3 Panthers make NEC baseball 2nd team

Three Oconto Falls High School baseball players were named to the North Eastern Conference second team.

Senior Tucker Bouche, junior Jake Sager and sophomore Braden Vandermoss were the players recognized.

Bouche logged 43 innings on the mound, the most of any Panther. He pitched in 12 of the team’s 20 games.

He finished the season with a strong 2.28 earned run average while earning four of the team’s six wins and recording a save in another win. He struck out 67 batters.

At the plate, he posted a .280 batting average and drove in a team-leading 10 runs. He also drew 12 walks to finish with a .446 on-base percentage.

“Making all-conference is a big honor, especially considering the competition in our conference,” said Bouche, who plans to play baseball at UW-La Crosse in the coming years. “I was excited to hear that my offseason work paid off.”

Sager wrapped up the season with a .333 batting average, scored a team-high 12 runs and also drove in seven runs. He got on base at a .413 clip and also led the Panthers with five stolen bases.

Sager pitched in 10 games, covering 18 innings.

“I was going into this season hoping to at least make the all-conference board, which happened and am feeling fairly confident for next year individually,” said Sager. “Obviously, first team is the goal but being second team is an accomplishment.

“This all-conference award tells me that I can do better then what I did this season. I am aiming for first team next year and that is my goal.”

Vandermoss had Oconto Falls’ top batting of the season at .377, tallying 23 hits in 61 at-bats. He also walked 10 times for a .458 on-base percentage. The sophomore drove in seven runs and scored 10 times.

Vandermoss pitched in eight games, picking up one win and working 20 innings. He had a 3.15 ERA and struck out 21 batters along the way.

“It means a lot to me and it shows me that my hard work and dedication to the sport is paying off,” said Vandermoss of his all-conference honor. “I have been playing baseball for as long as I can remember and it has been a passion of mine for my entire life. Making varsity this year and earning all-conference is super satisfying and I’m glad I could help my team have a good season this year.

“It motivates me to keep working hard and keep improving my game to help the team go farther next season and the rest of my high school career.”

Oconto Falls went 6-14 on the season, including a 5-12 mark in the NEC. The Panthers were eliminated from the postseason after a 4-1 loss to New London.

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