Rebels Take 2 from Ixonia Snappers

The Genesee Rebels took two big games from the Ixonia Snappers on Sunday afternoon. The Rebels won game one by a score of 4-1 and squeaked out a close one with a 7-6 victory in game two. The two wins give Genesee a record of 4-5 on the year. The two victories for the Rebels were the product of solid starting pitching performances from Matt DeMarais and Keith Koehn. The two combined to throw 11 of the 14 innings on the day and only allowed two runs between them.

In Game One, offense was hard to come by as the Rebels' bats were kept off balance with a steady dose of off speed pitches. Genesee jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when rookie Alex Kermendy reached on a single, stole second, and later scored on a Kyle Stasik rbi single. The Snappers tied it in the top of the fourth, but the Rebels finally put it together in the bottom of the 5th when they plated 3 runs. Chris Elliott started the scoring with a one-out single and then promptly stole second. He scored on a Kyle Stasik double to the right-center gap. Lucas Bourassa then walked. The runners moved up to second and third during a Mitch Hauser strikeout that squeaked by the catcher. It looked as if Ixonia would escape the inning allowing only one run, but rookie Jalen Bilty came up huge with a two-out, two-rbi single up the middle.

Ixonia threatened in the top of the 6th when they loaded the bases with only one out on three bloop singles. DeMarais buckled down and induced a shallow fly out to right field and then ended the threat by striking out the 9-hitter to escape unharmed. Rookie Nate Labott pitched a scoreless 7th to notch the save.

Game two looked like it was going to be all Genesee. Lucas Bourassa plated two runs in the bottom of the first with a two-out, two-run RBI single. The Rebels put three more runs across in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of two Ixonia errors and again getting clutch two-out rbi singles from Chris Elliott and Kyle Stasik. Genesee added to their lead in the bottom of the 3rd by plating two more runs but left more runs on the table as they stranded the bases loaded to end the frame.

Seven runs looked like it would be enough as Keith Koehn was dominant on the mound, allowing only one run through five innings. Things got a little messy for the Rebels in the 6th when they turned the ball over to rookie Brett Zickert. Zickert had been solid in his previous outings but struggled in this relief effort. He walked three and allowed three hits on route to allowing 5 runs in the frame. With new life, the Snappers looked to continue the damage in the 7th and steal a victory. Unfortunately for them, Genesee gave the ball to rookie Alex Kermendy who pitched a near perfect 7th inning, striking out the first two hitters he faced before inducing a 6-3 groundout to end the game and earn the save.

The two victories put the Rebels in 6th place in the division, holding on to the final playoff spot. With the season nearly half over, the Rebels have survived an extremely difficult schedule to start the year. Of their first 10 games of the season, 7 of them have come against the top 4 teams in the league. If the Rebels can take a victory from league leader New Berlin on Sunday, they will have played .500 baseball against the best there is to offer. The Rebels hope to continue playing solid baseball and earn some more W's in the second half of the season.

Thus far, the Rebels season has been characterized by stellar defense. Genesee has, at times, struggled to get the clutch-two-out-hit and have stranded many runners in scoring position. The Rebels have been in every game, save for their outing against Burlington, and very easily could have notched a few more victories if they had scored a few more runs. From the pitching standpoint, when the Rebs can limit the free passes, they do well. Their pitching has been spearheaded by a three-headed-monster with veterans Matt DeMarais & Keith Koehn being supported with rookie Brett Zickert. Offensively, rookie Alex Kermendy leads Genesee with 12 hits while Matt Bauer and Kyle Stasik are also off to solid starts with 8 hits and 7 hits respectively. Stasik and Kermendy lead the team in RBIs with 6 apiece while rookie Nate Labott has crossed home plate the most with 7 runs scored. Rookie Jalen Bilty has been a hot recent addition for the Rebels, leading the team with a .429 batting average through the 5 games he has played.

The Rebels return to action on Sunday, June 26th when they travel to New Berlin to take on the Lakers with noon start time.

Rebels Split With East Troy

 The Genesee Rebels split a hotly contested double-header with the East Troy Express on Sunday afternoon at Genesee Town Park. The Rebels dropped game 1 after holding a 2-0 lead for nearly the entire game. Pitcher Brett Zickert took a no-hitter into the top of the 7th before a few fly balls dropped allowing the Express to tie the game and ultimately win in extra innings with a  final score of 5-2. Game 2 proved to be another defensive duel as the Rebels outlasted the Express for a final score of 2-1. The two games were some of the best baseball you will see in the league as both teams played at a high level for nearly the entire day.

The split brings the Rebels overall record to 2-3 on the year as they dropped another close game to the New Berlin Lakers by a score of 5-2 and handed an easy 8-1 victory to the Burlington Barons. The Genesee Rebels have turned out stellar pitching and defensive performances thus far. Rookie Brett Zickert has been a force on the mound. His solid innings paired with veterans Keith Koehn and Matt DeMarais give the Rebels a 3-headed monster in terms of a starting rotation. With young arms in the likes of Alex Kermendy, Mike Balistreri, and Derek Urban coming out of the bullpen, the Rebels are setting themselves up for the long haul.

A few other bright spots for the Rebels include the play of rookie infielder Alex Kermendy who has filled the void at second, short, and third while providing some speed on the base paths offensively as well. Kermendy also leads the Rebels in hits with 7. Hits have been hard to come by for the Rebels as no other player on the team has more than 3. In fact, there are 6 Rebels with 3 hits to their name. The low early season numbers can be chalked up to facing good pitching as Genesee has had a tough start to the season facing top teams in New Berlin, Burlington, and East Troy.

Defensively, the Rebels are playing extremely solid defense behind generally good pitching. The team is boasting a 0.969 fielding percentage. A solid fielding percentage behind a team ERA of 4.50 has made for some close games. When the Rebels staff limits the free passes, they are tough to beat.

Genesee returns to action on Sunday, June 12th when they host the Waterford Rivermen for a double-header. First pitch is slated for 12:00pm. See you there.

