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One of the best-kept secrets in the state, the Kenosha Bradford baseball program is on a roll.

 

The Red Devils, the returning WIAA Division 1 state champions, just returned from a spring break trip to Louisville, Ky. and are currently 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the Southeast Conference.

 

With an eight-game stretch over the next 10 days, coach Matt LaBuda said his team is raring to go.

 

"This will be a busy stretch for us but one that we are geared up and prepared for," said LaBuda, whose squad has a pair of victories over Burlington (6-2 and 7-1) in conference play.

 

After winning its first state title in the program s history a year ago, Bradford moves into a new baseball stadium this season, Red Devil Field, which is located at the high school.

 

A dedication ceremony is planned for May 23, when Bradford hosts a three- team tournament.

 

"Following my first season as the head coach I saw the need to help Bradford build a baseball facility on campus that the program could call their own," LaBuda said. "Including building supplies, labor, and field materials, we have put in more than $500,000 toward the project."

 

LaBuda organized a "parent diamond backer group" which he said included player s families, especially Bob Lewer and Rick Carter, coaches, including varsity assistant, Jim Broadway who he called a "key contributor and organizer in this process" and many members of the community to help raise funds and donations for the project.

 

"We ve very excited about the field. The school district said ‘Do whatever you want but we can t help you very much, " LaBuda said. "So we did a lot of it on our own, especially fund-raising, and it s turned into a real nice place to play.

 

"If we would have had to pay for the full value, it would have been about $500,000. But so many people donated time and materials and helped get the project going. Instead of paying $8 a brick, we got the bricks for a $1 each. A dad, who did the excavating, donated his time and machinery. We had a lot of people pitch in and help."

 

LaBuda said one of the main expenses was fencing. But John Wavro, an alumnus, donated $110,000 to build a concession stand, press box and bathrooms, which will be under construction soon.

"John was a Bradford grad, who played back in the 1950s. It think winning the state championship definitely helped. But I think he would have contributed even if we wouldn t have done that," LaBuda said. "The field will be named after his family name, after his father who is deceased. It will be called Wavro Field at Bradford Park."

 

 

BRADFORD OUTLOOK

After Kenosha Bradford finished behind Southeast Conference champion Kenosha Tremper last year, tied for second with Burlington, the Red Devils got hot and won the Division 1 state title, the first in the school s 45-year history.

 

The Red Devils return six of their nine starters from the championship game along with Steve Wolke, who was hitting .375 when he was lost for the season a year ago with a knee injury.

 

The Red Devils have seven players who batted over .350 last season including: senior center fielder Matt Lewer at .506; Brenden Schulz .447; junior catcher Matt Richer .438; Eric Corrao .412; senior shortstop Jon Atkins .357; senior utility player Pete Djurickovic.351; and Wolke.

 

Lewer and Atkins are returning Southeast Conference first team selections, while Richer and Djurickovic were second-team selections.

 

"After winning state last season, we re hungry to get back there," Lewer said. "We didn t win conference, which is a goal of ours. We re just trying to get better each day."

 

La Buda expects the Red Devils offense to pick up where it left off last season.

 

"Our offense should be very productive this season.  We averaged over eight runs and 10 hits per game last season," LaBuda said. "We hit .360 as a team and I look for us to improve on that this season."

 

Left-hander Brenden Schulz leads the pitching staff after having a solid sophomore season.  Seniors Dustin Proud and Eric Corrao will also anchor the staff.

 

Adding to the mix, though, are three quality sophomore pitching prospects in Ryan Furtney, Ryan Lewer, and Gino DeBartolo. Junior left hander Kevin Pawell is also expected to be a key contributor to the staff.

 

"We feel that our pitching staff is young but talented," LaBuda said. "We will have 12 varsity players who can throw strikes and give us innings which will be especially needed this season since we are now scheduled to play 26 games.

 

"Defensively, I expect our team to be one of the best in our conference and in the state.  We pride ourselves on our ability to make the routine play routine and handle the challenging play fundamentally by not giving opponents an extra base."

 

LaBuda said solid play in three of the four major aspects of the game -- solid hitting, good fundamental defense, and excellent base running – will be the core of the Red Devils success.

 

"If our pitching can keep us in the game, develop as the season progresses and improve throughout the year, we should be in a good position at the end of the season."

 

 

KEEP AN EYE ON

Senior center fielder Matt Lewer

A three-time all-conference first team selection, Lewer is among the state s top returning players. In the 2008 WIAA Division 1 state tournament, Lewer tied a state record for the most hits (8), set in 1952, in the tournament series. He was 8-for-11 (.727) with a walk and 6 RBI in the three state games. He finished his junior season batting .506 (44 hits in 26 games), slugging .690, had an on base percentage of 583, and was 22 for 22 in stolen bases.  He has only committed two errors in three seasons as the team s starting center fielder.

 

 

SPRING BREAK TRIP

Highlights from Bradford s trip to Louisville where Pleasure Ridge Park High School was the host school:

 

Friday, April 17

Southern H.S. (9-3) From Louisville def. Kenosha-Bradford (2-1) 5-4 in 9 innings.

Winning pitcher – Freddie Young. Losing Pitcher – Dustin Proud (0-1)

Bradford -- Dustin Proud – 3-RBI single, Matt Lewer – 2B, run scored.

 

Saturday, April 18

Defending Kentucky state champion Pleasure Ridge Park H.S. (12-3) def. Kenosha-Bradford (2-2) 5-0.

Winning pitcher – Cody Gibson (5-0), Losing Pitcher – Brenden Schulz (1-1).

 

Kenosha-Bradford (3-2) def. Perry County Central H.S. (8-7) of Eastern Ky., 13-3

Winning pitcher – Kevin Pawell (2-0), Losing pitcher – John Amis (3-1).

Bradford: Nate Mikolis, HR, 2 RBI; Matt Lewer, 3-for-3, 2B, 3B, 2 runs; Ryan Furtney, (2-for-2, HR, 2 runs, 2 RBI; Jon Atkins, 2-for-2, 2 runs; Gino DeBartolo, 3-for-3, 2 HR, 3 runs, 5 RBI; Jimmy Kreuser, 1-for-2, run, 2 SBs