ARIZONA - The Madison College baseball team entered the 2022 season with high expectations coming off three consecutive trips to the NJCAA Division II World Series, and through the first half of the program's annual spring trip to Arizona, they appear to be backing it up. The WolfPack, ranked #4 in the NJCAA Division II Poll at the start of the trip west, has won six straight games to begin the year for the first time since the 2010 season.

Game #1 (Thursday in Chandler, AZ): #4 Madison College 11, Chandler-Gilbert Community College 8

The season opener featured a defensive battled that turned into an offensive explosion as the team's combined for 19 runs and 23 hits, most of which came over the final three innings. Trailing 1-0 entering the fifth, Madison College used four hits and three walks to generate seven runs. Centerfielder Eli Kramer singled in the season's first run. Three batter's later Zach Storbakken lined a double that plated two runs before fellow infielder Jake Nelson capped the frame with a two-run single up the middle. The WolfPack added two more in the top of the sixth, however, the host Coyotes answered with a six-spot in the sixth to close within 9-7. Run scoring hits by Gabe O'Brien and Cameron Dupont in the seventh added breathing room with a four-run lead.

Kramer, a Greenville, Wisconsin, native, finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored and one driven in. Nelson and Dupont each posted two hits and a run scored, with Nelson driving in two and Dupont one.

Veteran starter Jacob Wilde pitched the first 3.2 innings and held CGCC to one earned run on three hits. The native of Waukesha, Wisconsin, struck out six and walked four before giving way to first year pitcher Alex Hayes, who earned his first career win despite allowing seven runs on nine hits. The left-hander struck out three before closing out the win. 

Game #2 (Thursday in Chandler, AZ): #4 Madison College 10, Chandler-Gilbert Community College 0 (6 innings)

The opening day nightcap was all WolfPack, thanks in part to an outstanding throwing effort from right-hander Jett Thielke. The former Bay Port HS athlete retired seven batters via strikeout and scattered three hits and walk over the game's first five innings. Madison College took advantage with a pair of four-run innings in the third and sixth innings. Zach Storbakken, the team's home run leader in 2021, crushed his first long ball of the season with a three-run blast to right field to open the scoring. It was followed by a Jake Nelson triple and a Gabe Roessler RBI-single. Completing the scoring - and earning the run-rule victory - was the second run-producing single of the game by freshman Dayton Rozinski-Hicks.

Storbakken went 3 for 4 with three RBI and three runs scored, while Jake Nelson scored three times and drove in another as a result of his 3 for 3 performance. Rozinski-Hicks, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ended the game with a pair of hits and two RBI. Nick Nowak and Gunnar Doyle each scored twice.

Freshman Spencer Buskager saw his first action on the bump, striking out two of the three batters he faced.

Game #3 (Friday in Mesa, AZ): #4 Madison College 10, Chandler-Gilbert Community College 1 (8 innings)

The team's first nine-inning game of the season saw Madison College race out to an early lead before tacking on a big four-run frame to close out a third straight win. Right fielder Gunnar Doyle started it off with a bang, sending a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for a two-run home run in the first inning. Two innings later, Zach Storbakken and Jake Nelson each drove in a run and the 'Pack owned a 4-0 lead. Still ahead 6-1 entering the ninth, the WolfPack took advantage of three hits, a walk, and a two-run error to plate four more runs. Nelson and Gabe O'Brien added RBI hits in the closing inning.

Nelson finished with a team-high three hits, and drove in two runs and scored two more. Doyle, who now boasts two career homers, also had two RBI and two runs scored. Five of the WolfPack's 11 hits went for extra bases.

Luke Hansel picked up his first win of the season with 5.1 strong innings that saw the Caledonia, Wisconsin, native scatter seven hits and three walks en route to allowing just one earned run. He also struck out four. Eli Hoyt made his collegiate debut and used three K's to offset a hit and two walks in his first 3.2 innings of the season.

