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10-Time Land O Lakes Grand Champions (1999, 2007)
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SWABA Class A Champions 1996, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2011
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Five O's Improve to 3-0 in Tri County With 15-10 Win Over Lannon
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After a dreadful start, Oconomowoc bounced back after allowing 6 runs in the bottom of the first to come back and beat Lannon/Sussex 15-10 in Tri County action on Friday Night. Josh Bouche started for Oconomowoc and after some miscues in the infield and timely hits by Lannon, Oconomowoc quickly fell behind 6-0. Bouche settled in after the first and the Five O's chipped away at the lead - scoring one run in the top of the second, three in the top of the third and two more in the top of the fourth to tie the game. Lannon quickly answered and regained the lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 7-6. Oconomowoc kept their bats hot and scored two more runs in both the fifth and sixth innings and took take a 10-8 lead going into the bottom of the seventh. Newcomer Buddy Ebert looked to complete his third inning and get out of a bases loaded jam when Nick Ghelfi hit a two out routine fly ball to right field, only to be dropped allowing two runs to score and the game to be tied. Ebert's night was done and his hopes of picking up a win in his first Five O's game went with it when Oconomowoc went quietly in their half of the 8th. Kevin Kadunc then came in for Oconomowoc and worked a 1-2-3 inning preserving the 10-10 tie going into the ninth. The Five O's then exploded for five runs in the top of the ninth. Nash Bell led off with a double to right. The O's put together three other hits in the inning along with a walk and Lannon error to account for the insurance runs. Chandler Ziemann came in to work a scoreless ninth to preserve the win.
Kevin Kadunc earned his first Five O's win going one inning allowing no runs on no hits. Jose Alba took the loss for Lannon. At the plate Oconomowoc was led by Brett Marshall who went 4 for 5 (no, that is not a typo) with two runs scored and an RBI. Jeff Rhoads and Nate Osterndorf has three hits each.
Oconomowoc is now 3-0 in the TCNL and 5-0 overall. They travel to Pewaukee this Sunday to take on the Muskies in LOL action at 1:00 pm.
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Another 9th Inning Victory For Oconomowoc Against Sussex
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Last year Oconomowoc was 2-0 against Sussex with both wins coming in the 9th inning. In their first matchup in 2012, the same held true. In a very well played game by both teams, the Five O's broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the 9th and held on to earn the win and improve to 2-0 in the Land O Lakes and 4-0 overall. Each team traded runs in the top of the 1st before each pitcher settled down. Five O's starter Chris Fischer gave up a 2-run home run to left fielder Seth Kroenke in the bottom of the 3rd but then managed to quiet the Cardinals bats for the next 5 innings. Oconomowoc managed to tie the game at 3-3 scoring 2 runs in the top of the 5th on four straight hits by Bob Bolson, Chandler Ziemann, Jeff Rhoads and Derek Nelson. Things remained that way until Bob Bolson doubled to right center in the top of the 9th with one out. After a deep fly out by Ziemann, Jeff Rhoads was intentionally walked to bring Derek Nelson to the plate. Following Bolson's lead, Nelson lined a double to right scoring Bolson who ended up being the game winner. Sussex did not go quietly in the bottom half. Steve Rhoads came in to relieve Fischer and gave up a lead off single to right by Bryan Laabs. A sac bunt moved him to second base with one out. Rhoads then walked Kroenke and then enduced Sussex clean up hitter Todd Johnson to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to secure the win.
Chris Fischer earned the win for Oconomowoc going 8 innings allowing 3 runs on 8 hits while walking 4, striking out 2 and hitting 1 batter. Steve Rhoads picked up the save going 1 innings allowing no runs on 1 hit while walking 1. Travis Thompson took the loss for Sussex going all 9 innings allowing 4 runs on 13 hits while walking 1 and striking out 5. At the plate Oconomowoc was led by Chandler Ziemann who was 4 for 5 with a double and 2 runs scored. Jeff Rhoads, Derek Nelson and Bob Bolson all contributed 2 hits each in the winning effort.
