Branch Blaze
Encyclopedia
The Branch Blaze is a semi-pro
baseball team located in Branch, Wisconsin
. Branch is located west off of Interstate Highway 43 west of the city of Manitowoc
. The team nickname, "The Blaze", came from the previous amateur team of the same name. That team was named "The Blaze" because it was sponsored by the local volunteer fire department. The Blaze play their home games at the Branch Recreation Park at the Town of Manitowoc Rapids Park on Diamond 2. The team is funded by the Branch Area Recreation Association and through sponsors. The team plays in the Shoreland League which is made up of teams from Manitowoc
, Kewaunee
, and Brown counties in Northeastern Wisconsin. The Blaze's non-league opponents consist of the Manitowoc Bandits, Green Bay Storm, Howards Grove River Dogs, Plymouth Flames, Cleveland Wildcats, and Hortonville Stars.
in memory of Tyler Schmidt. Tyler was an original member of the Blaze and the starting short stop in the first game and a Two Rivers High School
graduate. Tyler was killed in a car accident in April 2007.
On the individual side, Chris Wettstein was perfect on the bases as he was 30 for 30 in stolen base opportunities, which broke the team record for stolen bases. He also broke the record for runs scored with 28. Craig Gossen broke his own team record for times hit by pitch as he upped the mark to 12. Luke Kiel led the Shoreland League in RBI’s and also broke the Blaze record by driving in 20. On the mound Justin Otto won a team record 4 games and A.J. Lorrigan saved a record 2.
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball team located in Branch, Wisconsin
Branch, Wisconsin
Branch is an unincorporated community located, in the town of Manitowoc Rapids, in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. Branch is located on U.S. Route 10 east of Whitelaw....
. Branch is located west off of Interstate Highway 43 west of the city of Manitowoc
Manitowoc, Wisconsin
Manitowoc is a city in and the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The city is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2000 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,053, with over 50,000 residents in the surrounding communities...
. The team nickname, "The Blaze", came from the previous amateur team of the same name. That team was named "The Blaze" because it was sponsored by the local volunteer fire department. The Blaze play their home games at the Branch Recreation Park at the Town of Manitowoc Rapids Park on Diamond 2. The team is funded by the Branch Area Recreation Association and through sponsors. The team plays in the Shoreland League which is made up of teams from Manitowoc
Manitowoc County, Wisconsin
Manitowoc County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 82,887. Its county seat is Manitowoc. The United States Census Bureau's Manitowoc Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Manitowoc County.-Government:...
, Kewaunee
Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
Kewaunee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 20,187. Its county seat is Kewaunee. Kewaunee County is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, and Brown counties in Northeastern Wisconsin. The Blaze's non-league opponents consist of the Manitowoc Bandits, Green Bay Storm, Howards Grove River Dogs, Plymouth Flames, Cleveland Wildcats, and Hortonville Stars.
2006 Season
The Blaze finished their inaugural season with a record of 4-11 in Shoreland League play and 5-13 overall. The team finished in 5th place out of six teams. The Blaze's victories included a walk off sacrifice fly by Craig Engelbrecht to defeat the rival Two Rivers Polar Bears and a walk off sacrifice fly by Dan Novak that defeated the Oneida Braves for their first win in franchise history. Their lone non-league victory came against the Howards Grove AC's. The AC's were defeated 18-7 in 7 innings.2007 season
The Blaze played a total of 28 games during the 2007 season. New opponents from other leagues and the addition of the Denmark Devil Bears to the Shoreland League led to an increased schedule. Their final record was 3-15 in league play and 6-22 overall. On June 13, 2007 the Blaze and Two Rivers Polar Bears played a game at Walsh Field in Two Rivers, WisconsinTwo Rivers, Wisconsin
Two Rivers is a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 11,712 at the 2010 census. It is the birthplace of the ice cream sundae...
in memory of Tyler Schmidt. Tyler was an original member of the Blaze and the starting short stop in the first game and a Two Rivers High School
Two Rivers High School
Two Rivers High School is a high school located in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. It was built in 2001 to replace the former Washington High School in downtown Two Rivers. The School is located at 4519 Lincoln Avenue Wisconsin Highway 42 on the outskirts of Two Rivers. The school Athletically takes part in...
graduate. Tyler was killed in a car accident in April 2007.
2008 season
The Blaze won the most games in their short history in 2008. The team was 7-11 in League play and 9-18 overall. Several players also set new individual records. The following records were broken: Hits (28, Paul Smith), Doubles (8, Smith), Triples (3, Smith), Runs (24, Smith), RBIs (17, Steve Linzmeier), HBP (10, Craig Gossen), Average (.395, Smith), On-base percentage (.505, Smith), Slugging percentage (.568, Smith), Wins (3, A.J. Lorrigan & Justin Otto), and Innings pitched (62.2, Josh Lemke).2009 season
The 2009 season was one of records, both team and individual, for the Blaze. The Blaze finished with a record of 8-10 in the Shoreland League and in fifth place and 10-16 overall, both of which were highs for wins. Between June 21 and June 28 the team had their longest winning streak ever as they defeated Two Rivers, Algoma, Kewaunee and the Manitowoc Heat. The season also included season sweeps of two opponents.On the individual side, Chris Wettstein was perfect on the bases as he was 30 for 30 in stolen base opportunities, which broke the team record for stolen bases. He also broke the record for runs scored with 28. Craig Gossen broke his own team record for times hit by pitch as he upped the mark to 12. Luke Kiel led the Shoreland League in RBI’s and also broke the Blaze record by driving in 20. On the mound Justin Otto won a team record 4 games and A.J. Lorrigan saved a record 2.