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MCDONALD'S GAME OF THE WEEK (SWAL Baseball): Cuba City 8, Mineral Point 2
Cubans clinch SWAL baseball crown
Bussan
Cuba City senior Blake Bussan earned the complete-game victory in a 8–2 SWAL-title clinching win over Mineral Point May 17 after giving up two runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. He helped his own cause at the plate by drilling a double and driving in two runs and scoring twice more in the win.
Updated: May 26, 2022, 8:48 PM
Published: May 26, 2022, 3:36 PM

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (May 17–24)
SWAL BASEBALL: Cuba City 8, Mineral Point 2

By Tom Gunnell, Tri-County Press/Republican Journal

CUBA CITY – The Cubans had to wait an extra day to celebrate their SWAL championship, but they also got to do it at home as they defeated rival Mineral Point to claim the 2022 SWAL baseball title at CCHS on Tuesday, May 17.

The Pointers got the better of Cuba City with a 6-4 win on Monday afternoon to remain in the hunt for a share of the SWAL crown, however the Cubans (16-4 overall, 12-2 SWAL) came back the following day and topped those same Pointers (16-3, 11-3) by a score of 8-2 to capture the title.

“I’m extremely happy for these guys. The team put a goal out there to win the conference title and they were able to go out there and get it,” said Graber after leading the Cubans’ to their first league title since 2013 and just the second one in his coaching career at Cuba City. “I don’t know if the league has ever been as deep as it was this year. To win the title this year says a lot about these guys.”

Senior Blake Bussan (6-1) earned the complete-game victory on the mound after giving up two runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts, and he helped his own cause at the plate by drilling a double and driving in two runs and scoring twice more in the win.

Junior Max Lucey went 3-for-3 with three RBI, while seniors Kobe Vosberg and Jackson Soja each had two hits and scored twice for the Cubans.

“I’m happy with the way we grinded and the way we battled tonight. We had some really good at-bats. We made them pitch a lot of extra pitches, and came up with some clutch hits,” Graber pointed out.

A two-out, two-run rally in the bottom of the first inning put the Cubans ahead to stay. After Bussan was hit by a pitch, Soja followed with a RBI-double and Lucey drove him in with a single for a 2-0 lead.

The Cubans added two runs in the third on RBI-doubles by Bussan and Lucey, and then tacked on three more insurance runs in the fifth when Vosberg tripled off the wall in right and scored on an error and Lucey and Riley Rosenkranz each added RBI-singles for a 7-0 lead.

The Pointers had a little spark of hope in the top of the sixth when Leyton Bowers homered and the Luke Kisgen brought in another run with a sacrifice fly. However, Mason Reese doubled and scored on Bussan’s sac fly in the bottom of the sixth, and then Bussan retired the Pointers in order in the seventh registering back-to-back Ks to secure the title.

“Buss grabbed the ball and pitched a complete game. He was been able to keep batters off balanced all game. He’s good at mixing his pitches up. He’s done a heck of a job on the mound all season,” noted Graber.

At Fennimore, on Friday, May 20, the host Golden Eagles belted three home runs to sink the Cubans, 14-4, in their SWAL finale.

Mason Reese and Kobe Vosberg hit back-to-back doubles in the top of the first inning to put the Cubans ahead 2-0, and then bashed back-to-back homers in the fifth.

Fennimore got a two-run home run from Mason Adkins during their five-run rally in the bottom of the first. Cam Winkers hit a three-run homer in the fourth and Dawson Cole launched a grand slam home run in the fifth to help the Eagles soar to victory.

Cole finished the game with six RBI. Vosberg drove in two runs and scored twice for the Cubans.

In non-conference action during the final week of the regular season, the Cubans defeated SWC champion Dodgeville, 6-4, at home on Thursday, May 19, and then rallied to defeat host Wisconsin Heights, 7-5, at Mazomanie on Monday, May 23.

Bussan went 3-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored for the Cubans in the win over the Dodgers (16-4).

Soja went 3-for-4 with four RBI in the victory over the Vanguards (9-9). Soja’s two run single in the sixth tied the game at 5-5, and then Reese singled in a run and scored on a single by Vosberg in the seventh to put the Cubans back in front to stay.

Cuba City received the #1-seed in their Division 3 regional bracket. Following a first-round bye, the Cubans host the winner of the game between #4 Fennimore and #5 Darlington in a regional semifinal game on Tuesday, May 31.

The D3 regional championship game will be held on Wednesday, June 1, at the home of the highest remaining seed. 

