I'm Phil Ney for WRC of sports.
The Ithaca baseball team opens up today at home against Riverdale.
I asked Coach Dan Clary how it's been going.
I've been going well.
We had 27 guys, I guess, show up to practice.
That's a pretty good number to work with.
The biggest dilemmas getting through and making sure you get a really good look at everybody
that you do have.
I think there was eight freshmen that came out this year.
And then there's a couple of other guys that decided to give it another shot.
And so having those fresh faces there really gives us a lot to look at.
We were able to get a couple of inner squad scrimmages in this last week, which really
helped.
So you kind of see, and you can move guys from place to place and get a good look at them.
And so that's what we've been up to.
And the guys who've been working really hard and they're really anxious to get going.
You play a team similar to the Bulldogs today with Riverdale.
I think that always is an exciting game to play, isn't it?
Yeah, it's an excellent way to start our season off.
They got everybody back from a good team last year.
And they always play good baseball.
Kurt does a fantastic job with the boys.
And it's always, they said it's always a really tight game when we play them.
And just getting a nine conference game in prior to conference play would be huge for
us.
How's the diamond look at Ethika?
Right now, it's been really a spot in the best shape it's ever been for a start of
season.
So we're just hoping the rain kind of holds off and temperature holds out so we can get
it in today.
That would be, that would be great, but it looks good right now.
Ethika baseball coach Dan Clary, the team graduated some key seniors last year, including
Lincoln Manning and Ethan Cockroft.
Lincoln, especially as a lead off batter, he did fantastic.
He just had a great mentality for a lead off batter and did a really good job defensively.
And Ethan Cockroft at first base was just a wall over there.
And that's what you need.
You need outs to be out there.
And he had a really good bat on him too.
So filling those two holes is big, but we've, like I said, we've got guys that are anxious
to fill those holes and they've been doing a good job.
So we'll see where it goes, but it's definitely going to be a work in progress.
Ethika baseball coach Dan Clary on WRCO, and now Riverdale veteran coach Kurt Thompson
who talked about the team's opening week, including a victory last week over Cashton.
Yeah, we played well.
We played Cashton last week.
I thought the guys played well last Thursday.
We got some solid pitching, good defense and we hit the ball pretty good.
So yeah, it was a good start to the season and a good team week.
And we have high expectations this year and I think our guys are all in to have a really
good season.
What do you play today in one of your, your front ones?
This is a good one to play each and every year and you hope to get it in, don't you?
Oh, for sure.
This is always a big game.
You know, there's a big rivalry between us and Ethika and Ethika, you know, defending
state champs, having outstanding program, great coaching, great system and this is always
a fun one.
I guess the guys always get fired up for the game, as do the coaches and we're really looking
forward to that game tonight and hopefully the weather cooperates and we get it down.
So this is your chance to play them this year.
If you play again, it would be a long way down the line, wouldn't it?
That would be a long way down the line.
It would probably be a state tournament because we go opposite ways and it's tournaments
this year.
Ethika had kind of to the Northern section and we go south east towards Johnson Creek sectional.
So that would be an amazing achievement if we both ended up at the same location somewhere
down the line.
But that's the long way the way and we'll just see what we can do.
Let's look at this year's Riverdale team.
Kurt, what do you think the team's strong?
Well, I think for sure it's the experience.
I mean, we have nine seniors on this year's team who return all of our starters from last
year and I think that's a big thing for us.
They know what we expect to do.
They've had experience and a lot of tough games last year and big games and played well.
And with everybody coming back, I think that's a big advantage.
I also think that we should have a really solid pitching staff.
I think we're going to have pretty good depth.
We probably could go five, six, maybe deep on varsity and we do have some really good
younger pitchers coming in this year too.
So I think that's a strength.
I think, you know, defensive hitting, we should be solid.
So overall, I think, you know, like I was saying before, we really have some high expectations
for this team.
And I think, you know, if we can stay injury free and stay focused and be able to just
continue to get better each game, we should have a pretty good season.
