The Shawano American Legion baseball team will rely on pitching depth to try advancing in this year’s postseason.
Last year, two losses to Oconto Falls in the regional concluded Shawano’s season. Shawano lost to Oconto Falls in the opening round, then a win against Mosinee setup a rematch, which Oconto Falls won.
“The first-round loss was a very good game,” Shawano coach Will Gillis said. “Both pitchers had double-digit strikeouts. After we won in the consolation round, they got us again.”
Shawano’s season ended after a second-place finish in the Fox River Valley’s West Division with a 10-4 record and a 14-7 mark overall.
Gillis said pitching was a team strength last year and will be again this year, though more for the number of quality throwers this year.
“Our team had good starters and a good reliever, so pitching was a big part of our success last year,” Gillis said. “Our pitching depth is better this year, with more guys who know how to pitch than we did last year.”
Grant Wainio is one of the pitchers returning; he also will spend time behind the plate. Other key returners include middle infielder Zack Sousek and centerfielder Chase Henning.
Gillis said they are some of those responsible for producing key hits and keeping the team in the game while the hits weren’t as plentiful.
“We had a lot of clutch hits as well as aggressive base running,” he said. “There were a couple of one or two-run games where we couldn’t produce the offensive that we usually did and the pitching and defense kept us in it.”
Ky Schmidt, Jack Lacy, Brendan Cummings, Tommy Stueck, Mason Boogren and Brandon Warrington also are returning seniors for Shawano.
Gillis added that last year’s team had a fast start that included an eight-game win streak, though Shawano might have played its best prior to the postseason.
“We started last year really well and peaked toward the middle of the season,” he said. “Maybe we peaked too early in the season.”
That hasn’t been the case so far for Shawano in its first two games of the season. In the season opener, Shawano lost, 5-4, to Clintonville. On Wednesday, Oconto Falls won, 5-0.
“We still have a few question marks in the lineup to figure out, but we’re trying to get a feel for the team before we have a final lineup,” Gillis said.
