This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Three Marshfield players earned spots on the 2023 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Baseball Team, which was voted on by the seven conference coaches following the regular season.
Nine position players and two pitchers were chosen to the first and second teams, regardless of position.
Junior catcher Adam Gilbertson and senior outfielder Ben Dietsche were second-team selections, and senior pitcher Braxton Kurth was an honorable mention choice for Marshfield, which finished in a three-way tie for third place in the conference standings at 6-6.
Gilbertson led Marshfield with a .385 batting average in the 12 league games, with five RBI and four doubles. Dietsche hit .375 with six RBI and nine runs scored.
Kurth was 2-3 in six starts, striking out 26 in 33 1/3 innings with a 4.83 ERA.
D.C. Everest junior pitcher/third baseman Nate Langbehn was named Player of the Year after going a perfect 5-0 on the mound, allowing just one earned run in 36 1/3 innings (0.19 ERA) with 76 strikeouts. He also hit .323 with eight RBI.
Langbehn was one of six unanimous first-team selections, earning a spot as a pitcher along with Stevens Point’s Josh Opiola (6-0, 1.60 ERA).
Wisconsin Rapids outfielder Brennan Huber, Stevens Point outfielders Benett Klish and Jackson Fox, Merrill shortstop Sam Reimann, and Stevens Point catcher Deacan Koback were also unanimous first-team picks.
Huber led the conference in batting with a .564 average (22-for-39) and in runs scored with 15.
Fonti hit .462 and Fox .458 as Stevens Point went 11-1 to win the WVC championship.
2023 All-Wisconsin Valley Conference Baseball Team
(*denotes unanimous selection)
First Team
Outfield: *Brennan Huber, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; *Benett Klish, sr., Stevens Point; *Jackson Fox, sr., Stevens Point; Jackson Smithpeter, sr., Wausau West; Landon Parlier, sr., Wausau West.
Shortstop: *Sam Reimann, jr., Merrill; Carl Biechler, Stevens Point.
Catcher: *Deacan Koback, sr., Stevens Point.
First base: Braden Lewis, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
Pitchers: *Nate Langbehn, jr., D.C. Everest; Josh Opiola, sr., Stevens Point.
Second Team
Pitcher: Ty Rechner, jr., Stevens Point; Lucas Hager, jr., Wausau West.
Catcher: Adam Gilbertson, jr., Marshfield.
Second base: Davis Winter, so., Wausau East.
Shortstop/second base: Brett Simonsen, so., Wisconsin Rapids.
Third base: Ben Fonti, sr., Stevens Point; Nate Langbehn, jr., D.C. Everest.
Shortstop: Cuyler Soppe, sr., D.C. Everest.
Outfield: Ben Dietsche, sr., Marshfield; Nathan Brzoznowski, sr., Merrill.
Utility/designated hitter: Devin Mrozek, sr., Stevens Point.
Honorable Mention
Catcher: Andrew Cotter, jr., D.C. Everest; Canon Plawman, sr., Wisconsin Rapids.
First base: Aidan Vachowiak, sr., Wausau West; Kaleb Mayer, sr., Stevens Point.
Second base: Tony Iaffaldano, so., Wausau West.
Shortstop: Jack Barthels, jr., Wausau East.
Outfield: Dylan Dobratz, sr., Wausau West; Jake Vercimak, jr., D.C. Everest.
Pitcher: Braden Lewis, sr., Wisconsin Rapids; Brady Kanitz, jr., Merrill; Noah Chmielewski, sr., D.C. Everest; Braxton Kurth, sr., Marshfield.
Player of the Year: Nate Langbehn, D.C. Everest.