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Oconomowoc Turns in Solid Performance to Beat Rubicon
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By Dan Flaherty
The Oconomowoc Five-O's ran their record in the Tri-County Night League to 2-0 on Friday with a 10-2 win over Rubicon. It was a win that could be summed up in a single word — execution. No, the Five-O's didn't bring a guillotine to the park with them. But they did bring their defense, patience at the plate and timely hitting. While the win was a team effort, up and down through the lineup, and on the pitching staff, no player epitomized the execution-first approach better than right fielder Bob Bolson.
The top of the third produced the game's first seminal moment. The game was scoreless, and Five-O's starter Josh Bouche had gotten settled in for what would be four shutout innings. This inning saw leadoff hitter Ida Menzel hit a line drive down the right field line. Bolson got over quickly, came up throwing and gunned down Menzel at second base. I need to back track here and say that the baserunner's first name probably isn't Ida — that happens to be the name of the Broadway actor who played the Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked. But I digress.
In the bottom of the inning, Bolson laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move leadoff hitter Nate Oz into scoring position with one out. The O's couldn't capitalize that inning, but by the fifth the offense finally broke through. After a leadoff single by Steve Rhoads, Bolson worked a walk, which helped pave the way for Corey Ott to draw a bases-loaded walk of his own to force in the first run and then Jeff Rhoads to put on a nice piece of two-strike hitting to take a pitch the other way for two RBIs and make the game 3-0.
Oconomowoc opened the game up in the sixth, tacking on three more runs, with Mike Barker's two-out, two-run single being the key blow. Chandler Ziemann came in on relief of Bouche in the fifth and while Rubicon got their only two runs in the seventh, Ziemann's nine outs provided invaluable help to a pitching staff that needs to be ready again on Sunday in Sussex when Land O' Lakes play resumes.
After the seventh, Ziemann gave way to Shawn Tremaine who cruised through the eighth inning. At 6-2 the game didn't look in serious doubt, but for any anxious observers, Oconomowoc put it away in their own half of the eighth. This was the inning where the execution gap between the two teams really shone forth. While Oconomowoc had not only shown patience at the plate all night, they'd also been patient defensively, not forcing plays that weren't there and allowing themselves to work out of jams with minimal to no damage. In this half-inning Rubicon issued three walks, hit a batter, threw three wild pitches and when an chopper to third presented an easy out at first, a foolish attempt at a double play sent the ball into right field and the rout was on. Four runs were added and Tremaine closed out the ninth without incident.
Oconomowoc has now beaten the Tri-County League's top two teams from a year ago, in Kewaskum and Rubicon. So as we get set to return to Land O'Lakes action on Sunday at Sussex (1 PM kickoff), don't forget that on pleasant summer evenings in Watertown and elsewhere, the Five-O's are ready to make 2012 the Year of the Double Dip.
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A Dying Dynasty? Not Quite Yet
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By Dan Flaherty
All great dynastic runs must come to an end eventually. So the history books teach us. After all, the House of Savoy ruled Italy for over a hundred years and into the 20th century before a popular referendum led to its demise after World War II. England was governed by the House of Tudor and the infamous Henry VIII for a century-plus before the lack of an heir spelled its doom. Closer to home, the Bush-Clinton rule of American politics when Barack upended Hillary in the 2008 Democratic primaries. Given that, can't we expect that the Five-O's dynasty-or as it's known in historical parlance, the House of Bender, Schlosser & Rhoads-should also finally gaveway to new blood.
The end of the 2011 regular season looked to be that time. Oconomowoc was 7-9 and needed to sweep its final two games, plus get some help in order to make the playoffs. They pulled it off and even though a first-round exit at the hands of Lannon awaited, the claim for a continuing dynastic run still exists.
Nonetheless, the rebels have smelled blood and now the O's will have to prove themselves again in 2012. To that end, Rob Becker, a key part of the 2007 Grand Championship team, has been summoned from retirement and is ready to pitch again. This past weekend in Ixonia, Becker took the mound, and with his breaking stuff moving and his location sound, the hurler looked ready to step right into regular season action against Land O'Lakes competition.
