By Paul Lecker

Sports Reporter

Stratford junior Cole Hoffman and senior Dylan Peterson and Auburndale junior Logan Willfahrt were among the first-team selections to the 2016 All-Marawood Conference South Division Baseball Team, as voted on by the seven conference coaches. Including the three local players, nine of the 10 first-team picks were unanimous.

Stratford finished 8-4 and in a tie for second place with Pittsville in the conference standings behind champion Marathon. Auburndale was 6-6 and in fourth place.

Hoffman led the Marawood South in batting average, hitting .500 (20 of 40), with two home runs, eight RBIs, 16 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases. He also went 5-2 on the mound with a 1.10 ERA, which was second in the conference.

Peterson batted .409 (18 of 44) with a team-high 12 RBIs.

Willfahrt led the conference with 11 stolen bases and hit .343 (12 of 35) with 11 runs scored and eight RBIs.

Auburndale junior Caleb Weinfurter and Stratford junior Dakota Singer were among the second-team selections. Earning honorable mentions were Auburndale freshman Colton Wright, sophomore Ryan Isaacson, and Stratford freshman Kade Ehirke.

(Hub City Times Sports Reporter Paul Lecker is also the publisher of MarshfieldAreaSports.com.)

2016 All-Marawood Conference South Division Baseball Team

First team: *Brady Baltus, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; *Logan Willfahrt, jr., Auburndale; *Ryan Gassner, sr., Marathon; *Noah Dirks, jr., Marathon; *Landen Williamson, sr., Marathon; *Karter Underwood, sr., Marathon; *Paul Downs, sr., Pittsville; Aron Masanz, sr., Pittsville; *Cole Hoffman, jr., Stratford; *Dylan Peterson, jr., Stratford.

(*unanimous selection)

Second team: Joe Grunhoffer, so., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Caleb Weinfurter, jr., Auburndale; Ben Martin, sr., Marathon; Hunter Schara, jr., Marathon; Connor Wulf, so., Wausau Newman Catholic; Noah Panzer, sr., Northland Lutheran; Clay Schult, so., Northland Lutheran; Dakota Landphier, so., Pittsville; Jacob Neve, jr., Pittsville; Dakota Singer, jr., Stratford.

Honorable mention: Brandon Birkhauser, jr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Nathaniel Clark, sr., Wisconsin Rapids Assumption; Colton Wright, fr., Auburndale; Ryan Isaacson, so., Auburndale; Riley Anderson, so., Marathon; Carter Hanke, fr., Marathon; Cade Kimball, fr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Kasey Kalafice, fr., Wausau Newman Catholic; Connor Schubring, so., Northland Lutheran; David Gustovson, jr., Northland Lutheran; Aidan Masanz, jr., Pittsville; Ryan Zickert, fr., Pittsville; Kade Ehrike, fr., Stratford.