All-Conference Cats Recognized
Senior Stephen Lund – First Team At-large Senior Tucker Teskey – Second Team Outfielder Senior Connor McGowan – Second Team Utility Senior Tristan Largent – Honorable Mention Infielder Junior Connor Grossnickle – Honorable Mention Pitcher Freshman Ryan Taylor – Honorable Mention Infielder Congratulations to seniors Keaton Knueppel (P) and Ben Rortvedt (C) and sophomore Stephen Lund (INF) whose...
Playoff Brackets Set
The 2018 WIAA playoff brackets are set with the Verona earning the #3 seed in Sectional #5. This placement nets them a first-round bye for next Tuesday’s Regional matchups. The ‘Cats will host the winner of Beloit Memorial (#11) vs. Oregon (#6) at Stampfl on Thursday, May 31. The game is slated to start at 5 pm. Block it out on your calendar so we can have a great home crowd to cheer them on toward Sectionals!
Special Home Games: 5/21 & 5/22
We invite you to come and support the ‘Cats in their final two home games. We’ve planned some special events! Monday, May 21th – Alumni, Teacher Appreciation, & VLL Night Join us at Stampfl Field for a special night to honor VAHS teachers and Wildcat baseball alumni. Varsity will be taking on Stoughton to kick off the final week of the regular season. Verona Little League players and families are also specially...
Schedule Updates
With the schedule settling somewhat for the next few weeks, here is a summary of major changes: 1. Kaukauna is making up conference games Saturday with all the snow they had up north. Our doubleheader with them on April 28 has been canceled. 2. Instead, we are now scheduled for a doubleheader against Antigo on Friday. Varsity and JV will be on our home fields starting at 4 pm. 3. The game against Stoughton on Monday, April 30, has...
Follow the Wildcat Season
There are several ways to follow Wildcat teams throughout the season.
2018 Apparel
The Wildcat Baseball store is open! The Verona Baseball spirit-wear store will be open until Monday morning, April 2, 8:00 am. Head over to our special Badger Sporting Goods site to place your order. Click on the image below for a PDF flyer with ordering details.
Register ASAP!
Don’t forget that players need to be registered and have submitted all their documentation before they can participate in workouts and tryouts. This process should be completed on-line and documents uploaded to the VNN site or turned into the athletic office no later than Friday to be in the system for the Monday tryouts. Pitchers and catchers need to have their paperwork in immediately for this week’s workouts. You do not...
Pitcher/Catcher Workouts & Team Tryouts
Pitchers and catchers start their workouts this week on Tuesday, March 13. The schedule is as follows: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Freshman & Sophomores, 5:30 pm – 6:15 pm, main HS gym Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: Juniors & Seniors, 6:15 pm – 7:00 pm, main HS gym Saturday: Freshman & Sophomores, 8:00 am – 9:00 am, K-wing gym Saturday: Juniors & Seniors 9:00 am – 10:00 am, K-wing gym Tryouts are Monday and Tuesday, March...
2018 Preseason Info
Check here for important preseason dates and details for the 2018 season.
Pro Tips: Justin Jirschele Visits with ‘Cats
Wisconsin native and White Sox minor-league manager Justin Jirschele worked with Wildcat players on Wednesday, giving them pro insight, drills, and ways to improve. Jirschele grew up in Clintonville, played college ball at UW—Oshkosh and Stevens Point, and was signed by the White Sox in 2012. After four years playing in the minors, he transitioned to coaching. Last year, he was promoted to manage the Kannapolis Intimidators (Class A),...
Largent Commits to Concordia
Tristan Largent (2018) has committed to play for the Concordia University Falcons (Mequon, WI) after his final Wildcat season this spring. Largent combines a solid first base for the ‘Cats with left-handed power hitting and pitching.
Klawiter Commits to Illinois State
Congrats to Reagan Klawiter (2019) on committing to the Illinois State Redbirds. Klawiter has been a key left-handed pitcher for the Varsity Wildcats since his freshman year.
Sectionals on Tuesday!
Come cheer on the ‘Cats at Stampfl starting 2 pm on Tuesday! Last Tuesday, Madison Memorial (#6) defeated Stoughton (#11) 6-2 and moved on to face the ‘Cats in Regional Finals last Thursday. With their 5-4 win over the Spartans, Verona earned a spot in Sectionals on Tuesday to take on Elkhorn (#7). The Elks defeated Milton (#10) 4-0 last Tuesday and then surprised Madison West (#2), fighting back from a 7-2 deficit...
Final Week Special Home Games: 5/23 & 5/25
As we enter the final week of the regular season, we invite all fans to come out and support the ‘Cats in home games this week. We have planned some special festivities for these nights as well! Tuesday, May 23th – Senior Night Before the 5 pm home game against Sun Prairie, our 14 senior players and team managers will be honored with their families. Pre-game festivities at Stampfl start around 4:4o pm. (Note: If the game...
