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1999, 2007 Grand Champions
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SWABA Class A Champions 1996, 2003, 2006, 2008
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Nelson Named League MVP and Pitcher of the Year
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Luke Nelson was named the 2009 LOL West League MVP and Pitcher of the Year. Luke finished with a 9-1 record and 1 save on the mound and also hit .415 with 5 home runs. Luke is the third player from Oconomowoc in the past 11 years to win League MVP (Jeff Rhoads in 2007 and Rob Becker in 1999).
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Lannon Defeats New Berlin 14-5 for 2009 Grand Championship
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The Stonemen have won their 18th Grand Championship by defeating New Berlin 14-5 in the championship game. The LOL West last won the Grand Championship in 2007 when Oconomowoc grabbed the title.
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Kewaskum Wins 2009 Tri County Championship
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The Kewaskum A's defeated Rubicon 8-7 in the Tri County Championship and are the 2009 Tri County Champs.
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Thin Pitching Staff Catches Up With O's - Lannon Wins LOL West Title
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The season long problem of injuries to their pitching staff finally caught up with Oconomowoc at the worst possible time. Lannon beat Oconomowoc 8-3 on Saturday and then again 18-6 on Sunday to win the LOL West title and earn a trip to the Grand Championship. On Saturday Oconomowoc jumped on the board early with a solo home run by Jeff Rhoads to take a 1-0 lead. Lannon came back and answered with a run in the bottom of the 1st to tie the game and then another in the bottom of the 2nd to take a 2-1 lead. Oconomowoc regained the lead with two runs in the top of the 3rd when Chandler Ziemann led off getting hit by a pitch and later came around to score on a two-run home run by Mike Mitchell. Unfortunately after that Oconomowoc's bats went silent and that was all they could muster for offense on the day. Lannon scored two in the bottom of the 4th and then tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the 6th and three more in the bottom of the 8th to put the final at 8-3.
Chris Fischer started on the mound for Oconomowoc and pitched well despite taking the loss. He went 8.1 innings allowing seven runs on nine hits while walking seven and striking out four. Derek Nelson threw the final .2 inning allowing no runs on no hits while walking two and striking out one. Eric Rohe threw the complete game win for Lannon. At the plate Oconomowoc was led by Jeff Rhoads and Mike Mitchell who each were 2 for 4 with a home run.
On Sunday with few pitching options left Oconomowoc gave the ball to newcomer Justin Mortensen, a recent graduate from Arrowhead High School. Lannon was able to score three in the top of the 1st off Mortensen but Oconomowoc answered with two in the bottom half of the inning with singles by Chandler Ziemann and Derek Nelson along with some sacs by Mike Mitchell and Mike Bolson. Mortensen settled down and held Lannon scoreless in the 2nd and 3rd inning while Oconomowoc was able to tie the game in the bottom of the second on a sac fly by Jeff Rhoads. With a 3-3 tie going into the top of the 4th Lannon scored two runs to make it 5-3 however Oconomowoc once again answered with three runs in the bottom half taking a 6-5 lead on four straight two out singles by Ziemann, Jeff Rhoads, Derek Nelson and Josh Fenzl. Oconomowoc bats once again cooled down and the wheels came off. Lannon scored six in the top of the 5th and then seven more in the top of the 6th to give them enough to secure an 18-6 run rule and a trip to the 2009 Grand Championship.
On the mound Justin Mortensen took the loss going 4.2 innings allowing 11 runs on 11 hits while walking six and striking out three. Josh Bouche threw 1.1 innings allowing seven runs on six hits while talking three and hitting one batter. Steve Rhoads threw the final innings allowing no runs on no hits. Chandler Ziemann and Derek Nelson led Oconomowoc at the plate with three hits each.
Oconomowoc finishes up at 16-5 in the LOL and 20-11 overall. They would like to thank their incredible fan base and sponsors for another great year and look forward to the 2010 season. Check back on the site for updates over the winter.
