Kaukauna Claims First State Baseball Title Since 1953

It has been a long time coming.

Seriously.

The Kaukauna Galloping Ghosts are state champions in baseball for the first time since 1953 after beating Madison Memorial 11-5 for the WIAA Division 1 state championship at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Thursday, June 18.

“A lot of smiles, a lot of happiness and a lot of joy with a really great group of guys,” Kaukauna coach Mike Jenkins said. “It’s a group of 25 I’ve known for a long time.”

It’s a group of 25 where everyone had the chance to contribute to Kaukauna’s 24-7 season.

In the championship game, it started with starting pitcher Bennett Geitner.

Geitner was making his ninth appearance of the season on the mound but just his second start of the season.

“He really did a good job for us, especially after losing Paxton [Schuh],” Jenkins said. “He settled into the closer role and into that No. 3 guy for us. Realistically, it queued him up being our starter tonight.”

Geitner went four innings and allowed four runs on three hits and two walks while striking out one to get the win.

“We wanted four innings out of him and that’s what he gave us,” Jenkins said.

“Coach told me to give us all you’ve got for the amount of innings it takes and just do your job,” Geitner said.

Geitner’s only hiccup came with two outs in the third inning when he walked two batters and hit one before giving up a single to Caleb Liggon and a triple to Ezra Liggon as the Spartans took a 4-1 lead.

Kaukauna rallied back with five runs in its half of the third and Geitner pitched a quick fourth inning.

That set up an unexpected contributor for Kaukauna in Schuh, who suffered a torn meniscus four weeks ago and hadn’t pitched since.

Prior to the injury, Schuh was 7-1 in nine games including eight starts. He had crafted a 2.29 ERA over 39 innings with 15 walks and 60 strikeouts.

“I had surgery three weeks ago on my knee,” Schuh said. “One week ago, I had a conversation with my [physical therapist] and she said there was no way. I had another checkup this week on Monday and they said that I had a 2% chance and I ran with it.

“I grinded this whole week. Anything I could do to get back out there. Everything went well. Beyond blessed.”

Buoyed by a huge Kaukauna contingent wearing orange and black, Schuh allowed one run on a single, two walks, a hit batter and a triple.

“I knew before yesterday’s game [vs. Nicolet] that he was available today, but it was one of those things we had to work through that everyone was in the right space and make sure that he was able to do the job,” Jenkins said. “He sure did.”

Schuh, who struck out Madison Memorial’s Blake Adams for the title-clinching out, said there were no nerves.

“It was all business when I was out there,” Schuh said. “I was dialed.”

The combined effort by Geitner and Schuh capped a great five-game stretch of pitching for Kaukauna.

It started in the sectional semifinal win over Kimberly when Carson Gates pitched a complete game and in the sectional final win over Bay Port when Bron Schaefer pitched six innings and Geitner closed out the game.

In the state quarterfinal win over River Falls, Gates spun another complete game with Schaefer pitching a complete game against Nicolet in the semifinal win.

“It really came down to the people who could start for us and finish this game” Geitner said. “It really came down to them, and they got us where we needed to be. Everyone was hands on deck for the last game.”

Offensively, the Ghosts got contributions from up and down the lineup.

In Kaukauna’s five-run third inning, the Ghosts had one run in with two outs when Blake Vandeloo, who was hitting in the No. 9 spot and had three hits, drew an inning-extending walk. Schaefer, who had two hits, scored twice and drove home three runs, singled in two runs. Kaden Kress beat out an infield single to deep short and Brayden Jenkins hit a flare to center field to score two more runs to put Kaukauna up 6-4.

“Our offense has been clicking on all cylinders this whole playoff run,” coach Jenkins said. “Truly one through nine contributing every game through this run.”

Kress came up big in Kaukauna’s three-run fifth inning as well, ripping a double to left that scored Vandeloo, who had led off the inning with a triple, and Schaefer, who was hit by a pitch and stole second.

“I was in the dugout and saw we got a couple of guys on,” Kress said. “I said to myself that I’m getting two RBI. There’s no other choice. No other choice.”

And he did just that.

“I just kept telling myself that I can do better,” said Kress, who finished with three hits and three RBIs. “Keep fighting. I knew this was my last game and I was going to give it my all for this city.”

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Kaukauna Ghosts win first WIAA state baseball title since 1953