By Nate Parrish
Whitewater Whippet baseball team held its year-end banquet and award winners were announced. Whippets finished in 3rd place in the tough Rock Valley Conference with a 13-5 conference record. Beloit Turner and Jefferson tied for 1st place with 14-4 records. All of the contenders in conference ended up knocking each other out of the state tournament with Jefferson surviving and earning the runner up trophy as Waupun won the State Championship. Although the team did not reach all of the goals they had set for the season, it was still another successful season. The highlight of the year was finally getting the season sweep of Jefferson but the high of getting the sweep quickly turned as McFarland knocked them out of the conference race by sweeping the Whippets at home in a double header the next day. They bounced back to get a couple more wins including a solid win over Delavan that had a very good lefty pitcher in the playoffs only to fall to a hot Jefferson team in the playoffs. Coach Pease thanked the Seniors (Bryce Parrish, Jimmy Duval, and James Dedrick) for their effort and leadership over the years – they will be missed. He said “it is now up to our Juniors (in coming Seniors) to take over the leadership and continue to build what prior Whippets have started”. Dylan Pease was named a Captain for next season with at least one or two more to be announced as they get closer to next season.
The team announced the following awards with picture left to right – Jordan Curtis (All Conference Honorable Mention), Chris Dedrick (All-Conference Honorable Mention), Dylan Pease (2nd team All-Conference, Academic All District, Team Award – Best Situational hitter), Bryce Parrish (1st team All-Conference, 2nd team All District, Team Awards – MVP and Offensive Player of the Year), Cooper Pease (1st Team All-Conference, Team Award – Co-Defensive Player of the year) Missing – James Dedrick (2nd team All-Conference, Academic All District, Academic All State) and Jimmy Duval (1st team All-Conference, Academic All District, Team Award – Co-Defensive Player of the Year)
Thank you to everyone that supported Whitewater High School baseball team.
