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WIAA SUMMER BASEBALL TOURNEY THIS WEEK AT BUKOLT IN STEVENS POINT

THE TOURNAMENT: The 47th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Summer Baseball State Tournament will take place Wednesday-Thursday, July 27-28, at Bukolt Park in Stevens Point, Wis. Action will begin Wednesday at 10:05 a.m. and will resume at 10:05 a.m. Thursday. Ticket prices for the tourney are $6 per session and are available only at the stadium.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE AND PAIRINGS:  The single elimination tournament features eight teams in one division. The second game of each session will follow the first game.

Wednesday, July 27
Quarterfinals - 10:05 a.m.
Game #1 - Brookfield East (19-13) vs. Marquette (24-9)
Game #2 - Waukesha West (24-9) vs. Franklin (26-7)*

Quarterfinals - 3:35 p.m.
Game #3 - Sheboygan Falls (18-11) vs. Whitefish Bay (20-13)
Game #4 - West Salem (24-5) vs. West Bend West (26-5)*

Thursday, July 28
Semifinals - 10:05 a.m.
Game #5 - Winner of Game #1 vs. Winner of Game #2
Game #6 - Winner of Game #3 vs. Winner of Game #4*

Championship Final - 3:35 p.m.
Game #7 - Winner of Game #5 vs. Winner of Game #6

* Following first game of session.


STATE GAMES ON THE WEB:  The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Tournament will be streamed on a same-day delay basis on foxsportswisconsin.com. Internet speeds from the facility will determine if live streaming will be available.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES ON FS WISCONSIN:  Watch the delayed broadcast of the WIAA State Summer Baseball Championship game on FS Wisconsin. The game is scheduled to air on Thursday, Aug. 4 at 7 p.m. Check local cable listings for the channel in your area.

TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The WIAA has been sponsoring the State Summer Baseball Championships since 1965. Brookfield Central, Brown Deer, Greendale, Homestead, Oak Creek, West Bend East and West Bend West have won the most State championships with three, followed by Arrowhead, Marquette and Nicolet with two. Including this year, New Holstein has made the most State appearances with 18. Ashland is second in the number of tournament appearances with 13; Platteville and West Bend West have made 12 appearances; and Arcadia, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, Plymouth and West Bend East have each made appearances in 10 State Tournaments. The State Summer Baseball Tournament has been won by 29 different schools.

LAST YEAR:  Franklin won its first State championship by defeating West Bend West 11-4 in the championship game. The Sabers broke the game open with six runs in the second inning to take an 8-0 lead and cruise to the victory. Catcher Matt Sklander belted a pair of doubles and a home run to drive in four runs to power the Sabers. Outfielder Jay Dirienzo added a pair of hits and drove in two to provide all the offense needed.

TOURNAMENT FIELD:  Defending champion Franklin is making its fourth appearance in the last five years and its ninth overall. In addition to last year’s title, the Sabers finished runner-up in 2000. They earned the opportunity to defend their crown by defeating Oak Creek 7-2 in the South Milwaukee Sectional final. The Sabers finished second in the Greater Metro Conference behind Oak Creek this season. Last year’s runner-up West Bend West will be making its 12th appearance at the State Tournament and its seventh in the last eight seasons. The Spartans won State titles in 1972, 1984 and 2007, and had another runner-up finish in 1981. They are the champions of the North Shore Conference this year and have qualified through the Campbellsport Sectional, outscoring their three tournament opponents 35-0, including a 12-0 five-inning win over West Bend East in the final. West Salem returns to the tournament field for the fourth straight season and for the seventh time overall. The Panthers played in the semifinals in 2002 and again last season, which represents their furthest advance in the tournament. They won the Large Division of the Dairyland Conference this year and earned the opportunity to play in the State Tournament by defeating Cochrane-Fountain City 10-0 in five innings in the sectional final played at Arcadia. Marquette returns to the State Tournament for the eighth time after failing to qualify last year for the first time since 2004. The Hilltoppers won the State title in 2006 and 2008. In addition, they finished runner-up in 1999 and 2009. They finished third in the Greater Metro Conference this season behind Oak Creek and Franklin, and they earned a return trip to Bukolt Park with an 8-3 win over New Berlin Eisenhower in the New Berlin West Sectional final. Waukesha West is back in the State Tournament for the seventh time in the last 10 years and for the second year in a row. The Wolverines made four straight appearances from 2002-05 and advanced to the semifinal round in 2003. They finished first in the Classic Eight Conference this season and proceeded to win the sectional they hosted, which was culminated by a 5-4 win over Muskego in the final. Brookfield East returns to State for the first time since 1988, which was the second of two straight appearances that also accounts for the overall number of appearances for the Spartans. They fell in the quarterfinals in each of those prior experiences. They finished sixth in the Greater Metro Conference this season, and they are the champions of the Germantown Sectional following a 7-6 win over cross-town rival Brookfield Central in the final. Sheboygan Falls will return to the State Tournament for the first time since 1991 and for the third time overall. The Falcons first-ever appearance came in 1973 when they won the title. They finished second in  the Eastern Wisconsin Conference behind Kewaskum this season, and they are representing the Plymouth Sectional following their 12-3 win over Kiel in the final. Whitefish Bay makes its first appearance since its only other State experience in 2002, when the Blue Devils advanced to the semifinals. They finished fifth in the North Shore Conference this season and won the sectional they hosted with an 11-3 win over Cedarburg.