Rebels Look Sharp in Season Debut

The Genesee Rebels got the 2016 season off to a hot start on Sunday afternoon with a 11-1 victory over the Rome Raiders. The Rebels only needed 7 innings to notch their first victory of the season. Solid defense, timely hitting, and taking advantage of a few Rome miscues highlighted the day.

The Rebels turned to veteran player / coach Matt DeMarais for the opening day start. He was his usually crafty self, keeping the Raider hitters off balance with a mix of off-speed pitches. DeMarais retired the first 7 hitters he faced before back-to-back hits led to the lone Raiders run on the day. On the day, DeMarais went 5.0 innings allowing 1 run on 4 hits, 3 strikeouts, and no walks. Keith Koehn took the ball from DeMarais and finished the game with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief allowing only 1 hit.

Behind DeMarais and Koehn, the Rebels played nearly flawless defense. Rookie Alex Kermendy made a few nice plays at second base including a backhanded snag of a diving line drive. Nate Labott returned behind the plate and picked off a Raider baserunner when he ventured too far from first base. The combination of allowing no walks and playing solid defense put the Rebels in a strong position to win the game.

Offensively, the Rebels had one of their largest outputs in recent years. Genesee got on the board early when Christ Theisen led off the first with a line drive single. Rome's pitcher had a hard time finding the strike zone as the next three Rebels reached base via the walk. After a Bourassa fielder's choice to notch the first out of the inning, rookie Mike Balistreri was welcomed to the league by being plunked in the thigh. Bauer then beat out a would-be-inning-ending-double-play to plate the third run of the inning. The Rebels would plate one run in each the second and the fourth before scoring 3 in the fifth and sixth.

Rookie Alex Kermendy had a big day for Genesee going 2 for 4 with one double and three rbi's. Nate Labott, after missing much of his freshman year at Saint Norbert College with an injury, reached base each of his 4 plate appearances and finished with two singles and two runs scored. Veteran Kyle Stasik also reached base each of his four plate appearances going 1 for 1 with 3 runs scored and 3 walks. On the day, the Rebels notched 6 hits on 9 walks while striking out 7 times.

All in all, it was a good day for the Rebels and a strong start to the season. Genesee hosts their youth baseball / softball camp this coming Saturday, May 21st  and returns to the diamond with their first night game in 10 years as they travel to New Berlin for a 7:00pm Wednesday Night showdown on the 25th.

See you on the diamond!

ROME RAIDERS (1) AT GENESEE REBELS (11)

ROME RAIDERS         AB  R  H BI  GENESEE REBELS       AB  R  H BI
Bryce Boos            3  0  0  1  Chris Theisen         3  1  1  1  
Aaron Linse           3  0  0  0   Dom Nabak            1  0  0  0  
Craig McDermot        3  0  0  0  Keith Koehn           4  0  0  2  
Ben Gallo             3  0  0  0  Chris Elliott         2  2  0  0  
Brett Krahn           3  0  2  0  Kyle Stasik           1  3  1  1  
Jordan Garrison       3  0  0  0  Lucas Bourassa        3  1  0  0  
Jason Teuteberg       1  0  0  0   Cody Alf             0  1  0  0  
 Jared Stewart        2  0  0  0  Mike Balistreri       2  0  0  1  
Hunter Garsky         3  1  1  0   Nick Heckenkamp      1  0  0  0  
Ryan Wenzel           2  0  2  0  Matt Bauer            3  1  0  2  
                                  Alex Kermendy         4  0  2  3  
                                  Nate Labott           3  2  2  1  
TOTALS               26  1  5  1  TOTALS               27 11  6 11

ROME RAIDERS                  001 000 0 -- 1  
GENESEE REBELS                310 133 x -- 11 

LOB--ROME RAIDERS 4, GENESEE REBELS 9. ERR--Aaron Linse (3),
Auston Salamaki, Kyle Stasik. 2B--Ryan Wenzel, Alex
Kermendy. HBP--Mike Balistreri. SACF--Chris Theisen.
SB--Ryan Wenzel.

 ROME RAIDERS                    IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Jordan Garrison (L)            5.00    4    8    4    5    5    0
Craig McDermot                 1.00    2    3    3    4    2    0
 GENESEE REBELS             
Matt DeMarais (W)              5.00    4    1    1    0    3    0
Keith Koehn                    2.00    1    0    0    0    0    0

WP--Jordan Garrison (4). SO--Aaron Linse, Ben Gallo, Craig
McDermot, Chris Elliott, Chris Theisen, Nick Heckenkamp, Dom
Nabak, Keith Koehn, Mike Balistreri (2). BB--Chris Elliott
(2), Matt Bauer, Kyle Stasik (3), Keith Koehn, Nate Labott,
Cody Alf.

Rebels Season Preview - Part 2

The Genesee Rebels start the 2016 season on May 15^th at home vs. the Rome Raiders. The Rebels will take the field with a mix of wily veterans and exuberant youth. The season looks to be an exciting one as Genesee aims for more community involvement and making Land O Lakes a staple in the Sunday Afternoon Entertainment of all. After finishing last season with a record of ____ and ____ which was good enough for a ______ place finish in the league, the Rebels look to improve and have their sights set at the top of the league.

Our previous post took a look at the returning outfielders. This will look at the rest of the roster!

The Rookies

Mike Ballistreri – Balistreri joins the Rebels after a successful career at Waukesha West High School and a solid freshman year at Trinity International University. “Big Red” will add some depth for the Rebels at first base as well as potentially getting innings on the mound. His bat will undoubtedly help bolster the lineup as he adds a methodical approach at the plate.

Alex Kermendy – Alex is another former Waukesha West Wolverine who just finished his freshman year with the Carroll University Pioneers. A middle infielder / pitcher in high school, Kermendy got some work at 3B with the Pioneers and will help the Rebels all over the field. His presence will fill many gaps for Genesee and definitely make coach DeMarais feel old as Alex was a former student of DeMarais back in the 7^th grade!

