I am filming for WRCO sports, well, a high school softball season is set to open up in
Richland Center today, whether permitting a Hornets coach by Jamie Gander had a great
end of the season, making it to the sectional final a year ago.
I talked yesterday to coach Gander as his team is preparing for the new season.
Well, good attitudes, a lot of hard work.
It's been tough getting in some good practices.
I guess we call them because it's just been, you know, we had a big snow storm last weekend
and we missed practice Monday.
That was one of our days we were scheduled to be in in the morning and the afternoon.
So we had to delay our scrimmage with Ethica at a Monday night just because of that,
because we originally had a plan for Saturday.
They didn't have enough practices and per WIA to scrimmage.
And then again with Tuesday night's game scheduled with the Dulls, we had to move that back too.
So it looks like we're good to go with practices for the game against Wazika and we should
build a keep moving forward. It was nice to get outside. I felt last night.
It was probably our best practice of the season so far because we were able to get down on our field
and just do what kind of pick up and do what we were doing at the end of last season.
What about the scrimmage on Monday? What did you see in that one?
Well, we pitched Kairi and Brad pitched JC the first two innings.
And I'll be honest, you know, early in the season, those two throw hard.
There just wasn't a lot of hits.
So we both talked ahead of time.
We agreed to throw those two two innings and then our backups, the last two innings.
And you know, both teams struggled hitting off the starting pitchers,
but then both teams hit pretty decent off the backups, which was good to see.
So fielding wise, you know, we got some new faces in there this year.
It's going to be a work in progress.
You know, we lost four pretty vital seniors, you know, vital part of our team last year.
So we're working hard to try and to fill those positions.
You know, I think like I said, it's going to be a work in progress again this year,
but we just keep telling the girl we just want to be the hardest work and team the conference
and just keep doing what we do and see where the season ends here again.
RC softball coach Jamie Gander.
WRC plans to broadcast that game today.
And I'm conference contest against Wasika Stuben.
They are coached by Dustin Smith.
The seniors and I actually last week were gone on our senior class trip to the big apple
in New York City. So this is about my first full week of practice with the girls,
but what I have been seeing is positive energy, good effort, and just, you know,
that overall tenacity where they want to be great.
As you prepare for the game in Richland Center, have you been on an actual field very often yet?
We were finally able to get out this week.
We've been out on the field both Monday and Tuesday, and then we plan on taking advantage
of beautiful sunny five and sunny degree weather today.
Tell me about your team.
Who are your leaders going to be this year?
Well, I have a couple of returning all state players from the previous year,
Isabella Bungers and Brianna Ray.
Isabella is a senior this year, and she will be my senior shortstop and then Bri.
Like I said, she was all state from year before.
She is my pitcher and also my third baseman, but there are also many
other contributing girls on our team that are eager and ready to start to carve out a name for
themselves too. You matched up with Richland Center a year ago. What do you expect from them,
knowing a little bit about them going into this year?
Well, last year they were up and up, and I don't think that they were going to surprise any teams
this year. Everyone knows what caliber of team they are, especially with the fisher girl
taking the center circle. I believe she's a sophomore this year, so I can only imagine
as she's gotten better from the previous year.
Once again, we'll have high school softball today on the radio,
weather permitting. That's a five o'clock first pitch time.
Bowling scores from the merchant's bowling league, Hillside Dairy 2, a 2878,
Phoenix Center 2, a 2821, Kelly's coffee, a 2816. High game honors, Hillside Dairy 2, a 1023,
Premier co-op 1,09, 1,03 for Kelly's coffee, top individual series Chase Keller 707,
Ken Next Jr. 631, Steve Winger 628, top game Chase Keller a 258, Richard Gilbert a 245,
Jordan Slaney and Steve Winger each had 244s in the merchant's bowling league.
On the state scene, the top story, of course,
second year picture, Jacob Mizorowski gets the opening day start for the brewers this afternoon,
manager Pad Murphy in his team welcoming in the white socks,
Milwaukee won a franchise record 97 last season. The Miz threw five hitless innings against
the St. Louis Cardinals in his first major league start last June. Only two pictures have been younger
when they started an opening day game. As far as the season, the veteran Christian Yelch.
Yeah, that's a matter. If you, it says you're not going to be good,
it says you're going to be good. You still got to play, you still got to stay healthy,
you still got to navigate the six-month season where there's going to be a lot of good times and
bad times. I think we have a young team, we have a talented team and kind of just see what the
season has in store for us. We're going to have to play well if we want to be in a position
of BFO season team. Yeli was asked why all of the national so-called experts always sell the brewers
short. I don't know if we have like the household names or guys that we trade guys usually every
off season or say that we can't overcome this loss or that loss and people think that we do
every year's a fluke. I don't know, you don't have to ask them. We're not really too concerned with
that because like you said, it's weak control what we do out there whether they say you're going to
be great whether they say you're going to be bad doesn't really matter. You kind of just block
out that noise. Pre-game time coming up around 12 30 on WRC EFM 107.7 at AM 1450. Aaron
Judge went hitless and opening day for the first time and struck out four times for the first time
since September of 2024. But the Yankees still produce plenty of offense and beat San Francisco
seven nothing as the game got underway and the season got underway for the major leagues in
baseball. Lots of openers today around the leagues inter league play Boston and Cincinnati Detroit
at San Diego. Also Tampa Bay is playing today at the Cardinals and Texas at Philadelphia in the
American League Minnesota at Baltimore. The Angels at Houston Cleveland at Seattle tonight
and in the National League. The Cubs this afternoon hosting Washington and Pittsburgh at the
Metz. Arizona is playing at the Dodgers. Also the Badger men's hockey team is opening up.
It's NCAA play. They were invited as an at large in a round of 16. They take on ECAC champion
Dartmouth in the first game on the way to a possible frozen for coach Mike Hastings team one three
of the four games had played against ranked teams at the end of the regular season. We didn't get
to control a Dartmouth debt and we could control what you're going to do in preparation for the
opportunity and those guys didn't outstanding job at doing that. You know, and so I feel good
from the standpoint of I think they gave me everything they they had over this time to prepare
for it physically and mentally. I do think they're incredibly excited about it playing on Thursday
and they should be 36 points from Ryan Rollins were it nearly enough to keep the box in a game at
Portland last night. The trailblazers roll to a 130 to 99 victory. That's eight losses in the
last 10 games from Milwaukee. Starter is yana sounded a cumpo Miles Turner and Kyle Kusma missed
the action as did six the man Bobby Portis. The bucks return home to meet the spurs on Saturday
afternoon. And the Packers their best defensive player and several other teams don't like the
push. But they're just going to have to put up with it. Athletes sports reports that play
isn't on the agenda with the league owners next week. Micah Parsons has told reporters that
players getting behind the ball carrier and pushing him forward in short yardage situations
is not football. The Packers introduced a proposition to get rid of it last year. It will remain
as a legal play during the 2026 NFL season. I am Philney with an update on sports.