Wildcat Baseball Banquet
The Banquet is only a week away! Reminder: Please RSVP to Sarah Laufenberg by today (5/22) with the number of your family members attending the banquet. See the flier for contact details. Varsity families, if you want to opt out of the main dish contribution, you can donate $20 for backup pizza. Please contact Sarah for details. Players, coaches, managers, and their families are invited to the 2017 Wildcat Baseball Banquet. As in the...
Fab Fields then Home Stretch
While there are only two weeks left in the regular season, the Varsity ‘Cats have a nice series of games coming up. This week they will be playing at Miller Park against Kenosha Indian Trail on Wednesday (2 pm) flanked by a pair of games at the Duck Pond against La Follette and East (Tuesday & Thursday, 5 pm). Then, Saturday’s triangular with Beaver Dam and Kaukauna starts a four-day home stretch to cap off the regular...
4/27, 4/28, 4/29, 5/1, & 5/2: Rain, rinse, repeat
For those not on the ark already… we’re up to 5 days straight of rainout baseball. Here’s the latest update: Last Thursday’s games against Craig were pushed to Friday and then postponed again. As of today, Varsity and JV will play on Friday, 5/12 in Janesville. The Freshman matchup does not have a new date yet. Saturday’s Freshman game against Middleton will now be part of a double-header on Thursday,...
4/20 – Games rescheduled for 4/21
The rain last night has made fields unplayable today. The Varsity and JV games against East this afternoon have been postponed to tomorrow, April 21 (Friday). Starting times (5 pm) and locations (Stampfl & VLL) remain unchanged. Yes, this now means 3 games in < 24 hours…
4/13 – All games postponed to 4/17
Rain strikes again… All three games against West this afternoon have been postponed. Games have been rescheduled for Monday, April 17. The Freshman game will start at 5 pm while JV and Varsity will begin at 6 pm. Locations remain unchanged at this time.
First Week Success
The Wildcat program is off to a great start after the first week of the 2017 season. The three teams have a combined 7-0 record. This early run included Varsity winning two extra-inning games and JV holding opponents to a total of 2 runs in their first 3 games. While tougher competition is up ahead, the ‘Cats have shown resilience in a few tight spots and several one-run games. Check out Slonim’s walk-off hit to score...
4/4 – Freshman & JV Games Postponed (Update)
JV and Freshman were postponed April 4 due to wet fields. The Freshman home game was rescheduled for Friday, April 7, but Janesville schools closed Friday due to safety concerns. As of now, neither game has been rescheduled.
Visit Our Facebook Page
We’ve revived our Facebook page! The “f” icon at the top of each page now takes you to the right place. Keep an eye out for some past season albums to be posted soon. Some snapshots from games this year would be great, too! Use @veronavbaseball to tag our page in your posts or photos.
Tumbler Sales End April 5
Remember that all tumbler order summary sheets and money need to be turned in Wednesday, April 5. Electronic copies of the fliers are available below in case you need new copies of the originals or want to send them to friends and family. 2017 Tumbler VAHS 2017 Tumbler All
2017 Apparel – Order by noon Monday!
Update: Store open until noon Monday. Order soon! The Verona Baseball spirit wear store is accepting orders through Sunday, April 2. Head over to the special Badger Sporting Goods site and enter “VABS17” for the login. Click on the image below for a printable flyer.
Brewers Tickets
Join VAHS baseball for a Brewers game Sunday, April 23. The Crew take on the Cardinals at 1:10 pm. Ticket sales support the Varsity game at Miller Park on May 17. Additional forms are available here: 2017 Brewers Ticket Flyer Pass on to friends and family outside of the program too!
Uniform Pickup & Parent Meeting
While teams are being finalized this week, please keep in mind these two upcoming important dates: Saturday, March 23, 10 am: Pick up team uniforms in the main high school commons. Parents, please bring a check for Grand Slam Booster Club fees. You will also be able to fill out raffle tickets. Wednesday, March 29, 6pm: Parent meeting in the K-wing commons. Coaches will go into more depth about individual teams, their seasons, and...
2/11: No open gym
A reminder that there is no open gym this Saturday, Feb 11. They will continue next week until tryouts.
Grab a Block of Brewers Tickets
Support the ‘Cats by buying corporate and group blocks of Brewers tickets through Wildcat Baseball this year.
2017 Schedules Posted
Team schedules for the 2017 season are now available on this site. You can find them quickly for each team under the top menu headings. While we strive to keep the tables up-to-date, changes on the gamedays are not always tracked. E-mails from coaches and the official Big 8 Conference site (select a baseball team in the “View Schedule” sidebar) are the definitive sources. All schedules, rosters, game summaries, and...
Sectionals—TODAY!
With the Wildcats’ regional victory over Monona Grove (11-2), they are off to sectionals in Beloit at Pohlman Field. There they will face Madison West, who upset Beloit Memorial 7-3 on Thursday. Sectional games take place Tuesday, June 7, with West (#6) vs. Verona (#2) starting at 2 pm. The winner will face the victor of the Janesville crosstown rivalry game, Parker (#5) vs. Craig (#1), which starts at 11 am. The sectional...
