles: They’ll be playing for the memory of one of their players this summer, which not only gives them motivation, but also keeps life, as well as baseball, in perspective.

Player To Look Out For: Phil Lemke…..Lemke took over the duties at first base full time last season. He didn’t necessarily have an outstanding year, but nonetheless, he has the potential to go deep and hit for average. He’ll be an important cog in the middle of the lineup. He’ll have to be an RBI machine this season if Farmington wants to stay in ball games.

Overall Grade: D

There you have it. Sure, some of the information may not be 100% accurate, but take it for what it's worth. Besides, it's more for your reading pleasure anyway. Feel free to belittle the report at your disgression.