Edgar has high expectations this year

By Casey Krautkramer

Edgar’s varsity baseball team still has many players left from its WIAA Division 4 state squad two seasons ago, including pitchers Jase Apfelbeck and Lucas Stahnke who were on the mound in the team’s 4-3 loss to Ithaca in the state semifinal. This season is Edgar’s best chance to get back to the state tournament and attempt to win the school’s first baseball state championship.

The Wildcats only lost two starting players, first baseman Marcus Huehnerfuss and outfielder Brett Baumgartner, from last year’s team that lost, 6-2, to Rib Lake in the WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal in Bruce.

Connor Handrick has coached a total of 10 years in Edgar High School’s baseball program including his first four years as JV head coach and the past six years as varsity head coach. Mitch Mueller has served as Edgar’s varsity assistant coach for the past five years and Connor Handrick’s younger brother, Brock Handrick, has spent the last three years as Edgar’s JV head coach and varsity assistant. Connor Handrick realizes there is a sense of urgency this season to make another trip to the state tournament.

“As a team I know our guys are hungry to prove something this season,” he said. “Having an experienced group of starters has all our guys hungry to achieve the goals that we have set forth for the season. The season can be long and grueling so we focus on becoming better in all facets of the game each day. I know we have the ability to compete in every game with our pitching, so the focus turns to becoming consistently great hitters and fielders to help our pitching staff. We are excited for the opportunity in front of us this season and I know our guys will come to work each day to improve and put us in the best position to reach our goals at the end of the season.”

Edgar’s top returning baseball players this season are seniors Apfelbeck and Leyton Schuett who were both unanimous first team all-Marawood South Conference players last season. They both pitch and play shortstop and second base for the Wildcats. Other top returners this year are junior second team all-conference player Stahnke who pitches and is also an infielder and catcher, junior catcher/second baseman Gavin Mauer, senior outfielder Brock Mauer and sophomore third baseman/ pitcher Sawyer Weiland. The varsity team’s top newcomers this season are senior first baseman Fletcher Weiland, senior outfielder Will Hackel, junior outfielder Alex Schneider and sophomore outfielder Aiden Butler.

Connor Handrick describes his team’s pitching staff this season.

“Bringing back 80 percent of our varsity pitching staff definitely is a strength for us this year,” he said. “The staff is made up of three seniors, one junior and one sophomore. Seniors Jase Apfelbeck and Leyton Schuett and junior Lucas Stahnke are our starting pitchers. All three of these guys possess great traits to be frontline starters, and they all have different strengths on the mound giving us different options to go after teams with. Senior Dakota Ellenbecker and sophomore Sawyer Weiland give us two extra arms to use as starters or relief pitchers depending on the game. Both have experience in both roles and I look forward to seeing what they can do with their opportunities this year.”

He’s pleased that Apfelbeck’s broken ankle that he sustained during the football season that held him out of wrestling this winter has healed in time for spring baseball.

“Jase is 100 percent healthy this baseball season, which is awesome for our team,” Connor Handrick said. “He has worked extremely hard to get healthy after losing almost all of his senior year to his leg injury in football. We look forward to seeing what he can do in his final season for the Wildcats.”

Connor Handrick experimented with having last year’s shortstop Gavin Mauer switch positions with last year’s catcher Lucas Stahnke in Edgar’s season-opening 12-6 win against Marshfield Columbus in Wisconsin Rapids. The players have kept their new starting positions during the team’s first seven games this spring.

“It was a topic we talked about this offseason as catcher was a position that we wanted to see Gavin Mauer try,” Connor Handrick said. “It is always good to have some positional flexibility throughout the team to give yourself more options as the season progresses. They both excelled at their respective positions in the season opener.”

Pitchers Apfelbeck, Schuett and Stahnke all saw work on the mound in Edgar’s season opener. Schuett earned the win. Gavin Mauer led the Wildcats in hitting against the Dons by going four for five with three RBIs and one run scored. Fletcher Weiland batted two for three with two RBIs and one run scored.

Connor Handrick reflected on his team’s season-opening victory against Marshfield Columbus.

“It is always a great feeling to start the year off with a win, but at the end of the day it’s only one win, but it gives us a baseline for the season of things we did well and the things we need to work on,” he said.

Edgar’s baseball team is off to a 5-2 start this season after Monday’s 14-0 win in five innings against Wisconsin Rapids Assumption. Apfelbeck pitched the first four innings to earn the win and Ellenbecker pitched the final inning to end the game. Leadoff hitter Apfelbeck batted one for two with four RBIs and three runs scored. Ellenbecker hit three for four with three RBIs and two runs scored. Fletcher Weiland batted three for three with two RBIs and two runs scored.

EDGAR VARSITY BASEBALL- Introducing the 2025 Edgar varsity baseball team. Players pictured, from left to right, front row: Will Hackel, Brock Mauer, Dakota Ellenbecker, Jase Apfelbeck, Gavin Mauer and Sam Dahlke; back row: Lucas Stahnke, Fletcher Weiland, Leyton Schuett, Sawyer Weiland and Alex Schneider. Missing is Aiden Butler.

PHOTO BY JIM STEINKE