Prep Baseball Report

Become a Member

More +

Nicolet tallies two wins on home field, advances to State Tournament

June 5, 2024
By: Maddox Durst
Staff Writer

Sectional Tuesday has come to a conclusion in the Badger State, as 20 teams punched their ticket to the State Tournament by winning two games yesterday. The Prep Baseball Wisconsin staff was able to head out to three separate locations, providing timely updates of each matchup.

Now, we break down some of what we saw—beginning with the Glendale Sectional. Stay tuned with our coverage throughout the rest of the week as the WIAA playoffs come to a conclusion.

GAME ONE: WHITEFISH BAY VS NO. 15 WISCONSIN LUTHERAN

The storylines were jam-packed on Tuesday morning at Maslowski Park, as Whitefish Bay attempted to defend their Division 1 crown with a victory over the No. 1 seed in Wisconsin Lutheran.

Star players matched up in MIF’s JD Dix (Whitefish Bay, 2024; Wake Forest commit) and Eddie Rynders (Wisconsin Lutheran, 2024; Kent State), featuring some of the top talent in the 2024 class throughout the region.

Yet it was the performances of LHP Tyler Andrews (Whitefish Bay, 2024; Wisconsin-Milwaukee) and RHP Jake Ross (Wisconsin Lutheran, 2024; Bryant & Stratton (WI)) that stole the show on Tuesday. Through the first four innings of play, the two pitchers held each of their opponents scoreless—working out of a couple of jams in the process.

Dix came back around for his third at bat of the game in the fifth inning—slapping a ground ball into the turf while hustling out an infield single. A walk from OF Charlie McIntyre (Whitefish Bay, 2026), who finished with three on the day, advanced Dix to second base to set up C Ben Van Bell (2024). The senior clutched up to break open the scoring, as he barreled a single to the opposite field to put the Blue Dukes up 1-0.

A throwing error in the next frame allowed Whitefish Bay to tack on another run, as OF Joey Weide (2024) came around the bases to score—finishing 3-for-4 in this one.

From there, it was all Andrews. The left-hander faced some adversity in the seventh inning after allowing a home run to 1B Wynn Hotchkiss (2025), but sent the rest of the Vikings’ lineup down in order to secure the victory.

With the win, Whitefish Bay advanced to the Sectional Final for the third straight season—looking to make their return to Appleton in the near future.

GAME TWO: HOMESTEAD VS NO. 18 NICOLET

A battle of North Shore Conference foes was ready to take place in game two, as Homestead and No. 18 Nicolet, the host, took the field to try and punch their ticket to the Sectional Final.

The Highlanders had the Knights on the ropes early—starting on the defensive end. OF Jackson Brewer (Homestead, 2024; Columbia) threw a runner out at home plate to swing the momentum to Homestead’s side, allowing their bats to find a rhythm in a tied game.

They were able to get to the hard-throwing RHP Ben Ott (Nicolet, 2024; Wisconsin-La Crosse (football)), as they tagged him for five runs in the fourth inning. RHP/INF Paul Nuetzel (Homestead, 2024; Madison JC) launched a double to the wall to get the scoring started for the Highlanders—starting a two-out rally in the process.

Paul Nuetzel [6/4/24]

OF Will Van Laanen (Homestead, 2024; St. Norbert’s College) had a big two-RBI single to center field to extend their lead, as Brewer capped off the frame with an RBI single of his own to put Homestead up 5-0.

After going quiet in the fourth and the fifth, the Knights were down to their final six outs with a five-run deficit. They were able to rally in a big way—starting by taking advantage of an error in the outfield.

Ott got Nicolet on the board with a two-RBI single with zero outs in the sixth, followed by another clutch hit from OF Hayden Konczal (2027). With the game at 5-3, OF Cole Fox (2025) stepped up and launched a double to the opposite field—scoring two runs. Fox then came around to score, as INF/RHP Nolan Sandee (Nicolet, 2024; Northern Illinois) blooped a base hit in front of the left fielder to give the Knights the lead.

Sandee closed the final 3.1 innings on the mound, and did so in an effective fashion. The right-hander kept his team in it until the very end, all while earning the win on the mound. Sandee struck out five batters during his time on the bump—working around two hits to shut down Homestead.

After the dramatic comeback, Nicolet prepared to battle with the Blue Dukes, who eliminated them in the postseason last year.

GAME THREE: WHITEFISH BAY VS NO. 18 NICOLET

In the Sectional Final, it was all Nicolet as they punched their ticket to the State Tournament at Fox Cities Stadium for next week.

After Whitefish Bay took an early 1-0 lead, it was Sandee once again who excelled for the Knights. The leadoff hitter launched a home run to right field to tie the game up—providing a further spark later on in the second frame. Sandee stepped up to the plate with runners on first and second—pulling a triple down the right field line to drive in two.

Nolan Sandee [6/4/24]

As RHP Jack Stuck (Nicolet, 2025) continued to cruise on the mound, the offense stayed hot. They plated another four runs in the process, highlighted by a double from 1B Gabe Nelson (Nicolet, 2024), who has been a staple in the middle of their order all year long. Nelson took advantage of a throwing error in the process—scoring on the same play to put the Knights up big.

Gabe Nelson [6/4/24]

They took a 9-2 lead into the fifth inning and beyond. Stuck gave them five innings in a start—presenting an effective mix that got him up to five strikeouts. Nicolet then handed the ball to their leader in Sandee, who closed his second game of the day to get the win, despite running into some trouble in the final frame.

The Knights went on to win 9-4—dominating from the start with an eruption from their offense, paired with solid pitching. For the first time since 2006, Nicolet will be heading to the State Tournament. They will find out what seed they have received later on tonight—beginning play on Monday.

RELATED CONTENT