Little League success prepared Demons for high-profile competition
By Chris Bennett
Bryan Sturdevant almost made the final out of a title game on television – twice.
On the brink of being the goat a second time his teammates saved him, and rallied to win the WIAA Division 1 spring high school baseball title June 26 at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute.
The Demons beat Arrowhead 6-4 in the Division 1 title game for the school’s first state baseball title. It is the first team title in boys athletics at BHS since the cross country team won the small schools title in 1965.
Sturdevant made the final out on Aug. 8, 2010, with Burlington two games away from the Little League World Series, during play in the semifinal round of the Great Lakes Regional Tournament in Indianapolis, Ind.
Burlington lost 6-5 to a team from Illinois in a game broadcast on ESPN2. It was the first time a team from Burlington Little League advanced as far in the tournament that determines who goes to the Little League World Series.
The Demons’ Cal Tully said the topic of a second shot at ignominy for Sturdevant arose in the seventh inning versus Arrowhead.
“It would have been a big coincidence,” Tully said. “Bryan kind of nudged me, and we realized it.”
Grant Tully and Zach Campbell reached base to start the inning and Sturdevant sacrifice bunted the two over one base, which Cal Tully said was key to the Demons’ game-winning rally.
Campbell relived Cal Tully at pitcher in the seventh, recorded three outs for the save and the Demons won a state title. Fox Sports Wisconsin broadcast the game.
That casual conversation in the dugout speaks volumes to the Demons’ mindset against Arrowhead, a squad ranked in the top five in Division 1 of the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association state poll for much of the high school baseball season.
Burlington played loose and relaxed. Most all of the Demons previously played in Burlington’s Little League program, which counts five state titles since 2010.
Most recently, Burlington advanced to the Great Lakes Region title game in 2015 and lost 13-0 to a team from Bowling Green, Kent. Bowling Green advanced to the 2015 Little League World Series.
For the players wearing “Demons” across their chest in the dugout, trailing 4-0 against Arrowhead did not count as a pressure situation. Most previously played for a shot at a national title in front of larger crowds, and on ESPN, the self-proclaimed “Worldwide Leader in Sports.”
David Gill, President of Burlington Little League, said he watched the state title game on television with his wife.
“When you looked at the kids that were batting, there were no nerves,” Gill said. “There was a sense of determination. Every kid up to bat, you could see it in their faces.”
Sturdevant, Cal Tully, Houston Cowan played on the 2010 state champions. The Demons Aaron Mutter, Dale Damon, Campbell, Aaron Sturdevant, Jacob Lindemann and Tanner Strommen played on the 2011 championship team.
“It was definitely the start of our love for baseball,” said Mutter. Mutter played for Air Liquide in Burlington Little League and said his team’s archrivals were the Korkys, sponsored by Lavelle Industries and named for the flap in one’s toilet.
Burlington Little League currently sponsors play across five levels. Tee ball starts as early as four, and play with a pitched ball extends into the teenage years. Burlington Little League also offers the Titans, which Gill said is meant to be an option for affordable travel play.
Gill said the goal of Burlington Little League is simple – offer every child in the community a chance to play baseball. The execution of that simple goal is yielding impressive results.
“We’ve had a really good run,” Gill said. “Over the last six or seven years, we’ve done well. It speaks volumes about our program.”
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