Brett Zickert – Zickert joins the Rebels after finishing his freshman season at Beloit College after, you guessed it, a successful high school career at Waukesha West. (I’m seeing a trend here.) Zickert will definitely help the Rebels on the mound this year as his young arm will be a staple in Genesee’s rotation. His ability to play up the middle and all around the field will also help solidify the Rebels defense.

Jalen Bilty – Jalen joins the Rebels after his freshman season at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) where he had a successful rookie season and helped the team make the playoffs. Bilty is another former Wolverine who will look to add more depth to the already crowded Rebels outfield. His young legs and “swing hard in case you miss it” mentality at the plate will be a nice lift for the team.

The Veterans

Chris Elliott – Elliott returns to man first base where he has been a staple in the Genesee lineup for the past 9 years. A marriage, kid, house and real job away from the collegiate slugger, Chris has proven that he is still one of the best first basemen in the league. After shedding a little “daddy fat” in the off season, Elliott has his swing already in mid-season form and is ready to anchor the middle of the Rebels lineup.

Nick Heckenkamp – Heckenkamp had a break out season last year for the Rebels both at the plate and in the field. His patented fist-pump and neon batting gloves have been known to galvanize the Rebels and bring a burst of energy. If he’s not ducking under curveballs, he’s pounding out doubles, blocking balls in the dirt, manning second base, and helping with the day-to-day operations of the Rebels. A great asset as both a player and assistant manager, the Rebs will continue to look for Heckenkamp’s help both on and off the field.

Keith Koehn – The Rebels MVP from last season, Koehn brings the glove at SS, the fastball from the mound, and the power when at-bat. His versatility  and ability to move between the mound and short provide a huge lift for the Rebels. Always one to let his playing do the talking, the Rebels hope his bat and glove will be loud and boisterous throughout the year.

Kyle Stasik – A picture of human health and an immense specimen of athleticism, the Rebels third baseman is as sure-handed as they come at the hot corner. Always willing to give it his all, Stasik’s antics and baseball smarts make him another “coach on the field.” The Rebels will look to Stasik to anchor the infield and provide a veteran approach at the plate. Don’t let his disheveled look fool you, this guy can play!

Derek Urban – A man of only a few appearances last season, the Rebels will look to Urban more this year as he has vowed to ump only on Saturdays and play on Sundays! With his tall frame and lively arm, hopefully Urban can re-establish himself as a dominant pitcher and help lead the Rebels staff. Mixing in time at 3B as well as the OF, Urban’s presence will be greatly appreciated!

Dave Hellmann – When he’s not flipping cars, catching fish, fixing wires, or playing darts, “Mayo” will help the Rebels at both 2B and in the lineup. An All-Star MVP of a few seasons ago, if Dave can stay healthy and show up, he will undoubtedly improve the Rebels’ lineup.

Nathan Labott – Arguably the best defensive catcher to come out of Waukesha West High School, Labott returns to the Rebels after a red-shirt freshman year at Saint Norbert College. Nate is coming off an injury and making the transition from behind the dish to on the mound. If his health allows, Nate is easily one of the top catchers in Land O Lakes. His knowledge of pitching and strong arm should make the transition to pitching a good one.

Aaron Dolan – “The Rev” is as consistent a middle-infielder as you will find in Land O Lakes. As one of the veterans on the team, Aaron will continue to be a quiet force for the Rebels when he is able to make it. He and his wife will be growing their own baseball team as they will be welcoming twins to their family at the end of May. When he is on the field, his smooth swing and fluid fielding make him a strong addition to the lineup.

Andy Sturtevant – Hailing from the Chicago area, “Stu” has the Rebels longest commute for league games. When he is able to make the trek north, he provides a head-strong presence behind the plate and an entertaining approach with the bat in his hands! Never one to shy away from unruly comments like “Gosh darnit” or “I politely disagree with that call sir,” Stu brings civility with his skills. Hopefully he can make it more than he cannot!

The Managers

Matt DeMarais – Entering his second year at the helm for the Rebels and his 9^th year in the league, DeMarais hopes to cut down on his innings on the mound and let more of the younger arms throw the brunt of the fastballs. Never one to overpower the opponent, he still relies on his off-speed pitches and location to keep hitters off balance. As long as his arm doesn’t fall off, he will continue to mix and match as needed and is looking forward to having more options in the lineup this year.

Tim Thelen – A new addition to the Rebels this year, Thelen returns to baseball after a 15 year hiatus from his “glory days” in Minnesota amateur ball. Thelen brings a wealth of knowledge to the Rebels and shares in DeMarais’ vision of getting the community to the center of amateur baseball. His presence and ideas are warmly welcomed by the Rebs!

We’ll see you on the diamond!

Rebels Preview - Part 1 - The Outfield

The 2016 season is less than a month away and the Rebels are gearing up for what hopes to be a successful campaign. The Rebels roster for the 2016 season is a solid mix of savvy veterans and youthful exuberance. With a few key additions to the roster, Genesee hopes to make a run deep in the playoffs. Here's a glance at some of the key roster positions for the 2016 season:

The Outfield:

Matt Bauer - Bauer returns to the roam the friendly confines of center field at Genesee Town Park for the 9th season. A perfect specimen of health, Bauer is known for covering a vast amount of ground and being pesky on the base paths. His versatile skills will help ground the Rebels outfield and could provide a spark either at the top or bottom of the batting order.

Chris Theisen - Still awaiting the ultimate disclosure of conspiratorial evidence against anything and everything, Theisen brings his energy field to left field for the Rebels once again this season. Along with flowing hair and incredibly knowledge of astrology and birthdays, Theisen has been a force in Genesee's lineup. The ability to go deep along with flat-footed speed and undying confidence on the base paths can be a deadly combination. His talking glove, strong arm, and ability to cover ground will make any fly ball to left field a sure out.

