Elk Mound baseball will rely on experience, numbers to compete for conference crown
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THE 2024 ELK MOUND Baseball Team has 34 members as it prepares to open a new season this week with a trio of home games. Front row: (L to R): Ryder Anderson, Dru Schiszik, Logan Osborne, Brady Amble, Carter Vieth, Will Thatcher, Cayden Brunner, Marcus Folczyk, Kaden Books, Brayden Borek, and Blake Niska. Middle row (L to R): Wyatt Clauson-Zahara, Carter Garnett, Peyton Vieth, Gavin Dean, Parker Rhude, Ian Gerrits, Chase Adams, Kaden Moyer, Mason Books, Quintin Spehle, Blane Anderson, and Arlo Tormoen. Back row (L to R): Jacob Osborne, Kaden Russo, Lucas Johnson, Dylan Plets, Easton Chisholm, Logan Brost, and Conor Mock. MIssing are Kamron Diermeier, Victor Noller, Adrian Lombard and Rowan Kaminski. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
ELK MOUND — While some schools in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference struggle with participation numbers, Elk Mound does not!
Mounders’ head baseball coach Paul Andrea, who enters his 25th season sporting an eye-popping 304-154 record, had 34 players report for the 2024 diamond campaign.
Although Elk Mound lost last season’s leading hitter and starting shortstop Ryan Bartig and first baseman Jerome Delikowski, who was injured much of the season, to graduation, Andrea welcomes back a bevy of experienced hitters, fielders and pitchers for another run at a conference championship and more following a 15-7 overall mark last year that saw the Mounders finish second in the Dunn-St. Croix (12-2) one game behind Mondovi. The Mounders’ season ended with an 11-10 extra-innings loss to Stratford in the regional semifinal.
Elk Mound brings back ten letter winners – seniors Carter Vieth, Kaden Russo, Lucas Johnson, Carter Garnett, Jake Osborne and Brady Amble, juniors Kamron Diermeier and Brayden Borek and sophomores Victor Noller and Peyton Vieth – four of which earned all-conference honors a season ago.
That group also includes most of the team’s best hitters and its top three pitchers from the 2023 campaign.
Leading the Mounders will be senior Lucas Johnson, a second team all-conference performer that finished tied for second in hits with 27 (seven doubles and a home run) and pitched with a 2.80 earned run average (ERA)and 49 strikeouts; first team all-conference selections Kamron Diermeier, a junior who also collected 27 hits, pitched the most innings (45 2/3) and finished with a team-high 61 strikeouts; and seniors Cater Vieth, who collected eight doubles among his 26 hits, and Kaden Russo, who was named an honorable mention all-conference player after registering 24 hits last year including seven doubles.
Victor Noller threw the third most innings (26) for Elk Mound a season ago and finished with 35 Ks and a team-best 2.69 ERA. Peyton Vieth also did some relief pitching and had nine hits in just 37 at bats.
The Mounders bolstered this season’s roster with 16 freshmen many of which have shown early potential all over the field at many of the key positions according to Andrea.
The coach believes the strength of this year’s squad will be the leadership from its six seniors
“They have experienced success and compiled quite a winning culture over the past three years including conference and regional championships in 2022,” stated Andrea.
“They are hungry to take that next step,” he added.
Andrea believes that his team still needs to learn how to close out close ball games and not sit on leads.
As for statistical goals, Andrea wants his team to make no more than two errors per game, reduce walks as a pitching staff and have a batting average above .350.
“Our expectations are to overtake Mondovi as conference champs and win a regional championship which will give us an opportunity to advance to the state tournament in Appleton,” said Andrea.
Standing in the way of the Mounders’ lofty goals will be the defending conference and regional champions from Mondovi. Andrea has also tabbed Boyceville and Spring Valley as potential title contenders as both teams are well coached and give the Mounders a battle every time they play those squads.
This year’s Elk Mound coaching staff includes Jon Chisholm, who begins his 13th season with Andrea and has moved up to the be the top varsity assistant this season, and Dave Lew, who will serve as the junior varsity coach.
2024 Roster
Seniors: Brady Amble, Carter Garnett, Carter Vieth, Jacob Osborne, Kaden Russo, Lucas Johnson
Juniors: Adrian Lombard, Brayden Borek, Ian Gerritas, Kamron Diermeier, Mason Books
Sophomores: Ario Tormoen, Cayden Brunner, Kaden Moyer, Logan Brost, Peyton Vieth, Quitin Spehle, Victor Noller
Freshmen: Blake Niska, Blane Anderson, Chase Adams, Conor Mock, Dru Schiszik, Dylan Plets, Easton Chisholm, Gavin Dean, Kaden Books, Logan Osborne, Marcus Folczyk, Parker Rhude, Rowan Kamisnki, Ryder Anderson, Will Thatcher, Wyatt Clauson-Zahara