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Mondello takes over as Comets’ coach

Waupaca ready to defend state title

By Greg Seubert


New uniforms are not the only big change in store for the Waupaca baseball team this season.

Rocky Mondello replaces John Koronkiewicz, who coached the Comets to the program’s first state title, a 25-4 record and a North Eastern Conference championship last year.

Mondello is no stranger to the program, as he is the longtime junior varsity coach and was in the dugout for the Comets’ 2-0 win over Milwaukee Lutheran last June in the WIAA Division 2 state championship game.

“This is my 16th year and I’ve been chomping at the bit since the middle of June when we were coming home from the state game in Appleton,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, but I’ve also been very patient with it knowing that I was learning a lot from Koronk. I coached at La Crosse Central and here right away out of school and have always learned from somebody ahead of me. That’s what I’ve enjoyed.”

The Comets haven’t even stepped out onto the field yet, as their season opener at Antigo originally scheduled for March 28 has been rescheduled for Friday, April 21.

“The community’s excited about baseball, the kids are excited about baseball, I’m excited,” Mondello said. “We’ve had eight to 10 open gyms in the last two, three months and we’ve been getting between 10 to 25 guys there. They’re doing camps in the offseason and putting in extra time that truly makes a championship team. That’s how you get there.”

The Comets are replacing their top three pitchers from last year, including Johnny Popham, the team’s all-time leader in batting average and hits, a four-year starter and the North Eastern Conference’s player of the year as a senior. He’s now getting playing time as a freshman at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Waupaca also has to replace Walker Smith and Jason Ellie. Ellie went the distance in a 6-3 win over West Salem in the state semifinals, while Smith held Milwaukee Lutheran to five hits in the championship game against the defending Division 2 championships.

“We go into the (2016) season unranked,” Mondello said. “(Milwaukee Lutheran) had seniors and the team to go with it and they made it back again. That is really tough to do, to go back-to-back.

“I think the cards fell the right way,” he said. “When you only lose four or five games overall, that’s impressive. We dealt with very few injuries and had the pitching staff.”

Although the Comets are replacing Popham, Smith, Ellie, Shane Olsen and Nate Meihak, there are also players back with state tournament experience.

“We have nine guys that are returning from the championship team,” Mondello said. “Of those nine, five or six consistently played. The guys that I had last year as juniors are going to be able to contribute. I already talked to the guys I had that are sophomores this year. They’re going to have to prepare to play at anytime at the varsity level, most likely in a pitching role. I’m not saying we’re weak at pitching by any means, but we are replacing some big guys and the pitching rule is going to change some things. We have to have guys ready to pitch at anytime.”

One of the players that could see some time on the mound is last year’s catcher, Hayden Neidert.

“He’s a hard thrower,” Mondello said. “If we do that, we have to find some guys to catch him.”

Ryan Dayton and Brenden Canterbury are the team’s returning pitchers with innings.

“We have the lowest number of returning innings in the conference, anywhere from 12 to 15,” Mondello said.

Other returning players include Jake Popham, Max Menzies and Nick Grams.

In the past, coaches used the number of innings to determine the eligibility of pitchers.

“Now, if you throw zero to 30 pitches, you can pitch every day of the week,” Mondello said. “If you throw 31 to 49 pitches, you have to take one day off. Fifty to 74 pitches is two days off and 75 pitches up to 100 is a three-day minimum.

“My game plan is to develop two or three closers,” he added. “If you can get a starter to give you five innings and keep their pitch count at 50 to 60 pitches, then you have closers that can come in and give you a 20- to 30-pitch couple of innings. That’s what we’re going to do is develop these closers. What it’s going to force everybody to do is develop closers and take it easy on the arms. It’s an injury prevention thing and I agree with it.”

Mondello’s staff includes Ethan Dayton, Travis Holat and David Yeska.

“It’s kind of cool seeing the guys coaching under me now, they all played for me,” he said. “We all believe in the same things. All of us play on the (Waupaca) Lakemen, so we’ve learned from the older guys that play for the Lakemen.”

Dayton and Holat will coach the JV1 and JV2 teams, respectively. Brad Popham is also back as an assistant.

“This year, we have three teams and we have not had three teams in awhile,” Mondello said. “The numbers warranted it and the talent is there for the third team. For the last five or six years, I’ve carried the freshman load on the JV team. I’ve had teams of up to 18 or 20 guys. This year, we have three relatively even-numbered teams.”

The North Eastern includes teams from Clintonville, Denmark, Fox Valley Lutheran, Freedom, Little Chute, Luxemburg-Casco, Marinette, Oconto Falls and Wrightstown.

As in the past few seasons, most North Eastern matchups will take place in consecutive games or doubleheaders. Waupaca will head to Wrightstown April 4 for the conference opener, but the Comets will also host the Tigers two days later.

“That schedule change happened five years ago,” Mondello said. “It helps us prepare for anything. That’s why I love this game so much. Anybody on any given day can beat anybody.

Mondello expects Freedom and Fox Valley Lutheran to contend for a conference championship. The Irish and Foxes, along with Luxemburg-Casco, are all ranked ahead of Waupaca in the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association’s Division 2 preseason poll.

“We have a very tough conference,” Mondello said. “Clintonville’s going to better than they have in the past. Wrightstown, Denmark, Marinette, all these teams are going to compete. It just depends on which team you play and who shows up.

“We ended the year as state champions and we know people are going to be gunning for us at all times to say they beat the state champions,” he added. “We just need to play hard and give it everything we’ve got each time.”

Waupaca 2017 Baseball Schedule

Varsity
Tuesday, April 4 – at Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 – vs. Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 10 – vs. Adams-Friendship, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 11 – at Clintonville, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 13 – vs. Clintonville, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 17 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 21 – at Antigo, 4:30 p.m. (rescheduled from March 28)

Monday, April 24 – at Stevens Point, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25 – at Little Chute, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 27 – vs. Little Chute, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 1 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 2 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 4 – at Weyauwega-Fremont, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 6 – at Marinette (DH), 2 p.m.

Tuesday, May 9 – vs. Freedom, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 11 – at Freedom, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 13 – vs. Oconto Falls (DH), 11 a.m.

Tuesday, May 16 – vs. Denmark, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 18 – at Denmark, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 22 – at Mosinee, 5 p.m.

JV1
Tuesday, April 4 – at Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 6 – vs. Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 10 – vs. Adams-Friendship, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 11 – at Clintonville, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 13 – vs. Clintonville, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 17 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 18 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 21 – at Antigo, 4:30 p.m. (rescheduled from March 28)

Monday, April 24 – at Stevens Point, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25 – at Little Chute, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, April 27 – vs. Little Chute, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 1 – at Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 2 – vs. Luxemburg-Casco, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 4 – vs. Weyauwega-Fremont, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 6 – at Marinette (DH), 2 p.m.

Tuesday, May 9 – at Freedom, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 11 – vs. Freedom, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 13 – vs. Oconto Falls (DH), 11 a.m.

Tuesday, May 16 – vs. Denmark, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 18 – at Denmark, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, May 22 – at Mosinee, 4:30 p.m.

JV2
Monday, April 10 – vs. Adams-Friendship, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 17 – vs. Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, April 21 – at Fox Valley Lutheran, 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 24 – at Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 29 – vs. Green Bay East (DH), 10 a.m.

Thursday, May 4 – vs. Wrightstown, 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 6 – vs. Mosinee (DH), noon.

 

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