Lucas Bourassa - When he's not wearing camouflage and stalking animals, Bourassa is stalking fly balls in the outfield and all around the diamond. Mixing time between outfield, corner infield, and DH, Bourassa provides some much needed pop to the Rebels offensive lineup. His bat will most likely find a place in the middle of the Rebel's lineup and should be an RBI generator throughout the season.

Dom Nabak - After sitting out a year rehabbing a knee injury, Nabak returns to the Rebels and hopes to get back to dropping bombs and snagging flies. The ultimate teammate, Nabak is sure to lift Genesee with his play or his witty and sometimes incomprehensible comments from the bench. Commuting from the Twin Cities where he'll be spending the summer lifting weights and taking pictures of himself flexing, the games where he is present will be a boost for the Rebs.

Mike Hodel - Hodel decided to move to Eau Claire and have a baby, so there's no telling how often he will grace the Rebels with his presence this season. A master of the ultimate softball swing, his all-or-nothing approach at the plate either hits big or misses ugly. Another "coach on the field", Hodel's baseball smarts and ability to help out in any way possible make him another valuable asset to Genesee's roster. Hopefully he is able to make it at least more than Meier ever did.

Brian Szajna - The ultimate practice all-star, Szajna brings all-out-effort to everything he does from tracking fly balls, to spiking into the corner for match point. Szajna is currently the longest tenured Rebel on the roster and an invaluable member of the team. The master of the infield single, he might be the fastest base runner in the league and his uncanny ability to get on base and score make him a much appreciated run scorer for the Rebs.

Cody Alf - A new face to the Rebels, but not new to the area, Alf returns to Wisconsin after a few years of living in the balmy climate of Alaska. Before heading north and taking up softball as a way of life, Cody was once-upon-a-time a stellar outfielder and pitcher for the Carroll Pioneers and even had a stint in the Land O Lakes with Butler. Hopefully his baseball swing will come back to him quickly and his arm will survive a season of hardball. Look for Alf to get back onto the mound and produce for the Rebels there as well.



Mark Switalski - Returning to the Rebels after a leave of absence to scoop ice cream, Switalksi's presence immediately improves the IQ and statistical knowledge of Genesee. His ability to mathematically calculate the trajectory of any fly ball allows him to track down balls that seem to be out of reach. His uncanny ability to attempt a drag bunt during any count and at any situation will keep the infield on their toes when he comes to bat.

A few other Rebels may make appearances in the outfield as well, but the Rebs definitely don't have a shortage of guys able to perform in the outfield. Quite possibly the fastest outfield the Rebs have had in more than a decade, there should be no shortage of excellent play this season.

Stay tuned for further updates as we look at the infielders and pitchers with many new / young faces to bolster the Reb's chances at making this a championship season.

See you on May 15th!

Let it begin...

As Major League Baseball teams partake in opening day festivities over the next week, the Genesee Rebels will finally be able to get on the field! April 1st marks the official opening of Genesee Town Park for seasonal business. As long as the weather holds up, practices for the Rebels will begin Thursday, April 7th and run through August. There's not a better way to spend your Thursday evenings!

The official "Opening Day" for the Genesee Rebels is 44 days away. Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 15th when the Rome Raiders come to town for a noon start to the season. Should be a great day of festivities to kick off what hopes to be a memorable season.

In other news, preparations are in order for the 2nd Annual Spring Training Youth Baseball / Softball Camp hosted by the Rebels. The camp will run on Saturday. May 21st at Genesee Town Park. Any interested ball player between the ages of 8-18 should check out the Camps page for more information. Online Registration is now open!

Keep your eyes peeled around town for the Rebels 2016 Poster Schedule that will be printed this year thanks to our community sponsors. Check out the schedule and new additions to our website over the next few weeks. Thanks to everyone who helps make Rebels Baseball possible.

We'll see you on the ball field!

2016 Schedule Finalized

The sun is coming out, the grass is getting greener, and the weather is warming up. That all means one thing. Baseball is getting closer!

The 2016 Schedule is finalized and the Rebels are excited for the season. With 22 games on the schedule, this promises to be a banner year for the Rebs. Returning the majority of their team from last year with the addition of some new faces, the Rebels are poised for a stellar season.

Check out the schedule below and add the dates to your schedule. The Rebs hope to see you out at all the home games for some solid hometown baseball, food, beer, and spending Sunday afternoons relaxing in the summer sun.

2016 Season Brings Changes for Southwest

Pitchers and Catchers report to Spring Training this week! That's the best news we've heard in a while. That means that baseball is just around the corner. Somewhere. Once the snow goes away that is.

This season brings a new look for the Southwest Division of the Land O Lakes. Considering the turmoil and drama that the league and the board went through this off season, it's kind of surprising that the Southwest is actually in a stronger position than it was last year. How does that work?

Here's a recap of what happened:
- The Western Division broke ties with the Land O Lakes league in general and will be running it's own "league" this season. There is hope / talk that the West will rejoin LOL next year or in the future, but that depends on discussions, organization, bylaws, rules, etc... that are above our pay grade. The West is still a strong division and seems to be doing something right to continue to grow and produce solid baseball.
- The Northern Division continues to shrink. To be honest, we're not sure on the status or who is left and how many games they are playing
- The Southwest added three teams from the East. New Berlin, Racine, and West Allis will be joining the ranks of East Troy, Waterford, Genesee, Rome, North Prairie, Dousman, Ionia, and Burlington. This brings our team total to 11. That means we will be playing 20 division games this year. Awesome!

The Rebels are switching things up a bit too as we have added a few night games throughout the summer. Thanks to West Allis, New Berlin, and Racine for having fields with lights and pushing for us to try for some night games. We even added two non-conference games against Racine to go along with our conference double-header. That brings our current game total to 22 games. That's the most in recent memory. Shouldn't be any problem getting guys reps and ab's. Now, if we could just find a bit more pitching!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 21st as that's when the Rebels will host their 2nd Annual Youth Baseball Camp. The official schedule will be released within a week or so.

Looking forward to another great season!