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Facebook Members, Become a Fan of the Five O's Facebook Page
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Fischer, Bolson Step Up and Lead Five O's To Extra Inning Victory
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Oconomowoc squared up against Pewaukee on Sunday in the second round of the LOL playoffs. Pewaukee defeated the Brookfield Bulldogs the day before in an 11 inning battle and Sunday's game would need extra innings as well. Pewaukee struck first when they scored a run in the top of the 3rd when Tom Zimmerman hit a two out single to score John Sarcia and put the Muskies up 1-0. They added two more runs in the top of the 4th on three hits and two walks making the score 3-0. Oconomowoc got on the board in the bottom of the 4th on a solo home run by Mike Mitchell. Luke Nelson pitched five innings before handing the ball over to Chris Fischer. Fischer shut down the Pewaukee bats and kept Oconomowoc in the game and it paid off when the Five O's tied it up at 3-3 in the bottom of the second. Chandler Ziemann led off the inning with a double down the left field line and was moved to third on a single by Mike Bolson, who two second base on a throw home. With runners on second and third Brett Marshall hit a single to left scoring Ziemann and putting runners on first and third. Bob Bolson then lifted a sac fly to left to tie the game. Fischer cruised through the Pewaukee bats and sent the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the 10th, Mike Mitchell led off with a walk and was bunted to second by Steve Rhoads. After a strikeout, Mike Bolson came to the plate with two outs and with two strikes singled to left and Mitchell was able to beat the throw at the plate to give Oconomowoc the victory.
Luke Nelson pitched five innings for Oconomowoc allowing three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out three. Chris Fischer earned the win going the final five innings allowing no runs on two hits while walking one, striking out one and hitting one batter. Fischer also contributed at the plate by drawing a walk and laying down a sac bunt. At the plate Oconomowoc was led by Mike Bolson who was 3 for 5 with the game winning RBI.
Oconomowoc will now travel to Lannon on Saturday fora 1:00 pm matchup. If Oconomowoc wins, they will advance to the Grand Championship. If they lose, they will play Lannon at home on Sunday with the winner of that game going to the Grand Championship.
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TNB "All Stars" Somehow Defeat O's 27-20 in First Softball Challenge
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In the first annual softball challenge the "All Stars" from The Next Bar defeated The Five O's 27-20 down at Roosevelt Field on Saturday. All was not lost as The Five O's were able to win the Canoe Race and Dizzy Bat Race. Mike Barker took the loss for Oconomowoc on the hill.
The Next Bar and The Five O's would like to thank all their players, families and friends who showed up to the game and lend their support in what turned out to be an incredible fund raiser. The Five O's look forward to a 2010 rematch.
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Newly Released: The (Mike) Mitchell Report
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It’s the day before Opening Day in the Land O’Lakes League, a day greeted with the same kind of anticipatory excitement as the swearing in of a new president or the arrival of a fresh keg at Winger’s. When the baseball world last saw Five-O’s rightfielder Mike Mitchell, he was being mobbed by jubilant teammates, adoring fans and throngs of beautiful women, as he was carried off Roosevelt Field in triumph, after delivering the hit that won the Western Division flag against Lannon last August. With his newfound fame and fortune, many observers wondered what the conquering hero might do in the offseason. It turned out, the tour circuit kept him plenty busy, and no mere news story on it would suffice. Click here for full article.
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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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A Championship For The Storybooks
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-by Dan Flaherty
In the course of history, there have been many tales of revenge and redemption. In the classic novel The Count of Monte Cristo, Edmond Dantes was wrongfully imprisoned for thirteen years, before escaping and wreaking vengeance on his adversaries. But if only Dantes’ would have known the hell of three straight home losses to Lannon in the playoffs, and might have understood the Five-O’s.
Great literature has produced stories celebrating the virtue of teamwork in a battle against the larger forces. In The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck poignantly captured the trials and struggles of a Depression-era family as they struggled against an unjust society. But if only Steinbeck might have thought to weave a tale of a gutty young lefthander battling through the rain against a deep and battle-tested lineup, and he would then have grasped the Five-O’s.
Everyone loves a story of the underdog rising up against the odds. For centuries, the Irish peasantry rose up against the British Empire to protest for their freedom. They finally got it. But if only the Irish peasantry would have faced a two-run deficit with two outs and down to their last strike, and they would then have truly walked in the shoes of the Five-O’s.