 

Mineral Point… 000  002  0 – 2    6  2
Cuba City……..... 202  031  x – 8  11  0
Leading Hitters: MP– Bowers 2x3, Filardo 2x2. HR- Bowers. CC– Kobe Vosberg 2x4, Jackson Soja 2x4, Max Lucey 3x3. 3B- Vosberg. 2B- Blake Bussan, Mason Reese, Lucey, Soja.  
WP- Bussan (7 In, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 7 K). LP- Hanson (5 In, 7 R, 6 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 5 K).
MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U GAME OF THE WEEK (Six Rivers Baseball): #10 River Ridge 5, #5 Belmont 2
#11 Timberwolves upset #4 Braves to win a share of first baseball conference title
Blake Reynolds
Sophomore Blake Reynolds collected the win on the mound, limiting #4 Belmont to two runs, one earned, on four hits, while striking out five batters and walking four over six innings to lead River Ridge to a 5–2 win over the Braves last Thursday. - photo by A.J. Gates
Updated: May 29, 2025, 5:54 PM
Published: May 29, 2025, 5:55 PM

MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (May 20–27)
SIX RIVERS BASEBALL: #10 River Ridge 5, #5 Belmont 2

By A.J. Gates, Herald Independent

#10 Timberwolves upset #5 Braves to win a share of first baseball conference title
PATCH GROVE — Coming into the 2025 prep baseball season, coach Andrew Redman had a hunch his Timberwolves would be a strong contender for this year’s Six Rivers Conference baseball title.

“We have big goals to compete for our first-ever conference title,” coach Redman said this past April in the Grant County Herald Independent’s Spring Sports Preview.” We expect to finish high in the conference standings and rely on our experience from last season to lead us to a successful season.”

After finishing fourth in the conference standings a year ago with a league record of 4-8, the Timberwolves did in fact secure a share of this year’s conference baseball title with a victory in their final regular-season game of the year played last Thursday night.

With a 5–2 victory over visiting Belmont last Thursday night, coach Redman’s Timberwolves (16–7) team concluded the regular season with a league record of 14–2, claiming a share of this year’s conference title along with the Braves (17–5, 14–2).

Belmont, who entered the contest with a league mark of 14–1, could have taken sole possession of the conference crown for themselves with a win Thursday night, but the Timberwolves had other ideas.

“Coming out on top is a great feeling, knowing how much work our players and coaches have put into this,” said third-year head coach Andrew Redman. “My first two years as a head coach we won a total of seven conference games combined. This season alone we doubled that total with 14 conference wins, which was good enough to tie for the top spot.”

“The Six Rivers conference is loaded with great teams, and for us to claim one of the top spots is truly remarkable,” Redman added.

Aside from winning the first conference baseball title since the school’s inception in 1995, this year’s baseball team has also won the most games in a single season, and currently holds an overall record of 16-6 heading into the WIAA postseason tournament.

As they have done all season long, the trio of Blake Reynolds, Carter Copsey and Cael Koenig were at the forefront of last Thursday night’s win over Belmont, doing with their bats, their fielding and their arms.

Reynolds, who pitched the first six innings and collected the win on the mound, limited the Braves to two runs, one earned, on four hits, while striking out five batters and walking four.

Copsey came in to finish the game, pitching a scoreless seventh, striking out one batter and walking one.

At the plate, it was Koenig who led the Timberwolves, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. The team’s other four hits were scattered among Carter Copsey, Andre Nies, Noah Copsey and Brandon Davis.

After a scoreless tie for two and a half innings, the Timberwolves got on the board in the bottom of the third when Koenig’s one-run single scored Carter Copsey, who led off the inning with a double. Noah Copsey then followed with a one-run single of his own to score Koenig.

The Braves plated a run in the top of the fifth to make it a 2–1 River Ridge lead, but the Timberwolves responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Following back-to-back singles by Nies and Koenig, and an intention walk to Reynolds, Brandon Davis came up big with a bases-loaded two-run single to right field, scoring Nies and Koenig. Reynolds later scored on a wild pitch to give River Ridge a 5–1 lead.

The Braves added one run to their total in the top of the sixth, but couldn’t put anything together in the seventh with Copsey on the mound and the River Ridge defense behind him.

The Timberwolves are no strangers to close games this season, and have won a total of five conference games this season by one-run. They have also proven that, while Reynolds, Copsey and Koenig are undoubtedly the leaders of this team, they also have a stable of other role players that have come up big throughout the season.

“What makes this team special is that everybody takes their turn coming through in big moments,” said coach Redman. “We rely heavily on Blake, Carter and Cael, but three players alone doesn’t make a team. We’ve had several players who took on new or bigger roles this year and they contributed in big time spots.”

“This year our guys really focused on doing their jobs and accepting their roles on the team, which led us to having a successful season,” Redman added. “I’m proud of all our players and this program.”

Heading into the WIAA postseason tournament, the Timberwolves (16–7) hold the No. 2 seed in their division 4 sectional bracket. Following a first-round bye, coach Redman’s squad will host the winner between No. 7 seed North Crawford (10–9) and No. 10 seed Hillsboro (10–7) next Tuesday, June 3. The No. 1 seed in the bracket belongs to Seneca (20–2).

River Ridge 5, Belmont 2
(from Thursday, May 22, at Patch Grove)
Belmont..........000 011  0 — 2 4 2
River Ridge....002 030  x —  5 8 1
Leading hitters - RR: Cael Koenig 4x4. 2B — Carter Copsey (RR). W — Blake Reynolds (6IN,4H,1ER,5K,4BB). L — Austin (4IN,7H,5ER,4K,3BB). Other pitchers - RR: Carter Copsey (1IN,0H,0ER,1K,1BB).