Rockets’ split with Rams equals split title

It’s a three-peat for the Cedar Grove-Belgium High School baseball team, although this season the Rockets are sharing the conference title with their rival.

After splitting the season series with Random Lake two weeks ago, the Rockets rolled over Howards Grove twice last week to finish 11-1 in the Big East South. The Rams swept Oostburg to finish with the same mark.

“The kids are excited about it. Now we want to push in the playoffs. That was one of our goals at the beginning of the year,” Rockets’ coach Tom Race said.

“Winning conference again is just another goal that this team has crossed off,” senior Carter Schmitz said. “Congrats to Random as well. They gave us a run both games, and both were what high school baseball is about.”

The Rockets on Saturday beat St. Mary’s Springs, 5-3, a matchup that could repeat on June 3 in the playoffs.

“We played pretty good. They’ve got a good team,” Race said. “We had runners on second and third two or three innings in a row. A base hit breaks it open. We hit the ball at a lot of people.”

Ira Hilbelink, who has committed to play for the University of Minnesota, hit a home run and had two RBIs. Josh Anzia had two hits, including a double, and an RBI. Cooper Schmidt had a hit and an RBI. Hilbelink allowed four hits, three runs (one earned) and two walks while striking out 11 in 5-2/3 innings. Schmitz pitched 1-1/3 scoreless innings, striking out one.

On May 19, the Rockets won at Howards Grove, 14-3. Hilbelink had two hits, including a homer, and three RBIs. Austin Knapp had two hits, including a homer, and two RBIs. Anzia had two hits, including a double, and four RBIs. Griffin Knight had two hits, including a double, and two RBIs. Griffin Posthuma had two hits, including a double, and one RBI. Seth Race had two hits and two RBIs. Connor Waters had two hits, including a double, and an RBI. Knapp allowed three runs, four hits and a walk while striking out seven in four innings. Anzia allowed a walk and struck out one in one inning.

At home against the Tigers on May 21, the Rockets won, 9-1.

Knapp had a double, triple and two RBIs. Schmidt had two hits and an RBI. Schmitz had a double and two RBIs. Anzia, Knight  and Waters each had a hit and an RBI. Race had a triple. Knight allowed six hits, one run and no walks while whiffing seven in seven innings.

“Right now, our pitching is looking strong,” coach Race said. “We’re pretty deep.”

The Rockets, 17-3 overall, were to play at Kettle Moraine Lutheran on Wednesday, May 27.

They got a 1 seed in the Division 3 tournament and on Tuesday, June 2, host the winner of Thursday’s game between No. 9 Roncalli and No. 8 Manitowoc Lutheran. They could face St. Mary’s Springs on June 3, if the higher seeds all win.

Down the line, the Rockets could face Random Lake again in a sectional semifinal on June 9. The Rams, 20-3, are a 2 seed.

“We still have some high aspirations to close the season and know we have the guys to do it,” Schmitz said.