Steve Rhoads followed Becker on the mound. There are critics who say that the game has passed Rhoads, who turns 42 in June, by. There are those who say he's not in top condition. There are those who say that his growing family has him distracted... you know I could swear I had some overarching point when I began this paragraph. Oh, yes-what the critics didn't count on was him tossing a couple innings of scoreless ball himself with a ball dancing so thoroughly that Gaylord Perry had to have been smiling.
Then it was Luke Nelson's turn on the mound and there was nothing subtle about the approach here. Straight gas and nasty breaking stuff left Ixonia's hitter looking helpless and put the finishing touches on a 6-0 win that helped get everyone feeling good about the impending season. Offensively, the Five-O's bats gained steam on the second time through the batting order, with several balls hit hard in the latter frames of the seven-inning game, including a line shot by Nelson that was positively crushed, until a great defensive play turned it into an out. Between Luke Nelson, player-manager Jeff Rhoads, Derek Nelson, there will be punch in the offense. It's going to be up to the pitching to see if Oconomowoc can not only ward off the up-and-comers nipping at their heels, but to again provide a credible challenge to traditional power Lannon, as well as Brookfield, the team who won the West and then the Grand Championship a year ago.
The LOL season begins anew at Roosevelt Field on Sunday. Those that say all dynasties come to an end eventually might be reminded of a few other historical examples. Harry Truman, heir to the FDR dynasty, beat back a too-cocky Thomas Dewey in the 1948 presidential election. Josef Stalin derisively said "How many divisions does the pope have?", at the height of the Cold War, only to see his successors watch John Paul II march triumphantly through a free Eastern Europe. And who can forget Moe Green in The Godfather proclaiming to Michael Corleone "You're all done. The Corleone Family doesn't have that kind of muscle anymore." Dewey lost an election. Stalin lost an empire. Greene took a bullet in the eye. That's what happens when you call an end to a dynasty prematurely. The end of last year showed the Five-O's aren't ready to go quietly into the night just yet, and with returning reinforcements, optimism abounds for 2012.
Dan Flaherty runs The Sports Notebook - a website devoted to sports commentary
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Derek is Cooney's full Nelson
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by Chuck Delsman - Published in the Oconomowoc Focus (June 22, 2011)
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For the past 12 years, the Oconomowoc Land O'Lakes Western Division baseball team has been the winningest franchise in the league. Year after year, the Five O's are as competitive as any team in the 12-team circuit Read More
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Bolson knows the game, his role
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by Chuck Delsman - Published in the Oconomowoc Focus (July 21, 2010)
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Bob Bolson's dedication to the Oconomowoc Five O's is unmatched, at least in terms of mileage. While many players drive 5 or 10 minutes to get to the games, Bolson has to drive three hours one way. He works and lives in Naperville, Ill. Read More
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Facebook Members, Become a Fan of the Five O's Facebook Page
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Gunnar's Self-Directed Film Takes First at Sundance
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Gunnar Kroseberg's first endeavor into the film making industry has apparently been a success. His self-directed short film titled "A Fine Day For A Smoke", swept through Sundance taking all awards in the short-film category and many awards in other categories it should not have even been eligible for, including "Best Foreign Film". Although Gunnar's first film, critics are already comparing him to the likes of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg (no relation) and George Lucas. The whirlwind of praise this film has received has also gotten the attention of Hollywood studios. Paramount Pictures has offered Kroseberg a six picture deal and Universal Pictures is working on a larger offer. Rumors are out that stars such as Johnny Depp and Julia Roberts have offered to work for free to land a role in a "Kroseberg Productions" film.
Staying true to his roots, Kroseberg will most likely stick to small, independent, silent films about smoking.
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2007 Grand Champion T-Shirts Available
Now you can own one of the t-shirts commemorating the 2007 Land O' Lakes Grand Championship title. Check out the new merchandise page to view them along with hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts and more.
