State Tournament Preview: Bay Port vs Oconomowoc
By Spencer Flaten, lead writer
The state tournament field is set, and we're bringing you complete coverage of the tournament and its matchups. We'll break down every quarterfinal and semifinal game, so follow along for everything you need to know about the teams competing for a state title this year! This time around we'll take a look at the Division 1 quarterfinal game between Bay Port and Oconomowoc.
The Rundown
Bay Port is 24-4 this spring and finished the year as the champion of the Fox River Classic Conference. Their road to state involved wins over Antigo, Ashwaubenon, and Green Bay Preble. This is the fourth consecutive year that the Pirates have reached the state tournament.
Oconomowoc is 20-7 this season and finished in 3rd place in the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference behind Arrowhead and Watertown. To get to the state tournament, they defeated Sheboygan South, defending state champions Sun Prairie, and Watertown. This is their first time at the state tournament since 2012.
Here’s a breakdown of the matchup based on the following categories: hitting, pitching, and base running. The teams are rated on a 100 point scale, with 100 being the best. There are a possible 45 points in both the hitting and pitching categories, and 10 in the base running category.
Hitting
Bay Port: 45/45 points
Oconomowoc: 27/45 points
Bay Port has the best offense in the state of Wisconsin, bar none. That means they have a definite edge when you compare their lineup with Oconomowoc’s. The Pirates had 6 starters bat .400 or above, including Chicago State University signee Joe Baier (.475 average, 2 home runs, 30 RBIs), Alec Ingold (.441 average, 18 RBIs), Quinn Pierner (.422 average, 6 doubles), Logan Froberg (.412 average), Zach Abfall (.411 average, 17 RBIs), and Brady DeBouche (.400 average, 9 doubles, 13 RBIs). All 9 of their starters batted over .330 this season. Tucker Noe drove in the most runs for Bay Port this year (he tallied 32 RBIs). As a team, the Pirates batted a ridiculous .389 and had 58 extra base hits.
Oconomowoc only had two starters bat over .300, Logan Wonn (.447 average, 13 doubles, 33 RBIs) and Zach Clayton (.437 average). Everyone else hovered around the mid-to-upper-.200 mark. Merek Williams led all other players with a .272 average, while Sean Meyer had the second most RBIs on the team with 18. If the Raccoons are going to make a run at the state title, they’ll need production from more guys than just Wonn and Clayton.
Pitching
Bay Port: 35/45 points
Oconomowoc: 42/45 points
Oconomowoc has the edge over Bay Port on the pitcher’s mound. Jacksonville University signee Logan Wonn might be the best pitcher in Wisconsin this season. In 90 innings pitched, he went 10-1, tallied 9 shutouts, and allowed only 4 earned runs, which was good for a 0.31 ERA. He took a no-hitter into the 7th inning in the sectional semifinals against defending state champs Sun Prairie. He has 116 strikeouts this spring with only 19 walks. The pitching staff is deep beyond Wonn, too. As a team, their ERA was 1.26. Zach Clayton went 5-2 this year with a 1.40 ERA and 6 complete games for the Raccoons. Jonah Landowski was 3-3 with a 2.32 ERA, so he’s another option for Oconomowoc.
FRCC co-Player of the Year and Notre Dame signee Connor Hock has been Bay Port’s ace all season long, and he figures to get the start in the quarterfinals. In 9 starts, he compiled an 8-0 record to go along with a 0.85 ERA and 79 strikeouts. Joe Baier started the sectional final for the Pirates, so he’ll probably be their #2 guy. This season he’s 5-2 with a 3.06 ERA. Beyond that, they have last year’s FRCC co-Player of the Year Dakota Klein, who closed out their sectional final win against Preble. He has only pitched 24.1 innings this year, but he’s 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA and 30 strikeouts. The Pirates can turn to Bryce Braspennickx (3-1, 1.89 ERA) in relief if need be.
Base Running
Bay Port: 4/10 points
Oconomowoc: 4/10 points
Neither of these teams steals a ton of bases, but they do have that element of the game in their arsenal if they choose to utilize it. Oconomowoc stole 34 bases this year, while Bay Port stole 29. Zach Clayton led the Raccoons with 16 steals, while Austin Meunier had 10 of his own. Bay Port’s best base stealer was Zach Abfall, who had 8. Brett Makholm’s 6 steals were the next highest on the team.
The Verdict
Bay Port: 84/100 points
Oconomowoc: 73/100 points
This is the most intriguing matchup of the quarterfinals. It pits the state’s hottest pitcher against the state’s best offense. A combination of Bay Port’s top pitching and Oconomowoc’s batting average makes the Pirates the favorites to win this one. However, with Wonn on the mound, it would not be surprising to see the Raccoons pull off an upset. This game will be very entertaining for neutral fans to watch.
