A’s Open Friday
Posted: May 26, 2011
The “new look” Sheboygan A’s will open their 49th season Friday in the “new look” Wildwood Baseball Park.
The A’s host the Plymouth Flames of the Land o’ Lakes League Northern Division. Gametime is 7:30 p.m.
Hopes are high among A’s players and staff as they prepare for the season. Quality players have returned to the club and some good young position players and pitchers are in the fold.
Bring A Food Item
Fans who bring a donation of one or more food items to the box office Friday will get $1 off the price of admission. General admission is $3 for adults. $1 for students 17-under.
The team will be headed this year by Shaun Wegner, a 4-year player at UW-Milwaukee, who served as a graduate assistant coach at Minnesota State University in Mankato. MSU went 40-12 this year and 31-3 in the Northern Sun Conference.
Wegner is also on the roster as an active player and is likely to see some time behind the plate. He is a strong-armed catcher who had two .300-plus seasons and finished as a .286 career hitter in 180 games at UWM.
He will join the club Sunday after completing his Minnesota State responsibilities.
The return of fellow UWM players Grant Berkovitz, Charlie Reschke, Tim Patzman and Ben Stanczyk also have fans buzzing. Berkovitz and Reschke, both infielders, are Sheboygan North grads; Patzman, from Waukesha, was the club’s top hitter before suffering a broken elbow a year ago, and Stanzcyk started his career here before playing with the La Crosse Loggers and then being signed by the Brewers.
Top returning players are infielder/pitcher Taylor Schwarz (UW-Parkside), who hit .328 last year; catcher Phil Kramsky (UW Stevens Point) .321; infielder-outfielder Kyle Edlhuber (Wisconsin Lutheran) .287; pitcher Eric Van Beck (UW-Stevens Point) 5-2, 1.31; pitcher Mitch Gardner (Marian) 2-2, 4.84; pitcher Connor Lenz (Edgewood), 2-0, 3.38, 3 saves; pitcher Will Madson (Carthage-Tigers) 2-0, 2.08; catcher Justin Hunt (Purdue North Central) .259; outfielder Joey Patzman (UW Whitewater Club) .222; pitcher Jake Ristow (UW Madison Club) 0-1, 5.58, 2 saves; Jack Larsen (UW-Whitewater) 4-3, 5.06, 1 save; and pitcher Bryan Dominick (Central Methodist) 1-1, 3.00.
Among the newcomers who are expected to make big contributions are North grads Colin Willis, an outfielder from Purdue North Central, and Ryan Hamm a pitcher/infielder from Illinois Wesleyan. Others are UW-Milwaukee players outfielder Derek Peake and first baseman Ryan Solberg, UI-Chicago pitcher Collin Weyer, UW-Whitewater bound first baseman Adam Wilson, infielders Greg Rhude and Harry Steldt from Concordia; and pitchers Mike Huckabay and Parker Schrage from Madison College; Glenn Newell from Edgewood; Max Kramsky from Upper Iowa and Nicolet High School grad Carsten Haas.
While it will be the opener for the A’s, Rick Meyer’s Plymouth Club comes in with a 4-2 record. The Flames have triumphed over Cleveland, Grafton, Manitowoc Heat and Two Rivers, while losing to Saukville and Thiensville Mequon.
New dugouts will greet players when they enter the park. A new protective net that enables much improved viewing of the game, a new on-field seating section and a new picnic area will greet fans. The Sheboygan Athletic Club carried out the $175,000 improvement project.
The Grand Opening Celebration of the park is set for June 4 and will be marked by an afternoon brat fry and entertainment by Buffalo Joe prior to the 4 p.m. ribbon cutting and game against the Chicago Clout.
The A’s will host West Allis and Thiensville-Mequon on Wednesday and Thursday next week before the Grand Opening.
The Sheboygan A's are members of the Wisconsin State League and Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League. The A's have helped develop more than 43 players that have reached professional baseball, including 2002 World Series Champion Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim Angels). All Sheboygan A's home games are played at Wildwood Baseball Park in Sheboygan. Connect with the A's on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
