GRAND CHUTE - The year has been tough in many ways for high school athletes, but they found some closure at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium Sunday afternoon.
After a three-and-a-half-hour rain delay, many top area high school baseball seniors played a game that counted toward the record books in 2020.
The WIAA and American Legion Department of Wisconsin canceled their seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The inaugural Fox Valley Senior All-Star Games, however, gave graduated seniors the opportunity to end their high school careers (somewhat) normally.
"It was good to end on a high note," Oshkosh North grad and future Winona State baseball player Charlie Stenson said. "Different from losing your last game, but it was a fun experience."
Because of social distancing, large hangouts haven't been as common as usual. Seniors were glad to play with their friends on the baseball field again.
"I know more than half of these guys and being able to play just one last game was pretty special for all of us," Oshkosh West grad and future UW-Milwaukee Panther Riley Frey said.
Fox Cities Stadium is home to the Milwaukee Brewers' Class A affiliate Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. The stadium is also home to the WIAA state baseball championship and was the site of the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship from 2000 to 2018.
It's the place to be for Wisconsin prep baseball players, especially in the Fox Valley.
“As a kid, going to T-Rat games and watching DIII World Series out here, it’s a dream to be at this field and play, especially for a last high school game ever," Appleton North grad and another future UWM Panther Thomas Otto said.
Most players shared the same sentiment, and the first-time event didn't disappoint despite the rainy conditions.
"Always wanted to play here, so it was fun to get to do it,” Sheboygan North grad and Carroll University commit Bennet Becker said.
It was a second trip to the Fox Cities Stadium field for Fond du Lac grad Fletcher Haus, who played there during the Cardinals' 2019 Division 1 state championship appearance.
“It’s just as cool as it was the first time," Haus said.
The rain delay ultimately forced the final game to be canceled, which was to be played between the winners of the first two matchups.
"It's too bad we couldn't play in the other game due to the weather, but it was nice to get to know some of the guys," De Pere grad and Marian University commit Tyler Blum said.
The game day wouldn't have been possible without the Timber Rattlers, said Oshkosh West and Team Gray coach Tony Gerharz.
Conversations between the minor league team and coaches led to the Timber Rattlers opening the stadium for the event. Without the professional field and tarp, the games likely would've been rained out at a high school stadium.
"We really want to thank the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and assistant GM Aaron Hahn for helping set this up with us. It was fun to get some baseball and some competitiveness," Gerharz said.
Area high school coaches nominated players to the game. It took a month to settle on the coaches and players and determine availability. Gerharz, Little Chute coach Dean Birling and Eric Beard of Wrightstown picked the rosters a few weeks ago.
"Tried not to have teammates play together. We purposely tried to do that," Gerharz said. "We tried to even out Division 1 kids and Division 4 kids so there weren't a bunch of Division 1 kids on one team. I think the way it panned out was pretty even."
Both game were close. Originally scheduled for a 1 p.m. first pitch, Team Cardinal and Team Black began shortly before 4:30 p.m., with Team Cardinal winning 5-3. Team Gray won 4-3 over Team White on a walk-off walk.
"We don't know if it's a one-year thing," Gerharz said. "Who knows what's going to happen next year? It was a good time. We had pretty good buy-in from the people. We know we couldn't be able to play anywhere else without a tarp like this."
Longtime Appleton West and Appleton North coach Bruce Erickson and his son, Timber Rattlers manager Matt Erickson, helped coach Team Black.
"We reversed roles today. I coached him when he was in high school. Now today he pretty much took over this one," Bruce Erickson said.
Stenson said the games gave him his first experience with a coach in a position as high as Matt Erickson.
"It was cool interacting with someone with that baseball knowledge," Stenson said.
The WIAA fall sports season has drastically changed amid the coronavirus pandemic but has not been canceled. Football and other high-risk sports can't practice until Sept. 7. The WIAA Board of Control has not guaranteed that any championships will be played this fall.
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