KAUKAUNA — In 1954, the world’s first nuclear submarine was launched, and Hank Aaron hit the first home run of his Major League Baseball career. It was also the last time the Kaukauna baseball team made the state tournament—until now.
The Ghosts punched their ticket to state a few days ago, marking a full-circle moment for head coach Mike Jenkins, who played for Kaukauna in the mid-2000s.
"We were pretty bad," Jenkins said. "I think my senior year, I want to say we were like 5-21 or 6-20 or something like that. It was pretty rough."
Jenkins said he always knew the city had talented baseball players, but they just could not put it together on the varsity field. Four years after taking over the program he once played for, he has them at their highest point in 72 years.
"It's the community I grew up in, and to be able to bring them to this point and help lead these guys along has been really rewarding," Jenkins said.
The senior class is the first that Jenkins has coached all the way through since they were freshmen, and his players are proud of what they have accomplished.
"You give tribute to all our coaches that have helped us build a program together," senior pitcher and outfielder Bron Schaefer said. "I mean, it finally is something special."
The Ghosts' pitching staff has compiled a 2.17 ERA this year. Senior Carson Gates has been especially dominant, posting an ERA of just 0.70. While Kaukauna typically relies on strong pitching, Jenkins said the bats have come to life this season, with the team boasting a combined .904 OPS heading into the tournament.
"We looked at the stats last year compared to this year, and I think we scored like three times as many runs in conference this year as we did last year, so it's kind of unreal," Jenkins said.
Now, the team is excited to see how far it can go at state, and players hope Kaukauna fans show up in nearby Appleton to provide a home-field advantage.
"It's definitely going to be packed," senior second baseman Kaden Kress said. "I'm hoping to see at least a good chunk of the city there."
The No. 3 seed Ghosts will face No. 6 seed River Falls at 2:30 p.m. Monday in the Division 1 state quarterfinals.
