Weightlifting

If you are not in a winter sport you should be in the weightroom Tuesday and Friday morning from 6:30 - 7:10. Our team is only as good as our weakest player. Don't let that be you!

Open Gym Schedule 2009 Season

12:45 - 2:00 at Meadowview

January 4th and 18th

February 1st and 15th

March 1st and 15th

Season starts on March 23rd!!!

Sunday Night Clinics

Coach Dodge had a good turnout for his 2nd Sunday night clinic. He will be having clinics again the 13th and 20th starting at 6:00, finishing up at 7:30. The clinics are open to baseball and softball players from ages 9-13 and are held at the varisty field behind the high school.

Twins Training Camp

Coach Dodge had the opportunity to work alongside Paul Molitor and other Twins staff members during a mini training camp.

Sunday Night Baseball/Softball June 15th

We'll meet at the varsity field starting at 6:00. Make sure your child has a glove, and a bat if possible. Throwing, Catching, and hitting fundamentals will highlight the first night. Coaches and parents are invited to participate.

"How you think when you lose determines how long it will be until you win."

— G.K. Chesterton

5/30/08 – Regional Finals - Central L 4 - 14

The Spartans ended the season losing 14 -4 in regional action against Central on Friday night. Jared S. led the Spartans with a three run bomb, while Josh N. had three hits in the game and Josh K. had two hits. Andrew S. pitched for the Spartans and did a great job, but some untimely errors ended the Spartans chances at coming back. “We had a good season and I am really proud of the boys that stuck it out and committed to their teammates. We have a lot to look forward to next year.” – Coach Dodge

IF IT SHOULD RAIN

If the game is cancelled on Friday due to rain, it will be played Saturday morning at 11:00. This decision will be decided at game time Friday.

Regional Game Pictures

Regional final 5/30/08

Central will host Sparta at Viterbo University on Friday, May 30th. Game time is 4:00.

5/28/08 Regionals vs Tomah W 7 - 0

The Spartans had some timely hits to put away the Timberwolves Tuesday night in a 7 - 0 win. Andrew S. pitched a two hitter while Jacob A. was 2 -4 with three RBI's. "We were ready to play and did a great job taking advantage of our opportunities in the field and at the plate. It was a good win to get us ready for Central on Friday." - Coach Dodge

5/22/08 Logan L 1 - 4

Spartans had a 1 - 0 lead thanks to a single by Jared S. going into the fourth until Logan put one on the board to tie it up. A controversial call at second base in the sixth inning led to three Logan runs to secure the game for Logan. "Andrew S. pitched a great game. We had bases loaded two times and couldn't get the hit we needed. Overall, it was a good game and something to build on." - Coach Dodge

Regional Games set for next week

Sparta earned the #3 seed in the region and will play #6 Tomah on Tuesday starting at 4:30 at Montgomery Field.

If Sparta wins, the next game will take place at Viterbo baseball field, against Central, starting at 4:00.

5/20/08 V Eau Claire Memorial L 0 - 8

The Spartans couldn't get the bats going against Memorial as some late inning homeruns put Memorial in the lead for good. Jared C. pitched 6 strong innings holding the abes to two runs through 5 innings before giving up some big hits. "We needed to hit the ball and we didn't. Defensively we were good, but we need to work on our consistency at the plate." - Coach Dodge

5/20 VR Eau Claire Memorial W 7-6

A big performance by Matt B. on the mound led the Spartans to a highlight win over the Old Abes. Matt pitched through some trouble in the 5th (4 runs for E.C.), but closed the door on the Old Abes with 2 scoreless innings to finish the game. At the plate, the Spartans were led by Craig M (2-3, 1 run scored, 3 rbis), Jake B.
(3 -4, 1 run scored), and Ben Sullivan (2-2, 2 runs scored, 1 rbi). Taylor H. and Jacob B. also had rbis for the Spartans. "The team continues to get better. The gutty performance on the mound tonight by Matt was huge for this team. The boys held strong for the final two innings...I am very proud of this group of kids." Coach Sands

5/19 VR La Crosse Central

The Spartans were climbing their way back into the game when the rain put an end to the event. After 2 innings, the Red Raiders were leading 7-1 and looked to be in control of the game. In the top of the third, the Spartans plated 3 runs and had the bases loaded with one out. Since 5 innings were not completed, there was officially no game. "The boys needed a few innings to find their groove tonight. I would have liked to see how this game would have finished. " Coach Sands

