State tournament preview: Waunakee vs. Kimberly
The state tournament begins on June 13 with the Division 1 quarterfinals and semifinals, followed by the semifinals for Divisions 2 through 4 on June 14. All four state championship games will take place on June 15. We're breaking down every quarterfinal and semifinal matchup. Next up: Waunakee vs. Kimberly in the Division 1 quarterfinals.
The rundown
Waunakee is 18-8 this season and is the co-champion of the Badger North Conference. The Warriors are making their first state tournament appearance since 2013, when they were knocked out in the quarterfinals. To get to Appleton, they beat Onalaska, La Crosse Central and Tomah in postseason play.
Kimberly enters the state tournament with a 20-8 record and as the co-champion of the Fox Valley Association. The Papermakers are playing at the state tournament for the fourth consecutive season. They were knocked out in the semifinals last year and finished as state runner-up in 2014 and 2015. To return to Appleton this year, they beat Menasha, Oshkosh West and Oshkosh North.
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.
*Note: Stats listed for Waunakee do not include stats from sectionals.
Hitting
Waunakee: 37 points
Kimberly: 35 points
Waunakee and Kimberly have fairly comparable numbers offensively. The Warriors hit .328 as a team, and Kimberly hits .302. Waunakee is led by Jack Kratcha’s .438 average. Derek Lee hits .414 with five doubles, and Riley Ripp bats .351. Jeff Thomasen hits .324, while Arkansas recruit Nate Stevens hits .290 with three home runs.
Zach Lechnir led everyday players on Kimberly with a .351 average. He hit seven doubles and drove in 15 runs. Wabash Valley JC commit Zach Carney hits .333 with three home runs and 21 RBIs. Multi-sport star Danny Vanden Boom bats .325 with six doubles and 16 RBIs, and Ryan Carney hits an even .300. Drew Lechnir has a .299 average with four extra-base hits.
Pitching
Waunakee: 40 points
Kimberly: 38 points
Just like at the plate, these teams are similar on the mound. Waunakee has a slight edge, though. Their five most-used pitchers all have ERAs below two. Ace Ben Nordloh was just 5-5 going into sectionals, but had a 1.94 ERA in 47 innings. He tossed a complete game shutout in the sectional semifinals to upset top-seeded La Crosse Central. Dayne Oleson took a 4-0 record and 1.70 ERA into the sectional final, where he pitched a complete game with five strikeouts. Riley Ripp is 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA this year, and Derek Lee is 2-1 and has posted a 1.40 ERA.
Kimberly’s ace has been Danny Vanden Boom. He has gone 7-3 this season with a 1.36 ERA in 51.1 innings. Davis Matz is 8-2 in 55 innings with a 1.91 ERA. John Nett is 3-1 with a 2.39 ERA, and Ryan Carney has a 2.50 ERA mainly in relief this season. Like Waunakee, the Papermakers have a well-rounded pitching staff.
Base running
Waunakee: 4 points
Kimberly: 7 points
Kimberly gets the advantage in the base running department. The Papermakers stole 61 bases this year and were caught stealing just 10 percent of the time. Zach Lechnir had a team-high 18 stolen bases, and Zach Carney was close behind with 14. John Nett and Ryan Carney both had eight swipes, while Drew Lechnir had seven.
The Warriors stole 42 bags with an 84 percent success rate. Jack Kratcha led the squad with 16 steals, which was by far the highest total on the team. Misha Capaul had the second most with seven. Nobody else finished with more than four.
The verdict
Waunakee: 81 out of 100 points
Kimberly: 80 out of 100 points
These two teams are evenly matched, which should make for a good game. Two quality aces should go against two powerful lineups. They’re both talented teams that are at this stage of the postseason on merit. With so little separating them, experience could be key. Kimberly has become a mainstay at the state tournament and has won at least one game there in each of the last three seasons. That experience could be a difference maker in this quarterfinal contest.