East Troy Bats End Rebels Post-season Run

The 2015 season came to an end for the Genesee Rebels on Sunday afternoon when they ran into an East Troy Express team who were wearing their hitting shoes. The express took advantage of a small strike zone and a tired pitching staff to knock out 23 hits on the day en route to a 17 run performance that would prove too much for the Rebels to overcome. Despite the fact that the Rebels jumped out to an early lead, the heavily favored Express stayed calm and chipped away until they took the lead for good in the 4th inning. The win means that East Troy will join Waterford as the Southwest representatives for the 2015 Grand Championships and the loss leaves the Rebels looking forward to next year.

The Rebels jumped on the Express right away in the first inning. Matt Bauer led off with a single and was followed by back-to-back walks. With the bases loaded, Andy Sturtevant blooped a single over short and was followed by a Bourassa sac fly. Chris Theisen then ripped a line drive off the firstbasemen's glove and Aaron Dolan snuck a double just inside the left field foul line. The Express then made an uncharacteristic throwing error when the catcher overthrew the pitcher on a walk which allowed Theisen to walk home. When the third out was finally recorded, the Rebels had pushed 5 runs across. Momentum was on their side.

Keith Koehn took the mound for the Rebels and put down the side in order in the bottom of the first. And recorded back-to-back strikeouts to start the second before allowed two doubles in a row which brought the first East Troy runner across the plate. The third inning saw the Express string together four singles and plate two more runs. The Rebels, on the other hand, could not take advantage of the early lead. They stranded 5 runners in scoring position between the 2nd and 4th inning. The lack of clutch hits would prove to be their undoing as the Express would put together 4th and 5th inning rallies to plate 8 runs and tally 13 hits before Koehn was done.

The Rebels pitching staff was a bit shallow this year, but it really didn't affect them until the Saturday / Sunday format of the playoffs. With Koehn not having his best stuff, the Rebels gave the ball to Matt DeMarais who had pitching a 9 inning complete game the day before. DeMarais got out of the 5th inning and allowed only one run over the 6th and 7th to keep the Rebels close, but the juice finally ran out in the 8th when the Express added 5 more runs to their tally, putting the final nails in the Rebels' coffin.

Offensively, the Rebels scored 9 runs on the day, which SHOULD be enough to win a game, however, they easily could have scored many more. The Rebels stranded 7 runners in scoring position on the day and, other than an Elliot bomb in the 6th, didn't have anything to show for their work until the 8th. In the 8th, DeMarais led off with a double down the left field line and scored on a Keith Koehn double. Bourassa then laced a two-out single which brought in two more runs before the inning ended. Despite their lack of two-out-RBI's, the Rebels had clawed back to within 3 runs heading into the bottom of the 8th. Unfortunately for them, the Express would not stop.

Despite the loss, the Rebels ended the season on a high note. Genesee was a bit of a wildcard at the start of the season with the retirement of long-time skipper Mark Wershay, but, after a rocky start to the season, the Rebels got it together and put together one of their more successful seasons in recent years. The third place finish is their best since a second-place tie in 2009. Genesee beat every team in the division except Waterford at least once. The Rebels are also set up nicely for the future with a solid core of veteran players along with the addition of some key players who should contribute for years to come.

The Rebels will hold their annual Home Run Derby on Thursday evening. It may not be that exciting as the team only tallied 3 bombs for the entire season, but there is sure to be a good amount of heckling. Stay tuned for breakdowns of individual players and other team records and stats as they become available.

Good luck to Waterford and East Troy who play their first round games this coming Saturday. Waterford will host Pewaukee which sets up a potential matchup with Pewaukee pitcher Henschel who spent the last few years in the Southwest. East Troy will head to New Berlin. While the Rebels missed out on the Grannies this year, they have their sights set high for 2016.

Bourassa, Urban lift Rebels over North Prairie

The Genesee Rebels got one step closer to a birth into the Grand Championships with a 9-3 playoff victory over the North Prairie Dawgs on Saturday afternoon. The Rebels played shut down defense, got a solid pitching performance, and came up with some clutch hits enroute to the victory. The win propels the Rebels into the Playoff Championship game (Waterford won the regular season championship and an automatic birth into the Grand Championships) on Sunday, August 23rd where they will travel to East Troy to face an Express team who defeated Oconomowoc on Saturday by a score of 5-1.

The game got off to a sloppy start for the Rebels. DeMarais took the mound and retired the first two hitters before the Genesee infield graciously awarded a hard hit groundball with a 10 foot hop over a befuddled Urban at third base. DeMarais then threw a pickoff attempt to the right field fence and the North Prairie runner stole third two pitches later. With two outs, a lazy fly ball was lifted to shallow right-center but the elements came into the play and the sure-out turned into a dropped pop fly which allowed the first run to score.

Luckily for the Rebels, that would be all the Dawgs could muster over the next 7 innings. DeMarais pounded the strike zone and got some stellar infield play behind him. Derek Urban, getting his first start at 3B on the year, calmly gathered 5 assists on 5 attempts. He flashed the leather and showed off the arm with precision darts across the field. On more than one occasion, his fancy glove work got the Rebels out of jams and held the Dawgs from crossing the plate. Up the middle, Koehn and Dolan were flawless and Dave "Mayo" Hellman showed that infielders can play the outfield as he caught each fly ball with ease in right. Other than a few fly balls that handcuffed the Rebels centerfielder and an errant throw headed for the North Prairie dugout, the defensive machine was a thing of beauty.

The game was neck-and-neck over the first four innings. The Rebels couldn't get answer the North Prairie run in the first inning but managed to get on the board in the second when Lucas Bourassa led off with a single, advanced to second on an Aaron Dolan walk, moved to third on a Heckenkamp fielder's choice, and scored on Mayo's fielder's choice. Both Heckenkamp and Hellman were motoring down the line beating out double-plays to keep the inning alive.

The third inning saw Rebel's pitcher Matt DeMarais get his first at-bat since the season-opener and he calmly blooped a double down the right-field line. He would be stranded at second as the Rebels couldn't get anything else going.