5/17 VR Wisconsin Dells W 8-7

The Spartans finished Reedsburg tournament by defeating the Dells 8-7 and capturing the Reedsburg Beaver Invitational title for the Varsity Reserve (JV). Matt B. pitched 4 innings and allowed only 1 run. At the plate the Spartans were led by Casey O. (2-3, 2 doubles, 2 rbis, 1 run scored) and Ian A. ( 1-1, 2 rbi) Others with rbis were Matt B. and Ben S. " The team played very good baseball for 4 innings and then we lost our concentration and almost gave it away. We were fortunate the time limit called the game, the Dells had a lot of momentum on their side. The team received medals for their first place in the tournament. Overall, today was a very fun and rewarding day." Coach Sands

5/17 VR Mauston W 4-1

Jon F. pitched 4 shoutout innings and went 2-3 (1 rbi, 1 run scored) to lead the Spartans in a 4-1 victory over Mauston. Nick A. and Taylor H. also had rbis during the game. Jake B. pitched 3 innings, only allowing 1 run. "Pitching and defense was the name of the game today. This group of players is talented and can win games in different ways. " Coach Sands

5/15 VR Aquinas L 4-10

The Spartans started quickly by scoring 3 runs in the second against the Bluegolds. A costly error in the bottom of the 3rd allowed 2 unearned runs to score for Aquinas. After 3 innings the Spartans trailed 5-3, but mentally the spartans never regained their edge. Jordan L. and Casey O. both reached base every time they were at bat. Players with rbis for the Spartans were: Jesse A, Casey O., Brian J., and Nick A. "We come out very aggresive in the game. We wanted to prove that we could play with Aquinas, and in the first 3 innings we did. We had a hard time picking ourselves back up after a couple of errors. The boys are working hard, we just need to work more on the mental aspect of the game." Coach Sands

5/19/08 V Central W 9 - 6

Sparta played a great 6 innings to take down Central Monday evening in a game of hard hit balls and good defense. Andrew S. pitched a great game to keep Central guessing at the plate while Jared C. drove in three runs with his two hits. Jacob A. went 2 for 3 with a homerun and single and scoring four times. "The boys played really well. We had good at bats and made some great defensive plays keeping Central at bay most of the game. It was nice to beat one of the top three teams in our conference." - Coach Dodge

Reedsburg Tourney Pictures

5/12 VR Sparta vs Onalaska W 4-3

The Spartans bounced back well from their lost to Holmen with a very impressive 4-3 victory over the Onalaska Hilltoppers. Matt B. and Jake B. pitched very well, combined they only allowed 3 runs. All 4 spartan runs came in the first inning, and then the defense stepped up to hold the Hilltoppers in check. "There were a lot big plays made on defense. Onalaska to their credit fought back from being down 4 runs, but the guys were not giving this game away. Good pitching and good defense carried us to the win over Onalaska." Coach Sands

Reedsburg Tourney 5/17/08

Sparta won 12-0 against Cassville in the first game of the tourney. Josh N and Josh K had three hits a piece while Josh N. threw a complete game with 10 strikeouts. "We had 13 hits in the game and were able to capitalize on the errors Cassville made." - Coach Dodge

In the Championship game Sparta lost 3 - 7. Reedsburg only had 5 hits in the game, but a Grand Slam in the third put Reedsburg up 4-0. "Jared C. pitched a good game and had command of his pitches. Unfortunately, the big hit in the third made it difficult to get back in the game. Overall, we played a good tourney and improved defensively." - Coach Dodge

Reedsburg Tourney Info

Bus leaves the HS at 8:30.

Varsity plays both games at Nishan Park.
11:00 am against Cassville
If we win we play at 3:00. If we lose we play at 1:00.

Varsity Reserve plays at Webb Field.
11:00 am against Mauston
3:00 pm against Wisconsin Dells

Concessions are only available at Nishan Park.

It would be a good idea to bring your own lunch and plenty of fluids.

5/16/08 V Aquinas L 2 -16

Sparta started out strong tying the game 2-2 after the first, but two errors led to a 10 run second inning for Aquinas. "We can't make errors against great teams if we expect to stay in the game. We were hitting the ball early, but couldn't recover from the early mistakes." - Coach Dodge.

5/12/08 V Onalaska Double Header

First game - Lost 6 - 16. Down 1- 9 from an earlier start made it hard to get back in the game for the Spartans. Jake H. had three hits in the game to lead the Spartans.

