Sports Report PLUS

Shiocton @ Bonduel
May 4, 2026

The communities of Shiocton and Bonduel should be proud of the sportsmanship displayed by the student athletes, coaches, and parents connected to each school's softball programs.  Dan and I had a blast officiating the contest between these two schools.  Positive sportsmanship and hustle were displayed by both teams.  A special note of thanks to Ella Griesbach from Shiocton and Marlie Houtnom of Bonduel for their words of positive encouragement towards their teammates.  I would also like to thank the support staff at Bonduel for their work in getting the field ready to play.

Reporting Official:  Phil Punzel

St. Mary Catholic JV @ Appleton West JV
April 24, 2026

The St. Mary Catholic catcher, #8 demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship.  I was the plate umpire for tonight's game and witnessed firsthand how more players should carry themselves on the field. A few examples I saw tonight. Even when the game was close witha a 1-2 run difference and Appleton West had a big hit, this young man would congratulate this opponents on a nice hit or a good play.  He also, on two occasions encouraged another young man from Appleton West.  It was very clear the player from Appleton West had not played much baseball before and struck out twice at the plate.  The catcher helped him realize he was out, but at the same time used encouraging words about the plate appearance.  It was very refreshing to see this kind of sportsmanship, he was quite the example for his school and others who play his position and participate in high school sports.

Reporting Official:  Jason Podgorski

Shorewood @ Catholic Memorial
April 11, 2026

What an incredible back-and-forth game. What great sportsmanship on both sides.  I want to point out two young men that I worked with in the game for Catholic Memorial.  That would be first baseman Mike Haddon and catcher Chase Freschi.  Chase was actually hit in the head with a pitch in the game and dinged up by a foul ball but he kept on playing with a smile on his face. They are well-coached and have excellent teammates that support them. As for Shorewood, catcher Yanni Douros has extreme toughness and outstanding character as well. He was a great teammate, and he also kept me protected as a home plate umpire.  There were others on the team that had great sportsmanship as well throughout the game.  Shorewood was also well-coached by the head coach and assistant coaches. Thank you for making high school baseball fun to umpire.  John Steffens, baseball home plate official.

Reporting Official:  John Steffens