The fourth inning saw Dolan leadoff with another walk. He moved up to second on a Hellman ground out which brought Urban to the plate. Urban laced a single to right field which brought in Dolan from second. The Rebels had grabbed the lead and wouldn't give it up.

After scoring two runs in the bottom of the 5th, Genesee would add four more in the bottom of the 6th. DeMarais would collect his second hit of the game, a dribbler to the shortstop that he beat out for an infield single. Matt Bauer and Keith Koehn would put together back-to-back singles which would load the bases with one out. Chris Theisen hit what looked like an inning-ending double-play, but he had his PF-Flyers on and beat out the throw to bring DeMarais across the plate. Lucas Bourassa took advantage of the situation and ripped a single to left-center which brought in Bauer. Then, the Genesee infield would help prolong the inning. Aaron Dolan hit a hard grounder to short which looked like it would end the inning, but, true to its form, the ball took a wicked hop off the side of the North Prairie infielder. Heckenkamp followed with a hard grounder to third which once again took a neat little hop away from the fielder's mitt. After it was over, the Rebels had a commanding 8-1 lead. They would add one more in the 8th when Derek Urban continued his hot play by leading off with a double, later scoring on a Keith Koehn fielder's choice.

On the day, the Rebels would collect 12 hits and were led offensively by Bourassa would finished the day with 3 hits, 1RBI, and 2 runs scored. Bauer, Urban, and DeMarais would also collect two hits on the day. DeMarais kept the Dawg hitters off balance allowing 3 unearned runs, striking out two, and using his defense to get 5 runners in scoring position throughout the day.

The win brings the Rebels one game away from a birth into the Grand Championships. To get there, they have to go through an East Troy team they split with earlier this year. The Rebels will have a full squad tomorrow after half the team returns from vacation, work, and birthday parties and will look for another solid pitching performance from Keith Koehn to help put the Rebels into the Grannies. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30pm at East Troy.

Rebels Ready for Playoffs

The Genesee Rebels finished their 2015 regular season on Sunday afternoon with a low-key tune-up against the Southwest Division Champion Waterford Rivermen. The final score was lopsided in the favor of the Rivermen, but the Rebels got what they wanted out of the day with all players getting some key final reps before the playoffs. The game was relatively meaningless as the Rivermen had already locked up the #1 seed and the Rebels were locked into the #3 seed and both teams emerged feeling confident with their postseason potential.

The Rebels entered the game Sunday a bit shorthanded with multiple players scheduling vacations during the final week of the season. The Rebels that were there were ready to play. Here are some highlights from the game:
- Derek Urban started on the mound for the Rebels and in just 1 2/3 innings quickly because the most prolific sniper in Rebel history plunking FOUR Waterford batters and throwing just 38 pitches.
- Brandon Molkentin returned from a month-long hiatus, during which he was incommunicado, touting a grizzly-adams type beard and made his LOL debut on the mound and collected a base hit.
- 9 of the 11 Rebels hitters collected one hit on the day.
- Kindall Wincek swung 9 times and collected his first LOL career hit.
- Chris Theisen finally unleashed the power and disclosed some sensitive information on a fastball that used some never-before-seen deep space quantum mechanics power to launch itself over the right center fence for his first home run of the year showing everyone

that it's all about the power of the mind.
- Derek Urban collected his first hit of the season and, in case you missed it, hit more batters in 1/3 of an inning than the rest of the Rebels pitching staff hit during the entire season.
- Andy Sturtevant, Brian Szajna, Dave Hellman, Nate Labott, Kyle Stasik, Aaron Dolan, Nelson Heckenkamp, Dom Nabak, and Keith McFarlane did nothing baseball related.


Despite the loss, the 2015 regular season proved to be a successful one for the Rebels They finished with their best winning percentage since 2009 and are heading into the playoffs with confidence at a record-high.

The Rebels locked up the # 3 seed for the playoffs and will host the # 4 seed North Prairie on Saturday, August 22nd at 1:30 at Genesee Town Park. The teams split their earlier meetings this season with the Rebels winning the most recent affair by a score of 7-4. North Prairie is a scary team to face as they have a lot of young talent to go with a core of veteran players. The Rebels will be short-handed again next Saturday as they will be missing four starters, but the amount of depth the Rebels have added this year, they are still in good hands.

In other action, # 2 East Troy will host # 5 Oconomowoc. The two winners will face off on Sunday, August 23rd. The winner of Sunday's matchup will join Waterford in the Grand Championships on the weekend of August 29th & 30th.

Click HERE for More Pictures from the Game 
*Photos Courtesy of Lisa Heckenkamp

Rebels Clinch Third Place in Win over Dousman

The Genesee Rebels clinched a 3rd place regular season finish with a 10-6 victory over Dousman on Sunday afternoon. The win propelled the Rebels to a record of 10-5 and guaranteed them at least one home playoff game. With one game remaining on the regular season, the Rebels find themselves playing solid baseball at the right time of the year.

The game Sunday saw Derek Urban make his first start of the year on the mound and it almost turned out disastrous. Urban walked the first batter he faced and then gave up a single to have runners on first and second with nobody out. He then struck out the #3 hitter before giving up an RBI single to put runners on first and third with one out. Another walk saw the bases covered with an infestation of Frogs. Urban kept his cool and struck out the next batter before inducing an inning-ending-gound-out to escape with only one run crossing the plate.

The top half of the second inning went smoother as Urban kept the Frogs from adding to their lead. Genesee got on the board in the bottom of the second when Bourassa led off with a single and then beat an infield throw to second base on a Theisen groundball to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Hellman laid down a picture-perfect sac bunt and was followed with a Heckenkamp walk. Szajna struck out to bring up Bauer who smoked a dribbler down the third base line that the Frogs defender threw into right field plating Bourassa and Theisen. The Rebels had grabbed a 2-1 lead.