For it was on a drizzly Saturday afternoon at Roosevelt Field, it seemed as though the panaroma of human culture was swept up and coalesced into a single game of baseball, as Lannon and Oconomowoc hooked up in an exquisitely played championship game.
It was a battle of crafty lefthanders, as young Matt Schref squared off with Lannon’s ageless Ron Kozlowski. The Stonemen missed some opportunities early, as Schref got key outs. Though the visitors got the game’s first run in the third, it could have been more, and it set the tone for an afternoon where both teams would be left with an array of “what might have been’s” to look back on.
The O’s tied the game in the fourth. The teams traded runs again in the fifth. This it was time for Oconomowoc to say what might have been. In the fourth inning, a single by Steve Rhoads looked to give the O’s the lead, but an outstanding pickup and throw cut the runner down at the plate. And with one out in the bottom of the fifth, the bases loaded and Koslowski on the ropes, Mike Mitchell bounced into a 1-2-3 double play. But Mitchell swore his vengeance.
Lannon had an opportunity in the top of the seventh, putting the first two runners aboard. But a double-play ball killed the rally. And with the top of the order coming up, the momentum was on Oconomowoc’s side. But Koslowski reached into his considerable stores of courage and guile, and made sure a leadoff baserunner didn’t make it home.
In the top of the eight, the Stoneman got the leadoff man aboard with a single and bunted him over. Schref got the second out. Then an error on a routine groundball gave Lannon new life, with runners on first and third. And Five-O’s fans began to feel like this was a novel with an ending they’d read before.
The story looked even more frustratingly familiar with the lead run came across on an infield single so weakly struck, it barely made it to the mound. Then a single to left brought in what looked to be an insurance run. But it might have been worse—catcher Josh Fenzl threw out a runner trying to go to third on the throw home. Oconomowoc didn’t get a run in the eighth, but the one baserunner the bottom of the lineup produced did ensure an extra at-bat for the big guns at the top of the order.
With one out, Jeff Rhoads pushed a drag bunt past Koslowski and beat it out by a step. It was a brilliant bunt. More amazingly, it was Rhoads’ third bunt hit of the game, as he repudiated the notion held by some that bunting is one of the game’s lost arts. Tim Schlosser singled, moving Rhoads up to second. This would be the last hitter for Koslowski, as he departed the game having turned in the latest virtuoso performance in a career littered with them. But was it enough?
At first it appeared it would be. On a passed ball, while Rhoads advanced to third, Schlosser was thrown out at second. The Stonemen were one out from forcing a final showdown on Sunday. Luke Nelson was Oconomowoc’s last hope.
Nelson drew a walk and the tying run was back on base. And after a wild pitch sent him to second, the fires of hope were again burning bright in the O’s dugout. With men on second and third, they were a base hit from tying it up. Lannon reliever Scott Doffek got the first two strikes on Derek Nelson. But #44 hung tough. And just like another #44—Reggie Jackson—he would deliver a big postseason hit A single to center made it 4-4. And when it was misplayed and rolled to the wall, the winning run was now in scoring position. It was a new ballgame.
The ironies now abounded. Nelson would be pinch run for. And this was the moment Mike Eppler had trained for. After a career filled with winning the Heisman Trophy, capturing the Preakness on foot, signing a multi-million dollar contract with the 49ers, and even representing Five-O’s Nation at the U.N.’s General Assembly, he now faced his greatest challenge. He went in to run for Nelson, representing the run that could win the West. And the hitter with a chance to be a hero? None other then Mike Mitchell.
It didn’t take Mitchell long, as he jumped all over Doffek. The ball was rocketed into the right-centerfield gap. Eppler rounded third. With the fall of the Lannon Kingdom at hand, the peasants came charging out of the dugout to greet their conquering hero at home plate.
The final history of this great rebellion produced heroes aplenty. Mitchell was the man in the hour in Oconomowoc and will surely never have to buy a meal in this town again. Schref earned a place in the history books with his clutch win. Like the other #44, Derek Nelson earned the title of Mr. August. And the man who scored the winning run? Well, Mike Eppler will surely be the source of inspiration for novelists and screenwriters for ages to come.
And that’s how the West was won, circa 2007.
More about Dan
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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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