MANITOWOC - For the fifth time in eight seasons, Chris Cisler has helped guide a team to a Shoreland League championship, but this year's title is a little different.
Cisler managed the Manitowoc Bandits amateur baseball team this season as his former team, the Two Rivers Polar Bears, moved and assumed the Bandits name and facilities.
“It was a little bit like a homecoming for players like Mike Ruzek and Chris Casper,” Cisler said. “We built something special (in Two Rivers) and had to make the move to keep the core group together.”
Manitowoc defeated the Algoma Penguins in two games, taking Game 2 7-2 Aug. 16 after winning 4-2 two days earlier.
The last championship for the Bandits came in 2011 when they won the North Eastern Wisconsin Baseball League, which included nearby rivals the Sheboygan A’s.
“Every championship is special,” Cisler said. “Each one is a group of guys who bonded together to complete their goals.”
Making the move a bit up the Lake Michigan shoreline easier was the fact Cisler brought the main group of players who have now reached the championship in seven of the past eight years.
Ruzek is a former Shoreland most valuable player while Casper won this season’s batting title, hitting exactly .500 after going 22-for-44 on the year.
“This drummed up interest in some of the younger players in Manitowoc, which is part of the reason we moved,” Cisler said. “We want to be competing for the championship each season.”
Attendance to games is free, and Cisler says as a result fan support was above average in his estimation.
“Winning the championship will help us out,” Cisler said.
Amateur baseball: Manitowoc Bandits-Two Rivers partnership leads to first league title since 2011
Tom Dombeck, Manitowoc Herald Times ReporterPublished 5:38 p.m. CT Aug. 23, 2019
MANITOWOC - For the fifth time in eight seasons, Chris Cisler has helped guide a team to a Shoreland League championship, but this year's title is a little different.
Cisler managed the Manitowoc Bandits amateur baseball team this season as his former team, the Two Rivers Polar Bears, moved and assumed the Bandits name and facilities.
“It was a little bit like a homecoming for players like Mike Ruzek and Chris Casper,” Cisler said. “We built something special (in Two Rivers) and had to make the move to keep the core group together.”
Manitowoc defeated the Algoma Penguins in two games, taking Game 2 7-2 Aug. 16 after winning 4-2 two days earlier.
The last championship for the Bandits came in 2011 when they won the North Eastern Wisconsin Baseball League, which included nearby rivals the Sheboygan A’s.
“Every championship is special,” Cisler said. “Each one is a group of guys who bonded together to complete their goals.”
Making the move a bit up the Lake Michigan shoreline easier was the fact Cisler brought the main group of players who have now reached the championship in seven of the past eight years.
Ruzek is a former Shoreland most valuable player while Casper won this season’s batting title, hitting exactly .500 after going 22-for-44 on the year.
“This drummed up interest in some of the younger players in Manitowoc, which is part of the reason we moved,” Cisler said. “We want to be competing for the championship each season.”
Attendance to games is free, and Cisler says as a result fan support was above average in his estimation.
“Winning the championship will help us out,” Cisler said.
The Manitowoc Bandits clinched the 2019 Shoreland League Championship with a 7-2 win over the Algoma 'Guins Friday night in Manitowoc. They took the championship series two games to none and, with their Regular Season title, claimed the Grand Championship in 2019.
The Bandits jumped out to a three run lead in the bottom of the 1st inning. With the bases loaded, Chris Rohr drove in Chris Casper on a fielder's choice and Earl Vorpagel followed that up with a two run double for an early 3-0 lead. Manitowoc plated two more runs in the 3rd and one each in the 4th and 7th.
Algoma got on the board in the top of the 7th with an Austin Rohe solo home run. Their second run came in the top of the 9th off another base hit from Rohe that scored Tom Sawyer. Rohe went 2-4 with a homerun and 2 RBI's. Craig Kirchmanwas 2-3 on the night for the 'Guins.
Mike Ruzek was the winning pitcher going eight innings with eight K’s, and scattering three hits. Vorpagel closed out the ninth.
Casper lead the way on offense for Manitowoc, going 3-5 with an RBI and Vorpagel was 2-5 with a double and three RBI's.
Bandits advance to the championship series with a 12-2 win over the Green Bay Storm. The championship series starts in Algoma on Wednesday night at 7:30pm. Game 2 and 3 (if needed) will be Friday and Saturday night in Manitowoc at Municipal field.