The bottom of the third saw the Rebels and Urban flirting with danger yet again. Dousman loaed the bases with one out before Urban walked in a run. The nine-hitter lofted an RBI fly-out to right field to put runners on second and third with two outs and two runs across. Urban again buckled down and unleashed the strong arm to strike out the leadoff hitter for the third out. All in all, it was not a terrible start for the young hurler. At times, he struggled with his command but limited the damage to three runs. He showed flashes of brilliance and left no doubt that when he is on, he is a lights out pitcher.

Three innings would be enough as Urban turned the ball over to veteran Matt DeMarais in the fourth.The Frogs looked to cash in on the pitching change as they ripped two ground-ball singles to start the frame and advanced to second and third on an errant throw from the outfield. With two outs, a wild-pitch and RBI single plated two Frogs to see then reclaim the lead lengthen their lead to 5-2.

The bottom of the fourth saw the Rebels bats wake up as Theisen, Hellman, and Heckenkamp got the inning started with three straight singles. Szajna struck out again before Bauer laced another single. Keith Koehn then blasted a triple to the left field fence, but a perfect relay saw Bauer cut down at the plate. The damage had been done however, as the Rebels had tied up the game 5-5.

DeMarais then settled in on the mound as he would only allow four baserunners and one run over the next five innings to close out the game. The Rebels, however, were not done scoring as they plated two runs in the 6th before adding three more insurance runs in the bottom of the 8th thanks to some crafty baserunning by Elliott who scored from second on an errant throw to first base and a triple to right center by Chris Theisen. The three run 8th would bring the scoring to an end as the Rebels would wrap up the game with a final score of 10-6.

The victory gave Genesee a bit of revenge as Dousman had defeated them earlier in the season. The Frogs continued to hit the ball well against the Rebels as they finished the game with 12 hits, but it was the Rebels offense which proved to be the deciding factor in the game.

The win assures Genesee of hosting a playoff game on Saturday, August 22nd. They will face either North Prairie, Burlington, or Oconomowoc who are all tied for the final playoff spots. East Troy will host the other game on Saturday with the winners facing off on Sunday, August 23rd to determine the second team who will represent the Southwest in the Grand Championships.

The game Sunday was the final game of the season for Rebels Dom Nabak and Nelson Heckenkamp who both report to school this week. Nabak will take his talents to the balmy tropics of the Twin Cities area where he will bring his sarcastic comments and meathead mentality onto the football field for Concordia where he will no doubt torment the underclassmen running scout team offense. Heckenkamp returns to Arizona for his senior year of high school. Even though both of them did not see much time on the field this year due to injuries, they will be missed down the stretch and look forward to stellar seasons in 2016.

The Rebels finish up the regular season with a game at Waterford next Saturday, August 15th. The game is relatively meaningless in regards to the Southwest Division as both the Rivermen and the Rebels have their spots locked down, however, Waterford is playing for the overall #1 seed heading into the Grand Championships and there is a chance that a 3rd team from the Southwest could receive an at-large bid to the tournament. First pitch is scheduled for 1:30pm.

Photos from the game

Rebels Clinch Playoff Birth in Loss

In an interesting twist of fate, the Genesee Rebels got what they were looking for from the 2015 season when they lost to East Troy by the final score of 3-7 on Sunday. Despite the loss, the Rebels found themselves the recipients of a playoff spot thanks to an Oconomowoc loss to East Troy the day before. The Titans' loss gave them 8 losses on the year and guaranteed that the worst the Rebels would finish the regular season would be in 5th place. Hopefully that is not the case, however, as the Rebels' goal is to finish the season in 2nd or 3rd place, locking in a home playoff game on August 22nd in the process.

The game Sunday proved to be a frustrating one for the Rebels. A rock hard playing surface and gusting winds led to a season high 5 Rebels errors on the day. These errors, coupled with some timely defense and bit hits by the East Troy Express, and a ludicrous balk call would prove too much for the Rebels to overcome. The game was always within reach and was just as closely contested as the previous matchup on the season. Unlike the previous matchup, the Rebels could not capitalize with the big hits when runners were in scoring position and the Express did just that.

The game could have gone much differently had the first inning started out a little differently for the Rebels. Genesee loaded the bass with one out and were looking to break the game open right from the start. Lucas Bourassa ripped a grounder down the line which was stabbed by the Express third baseman who promptly stepped on 3rd and fired to first for a rally-killing double-play. The Reblels got on the board first in the 2nd inning when Chris Theisen led off the with a triple to right center and was brought in on a Dave Hellman sacrifice fly. That would be the first and only lead for the Rebels on the day as East Troy was able to capitalize on a phantom balk call in the bottom of the second. Apparently, once the pitcher steps off the rubber, he does not become a position player and must throw the ball to any base he makes an attempt towards. Regardless of the ludicrosity of the call, the Express were able to score the two runners who were awarded free bases and did score 5 more times unaided by the umpires. One call does not a game make, but it sure can make you scratch your head.

The game did have one thing that has never before been witnessed (at least according to our records) and could probably only ever happen while playing at East Troy. To lead off the 5th inning, Genesee's left fielder, Mark Switalski, laced a line drive back up the middle. The ball landed around second base and skidded into the outfield. Swit ran to first and was casually rounding the base when he saw the baseball appear to pick up speed as it careened over the rock-hard-outfield grass and skip underneath the center fielders glove. Now, under normal circumstances, this would amount to a one-base error and the runner would stop at second base. In East Troy, however, the center field fence is nearly in Waterford. After the ball bounced past the center fielder, it zipped merrily across the softball field (which, if you were wondering, is in play), bounced around the fence, and finally came to a rest about 75 yards from where the outfielder originally tried to play the grounder. Needless to say, Mark got on his horse, sprinted around second, lost his helmet going around third, and scored without a throw. It felt like a bunt scene out of RBI baseball. While the play was exciting and frustrating for a baseball purist and any pitcher to watch, it would be too little too late for the Rebels as it was one of their only hard hit balls on the day.