Second Game - Won 6 - 2. Jared C. struck out 11 Onalaska batters to lead the charge, while Josh N. had a three run homerun to give the Spartans the lead in the third inning. Jake H. and Josh K. had two hits in the game to lead the Spartans. "The boys did a nice job of bouncing back the second game and playing great baseball. " - Coach Dodge

5/08 VR Holmen L 1-11

The positive momentum built by two victories this week was lost as the Spartans were beaten by the Holmen Vikings 11-1. Matt B. and Ben S. pitched well in relief, but most of the damage had already been done. Holmen's pitcher silenced the Spartan bats, only allowing 1 run through 6 innings. "We felt confident coming in but we allowed Holmen to reach base by walks and errors. We gave them more outs to work with and that usually means defeat. I am proud 0f the week that the Spartans put together (going 2-1). We are making strides...we took a step back tonight but we will continue to work hard." Coach Sands

VR 5/06 Viroqua W 11-1

The Spartans dodged the rain and put together their most complete game of the season. Jon F. led the team in pitching (4 innings, 1 run allowed) and hitting (3-3, with 2 triples and 3 rbis). Jake B. went 2-3, scored twice and drove in 3 runs. Craig M., Matt B., and Brian J. each had an rbi in the game. Jesse A. continued to be a factor on the base pads, stealing twice and scoring 2 runs. "The team played confident and put pressure on the Viroqua pitchers. They worked the count to their favor and then took advantage. The team has some positive momentum going right now and I hope we can keep it going." Coach Sands

VR 5/05 Tomah W 7-5

The weather cooperated and the Spartans were anxious to avenge an earlier season loss to the Tomah Timberwolves. Matt B. and Ben S. pitched very well and held the Timberwolves to 5 runs. At the plate the Spartans were paced by Craig M. and Taylor H., who were both 2-4. Spartans with rbis for the game were Taylor H. (2), Craig M. (1), Casey O. (1), Ian A. (1), and Bryant M (1). Jesse A. did a great job courtesy running for the pitcher, stealing 2 bases and scoring 2 runs. "The team played well, we lessen the errors and got good pitching and timely hitting. Overall a quality win." Coach Sands

Onalaska DH 5/12/08

Varsity and junior varsity games start at 3:00 in Onalaska.

5/08/08 V Holmen W 9 - 1

Jake H. threw a complete game for the Spartans to secure a a 9-1 victory over Holmen. Jared S. had two hits to lead the Spartans while Ricky T. knocked in two runs early to help the Spartans get a good lead. "The guys were patient at the plate today capitalizing on walks and errors made by the Holmen Defense. We hit the ball well and played great defense. It was good to see them bounce back after the Viroqua game." - Coach Dodge

5/06/08 V Viroqua L 8 - 13

The Spartans had too many errors to stay in the game against a very good hitting Viroqua team. Tom S. had three hits to lead the Spartans, while Ricky T. had a double and homerun. The Spartans scored 5 runs in the fourth to make it a one run game, but couldn't hold on as Viroqua pulled away in the later innings. "We had three homeruns and a total of 15 hits. It goes to show that defense wins ball games, not offense. I am disappointed with our performance and expect more of them when we have a chance to win." - Coach Dodge

5/6/08 V Tomah W 2-1

Andrew S. led the Spartans on the mound with 5 K's and two walks to hold the Timberwolves to one run. Jared C. reached on a walk and advanced to third on Andrew S. Double. Jared S. scored Jared C. on a ground ball. The next inning Josh K. singled, stole second and scored on Josh N. double off the fence. " We played seven solid innings tonight. Our defense made some great plays to to hold Tomah scoreless until the 7th." - Coach Dodge

Wisconsin Rapids Cancelled - V/VR

No make up date at this time.

4/30/08 - LaCrosse Central L 2 - 12

Central had 13 hits to the Spartans 4 to pullaway in the 6th inning.

Rescheduled Games

Varsity - Central at Home - 4/29/08 - 4:30 start

V/VR - Wisconsin Rapids Home - 5/3/08 - DH 9:00 am start

Logan - VR - At Logan DH - 5/22

Logan - JV - Home DH - 5/22

V - Logan 4/27/08 L 1 - 3

Brrr! A cold Saturday at Copeland didn't have an affect on the Spartans as they played a great game against Logan. Jared C. and Brandon A. pitched great holding the Rangers to 6 hits. Between the two of them they only walked one batter. Jared C. had two hits in the game while Jake A. put a first pitch fastball over the right field fence for the only Spartan run of the game. "The last two games our intensity has been up along with our ability to stay focused for all 7 innings. Our pitchers are throwing more strikes and walking less batters. We still need to work on getting clutch hits when needed. We had bases loaded Saturday and couldn't get a run in. Overall the boys have made great strides this past week and I hope it continues the second half of the year." - Coach Dodge

Aquinas 4/21/08

Rescheduled Game(s)