Over to coach Kurt Thompson will have the game today.
Of course, whether permitting on WRC OFM 100.9 and WRC.com, first pitch time schedule for
five o'clock in Ithaca, other games today on the high school ranks, Seneca at Potosi
Casville.
Also North Crawford Place baseball at Boscabel, Pecatana at Cuba City, Platteville
at Phenomore, Belmont and Iowa Grant, Highland at Dodgeville, cashed and visits Brookwood,
Westfield at Portage, Wasika Stuban at River Ridge, Missita at Royal, also Hillsboro
at Bangor, Mount Horabit, Wisconsin Dells and New Lisbon at Waniwak Center.
In softball today, Riverdale at Southwestern, Phenomore at Boscabel, Barrowwood, Wisconsin
Dells, Seneca visits Verokua, Youth Initiative, New Lisbon at Waniwak Center, Hillsboro at
Bangor, Royal Host, Missita, McFarland at River Valley, Wasika Stuban at River Ridge,
Curry to Sheen at Barnabelle and Landcaster at Belmont, cashed and travels to Brookwood,
in rural pointed Cuba City, Iowa Grant at Darlington and Ithaca is home against Potosi Casville,
high school soccer tonight, Platteville Landcaster, Place at Monroe.
Speaking of girls, Seneca Richell Center girls hosted their alumni game on Saturday and
alumni and attendants included Shawnee Fink, Julius Smith, Alia Ruland, Elizabeth
Albeday, along with Jaden Johnson, Maya Stadler, Abbey Ritten, Naomi Abbey, and Mallory
Winchell, Anna Corb, Sarah Anderson, Jill Wagner, Becky Craig, Trisha Labansky and Laura
Johnson.
Alumni came out ahead four to two over the Richell Center girls soccer team on Saturday,
it was great to get out on the field for the team and the players and former players and
they saw some encouraging things for the upcoming season according to coach Shawnee Fink.
Girls came from alumni Becky Craig scoring two, Julius Smith and Anna Corb also had goals.
Goals for the current Richell Center squad came from Brynn Anderson, off some great passing,
resulting in a shot at the top of the 18, and Hope Fox off across from Errol and Wallace.
Coach Shawnee Fink and Julius Smith are looking forward to a great season.
Rookie Fienham, Jackson Cheerio had two hits including an RBI double and made a couple of
highlight catches as the Brewers swept the Met Sunday four to one, Colin Ray pitched
the first five innings, giving it five hits and a run to claim the victory.
Former Brewer Tyrone Taylor knocked in New York's only run with a single Milwaukee is off
today and tonight they'll take on the twins in the 2024 home opener first pitch time
three 10 tomorrow afternoon on WRC FM 107.7 and WRC O AM 1450 in other sports scores from
yesterday. The Cubs over Texas nine five and Italy gaction Philadelphia beat Atlanta five
four Cincinnati six five over Washington Pittsburgh nine Miami seven Arizona five one over
Colorado San Diego 13 San Francisco four the Dodgers beat St. Louis five four in the
American League the Angels four Baltimore one Toronto nine two over Tampa Bay Kansas City
beat Minnesota 11 nothing Detroit three the light socks two Yankees four three over Houston
Oakland four Cleveland three Boston five one over Seattle with Damien Lillard setting out
Yannis and the box scored a win on Saturday night one twenty two one thirteen over Atlanta
Milwaukee travels to DC to play the wizards coming up on Tuesday night.
Marquette fell just short of the sweet 16 with a 60 seven 58 loss on Friday to North Carolina
state. Then went on to win yesterday and see stayed headed toward its first final four
and four decades after beating Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke 76 64 in the South
region final and it was Zach Edie leading the way going a career high 40 points along
the way with 16 rebounds and one big block the muscle the boiler makers into the program's
first final four since nineteen eighty with a seventy two sixty six victory over Tennessee.
I'm Phil Ney with a look at WRC O Monday morning sports.