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WEST BEND – A handful of high school baseball coaches across Wisconsin have picked up milestone victories this season.
Lomira’s Pete Drexler notched his 300th career victory Tuesday, May 18 with a 3-1 win over Kettle Moraine Lutheran.
Johnson Creek’s George Sabol picked up the 400th career win with an 8-2 victory over rival Hustisford-Dodgeland.
Fond du Lac’s Marty Paulson crested the 500 mark on May 18, when the Cardinals beat Appleton East 8-3.
And Hortonville’s Don Williams, who has every score and stat from the last 30 years, notched No. 500 with a doubleheader sweep of Oconto Falls.
DREXLER…
Pete Drexler has been coaching varsity baseball at Lomira for 31 seasons. Since winning his 300th game of his career, the Lions have added a couple more victories downing Laconia and Horicon.
Drexler told the Fond du Lac Reporter, “Three hundred wins is a milestone for any coach.”
"It's a culmination of a lot of baseball players and teams who have gone through the Lomira High School baseball program," Drexler said. "It's an honor to have coached that many players and teams."
"I've coached a lot of good players and a lot of good teams," Drexler said. "I surely wouldn't want to put one ahead of another. I remember the first one — win No. 1 was at Oakfield in 1980. This one, No. 300, was at KML. They've all been special. I cherish every one."
SABOL…
George Sabol is a numbers guy. His 400th win came May 14 in an 8-2 victory over Hustisford-Dodgeland.
One of the “top 10 active prep baseball coaches in career wins,” Sabol told the Watertown Daily Times, those stats took a long time to put together.
“In 37 years, I have 400 wins,” Sabol said. “That looks deceiving. It doesn't sound like very many wins, but for 15 years of my career we played eight to 10 games. Along with that, we had some terrific ball players. I wouldn't have the wins if I didn't have the teams I've had. I've had fantastic kids to coach. I owe most of it to them, obviously.”
PAULSON…
Marty Paulson’s Fond du Lac started coaching in 1969. He told the Fond du Lac Reporter that it wasn’t until three years ago when he set a goal to reach the 500 mark.
"Everyone's got to set a goal."
“From 1969, all those kids earned those wins," Paulsen said. "I've never stepped on home plate, I've never had a hit, I've never thrown a pitch. I didn't do this — someone else did it. I guess I was in charge."
WILLIAMS…
Don Williams is 60-years-old and says he owes his life to baseball.
After 632 games, Williams won No. 500.
Williams told the Appleton Post Crescent that if it wasn’t for baseball, "I wouldn’t have any friends because a lot of these guys, even umpires, have turned out to be my friends."
Williams is one of only two active Wisconsin high school baseball coaches with 500 victories, and he also has the highest winning percentage (.791) of active WIAA baseball coaches.
“Five hundred is a nice round number. It’s one more than 499. I just thank God that he let me live this long to do it.”
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