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Cuba City's Graber named Wisconsin Baseball Coach of the Year
Coach Graber led Cubans to 23–4 record and a WIAA Division 3 State title
Graber
Cuba City baseball coach Steve Graber was selected as the 2021–22 Wisconsin Baseball Coach of the Year after leading the Cubans to a 23–4 record and the WIAA Division 3 State Championship this spring. Graber will now be in contention to be named Sectional coach of the Year in Section 4.

CUBA CITY — Following a dream season on the baseball diamond the culminated with the school’s first baseball state championship, Cuba City head coach Steve Graber was selected as the 2021–22 Baseball Coach of the Year for Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches’ Association.

Each year, a coach from every state is identified and recognized for significant achievement in the sport. The award recipients are selected based upon a variety of criteria, including their coaching record, background, coaching hours, and involvement in community and school organizations.

“It is a very humbling honor. You do not get an honor like this without a really good team, and that is what I had this year. This is a team award and I am, so happy to share this with the guys,” Graber commented.  

Graber led the Cubans (23–4 overall) to the WIAA Division 3 state championship title in June. Making just the second state tournament appearance in school history– and the first in 67 years — the Cubans knocked off previously unbeaten and #1-ranked Amherst (28–1), 2–1, in thrilling state semifinal game, and then defeated #2-seeded and #4-ranked Saint Croix Falls (26–3), 8–4, to claim the program’s first state title.

“The guys showed last year what can happen when you are dedicated and work hard for something.  To me, that example is what will help the program in the future,” said Graber.

In 18 years of coaching baseball at Cuba City, Graber has amassed an overall record of  177-177.

As a State level recipient, Graber will now be considered for National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Sectional Recognition. Wisconsin coaches are members of Section 4, which represents the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. 

Each year approximately 1,000 coaches from around the country in all sports are recognized at the state level. From that group, 168 coaches are recognized at the sectional level and 21 coaches are recognized at the national level.

NFHS National Coaches of the Year are then chosen from the sectional winners. Sectional and national winners will be announced at later dates.

Cuba City head coach Steve Graber was selected as the 2021–22 Baseball Coach of the Year for Wisconsin after leading his Cubans to a 23–4 record and a WIAA Division 3 State Championship title in the spring. Graber will now be in contention to be named Sectional Coach of the Year in Section 4.