Wildcats to face MG Thursday @ Stampfl
Monona Grove defeated Stoughton 3-1 on Tuesday evening. They face the Wildcats at Stampfl on Thursday at 5 pm for the Regional final. Sectional and State games are a good drive away this year (Beloit & Grand Chute), so this is a great game to kick off the ‘Cats playoff journey! Come out Thursday and pack the “Chuck”!
All-Conference Cats Recognized
Congratulations to seniors Keaton Knueppel (P) and Ben Rortvedt (C) and sophomore Stephen Lund (INF) whose seasons were recognized by being named to the 2016 Big Eight All Conference First Team. Senior Sam Favour (OF) and juniors Jeff Bishop (P) and Brad Laufenberg (P) were also awarded honorable mentions in the voting. Rortvedt was also named 2016 All-Conference Player of the Year for his fantastic year at and behind the plate. Check...
5/30 – Baseball Banquet
The 2016 Baseball Banquet will be held Monday, May 30th from 5-7pm in the Badger Ridge Commons. See this flier for more details.
5/26 – Final Regular Season Games
The Wildcats will battle Madison Memorial in their final regular season games Thursday. Pick a team and come out to cheer them on to a strong finish! Varsity has won their last five games and is 9-1 in their last ten. They will be away at Mansfield Stadium, just south of Memorial on the corner of Gammon and Mineral Point. JV is rallying hard from a mid-season slump, also winning their last five. They will be at Olson Field just north...
Wildcats receive first-round bye
Verona has earned the second seed in Sectional #5 of the WIAA spring tournament, netting them a bye for the first round games on Tuesday, May 31. Stoughton and Monona Grove will battle for the chance to face the Wildcats at Stampfl on Thursday, June 2.
Special Games – 5/17 & 5/19
We have two special games next week! Tuesday, May 17th – Senior & VLL Night Before the 5 pm home game against Madison East, senior players and team managers will be honored. We also invite all Verona Little League players and families to come cheer on the Wildcats! Pre-game festivities at Stampfl start around 4:35 pm. Thursday, May 19th – Alumni & Former Coaches Night Join us at Stampfl Field for a special night to...
5/13 – Games postponed
All three games away against Beaver Dam have been canceled for Friday (5/13) due to rain. A rescheduled date will be posted as soon as possible.
5/12 – Freshman game postponed
With the field not playable after our two days of rain, the Freshman home game against Beloit Memorial today has been postponed. It has been rescheduled for Monday, 5/16 at 5 pm.
5/10 – Games postponed
All three games were canceled Tuesday (5/10). The Varsity and JV away games against Parker have been rescheduled for Saturday, 5/14 at 11 am. Locations remain the same. The Freshman home game against Waunakee has been rescheduled for Monday, 5/23 at 5 pm.
5/4 – Butter Braid pickup
Don’t forget to pick up your Butter Braid orders today (Wed, 5/4) at the K-wing. Pickup is between 4:30 and 6:30 in the Commons.
4/28 – Games vs. Memorial Postponed to 5/2
All three games against Madison Memorial were canceled Thursday (4/28). Games have been rescheduled for Monday, 5/2 at 5 pm. Locations remain the same.
4/19 – Games vs. East Postponed to 4/25
With steady afternoon rain, Varsity and JV games against East were canceled Tuesday (4/19). Games have been rescheduled for Monday, 4/25 at 5 pm. Locations remain the same.
4/19 — Freshman vs. La Follette canceled
Due to a lack of opposing players (and weather now), the extra Freshman game against La Follette scheduled for today (Tuesday, 4/19) has been canceled. Weather permitting, practice will be held as usual at 4pm on the BRMS field. Weather was not permitting… practice canceled!
Alumni & Past Coaches Night — 5/19
Join us Thursday, May 19th, at Stampfl Field for a special night to honor former VAHS baseball coaches and players. Former Varsity Coaches will throw out the ceremonial first pitches before the 5 pm home game against Madison La Follette. All other past VAHS coaches will receive a free t-shirt, and alumni players will receive a free hot dog and soda. Please come out to see our 2016 team, our upgraded facilities, and to reconnect with...
Freshman Season Opener—Today!
The Wildcat Freshman team finally opens their 2016 season at home against Janesville Craig today at the Badger Ridge Middle School field. If you aren’t heading down to Janesville for the Varsity or JV games, stop by and check out the next wave of Wildcat talent. All games start at 5 pm. You can track the Wildcat teams throughout the year on Twitter (find all the details here). Freshman game updates will be tweeted by...
About VAHS Wildcats Baseball
About VAHS Wildcats BaseballVerona Area High School (VAHS) Wildcats Baseball would like to welcome you to our website! Be sure to click around and check out all the features. We have updated schedules, rosters, media pages, practice and game calendars, and a whole lot more. Stay connected with VAHS Wildcat Baseball!