Game #4 (Saturday in Tucson, AZ): #4 Madison College 21, Riverland Community College 2 (5 innings)

In the team's first of two trips to Tucson's Kino Sport Complex during their time in Arizona, the WolfPack opened a doubleheader with its biggest route of the young season. Madison College scored multiple runs in each of the game's first four innings en route to it's highest run total also putting up 21 runs in a win over Rockford University JV last March. The game was highlighted by a nine-run fourth inning the was capped by a two-run home run off the bat of centerfielder Brady Jurgella.

Seven different players amassed multiple hits as Madison College rattled off a season-high 18 in the win. Jurgella, a product of Menasha, Wisconsin, scored a team-high four runs and drove in two more on his three hits. Jake Nelson and Eli Kramer also had two hits, with Nelson driving in three runs and touching home twice. Shortstop Gabe Roessler was one of four players with two hits, using his to generate three runs scored and three more batted in. Catcher Nick Nowak also touched home three times and a RBI with his two hits. Leftfielder Jake Fulton went 1 for 4 and drove in a career-high four runs and scored another.

First year pitcher Isaiah Cerfus made his debut and was outstanding over four innings to earn his first career win. The native of Raymond, Wisconsin, was credited with one earned run out of two runs allowed on three hits and walk. He fanned five batters. Dayne Louis tossed one inning in relief and registered one K.

Game #5 (Saturday in Tucson, AZ): #4 Madison College 14, Miles Community College 11

Game two of the day also featured a lot of runs, only this time it was by both teams. After both teams scored runs in the opening inning, Madison College added another in the second and three more in the third to assume a 5-1 advantage. The Pioneers put the biggest scare into the WolfPack when they scored in each of the next three innings to build their own 8-5 lead. A three-run sixth tied the game at 8-8 before the 'Pack poured it on with six runs in the seventh. Jake Nelson followed a lead-off walk with a single to right that put Madison College ahead for good. After a walk forced in another run, Gabe Roessler produced two more with a single to left.

Gunnar Doyle paced the team with his first four-hit effort of the season, leading to three runs scored and another driven in. Gabe O'Brien had three base knocks and batted in a team-leading three runs. Roessler used his two hits to generate three runs and two RBI.

Jacob Arndt got the starting call to make his season debut, tossing three innings and giving up two earned run on three hits and four walks. He struck out a career-high six batters. Charlie Campbell entered and was the pitcher of record despite allowing nine runs, six of which were earned, on eight hits and two walks. Campbell struck out three to help get his second collegiate win. Eli Kramer was brought in to close out the game, doing so with a strikeout after allowing a pair of hits.

Game #6 (Sunday in Goodyear, AZ): #4 Madison College 10, Western Nebraska Community College 6

The win streak reached six with a hard-fought win over NJCAA Division I Western Nebraska CC in a nine-inning game played at the Cleveland Indians Spring Training Complex in Goodyear, Arizona. The WolfPack busted open a scoreless game with six runs in the third inning. A sacrifice fly from second baseman Carter Stebane opened the scoring, and Gunnar Doyle plated two more with a single up the middle. Following a run-producing error on the Cougars, Eduardo Saucedo and Brady Jurgella each drove in a run with a single. Western Nebraska didn't go down without a fight, using a home run to close to within 7-3 in the fifth. Doyle drove in two more with a single in the sixth ahead of the Cougars answering with two bottom half to once again make it a four-run differential.

Doyle, a native of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, finished with a season-high four RBI, and also scored two runs, as part of a 3 for 5 performance at the plate. Eli Kramer, hitting in the lead-off spot, also enjoyed three hits and scored two runs. Three others produced two hits.

Kellan Short made his first Madison College appearance and earned his first career win with five innings of work and five strikeouts. The right-hander from New Berlin, Wisconsin, allowed two earned runs on two hits and four walks. Spencer Buskager again appeared in relief, giving up four hits and an unearned run with two K's.

Up Next:

Madison College (6-0), which was moved up to #2 in the newest NJCAA Division II Poll, will return from a day off on Monday to play another doubleheader at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona. The WolfPack will open against Williston State College (13-1), and then close opposite Lake Region State College (5-2). The games against the two North Dakota-based schools will begin at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Central Time, respectively.

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