Notre Dame Academy baseball opens season with nonconference win

GREEN BAY – With Mother Nature doing her part in making many area fields a muddy mess – especially those without synthetic turf – the Notre Dame Academy baseball team was glad to play its first game of the season in a controlled setting. 

Capital Credit Union Park in Ashwaubenon played host to one of the first area baseball games this spring on Tuesday, March 31, with Notre Dame grabbing a 13-3, six-inning victory over Shawano Community High School in a nonconference game. 

With more than 26 inches of snow slamming the area on March 15-16, Notre Dame Coach Jared Barker said the team was glad to get an early-season game under its belt. 

“It’s always nice to get outside at the end of March,” he said. “It was a good win for the kids and nice to get off on the right foot.”

Barker said his team practiced at its home field the day before its first game. 

“If we had to, we probably could have played at Notre Dame, but with the incoming weather [coming later this week], the field is going to need a few more days to really dry out,” he said. “We were lucky to get some rain in the last couple of weeks to help get rid of the snow so we could play [at Capital Credit Union Park].” 

The Tritons scored a pair of runs in the first, five more in the third, four in the fourth and ended the game early with two more in the sixth. 

Shawano pitchers didn’t help their cause by hitting three batters, throwing three wild pitches and walking four Tritons. 

Notre Dame senior catcher Miles Hunter went 2-for-3 from the plate – including a double – and knocked in a pair of runs. 

“It was great to get outside,” Hunter said. “It’s tough being cooped up inside for practice. I worked hard over the summer to help my team, but I have to give credit to my teammates as well. It’s nice to get a victory.” 

The Tritons collected eight hits as a team. 

Ty Bumgardner started on the mound for Notre Dame and went three innings before Drew Magnuson finished up.