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Five Os Fishery a Huge Success
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The Five Os would like to thank everyone who attended and helped out at the 1st Annual Five O's Fishery. We had nice weather, nice fish and nice beer. The winning fish were a 33 1/2" Northern and a 10 1/2" Perch. Another highlight of the day was Jamma's State Record Miller Bass (seen left). Special thanks goes out to DaleyDorf's German Bar, The Next Bar, ABEE Ink, Pat's Heating & Cooling and Cornerstone Pub for hosting and sponsoring the event. We hope to see everyone there again next year.
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Eppler Celebrates Death of Barbaro, Draws Suspicion
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1/29/2007 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro was euthanized early Monday morning at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center in Kennett Square. The sad ending to the great horse's story came after a series of setbacks following a devastating leg injury allegedly caused by Five O's outfielder Mike Eppler. Eppler, already tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, has somehow avoided any real criminal charges in the matter, thanks to a series of back-alley deals brokered by his father Earl. Eppler to this day denies any wrong-doing, despite strong photographic evidence suggesting otherwise. Full Story
Related Story: Eppler Wins Preakness – ON FOOT!
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Eppler Wins Preakness – ON FOOT!
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In perhaps the most bizarre incident in the history of horseracing, Oconomowoc Five Os outfielder Mike Eppler won Saturday's Preakness Stakes, finishing the final mile of the 1 and 3/16 mile race on foot. (click for full story)
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2005 Heisman Trophy Goes To Eppler
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In what can only be classified as a shocking turn of events, the 2005 Heisman Trophy has been awarded to USC quarterback and Five Os outfielder Mike Eppler. After Reggie Bush appeared to win in a landslide at Saturday's Heisman Presentation Ceremony, Mike Eppler, who was not initially listed as a finalist, demanded a recount of Heisman votes. The ceremony was held for a second time Monday evening, at the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City. This time, the sports world was turned on its ear, as Mike Eppler won (click for full story)
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President Bush Appoints Eppler Historic Seat At U.N.
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The political world was shaken yesterday by news coming out of Washington. Under heavy pressure from President Bush, this emerging dynasty was granted a vote on the elite Security Council. It was little doubt which member of the Five Os will hold this historic post: none other than Mike Eppler. (click for full story)
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Record NFL Deal Makes Eppler Two-Sport Star
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Only two weeks removed from the 2005 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers shocked many NFL observers on Monday by cutting first overall pick Alex Smith, and signing undrafted rookie free agent and Five Os outfielder Mike Eppler to a 9 year, $227 million contract. (click for full story)
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Eppler Raises Eyebrows in Congressional Steroid Probe
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Following his March 16th subpoena to appear before the Government Reform Committee, Oconomowoc Five Os outfielder Mike Eppler made certain his appearance on Capital Hill would be a memorable one. (click for full story)
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Advertising Info
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Overall Record: 5 - 0
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Next Game
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2 - 0
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vs.
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2 - 0
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directions
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Sun May 20 1:00 PM
at Pewaukee
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Full Schedule
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All LOL West Scores
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Recent LOL Scores
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Sat May 19
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Pewaukee
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West Bend (N/A)
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Sun May 13
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Oconomowoc 4
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Sussex 3
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Brk. Bulldogs 3
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Pewaukee 4
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West Bend 12
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Lannon 2
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Monches 6
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Merton 11
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Hartland 0
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Brk. Blue Sox 5
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Men. Falls 10
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North Lake 8
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Upcoming LOL Games
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Sun May 20
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Oconomowoc vs Pewaukee
(1:00 PM)
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Sussex vs West Bend
(1:00 PM)
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Brk. Bulldogs vs Lannon
(1:00 PM)
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Men. Falls vs Monches
(1:00 PM)
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North Lake vs Brk. Blue Sox
(1:00 PM)
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Merton vs Hartland
(1:00 PM)
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Sat May 26
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Pewaukee vs Lannon
(2:00 PM)
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Brk. Bulldogs vs Sussex
(2:00 PM)
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Monches vs Brk. Blue Sox
(2:00 PM)
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Men. Falls vs Merton
(2:00 PM)
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Hartland vs North Lake
(2:00 PM)
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Current Conditions
Oconomowoc, WI
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