State Tournament Preview: Chequamegon vs Lake Country Lutheran
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 be breaking down the Division 3 semifinals. First up: Chequamegon vs. Lake Country Lutheran.
The Rundown
Chequamegon finished the year with a 21-6 record and as co-champions of the Marawood North Conference. To get to Appleton, they beat Ladysmith and Phillips in regionals before they took care of St. Croix Falls in the sectional semis and came from behind to beat Durand in the final. This is the school’s first appearance at the state tournament under the Chequamegon banner, but as Park Falls they last participated in 2003.
Lake Country Lutheran is 26-2 this spring and won the Midwest Classic Conference. In regionals, they defeated Brookfield Academy and St. Mary’s Springs. In the sectional semifinals they handled Kenosha St. Joseph by nine runs and beat Laconia in extra innings in the final. This is the third straight year at the state tournament for the Lightning. They won the Division 4 crown last year.
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
Chequamegon: 37/45 points
Lake Country Lutheran: 45/45 points
Lake Country Lutheran was an unstoppable force at the plate this year. Their team batting average was an astounding .402 and they had 93 extra base hits. 6 of their starters batted over .400 this season. CJ Teske led the way with a .505 average, 16 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, and 39 RBIs. Joe Lipsky hit .481 with 29 RBIs, and Ben Wilkins batted .456 with 32 RBIs. 8 of their starters had over 20 RBIs this year, so pretty much their entire team can produce runs.
Chequamegon wasn’t as good at the plate as Lake Country Lutheran, but how could they be? They still had an excellent hitting year by anyone else’s standards. They batted .340 as a team and had 48 extra base hits. Their best hitter (batting average-wise) was Justin Herbst, who batted .438 with 5 doubles and 25 RBIs. Hunter Bay and Sam Lehman both did a lot of damage for the Screaming Eagles as well. Bay hit .414 with 6 doubles and 15 RBIs, while Lehman batted .412 with 10 doubles, 2 home runs, and 25 RBIs. Overall, Chequamegon had 6 starters that batted over .350 this season. One thing is for certain: keeping both of these teams off the bases will be a tough task.
Pitching
Chequamegon: 27/45 points
Lake Country Lutheran: 32/45 points
Lake Country Lutheran also has the advantage on the mound. Their team ERA this season was 2.82. Kyle Lewis and Ben Wilkins both started 10 games this year, so one of them figures to get the start in the semifinal. Lewis was 8-0 with a 1.45 ERA this season, while Wilkins was 9-0 with a 2.22 ERA. Their most used pitcher besides those two was TJ Hopkins, who was 5-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 7 games (4 starts).
Pitching has been more of an issue for Chequamegon than LCL this year. Their ace, Caleb Armstrong, has been really good this season. He’s 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA in 47.1 innings. However, the other pitchers have been a little more inconsistent. Their next most used pitcher was Justin Herbst, who went 5-3 this year with a 4.13 ERA. Next in line was Ryan Prellwitz, who was 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA. Obviously, the Screaming Eagles would have liked those ERAs to be lower, but there is good news for Chequamegon. In their last four games, they have only allowed four runs total. Their pitchers may be finding their grove at the right time.
Base Running
Chequamegon: 6/10 points
Lake Country Lutheran: 10/10 points
The Lightning had an unbelievable season on the base paths. They stole 133 bases with a 92% success rate. Jake Hall might be the most prolific base stealer in Division 3. He stole 34 bags and was only caught twice. Jacob Budnik stole 19 bases, and Ben Wilkins had 17. Overall, the Lightning had 6 players with at least 10 steals.
Chequamegon is also good on the bases. They stole 62 bags as a team, led by Hunter Bay’s 14. Wyatt Juneau had 11 steals, and Sam Lehman had 10. The Screaming Eagles had 6 players with at least 5 steals.
The Verdict
Chequamegon: 70/100 points
Lake Country Lutheran: 87/100 points
Lake Country Lutheran has had an unbelievable season statistically, and they’re the favorites to win this one as a result. Stopping their offense will be a tall task for Chequamegon’s pitching staff. If they are able to do that, they’ll have a shot at an upset. If not, the Lightning will show why they’ve averaged over 12 runs scored per game.
