EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial
Kolton Vogelsberg, Sr., P/1B, Potosi/Cassville baseball
The Potosi/Cassville baseball team ran its winning streak to five games with Six Rivers Conference sweep of visiting Monticello/Albany last Tuesday before Iowa–Grant handed the Chieftains an 8–2 non-conference loss on Thursday.
Coach Tony Leibfried’s Potosi/Cassville co-op dominated the Space Stallions 13–3 and 11–1 with a pair of dominating all-around victories Tuesday, May 4.
Senior Kolton Vogelsberg (5–0) led the way, striking out six batters and allowing just two runs on six hits in five innings of work to earn the pitching win, and also drove in a pair runs in the opener.
River Sahr went 2-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored, Logan Rausch went 1-for-2 with two walks and scored three runs, and Aimslee Tasker came off the bench to smack a game-ending two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to clinch the win via the 10-run rule.
Alex Friederick (2–1) and Reid Weber combined to limit Monticello/Albany to one unearned run on just two hits in the six-inning game two win.
Vogelsberg went 2-for-4 with a stolen base and an RBI in the game two win.
Following, last Thursday's loss to Iowa–Grant, the Chieftains bounced back with a 7–3 Six Rivers Conference victory at Pecatonica Friday afternoon with another strong individual performance by Vogelsberg.
The senior right-hander struck out six and allowed just two earned runs on four hits in five five innings to earn his fifth win of the year and went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Vogelsberg also pitched five strong innings (5H, 1ER, 4K, 3BB) and went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored in a 7–5 victory over Belmont Wednesday, April 29.
Vogelsberg is currently 6–0, after earning the win in an 11–7 victory over River Ridge Thursday, with a 2.89 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings pitched, and leads the team in hitting at .421, with 24 hits, 12 RBI, 13 runs scored, six stolen bases, 12 walks and a .542 on-base percentage.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Cael Koenig, Jr., SS/P, River Ridge baseball
Koenig is again having a monster year for the River Ridge baseball team. Koenig is batting a team-high .527 (29-for-55) with six home runs, 28 RBI, 30 runs scored for the Timberwolves (11–7). He is also 4–3 with a 3.73 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched. Koenig went 2-for-4 with a homer and four RBI in a 23–2 win at Shullsburg/Benton Friday May 1, before he went 2-for-4 with a pair of homers and six RBI in a 16–0 shutout win at Highland last Monday, May. 4 He then struck out seven and allowed just 1 earned run on four hits in 4 2/3 innings to earn the win in a 10–5 victory over Seneca last Tuesday before going 2-for-3 with two runs scored in a 10–0 win over Boscobel last Thursday, and 4-for-4 with another homer and three runs scored in a 10–5 Six Rivers victory at Monticello/Albany last Friday. He had three more hits and a pair of RBI in a 9–1 win over Pecatonica Monday afternoon.
Blake Reynolds, Jr., P/SS, River Ridge baseball
Reynolds has been nearly unhittable this year, posting a 6–0 record with a miniscule 0.74 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 38 innings pitched this year. He is also batting .412 (25-for-60) with two homers and 17 RBI in 73 plate apperances. Reynolds was the winning pitcher in last Monday's 16–0 shutout of Highland (5IP, 1H, 0R, 7K, 1BB), Thursday's 10–0 shutout of Boscobel (3IP, 1H, 0R, 7K, 1BB) and Monday's 9–1 win over Pecatonica (5IP, 1H, 0R, 8K, 2BB), allowing just three combined hits in 13 scoreless innings, while striking out 22 batters and walking just four.
