Catholic Central baseball preview
By Mike Ramczyk
For the high school level of competition, former Burlington Catholic Central baseball coach Tom O’Connell was just about as legendary as can be.
He won 508 games and led the Toppers to five state championships, most recently in 2010 and 2011.
But the team has suffered a losing record each of the past four seasons, and O’Connell’s endured health problems.
Last year, O’Connell was informed the school would be going in a different direction this spring.
Enter Jim Friend, another strong baseball mind who led the Burlington Demons to their last state tournament in 1991.
Friend’s sons, Nolan and Dylan, both played for the Demons and in college. Dylan was a pivotal member of the UW-Whitewater national championship team in 2014.
Jim Friend is from Burlington, played in Burlington and Waterford and started as an assistant coach under Steve Gerber.
This season, Jim’s son Nolan joins him as an assistant coach.
“The game’s been the same, but I’ve learned so much about the game,” he said.
Jim said it’s good to come to a school with a great baseball tradition.
“It’s good to go to a school that has a great winning tradition and great kids,” he said. “It takes a lot of hard work by the young players to win, and they’re doing a good job. They’re always wanting to do better.”
“They need to believe what we’re trying to change, and getting them to transfer that onto the baseball diamond. Hopefully, success follows.”
Friend and company are off to a hot start, as the Toppers knocked off Racine St. Cat’s twice last week, 8-2, and 19-8.
In the game April 18 at Beaumont Field, Owen Dirksmeyer got the win on the mound, and Ben Heiligenthal was 3-for-5 with two doubles and a triple.
Brandon Vandehei and sophomore Charles Robinson each added three hits.
On April 12 at Horlick Field in Racine, Vandehei was dominant on the hill in the 8-2 win.
Cole Kresken, who didn’t play baseball as a junior last year, went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Connor Wegge, a junior, was a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBIs.
Other Toppers this spring will include seniors Ian Aldrich and Jacob Webley, and sophomores Frank Koehnke and Chad Zirbel.
Along with Jim and Nolan Friend, John Fisher and Steve Bartlett are assistant coaches.
There are 20 boys out for the baseball program, so there is a full junior varsity squad.
“Our top goal is to get better every game,” Jim Friend said. “And we want to play our best baseball at the end of the year.”
Catholic Central returns home to Beaumont Field for a doubleheader Saturday.
At 11 a.m., the Toppers battle small-school rival Faith Christian, and they play Kenosha St. Joe’s at 12:30 p.m.
Catholic Central 15, Kenosha St. Joe’s 8
The Topper improved to 3-1 overall with a hit parade Tuesday in Kenosha.
Down 8-6 heading into the sixth, Central erupted for five runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to pull away from the Trojans.
Kresken and Robinson each collected four hits, and Kresken, Ian Aldrich and Webley each had two RBIs.
Robinson pitched the first 4-1/3 innings and earned the win.
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