A season ago, Lomira rolled to a conference championship by three games.
This year the Lions look primed to repeat behind all-around star Josh Steger, who led the team in wins, hits and RBI last spring on his way to winning Flyway Player of the Year as a junior.
In conference games, Lomira surrendered just 25 runs. Its 88-run differential was more than twice the next best, Campbellsport.
Senior Brady Mann returns along with Steger. Mann was the Lions' second top offensive player. Mann might also be looked upon to do more on the mound as Lomira will have to replace its second pitcher after losing Matt Schelvan to graduation. Schelvan won six games and pitched 43 innings.
Juniors Easton Zangl and Jack Luedtke were honorable mention picks and combined for 36 hits and 22 RBI.
The three-way logjam in second was comprised of Campbellsport, Springs and Laconia. The Spartans and Ledgers boast the top-two pitchers not named Steger in first-teamers Keeton Grade and Max Bauer, respectively.
Grade and Bauer helped lead the next-best defenses in the conference. Laconia allowed just 44 runs and Springs allowed 46 against conference opponents.
Laconia also brings back senior Sawyer Shultis, who was picked to the first team and second-team pick Camden Smit, a junior. Springs returns senior second-teamer Sam Lucas.
Campbellsport found more of its success offensively. The Cougars were the only team other than Lomira to score more than 100 runs, but they also surrendered 65 runs. Campellsport will have to weather the losses of unanimous first-teamer Mitch McCarty and second-teamer Cole Kaehne.
Other all-conference returners of note:
Noah Schumacher (1st) & Jack Karst (2nd) - WLA, Austin Thoreson (2nd - pitcher), Bobby Held (2nd) & Cole Legas (2nd) - Mayville, Abe Maurer (1st) - NFDL, Keenan Rahn (2nd) - Omro
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