The North Shore Conference baseball race came down to a four-way tie, with Grafton, Homestead, Slinger and Whitefish Bay each finishing the league schedule at 7-5.
All four clubs ended the conference slate with identical 7-5 records, while Nicolet and Hartford hovered just behind at 6-6 and Cedarburg struggled to 2-10.
Schmanski’s Dual Threat
Senior pitcher-hitter Jack Schmanski of Grafton was selected to the first team and shared co-MVP honors. He went 2-1 with a 4.48 ERA across five starts, striking out 23 batters in 20⅓ innings, and at the plate he batted .400 with a .543 on-base percentage, a .629 slugging mark and an OPS of 1.172.
His all-around production helped the Grafton Hawks secure a 12-10 overall record.
Plier’s Consistent Excellence
Zach Plier, also a senior, earned second-team honors for the second straight year and was named the team’s other MVP. He hit .333 in conference play, tying Schmanski for the team lead with 14 hits in 42 at-bats, and finished the season with a .384 average, a 1.085 OPS, nine doubles, two triples and a home run.
Emerging Talent
First baseman Everett Bonk broke out as a starter, hitting .333 and driving in nine runs while posting a .988 fielding percentage, earning the team’s most-improved player award.
Junior right-hander Ryan Butts paced the staff with 24⅔ innings, posting a 1.99 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. At the plate he batted .429 with 12 hits in 28 at-bats, capturing both the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year honors.
The Grafton Hawks concluded the season with a 12-10 record, capping a campaign that saw multiple players receive conference recognition.