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When it comes to college recruits, few schools can top the Kimberly baseball program this spring.

 

Leading the way for the Papermakers, who won the 2007 WIAA Division 1 state title and finished second last year, is returning State Player of the Year Brad Schreiber, a Purdue University baseball recruit.

 

Schreiber had a phenomenal 2008 season, batting .534 (31-for-58) with three doubles, two triples, six home runs and 34 RBI in Fox Valley Association play. He also had a stellar season on the mound with a 4-1 record and 0.93 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched in league play.

 

He has put up some pretty impressive number so far his senior season in leading Kimberly, ranked fifth in the latest Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Division 1 poll, to a 5-2 overall record and 4-1 mark in FVA play

 

Schreiber, who also plays first base, is batting .409 (9-for-22) with two doubles, 4 home runs, 16 RBI, six runs scored and a stolen base. His pitching stats include a 2-1 mark and a 1.55 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 18 innings pitched.

 

But Schreiber has plenty of help this season.

Key returning players for the Papermakers include:

-- First team all-conference junior pitcher Bryce Bellin

-- First team all-conference senior shortstop Jamison Wells, a Northern Illinois baseball recruit was also the Associated Press State football Player of the Year.

-- Honorable mention all-conference junior catcher Will Randerson, who is also a returning pitcher

-- Senior starting right-fielder Tyler Wolf, the starting quarterback on Kimberly s 2007 and 2008 Division 2 state championship football teams, who plans to play football at UW-Stevens Point.

-- Senior third baseman Austin Arts, a starting defensive back in football who plans to play football at St. Norbert College

 

The quartet of Schreiber, Bellin, Randerson and Wells, who all played on the 2007 state title team, along with Arts and Wolf, forms a solid foundation. Kimberly has an experienced pitching staff and a solid offense with good team speed and has the ability to manufacture runs.

 

AROUND THE FVA

Kimberly is the defending Fox Valley Association champion and picked to repeat. But it won t be easy for the Papermakers, who were 21-5 overall and 16-2 in league play. The league returns 14 players who earned either first or second team honors. Appleton West, Appleton East and Fond du Lac are expected to challenge Kimberly for the league title.

 

Returning all-FVA first team selections include: senior Kirk Mayer, sr., Appleton West; Blake Conger, jr. and Brandon Lalk, jr., Oshkosh North; Luke Simon, sr. and Eric Doll, sr., Fond du Lac; and David Forseth, sr., Oshkosh West.



Returning second-team selections include: Cory Smith, sr., Fond du Lac; Brett Young, sr., Ty Kamps, sr. and Mark Fantini, sr., Appleton East; and Trey Demler, jr., Oshkosh West.

 

Arguably one of the best conferences in the state and in the entire upper Midwest, it will be business as usual in the FVA.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

When Kimberly won the 2007 WIAA Division 1 state championship, the Papermakers didn t win the FVA title. Appleton West won its second straight league title and third in five years that season.

 

Fond du Lac coach Marty Paulsen is the dean of coaches in the Fox Valley Association. In his 41^st season, he ranked third on the Spring Coaches career records list with 474 victories entering the 2009 season.