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Junior Grasshoppers ride hot streak to 16U State Tournament
PdC Junior Hoppers 2026 Regional Championship Team Photo 1
The Junior Hoppers pose with the regional plaque after the win. Pictured in the front row (left to right) - Jase Heuston, Warren Peterson, Cooper Trier, Zach Quick, Kadyn Erdenberger and Andrew Peterson. Back row (left to right) - Coach Kyle Konichek, Coach Chad Erickson, Harper Fritsche, Cooper Simmons, Brice Krachey, Brady Ingham, Channing Erickson, Blake Konichek, Parker Bedward, Mike Jazdzewski and Coach Aaron Peterson. - photo by Derick Kelly

After starting their 2026 season with a 2-8 record in June, you would be forgiven for being surprised at the turn around the Prairie du Chien Grasshoppers 16U Junior Legion baseball team has made in the month of July.

The Hoppers will compete in this upcoming weekend’s 16U Wisconsin Legion Baseball State Tournament in Beloit after winning their regional tournament this past weekend at Dillman Memorial Field at St. Feriole Island. PdC’s regional title was far from a given as the Hoppers had to win four consecutive elimination games over the course of two days to claim the program’s third 16U regional championship (2008 and 2018) and fourth overall appearance at the state tournament (also qualified as hosts in 2009).

Prairie du Chien began the regional tournament against Viroqua last Thursday, July 16 and were handed a 16-2 defeat from Post 138, placing the Grasshoppers into an elimination game against Fennimore on Friday afternoon. PdC took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning before holding on late to eliminate Fennimore with a 4 to 2 win.

The victory moved PdC to a Friday night rematch against Viroqua, who had just been sent to the elimination bracket thanks to a 5-4 loss to Westby/Coon Valley after the Junior Hoppers win over Fennimore. Viroqua would get on the scoreboard first with two runs in the first inning and four more in the second inning to take a 6-0 lead before PdC began their comeback with five runs in the bottom of the third inning to make it a one run game at 6-5.

Viroqua got three of those runs back in the top of the fourth inning to extend their lead over Prairie du Chien to 9-5. Those would be the last runs Post 138 would score in the game. The Junior Hoppers got one run back in the bottom of the sixth inning before completing the comeback with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, including three with two outs, to eliminate Viroqua and send PdC to championship Saturday against Westby/Coon Valley.

Prairie du Chien and Westby/Coon Valley entered Saturday’s regional championship as the final two teams in the tournament. As the last unbeaten team of the tournament, the Bandits only needed to win one more game to claim the championship, while the Hoppers needed to defeat Westby/Coon Valley twice to qualify for the state tournament.

The Hoppers grabbed the lead with two runs in the bottom of the first inning before extending it to 4-0 with two more runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Bandits would respond with three runs of their own in the top of the fourth inning to make the score 4-3 before Prairie du Chien’s offense erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to give the Hoppers a 11-3 lead. Westby/Coon Valley would score once in the top of the fifth inning but the Hoppers answered with four more in runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to give PdC a 15-4 win in five innings via ten-run rule and send both teams to a winner take-all game seven of the regional tournament later that afternoon.

Prairie du Chien began game two by scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning to take a quick 2-0 lead. The Bandits would quickly erase that deficit however with three runs in the top of the second inning. Their lead would also be short lived as the Hoppers would respond with seven runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 9-3 lead. Westby/Coon Valley would make things uncomfortable for Prairie du Chien with one run in the fourth and four more in the top of the sixth inning to make it a one-run game at 9-8 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. The Hoppers would get two key insurance runs in the sixth inning to make the score 11-8 before PdC shut the door on the Bandits for good in the top of the seventh inning to claim the regional championship by the score of 11 to 8.

Warren Peterson started on the mound for the Hoppers, earning the win after scattering four runs (one earned) on five hits and seven walks in 4.2 innings pitched before being relieved by Cooper Trier, who worked around four runs (four earned) on two hits and six walks with three strikeouts in 2.1 innings pitched to close the door on Westby/Coon Valley.

The Hoppers offense had seven different players each collect a base hit in the win, including multi-hit games from Parker Bedward (2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs) and Peterson (2-for-4 with a double, one run scored and three RBIs).

PdC (8-11) begins play at the double elimination 16U State Tournament this Thursday at 5:00 p.m. against Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (16-6) at the Beloit Youth Sports Complex in Beloit. The winner advances to face Wisconsin Rapids (20-5) on Friday at 3:00 p.m. while the loser will play Saturday at 12:30 p.m. against the loser of Friday’s game between Fond du Lac (20-0-1) and Sparta (14-7). Also competing in the tournament is Antigo (9-12), Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs (13-10), Beaver Dam (16-7), Eau Claire A’s (19-13) and Beloit (12-9).