2022 Kaukauna Ghosts. Photo courtesy @KaukaunaGhosts on Twitter

KAUKAUNA — Defending champion and top-seeded Kaukauna returns to the WIAA State Softball Tournament for the fourth time hoping to bring home another state championship.

The Ghosts face Oshkosh West in a quarterfinal game beginning about noon on Thursday.

The team will have a sendoff at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Kaukauna High School Softball Field parking lot.

Ticket prices for the tourney are  $11 per session for quarterfinals and semifinals,  $25 for an all-day ticket on Thursday and Friday, and $9 for each championship game Saturday. Tickets are to be purchased on-line on the WIAA website through GoFan, the WIAA ticketing partner, at:  https://gofan.co/app/school/WIAAWI?activity=Softball.

The Galloping Ghosts captured the gold trophy in each of its previous state appearances including 2010, 2017 and 2021. They advance to the State quarterfinals from the Pulaski Sectional after defeating Hortonville 5-1 in the sectional final. They are the champions of the Fox Valley Association this spring.

Last year, top-seeded Kaukauna won the Division 1 title with a low-scoring, 1-0 shutout over second seeded Sun Prairie in the championship game.

Sun Prairie returns to the tournament again this year as the #2 seed.

Sign up HERE for emailed results as the Ghosts make their way through the tournament.

The team includes:

1 Karly Meredith, Freshman Pitcher/2nd Base
3 Haylie Wittman, Senior Short stop (UW-Oshkosh Commit)
9 Skyler Calmes, Senior Pitcher (Winona State Commit)
12 Paige Miller, Junior 3rd Base ( Ohio State Verbal Commit for Volleyball)
14 Madisen Gries, Senior outfielder
16 Ava VanAsten, Senior Left Fielder (Bryant & Stratton College Commit)
17 Kally Meredith, Junior Center Fielder ( Florida International University Verbal Commit)
19 Chloe Hertzfeldt, Freshman 2nd Base
20 Addison Race, Senior (St. Norbert College Commit)
22 Taryn Christopher, Sophomore First Base
23 Keanna Jansen, Senior Outfielder
26 Anna LaCount, Senior Catcher (Minot State University Commit)
27 Ava Bloch, Junior Catcher
30 Makenna DeValk, Senior Catcher
31 Hailie Peters, Junior Outfielder
36 Lilly Roehrig, Junior Designated Hitter
Keanna Jansen, Senior Right Fielder

The team is coached by Tim Roehrig with assistant coaches Bill Huss, Mark Hertzfeldt and Steve Meredith.

Division 1
Quarterfinals – Thursday, June 9
Game-1:  #2 Sun Prairie (27-1) vs. #7 Milton (22-8) – 8 a.m.
Game-2:  #3 Oak Creek (21-3) vs. #6 Hamilton (19-6) – 10 a.m.*
Game-3:  #1 Kaukauna (28-0) vs. #8 Oshkosh West (19-11) – Noon*
Game-4:  #4 Cedarburg (24-4) vs. #5 Superior (18-2) – 2 p.m.*

Semifinals – Friday, June 10
Game-5:  Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 7 p.m.
Game-6:  Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 – 9 p.m.*

Championship – Saturday, June 11
Game-7:  Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 – 6:30 p.m.*

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By Dan Plutchak

Dan Plutchak, born and raised in Kaukauna, is cofounder of Kaukauna Community News.