Mike Goetz was always a well-rounded athlete. Growing up in Franklin, Wisconsin, he developed into an all-conference football player, a state-qualifying wrestler, and an all-state baseball player. He made the decision to focus on baseball at the collegiate level and immediately began to shine upon his arrival at Madison College.
With his concentration on the diamond, Mike led the WolfPack with 62 hits and a .422 batting average that still ranks as the 16th-best single-season mark in program history. He was named all-conference and All-Region 13 in helping the WolfPack and Coach Kalinowski in his final season finish with a record of 23-23.
Mike’s second season was truly one for the record books, as the sophomore returned to campus and continued to stack up hit after hit against opposing pitchers. He became the third player in team history to surpass 80 hits, finishing with 81 to rank fourth in team history for a season, and batted .407 with 17 extra-base hits and 55 runs scored. The WolfPack and new head coach Steve Hauser followed Mike’s lead to a 38-22 record that included a school-record 20-game win streak and a Region 13 title. Mike was named all-conference, all-region, all-district, and an NJCAA Second Team All-American.
For his career at Madison College, Mike and his teammates won two conference titles, two state titles, and one region crown with a combined record of 61-45. He currently ranks second in program history for hits with 143, first with ten triples, fourth in career batting average at .413, eighth in total stolen bases with 35, and 20th in total runs scored with 90. He was also a WTCC Academic All-Conference honoree as a freshman.
“It’s not often when you get your best player, top academic kid, and hardest worker all in one. With Mike, we certainly had that,” commented former head coach Steve Hauser. “He was and is a terrific human being. He can accept full credit for all his success here at Madison College and beyond due to his tremendous work ethic. Mike stayed after practice every day to work on something. He did it so much that I eventually had to kick him off the field and tell him to go home.”
Following his time with the WolfPack, Mike went on to play two seasons at NCAA Division I UW-Milwaukee and was an NCAA First Team All-American selection his senior season after leading the entire nation in batting average. Mike then realized a childhood dream and was drafted by his hometown Milwaukee Brewers in 2006. He spent four years playing professionally for the Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates, reaching as high as Double-A. Mike currently is self-employed as a carpenter and landlord.
When asked about his time at Madison College, Mike had the following to say:
“If I had the opportunity to go back and do everything again, I wouldn’t change a thing. Having the opportunity to play baseball here changed my life. I had a great experience. Coach Hauser’s son was very young in my second year, and after my last game, coach pulled me aside and told me, ‘If my son grows up to be half the man you are, he’ll be a rock star.’ I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”