Varsity - Central moved to Monday 4/28/08 - 4:30 start - Home

VR - Central on 5/19 starting at 4pm - Double header - Home

JV - 5/19 at Central starting at 4pm - Double header

VR and JV Logan games stay the same for this Monday
(VR Home on City Field) (JV at Logan)

VR 4/21 Aquinas L 2 - 6

A beautiful night for baseball was rewarded with a well played baseball game by both teams. Aquinas took advantage of their 9 hits by scoring 6 times. Sparta had 6 hits but were able to post only 2 runs. "As a team we hit the ball well...but couldn't come up with some hits in crucial points in the game. The kids played very hard tonight and gave maximum effort. I was very proud of the effort that was shown by the Spartans tonight" - Coach Sands

4/17 VR Onalaska L 5 - 12

A rain soaked evening of baseball saw the Spartans fall for the third in a week. Multiple errors and passed ball/wild pitch combinations ruined good pitching by Craig M. and Jon F. Onalaska took advantage of these mistakes and with the aid of 7 hits, the Hilltoppers posted 12 runs. Casey O. was 1-1 at the plate before being lifted for soreness in the throwing arm. Jake B. went 2-4 and scored 2 runs, Bryant M. went 1 -1 with a double and scored a run. Jon F. also had a good night at the plate going 1-3 with an rbi and a run scored. "We had some mental lapses in the rain, 7 hits should not lead to 12 runs. We will continue to work on the positive mental approach that is needed for tough situations" - Coach Sands

4/15 VR Tomah L 5 - 12

A well played ball game by both teams was broken open in the 6th by the Timberwolves. Timely hitting by the Timberwolves and a crucial error committed by Sparta lead to a large inning. "We played well for 5 innings, but we lost our focus and attention to detail in the 6th. Ben S. pitch a great start to the game, he had good control of his pitches. We are still trying to improve our mental focus in tough game situations" - Coach Sands

4/14 VR Holmen L 6 - 18

A quick start did not last for the Spartans. After 2 innings of play the Spartans were up 4- 0, but many walks and errors lead to many runs by the Holmen Vikings. Some offensive highlights from the game were: Jake B. scored 3 runs, Taylor H. scored 2 runs, and Jordan L. scored once and drove in 2 rbis. "Whenever you give a team more than 3 outs to work with it's going to lead to multiply runs. We will continue to work on the fundamentals needed to prevent the big inning." - Coach Sands

4/21/08 - Aquinas L 1 - 6

Andrew S. pitched a great 5 2/3 innings before giving up a single and home run that led to a four run rally for Aquinas. Aquinas only had four hits on the game, but came through with some big hits. Sparta was led by Jake A. who was 2 for 3 with an RBI. “Great teams find a way to win and Aquinas capitalized on walks and errors. Defensively it was our best game and we did a good job of swinging at good pitches. The boys played seven strong innings of ball tonight.” – Coach Dodge

Holmen 4/14/08 - Varsity W 5 -2

Jared C. and Josh N. combined for 7 innings on Monday to hold the Vikings to two runs in the game. Kevin S. had a game turning double in the 5th inning to give the Spartans a 4 -2 lead. Kevin scored later in the inning on Josh K.'s second hit of the game. "The boys did a great job at the plate with 7 very timely hits. Defense had some tough plays, but did a good job of recovering later in the game. It was a good win." - Coach Dodge

Tomah 4/15/08 - Varsity L 9 -15

Bombs away! Down 7-2 we made a run with back to back homers by Josh N. and Jake A. in the 3rd inning. Josh N. scored later on off a Jared C. single and Josh K. put two more on the board in the 5th inning with his first home run of the year scoring Jake H. who singled earlier in the inning. Jake H. pitched 5 good innings while Brandon A. finished the sixth. "With 22 hits in the game, 11 from each squad it was a fun game to watch. We were ahead 9-8 going into the fifth and Tomah started to hit the ball. We played well, but couldn't catch up to the last inning surge by Tomah." - Coach Dodge

Viroqua Game To Be Rescheduled

The Viroqua varsity and varsity reserve game has been rescheduled to May 6th starting at 4:30 in Viroqua.

