Raiders back for more

Team made it to D-3 state last season

By Casey Krautkramer

Marathon baseball returns six of nine starting players from last season’s state tournament squad and the Red Raiders are poised for even more success on the field in 2022.

The Red Raiders lost starting pitcher/ shortstop Brock Warren, who now plays baseball for Ripon College; catcher Mike Hahn and centerfielder Jake Sweno to graduation last spring.

Marathon concluded last season with a 19-8 record after losing to eventual WIAA Division 3 state champion Kenosha St. Joseph, 11-1, in the state semifinal.

Brock Warren pitched a completegame 6-2 sectional semifinal victory for Marathon against La Crosse Aquinas. Jaden Koeller, as a junior last season, threw 7-2/3 innings to get the pitching win in the sectional championship against Markesan.

Koeller and Brock Warren switched between starting shortstop and pitcher last season; one of them played shortstop when the other one was pitching. Other top returning senior players this season, besides Koeller, are infielder Nathan Hanke and pitcher Kyle Hollenbeck.

Top Red Raiders junior players back in 2022 are utility men Pierson Hamann and Peter Chesek, and outfielders and pitchers Daniel LaQua and Hector Pintor. The team’s top returning sophomore players are first baseman and pitcher Grant Warren, infielder and pitcher Tyler Underwood, outfielder Cooper Hoeksema, catcher Derek Vesely, infielders Clayton Marcott and Jake Lepak, outfielders Jorey Kunkel and Jeffrey Deininger and pitcher Casey Hollenbeck.

Marathon’s top newcomers to this year’s varsity team are freshmen utility Cody Radtke and outfielder Braxton Jourdan.

Red Raiders head baseball coach Steve Warren, now in his 24th season, said it’s not a given that just because the squad has a lot of experience back this season that it can replicate or be more successful than the team was last season.

“Experience is always a good thing but every year is different,” he said. “We need to focus on improving throughout the season; the game of baseball requires constant repetition and improvement. Our players will be a little stronger this year but we still need to play the right way.”

Marathon might have lost ace starting pitcher Brock Warren to graduation but there are still many talented arms left on the staff.

“We have several pitchers with some experience including Jaden Koeller, Grant Warren, Kyle Hollenbeck, Tyler Underwood, Hector Pintor and Daniel LaQua. During the high school season, a lot of guys will need to contribute to the pitching staff. Several young players will need to help us out by pitching in non-conference games including Clayton Marcott, Cody Radtke, Casey Hollenbeck and Peter Chesek.”

Coach Warren has a strategy this season on how to replace last year’s starting catcher, Mike Hahn.

“Derek Vesely and Pierson Hamann will handle the majority of the catch- ing duties,” he said. “Derek worked with our pitching staff last summer in American Legion baseball so he is familiar with our routines and is able to be comfortable with our pitching staff. Nathan Hanke, Jaden Koeller and Case Hollenbeck can also help out as catchers when needed.”

Coach Warren’s varsity baseball assistant coaches this season are Tyler Schilling, Ron Kunkel and Karter Underwood. Kunkel will also coach Marathon’s middle school team along with his assistant coaches.

Marathon’s baseball team has not won the Marawood South Conference championship since 2018, but Coach Warren isn’t worried about that right now.

“We don’t focus on titles or championships,” he said. “Those things happen as a product of how hard we work in practice and how much we improve throughout the season. Our only goal is to battle on the next pitch.”

Raiders off to a solid start

Marathon’s baseball team lost its season opener, 4-1, to Medford on April 15 at the Woodside Sports Complex in Mauston. Since then the Red Raiders have won two straight home games.

The team edged Rib Lake, 3-2, on Saturday when Jaden Koeller scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a two-out RBI by Daniel LaQua.

Tyler Underwood was the winning pitcher against the Redmen. Grant Warren doubled and Koeller had an RBI.

Marathon blasted Loyal, 15-1, on Monday as Hector Pintor struck out five Greyhound hitters to earn the pitching win.

Cooper Hoeksema led the Red Raiders at the plate by batting a perfect two for two with four RBIs. Grant Warren also hit two for two with a double and three RBIs. Pintor added a pair of RBI’s in the victory.