State Tournament Preview: Baraboo vs Janesville Craig
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! Today we'll breakdown the Division 1 quarterfinal game between Baraboo and Janesville Craig.
The Rundown
Baraboo has a record of 22-6 this season and finished in 2nd place of the Badger North Conference behind DeForest. Their road to Appleton included victories over Holmen, La Crosse Logan, and La Crosse Central. This is their first appearance at the state tournament since 2000.
Janesville Craig has compiled a 26-1 record this spring and won the Big 8 Conference. To get to Fox Cities Stadium, they beat Stoughton, Madison West, and Verona. Their last appearance at the state tournament was in 2009.
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
Baraboo: 35/45 points
Janesville Craig: 35/45 points
Both of these squads are good hitting teams. Baraboo collectively hit .347 this season, and had 6 starters bat over .300. Matt Munneke led the team with a .383 batting average and 3 home runs, while Griffin Nicksic drove in 30 runs in addition to hitting .374. The Thunderbirds’ other top hitters were Tom Ginther (.368 average, 23 RBIs), Trevor Hanson (.349 average, 16 RBIs), and TJ Wagner (.341 average, 8 doubles, 3 home runs, 27 RBIs).
Janesville Craig was about as good as Baraboo at the plate this season. As a team they hit .344 and bashed 63 extra base hits. Nick Blomgren led all starters with a .417 batting average, while JT Smithback wasn’t far behind at .412. Overall, the Cougars had 5 starters bat over .300. Their other top contributors at the plate include Kevin Brandt (.388 average, 6 doubles, 2 home runs, 33 RBIs), McCauley Cox (.384 average, 3 triples, 2 home runs, 26 RBIs), and Evan Spry (.369 average, 3 triples, 20 RBIs).
Pitching
Baraboo: 30/45 points
Janesville Craig: 40/45 points
Janesville Craig has a decided advantage in the pitching category. The Cougars have a deep staff that is led by Alex Marro. He’s 8-1 in 12 games this year with a 1.99 ERA and 67 strikeouts. Their #2 guy is Chase Nyborg, who posted a 7-0 record and 1.60 ERA in 11 games this year. The next two guys they use on the mound are Nick Cramer (3-0, 2.81 ERA in 11 games) and Evan Spry (3-0, 2.92 ERA in 9 games). Overall, their team ERA was 1.98.
The Thunderbirds are solid on the mound, but are half a step below Janesville Craig. Their ace is Tom Ginther, who was 5-3 with a 3.50 ERA in 15 games (12 starts). If he doesn’t get the start for the Thunderbirds in the quarterfinals, freshman Miles Statz probably would. Statz was 3-1 this season with a 2.71 ERA this spring in 8 games (5 starts). Statz’s ERA was the lowest on the team, which would have been 4th best on Janesville Craig’s team. That’s why the Cougars have the edge in the pitching category.
Base Running
Baraboo: 9/10 points
Janesville Craig: 9/10 points
Both of these teams are serious threats on the base paths. The Thunderbirds stole 75 bases this year and were only caught 15 times, which was good for an 83% success rate. Mason Mistele led the team with 16 steals, while TJ Wagner had 11. Matt Munneke had 7 of his own, while Dustin Dettman came off the bench a lot to steal 8 bags.
McCauley Cox led Janesville Craig with 16 steals, and Noah Berghammer got put into a lot of stealing opportunities to tally 15 this year. Justin Filter also performed well in the pinch/courtesy runner role to collect 13 steals this spring. Among their starters, JT Smithback was 2nd to Cox with 8 steals. As a team, the Cougars stole 82 bases with an 88% success rate.
The Verdict
Baraboo: 74/100 points
Janesville Craig: 84/100 points
Janesville Craig has had a fantastic season this year, and they’re the favorites in this one thanks to their squad that is strong in all facets of the game. With that being said, Baraboo is where they are on merit too, and they can give the Cougars a serious run for their money if they play to the best of their ability. If the Thunderbirds can get a good pitching performance from their starter, they’ll have a chance to pull off the upset. Otherwise Craig will be in good shape to advance to the semifinals.
