With the WIAA and American Legion baseball seasons cancelled because of COVID-19 it looked like it would be a lost season on the diamond for high school kids across the region. That changed, when “Safer at Home” orders were lifted and area coaches with the help of Wisconsin Sports Services were able to form the Badgerland Summer High School League.
Waupun high school and American Legion baseball coach Derrick Standke was one of the main organizers responsible for this league formation. He tells DailyDodge.com that being a district rep for the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association and also involved in Waupun’s Little League he sat in a lot of Zoom meetings regarding baseball being cancelled and possibly restarted this spring. He says that after meeting with Wisconsin Sports Services about restarting the local Little League, he thought “Why can’t we do the same thing for the high school kids?” After talking with WSS and coaches from across the region they were able to form a league with 10 varsity teams and 10 JV squads that will run from late June to early August. Both the varsity and JV leagues will be split into two divisions each. Standke says the two biggest factors on deciding the division placement of teams is geography and high school enrollment size. Waupun is the biggest school in the White Division with an enrollment of about 540 while Beaver Dam is the smallest in the Red Division with an enrollment of about 1050.
A postseason tournament was discussed pitting the Red Division champ against the White Division champ but with football scheduled to start on August 3rd, there might not be time to get that in. It may be discussed as the season moves along.
Standke says when talks began to heat up about the potential league, safety was always the top priority. He adds that all of the communities involved are committed to taking the steps necessary to make sure everyone is safe and enjoys the summer.
Here’s a look at the Varsity and JV leagues in this year’s Badgerland Summer High School League.
Badgerland Summer High School League – Varsity
Varsity Red Division
Beaver Dam
Fond du Lac
Hartford
Watertown
Varsity White Division
Brownsville (Lomira/Theresa)
Laconia
Mayville
Randolph
St. Mary’s Springs
Waupun
Badgerland Summer High School League – JV
JV Red Division
Beaver Dam
Fond du Lac
Germantown
Hartford
JV White Division
Brownsville (Lomira/Theresa)
Horicon
Mayville
St. Mary’s Springs
Waupun Jv
Waupun Jv2
Click the link to hear a complete interview with Derrick Standke about forming the league and how his Waupun team is stacking up.
If you have a question about this story or have an idea for a future local sports story, please email Wade Bates at ddsports@goodkarmabrands.com