A bright spot for Genesee was the season debut of pitcher Derek Urban who spent the better half of his summer annoying little league players and parents with his consistently inconsistent strike zone and "take-no-BS" umpire attitude. He pumped through two innings of relief work allowing no earned runs and only one hit. We won't talk about the two HBP and one walk which prompted one well-hydrated East Troy faithful to ask "This your first time pitchin son?" The Rebels were glad to get Urban on the mound as he will be a key to the rest of their season.

If the season ended today, Waterford would get the automatic bid to the grannies, East Troy would hold the 2 seed and Genesee would have the 3 seed which would guarantee them at least one home playoff game on August 22nd. Burlington and North Prairie each sit with a record of 6-7 and Oconomowoc is close on their heels at 6-8. A win next week vs Dousman or the regular season finale at Waterford would lock up at least a 3-seed for the Rebels while they could still lose out and, by way of the tie-breaker of head-to-head and runs against, hold onto the 3-seed. A win would be much better.

The Rebels are back in action next Sunday, August 9th when they host Dousman for a 1:30pm start time. It's "Dollar Day" at the ballpark with $1 hot dogs. With 4 games left, the Frogs could still mathematically make it into the playoffs, so the Rebels know it won't be an easy game!

Rebels Sweep Raiders

The Genesee Rebels won two big baseball games on Sunday afternoon when the Rome Raiders came to town. The Rebels received two stellar pitching performances, nearly flawless defense, and timely hitting on the way towards notching their 8th and 9th victories on the year. The two wins have the Rebels sitting firmly in 3rd place in the Southwest Division with 3 games to go. They are only a half game behind the East Troy Express who they play next Sunday. That game will be incredibly important for determining home field advantage in the playoffs.

The story of Game 1 was an excellent defensive performance by the Rebels. Matt DeMarais took the mound for the Rebels and turned in a stellar performance. He retired the first 9 batters he faced before having to pitch out of a one out, 1st and 3rd jam in the 4th inning. The 4th inning would give the Raiders their best chance to score as they placed their only runner of the game in scoring position before two pop-outs ended the threat. Only 4 Raiders reached base the entire game thanks to a few diving catches by the Rebels and a well called game behind the plate by veteran catcher Andy Sturtevant. On the day, DeMarais would strike out 7 Rome hitters and allow only three hits.

With the Rebels playing solid defense, they knew they had to score at least one run for a chance at the win. The first three innings saw the Rebels feeling frustrated at the plate as they placed a runner in scoring position in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd inning but could not come up with the big two-out hit. Genesee finally got on the board in the 4th inning when Andy Sturtevant led off with a single and was moved to third on back-to-back fielder's choice groundouts which brought up Chris Theisen. Theisen smashed a hard ground ball towards second that was too hot to handle for the Raider second baseman allowing Sturtevant to score.

The Rebels would get three more runs in the 5th as they took advantage of two walks to get runners on first and second. With two outs, Andy Sturtevant delivered a big two-run double that scored Bauer and Elliott. Sturtevant moved to third on the throw home and scored on the next pitch as it skidded to the back stop. The Rebels would add to their lead in the 6th as Bourassa and Theisen each crossed the plate to give them a final score of 6-0.


Game 2 was almost a carbon copy of game one. This time, it was Keith Koehn who turned in the excellent pitching performance. He was also helped out by stellar defense behind him including the Land O Lakes debut of catcher Nathan Labott who just finished his high school career with the Waukesha West Wolverines. Labott provided and immediate boost to the Rebels as he did not allow a single ball to the backstop and threw out the first runner who tried to steal on him. Koehn found himself in a bases loaded jam with one out in the second inning before inducing an inning-ending double play ball. He would only allow one run on the day while striking out 4 on his way to the complete game victory.

Just as in game one, the defense came up huge. First baseman Chris Elliott made a diving play on a hard smash down the line that would have easily made ESPN's Top 10 list while outfielders Chris Theisen and Mike Hodel added sliding catches of their own. Despite the random and extremely awkward hops that Genesee Town Park provides to ground balls, the Rebels held their own and helped keep the Raiders off the board.

Offensively, the Rebels got on the board in the 3rd when rookie Nathan Labott scored on a Keith Koehn triple to the wall. They would get one more in the fourth before putting the game out of reach with a 5-run 5th inning. The Rebels would knock four doubles in the 5th inning alone as the first five batters to come up scored. The 7 runs would be more than enough for the Rebels to put the short-handed Raiders out of their misery.

The two wins for the Rebels gave them the potential to move up on 2nd place East Troy, however, the Express were able to eek out two extra-inning wins against Burlington to hold steady ahead of Genesee. First place Waterford also escaped disaster by pulling off a double-header sweep of Dousman by the close scores of 9-7 and 4-2 to remain alone atop the standings with a 12-1 record.

As it stands now, there appears to be two races to keep an eye on as the season winds down. Waterford seems to have a lock on a first place finish and automatic bid to the Grand Championships. While they could lose two of their last three to end with a potential tie with East Troy, that scenario is extremely unlikely.

Directly behind Waterford, however, there is an interesting battle for second place. East Troy sits with a record of 9-3 and the Rebels sit at 9-4. The two of them play next Sunday. Genesee won the previous match up this year, so the Express will be looking for revenge. The second and third seed will each earn at least one home playoff game while the second seed could clinch home field advantage for both rounds.

Behind the Rebels, there are three teams who each have 7 losses on the year. North Prairie, Oconomowoc, and Burlington will be fighting tooth and nail to save their seasons and clinch a playoff birth. With only the top 5 teams in the division earning playoff births this year, one of these teams will end the season on the outside. Burlington and Oconomowoc face off on August 8th which very well could be the determining game as the season winds down.

With three games remaining, the Rebels need only 1 victory to clinch a playoff birth and a home game in round one of the playoffs. They would much rather end the season with the 2 seed and home field advantage throughout. They will need to continue to play flawless over the remaining three games as East Troy has shown no signs of letting up. Whatever games you are watching, the final three weeks of the season promises to be exciting for the Southwest Division.