Kroeplin plays his way to first team; Podolak gets mention

ALL-EASTERN CLOVERBELT BASEBALL

Serving as the senior leader in Gilman’s return to varsity baseball this spring, Grady Kroeplin filled that role well for the Pirates and earned one of the 10 available spots on the 2023 All-Eastern Cloverbelt Conference baseball first team.

Sophomore Talyn Podolak earned an award as well, getting honorable mention in the coaches’ post-season voting process.

The 2023 season was Gilman’s first in varsity baseball since 2019. The 2020 season was canceled due to Covid, four players from Gilman were part of a co-op with Thorp in 2021 and the undermanned Pirates were limited to a JV schedule in 2022.

This year, Gilman went 3-11 overall under head coach Dave Kroeplin, getting all three wins against the Greenwood Indians. Two of those counted as conference wins. The Pirates were 2-10 in league play and gave eventual WIAA Division 4 sectional champion McDonell Central a battle in their regional opener on May 25 before falling 6-3 to end the season.

Coming into the year as the team’s only player with significant varsity experience dating back to the 2021 co-op, Kroeplin was Gilman’s primary shortstop, one of its top pitchers and one of its most productive offensive players.

Kroeplin led Gilman in hits with 16 in 41 total at-bats for a .390 batting average. Those hits included five doubles, three triples and his first varsity home run May 19 in a 9-4 loss at Columbus Catholic. He drove in six runs, scored 15, drew six walks and stole eight bases.

Kroeplin was three for four with a double, a stolen base and two runs scored in a 15-6 home loss to Spencer on May 11 and was two for two with a stolen base and a triple in an 11-0 home loss to Loyal on April 27. He went two for four with two runs scored and a stolen base in the regional loss to McDonell.

On the mound, Kroeplin’s best day came in Gilman’s first win, a 6-2 victory at Greenwood on a blustery afternoon May 1. He struck out 11 batters in 5.2 innings, walked four and allowed just two hits and two earned runs.

Kroeplin is joined on the first team by three members of conference champion Neillsville (11-1) and from runner-up Columbus Catholic (10-2). Third-place Spencer (8-4) put two players on the team, including 2023 Player of the Year Reed Knecht, a sophomore. Kroeplin is one of just three seniors on the first team.

Neillsville’s representatives are juniors Jace Pekol, Bryce Erickson and Reese McDonald. Juniors Emmitt Konieczny, Blake Jakobi and Cy Becker are the first-teamers from Columbus. Seniors Andrew Sieracki of Spencer and Carter Klabon of Owen-Withee fill out the squad.

Jakobi, Konieczny, Erickson and Knecht are repeat first-team choices from 2022.

Podolak used a strong finish to push his way to the honorable mention list. He started the year playing a lot of third base but settled into an outfield role late and made plays there.

At the plate, he was two for three in a 5-2 loss at Owen-Withee on May 16 and three for three in a 13-3 loss to Columbus Catholic in game one of the teams’ May 19 doubleheader to push his batting average over the .280 mark. He had a hit, drew two walks and had a run and an RBI in the 15-6 loss to Spencer.

With an abundance of youth, the conference looks to be stronger next year. It ended this year with only two teams getting a tournament win. Neillsville and Columbus Catholic were eliminated in round two, as was Owen-Withee, who got a first-round bye in Division 4 but lost its first game to McDonell 8-4.