Sparta vs. Wisconsin Dells 4/04 W 14 - 9

The Spartans struck first with 2 runs in the top of the 1st. After two strike outs, the Dells erupted for 7 runs (4 earned) in the bottom of the first. Ben S. battled through some control issues after starting the inning with two strikeouts. The Dells continued to plate runners in the second inning, pushing the lead to 9 - 2. In the top of the 3rd, the Spartans started the come back with 3 runs. Jake B. played a well rounded game at the plate and on the the mound. He didn't allow a run in 6 innings of relief and scored 3 runs offensively. Bryant M. and Craig M. also scored 3 runs each. Taylor H. continued to swing a hot bat, he went 3-3 with 2 RBI. "The team showed great heart by not giving up. We had to be patient at the plate and then take advantage of some positive situations in the ball game. The team kept picking each other up all night after some mistakes early caused us to get behind." - Coach Sands

VR - Sparta vs. Westby

Matt B. and Jordan L. pitched well and got support from a solid defense in the team's season opener. At the plate the Spartans took advantage of 6 hits and few errors by Westby to post an 8 - 2 victory. Jake B. scored twice, Jordan L. went 2 for 3 and Taylor H. drove in 2 runs. "A great overall team effort... the play of the guys on the field... and the support of the bench was tremendous. A great start to the season." - Coach Sands

4/04/08 Wisconsin Dells - W 10 -2

Three runs in the first inning sealed the deal for the Spartans on Friday against Wisconsin Dells. Jake A. led the Spartans with three hits while Andrew S. and Brandon A. had two hits a piece. Jared C. went yard in the third inning to give the Spartans a 5 -1 lead. Jake H. pitched 5 1/3 innings striking out 6. Josh N. was in relief to finish the game. "Offensively the guys had twelve hits and zero strikeouts for the game. With those kind of numbers it makes it difficult for the other team to stay in the game. Defensively we had a great catch by Nate C. and later in the game Josh K. gunned a runner at the plate to end a fourth inning surge Wisconsin Dells." - Coach Dodge

Alumni game 04/05/08

We had a beautiful day to clean up our field, eat some brats and watch the alumni try to keep up with the high school youth. Highlights of the day included fixing the JV field (still plenty to do), the home run contest, the trying out and breaking of a home made woodbat, the alumni (who coaches at Aquinas) get his cleat caught in the fence and twist his knee, and one of the Sparta coaches going yard on the first pitch he has seen in 6 years. A big thank you to the alumni that came early to help clean-up and to all the parents and high school players that stuck around to be part of the day.

Westby Game 4/03/08 L 6-13

Sparta opened up against Westby on Thursday evening here at Sparta. Sparta rallied from a 6-1 deficit to tie the score at 6 when Josh N. hit a two run homerun. Jared C. threw a good game for 4 innings before being relieved by Josh K. Walks in the fifth inning cost the Spartans 7 runs while making it difficult to get back in the game. The Spartans swung the bat well with 9 hits in the game. “We have a few bugs to get out on defense while working on our consistency to throw strikes when we need too. Overall, we hit the ball well and fought back from an early deficit.” – Coach Dodge

Up Coming Games

As of right now this is the game schedule for the week. This will be day to day depending how well our fields dry out.

Thursday at home against Westby is still on. (V and VR)

Thursday at Westby: Cancelled (JV)

Friday at Wisconsin Dells is still on. (V and VR)

Hopefully the warm weather dries out the fields and loosens up those old bones of the alumni before Saturday.

Varsity is ready to go and looking forward to getting started on the year.

Almost There

Thanks to some hard work from Bryan Jandt and Paul Knoll we were able to get the batting cages up and spread some lime on the bullpen mound and home plate area. The field is getting there, but not quite ready to play on.

Alumni Game Postponed to April 5th

Please read previous posting regarding the details of the Alumni Game.

First Week of Practice

We had a great turn out the first week of practice with 61 players showing up 9th - 12th grade. Tryouts were from 5:30 am - 7:00 am Monday through Wednesday. We had 27 players show up for a spot on the roster which will have 15 players. We have accomplished alot over the last four days and will be ready to go come game time the first week of April. Have a great Easter and time with your family.

Words to the Wise

You can tear down more between practices

than WE can build up during practices.

-Coach John Wooden

SHS Baseball Alumni Day

Who: All former Sparta Spartan Baseball Players
To meet this year’s team and catch up with former teammates

When: Saturday, March 29th
Make up day April 5th

Where: Sparta HS Baseball field (behind the HS)

What: 9-Noon Field Clean up
Any help appreciated!

Noon-1 Lunch (Foss’s brats and all the fixins)
Donations accepted to cover costs

1-2 Homerun Contest
See if you still got it!

2pm Game vs current team
Plan on watching even if you don’t plan on playing

Sparta Baseball 2008

How hard we are willing to work will decide our fate for this coming year. The MVC is always a competitive conference and the teams that execute and have the least amount of physical and mental breakdowns will come out on top. Brett Favre's comment about still being able to show up on Sunday and play, but not having the drive the other six days to prepare is true for all of us. Alot of us enjoy baseball and playing during games. It is those that work hard in the off season and during practice that will succeed.