It figures to be a call to arms this season in Rock Valley Conference baseball.
Led by 2021 conference co-player of the year Jackson Burk of Beloit Turner, pitching will be at a premium.
Edgerton, Turner and Evansville all have staff aces who have already committed to pitch in college.
Burk is headed to NCAA Division I Western Illinois University, Edgerton鈥檚 Peyton Lee will pitch at Division II Winona State University and Willard Peterson of Evansville will take his 88 mph fast ball to Division I Evansville University.
鈥淭he pitching in this conference this season is probably the best it has ever been,鈥 longtime Edgerton coach Mike Gregory said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e certainly had some really good ones through the years, but to have this many in one year is something I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e ever seen.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to see a lot of low-scoring games, and not because there aren鈥檛 good hitters. The pitching is just that good.鈥
The current conference standings are jumbled because of the inclement weather that has plagued Southern Wisconsin. McFarland currently stands at 6-1 in the Rock Valley, with defending champion Turner right behind at 5-1. Technically, though, Edgerton is in first place with a 3-0 conference record. The Crimson Tide handed Turner its first loss of the season Tuesday, as Lee outdueled Burk 3-2 in a pitcher鈥檚 duel. The two combined for 18 strikeouts, with Lee allowing two unearned runs.
鈥淎fter the first inning, Peyton was really good,鈥 Gregory said. 鈥淐onsidering that we鈥檝e played five games but have only practiced outside three times, to be that sharp is impressive.
鈥淎nd Burk is the real deal, too! It was a well-pitched high school baseball game, just what you鈥檇 expect with those two on the mound.鈥
Edgerton also defeated Evansville, 2-1, in brutal conditions last Friday. Peterson started for Evansville but did not factor in the decision. The left-hander struck out nine and allowed only two hits in five-plus innings. The Crimson Tide scored two runs in the seventh to win it.
Although Edgerton and Turner seem to have the deepest pitching staffs, Gregory said both McFarland and Jefferson will be strong, as well.
鈥淭he advantage that we have is that I鈥檝e got five pitchers that I can throw out there that I have all the confidence in the world in,鈥 Gregory said. 鈥淎nd in a week like this where we play Turner twice, Evansville on Friday and Brodhead on Saturday, that鈥檚 a nice luxury to have.
鈥淏ut even though Jefferson might not have the strong pitching that it normally does, they鈥檝e still got kids that can hit. (Tyler) Butina is one of the best players in the state.鈥
Butina, a junior, already has committed to Division I Central Michigan and shared the co-player of the year title in the Rock Valley with Burk last season.
Burk is coming off a 2021 season in which he went 9-1 with a 0.76 ERA in 59 innings. The one loss? A six-inning stint of no earned runs against a Jefferson team that went on to become the WIAA Division 2 state runner-up.
Currently, five teams have two losses or fewer in conference play. Does Gregory expect that trend to continue?
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think so,鈥 Gregory said of the logjam at the top of the standings. 鈥淲hat you鈥檙e seeing right now is that the haves are playing the have-nots and so records are a little inflated. We鈥檒l be done with Turner and Evansville after this week, and those are two very good teams, especially when Burk and Peterson pitch.
鈥淚 like where we鈥檙e at with our pitching staff and how deep it is, but you still have to go out and play and produce on the field. I think you鈥檒l see some separation at the top between two or three teams before all is said and done.鈥