Peshtigo’s Peters Is Packerland Softball Player of the Year

Peshtigo infielder Allison Peters was named the 2022 Packerland Conference Player of the Year.
Peters, a junior, was a first-team infielder for a season where she hit .414. She played shortstop and hit leadoff all year for the Bulldogs.
“She is an intimidating presence in the leadoff slot and solid as a rock at the shortstop position,” Peshtigo coach Matt LaCoursiere said.
In addition to her work at the plate, Peters was also a solid pitcher, though she didn’t get a ton of conference work with the dominance of teammate Bethany Ahrens. When Peters did pitch, she was undefeated.
“She’s another player that puts a lot into the game in the offseason and it shows with her play,” LaCoursiere said.
Oconto senior Maggie Sohrweide was a unanimous choice for the first team infield. She was the only unanimous selection in the conference, hitting .462 and leading the team with 13 RBIs. 
Sohrweide, a team captain, was joined by five teammates on the Packerland first team. Eight Blue Devils earned some sort of Packerland recognition.
Senior infielder and team captain Juliana Sieber, sophomore catcher Lauren McDowell, junior pitcher Annika Schlueter, freshman outfielder Addisyn Viestenz, and freshman utility/designated player Hannah Thompson all made the first team.
Sieber was academic all-state in the classroom. On the field, she hit .516 with a team-leading 839 slugging percentage, helped by three triples and a home run. Her average was the fourth-best in the Packerland and she led Oconto with 15 runs scored.
Schlueter was nearly unhittable in eight games pitched. She picked up the win in all eight, throwing 46 innings and allowing just eight runs for a 1.22 ERA. She struck out 45 hitters.
McDowell led the team in extra-base hits with six. She had three doubles, two triples and a home run on her way to a .400 average and .800 slugging percentage.
Viestenz hit .389 on the season, scoring 11 runs in 24 conference plate appearances.
Blue Devil Kadynn Bostwick was a second-teamer and Alyse Viestenz was an honorable mention. Both are junior infielders who will return to the fold as seniors next spring.
Alyse Viestenz hit .292, scoring 13 runs in 30 plate appearances.
Bostwick’s .542 average led the entire conference. Bostwick doubled three times, leading to a .792 slugging percentage and a remarkable 1.425 OPS (on-base plus slugging).
Peshtigo had five players earn Packerland honors. Junior pitcher Ahrens made the first team as a pitcher. She went 7-1 in conference games as a pitcher and hit third for the Bulldogs all season.
“She was very dominant and definitely a force on the mound,” coach LaCoursiere said. “I consider myself an extremely lucky coach to have her on my team. Her hard work and dedication in the offseason has definitely paid dividends.”
Ahrens and Peters both return as seniors in 2023.
“Both Bethany and Allison are a huge part of our puzzle and I’m grateful to have them coming back next season,” coach LaCoursiere said.
Sophomore catcher Sam LaCoursiere was a second-teamer, as were seniors Emma Gilligan and Tori Jandt.
LaCoursiere slotted into the catcher position.
“Sam did a nice job of coming in and playing young in a tough defensive position,” coach LaCoursiere said. “She did a great job of handling our pitching staff all season. She’s another player that works hard at her craft in the offseason. She was a sophomore this season and we expect her to keep getting better with age.”
Lund made honorable mention in 2022, making the move to third base after three seasons of starting in center field for the Bulldogs.
“I asked her if she was comfortable with the move and without hesitation she said yes,” coach LaCoursiere said. “She is truly a great competitor and another senior that we will have a hard time replacing next season.”
Gilligan and Jandt’s departures will leave Peshtigo with big gaps at second and in the outfield.
“Emma was an excellent leader on and off the field this year. She is a sure-handed second baseman that can turn the double play as well as any,” coach LaCoursiere said. “Tori had a great year for us both offensively and defensively. Her bat was clutch for us throughout the season and she did a great job of running balls down in the outfield.”
Four Blue Devils and three Bulldogs earned Packerland recognition on the baseball diamond.
Oconto catcher Kyle Bowman was a first-teamer in his sophomore season.
Bowman started catching his freshman season and earned first-team honors just a year later.
“Kyle is a grinder.  He just keeps working,” Oconto coach Tom Armstrong said. “He developed into an all-conference player with hard work and determination.”
Bowman hit .474, but he got on base far more than that, with an on-base percentage of .643 on the season. 
“He would do anything to get on base,” Armstrong said.
senior outfielder Riley Anderson went out with a first-team spot for the second consecutive season.
“Riley got some of the biggest hits on the season, including the two-out, two-RBI triple against Coleman to give us the lead in the seventh inning,” Armstrong said.
Oconto was down to its last out but would go on to win that regional game over Coleman, with Anderson’s triple going down as the key at-bat in the game.
Anderson was eighth in the Packerland with a .444 batting average.
Blue Devils pitcher Conner Christensen was a second-team pick along with senior infielder Braden Shallow.
Christensen’s only loss on the mound this season was to Denmark, the eventual Division 2 state champions.
“Conner developed into one of the best pitchers in the league,” Armstrong said. “He was a catalyst in getting our team to the sectional finals.”
In addition to being a solid arm, Christensen hit clean-up for Oconto. One of his biggest moments was a two-run home run in the seventh inning for insurance in the Blue Devils’ regional title game win over Coleman.
Shallow hit leadoff for Oconto and led the team in runs scored.
“Braden stabilized our lineup by taking over the leadoff spot and getting on base,” Armstrong said.
Peshtigo hurler Jacob Berth was a second-team pitcher for a season where he pitched 23.1 innings to the tune of a 4.20 ERA. He allowed just 15 hits and struck out 24 batters.
His standout performance was a seven-inning shutout of Bonduel in regional action.
“Jake was our best pitcher for the past two years,” Peshtigo coach Neal Henrigillis said. “His unflappable attitude allowed him to take on teams that were at the top of the conference and compete each night.”
Junior infielder Trevor Marquardt made the second team and senior outfielder Will Boettcher was an honorable mention.
Marquardt hit .333 with a .400 on-base percentage. He stole six bases in eight games.
“Trevor put in a lot of hard work in the winter and it paid off,” Henrigillis said. “He made great strides defensively while becoming a solid hitter for our team. His ability to run the bases made him an asset to our team.”
Boettcher hit .316 and got on base in 50% of his plate appearances. On the mound, he threw 10 innings with a 1.40 ERA.
“Will was able to do everything we asked of him this year,” Henrigillis said. “He moved to center field, he started pitching, relieved games pitching, and moved throughout the lineup. He was a great team player.”
Southern Door slugger Jack Peterson was the unanimous pick for Packerland Player of the Year. He hit for a ridiculous .710 average, 172 points better than any other player in the conference.

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