For Wisconsin summer baseball devotees' it is as the saying goes: "Past is now prologue".

For after an intensely competitive 2009 WIAA state tournament series capped off by Arrowhead's wild win over 2008 champ Marquette in the finals, a quick look into the immediate future foresees an equally wild ride in 2010.

Because with so many good teams returning so many fine players next season, the WIAA should forestall any plans to change the system. The summer program finished with 67 teams this year (relatively stable this season after years of decline) and discussions have been ongoing with the coaches association and the WIAA about combining it with the dominant spring season for years.

The intensity of this year's play in the summer tournament and the talent returning next year and even the year after that should give pause to any bureaucratic tinkering just yet, because the potential for these next few seasons is just too exciting to let whither under a cold and rainy spring sky.

Let me show you just the tip of the iceberg of hard hitters and harder throwers who are coming back to heat things up next summer.

The defending champion Warhawks, fresh off their 34-5 championship season, will get hit hard by graduation, but will still return Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association first-team all-staters infielder Brian Crook (.489 BA) and pitcher Jordan Paszak (11-1, 1.86 ERA). Their fifth-best hitter, outfielder Connor Harmann (.386) will be back to give Arrowhead some strength up the middle. Key losses will include catcher Karl Sprung, who had game-winning hits in both the state finals and in an epic 10-inning sectional semifinal win over Menomonee Falls.

And don't forget the impact of 30-plus year coach Tim O'Driscoll, he of the 700-plus career wins and two state titles. His savvy no doubt had a hand in the Warhawks coming out on top in this year's state event, especially considering that four of Arrowhead's six wins in the tournament were of the extremely harrowing variety.

Of the teams that qualified for the state tournament in 2009, there will be talent galore waiting for a chance to usurp the Warhawks. And a quick glance in the rearview mirror by O'Driscoll will reveal that Marquette, the team of the mediocre 19-20 record going into the finals in Stevens Point, will be a major headache again next summer.

The Hilltoppers stumbled in Greater Metro Conference play this season, finishing with a regular season mark of just 16-20 in a huge rebuilding campaign for veteran coach Jim Wilkinson. But they found their footing in the tournament series and a potential superstar in sophomore utility player Nolan Peterson, who was seven-for-seven in the semifinals and finals combined at state including two home runs and six RBI.

Marquette had only five seniors this season and will also return key state players third baseman Ryan McShane, second baseman Joe Cannon and pitcher Collin Weyer (7-3, 1.63 ERA).

State semifinalist Franklin (25-14), led by another 700-plus win coach in Jim Hughes, started up to six sophomores this season. Two of those are hard-hitting outfielders including NOW All-Suburban outfielder Jay Direnzo (.400 BA, 35 RBI) and Lance Baretz (.407 BA, 23 RBI). The Sabers will also return their top two pitchers in junior Brandon Wiedenfeld (6-2, 2.47 ERA) and sophomore Ian Malmstadt (4-1. 2.87 ERA).

Muskego (24-10) was another state semifinalist, was also co-champ in the Greater Metro Conference South Division and had only four seniors on its roster. Sophomore NOW All-Suburban pitcher Cole Borek (11-1. 1.97 ERA) will lead the Warriors into battle next season as will junior catcher Nick McCormack (.368, 23 RBI) and sophomore outfielder/pitcher Adam Schulz (.364)

Also looming not so far in the distance is 2007 champ West Bend West, who survived a "rebuilding" season with a fine 26-6 record, that included a tough loss to Arrowhead in the quarterfinals. The Spartans, who were runners-up to the junior-dominated Nicolet squad (28-6) in the North Shore, had just two seniors, but one of them was WBCA State Player of the Year Ryan Schilter (.514, 46 RBI, 4-0, 1.64 ERA).

Junior outfielder/pitcher Eric DuCharme (.430, 37 RBI) and sophomore pitcher/infielder Shane Hayes (.427, 28 RBI) will lead the way for the Spartans, who if they want to succeed next season, will first have to get by that aforementioned Nicolet bunch in the North Shore. The Knights tatooed West in a pair of games this season by a combined score of 30-3.

Those Knights, paced by NOW All-Suburban Coach of the Year Dick Sykes, who will pass the 500-career win mark next season, will be led by returning NOW All-Suburban selections outfielder Brian Huntsinger (also first-team all-state WBCA), pitcher/catcher Sam Kohnke (second-team all-state) and infielder Rob Mayer.

Sykes, who like Hughes and O'Driscoll, is a WBCA Hall of Famer, gets a lot of respect from his players and that'll count for a lot when the Knights try to go even further next summer.

"He knows a lot of baseball, so you really have to listen to him and be aware of what he expects in certain situations," Mayer said. "You mess up, he lets you know about it but then he moves past it quickly and praises you when you do something right."

West Salem (28-2) put up gaudy numbers out west, but was overmatched by Marquette in the state quarterfinals. That still didn't prevent sophomore second-team all-state catcher Tony Schultz from putting up some truly eye-popping numbers including a .632 batting average (43 of 68) and 34 RBI.

Other area teams that didn't make state but which will be factors next season, include Woodland Conference champ New Berlin West, which had 10 sophomores on its roster and Menomonee Falls, which won 29 games despite heavy graduation losses in the last two seasons. The Indians scared the heck out of Arrowhead in the sectionals and will return 10 juniors. Veteran coach Pat Hansen will also have the luxury of surveying the products of a stunningly talented freshmen bunch that went 24-0 this season.

So here's to the summer of 2010, with its American Legion ball up north and its tough as nails WIAA-sponsored brand based largely in the Milwaukee area. They can co-exist just fine, because there's just that much talent to go around.

Retired Hall of Fame coach Dick Huxtable certainly thinks so.

"Summer ball is better than spring," said Huxtable, who coached in both seasons. "Summer ball doesn't affect school as much and the weather is no comparison. You don't have competition for facilities and the better kids are playing in spring (non-school) leagues before you get them, so they come in ready to go."

To Homestead baseball coach Ernie Millard, Franklin's Jim Hughes is the "silver-haired fox", a talented, genial and driven individual who has had the Sabers' among the state's elite for many years now.

His 700-plus wins are testament to his success, his longeviety and maybe to a sturdy set of combs as Hughes appears still to have every hair on his head that he was born with.

He has won numerous conference titles, sent countless players onto college, earned seven trips to the state tournament and in this, the 20th anniversary of the NOW Newspapers All-Suburban team, his Sabers still have the most all-time selections (30, three better than Nicolet).

But one thing he doesn't have is a state title. The closest he got was the rain-drenched 2000 event, where his squad had to play two heartbreaking qualifying games earlier in the day, only to lose to the Brookfield Central juggernaut in the final that same night at the end of a very long but very compressed  tournament. Only Central got its first round game in on the first day in that soggy state event.

However, if Hughes is feeling any pressure heading into his Wednesday quarterfinal at Bukolt Park in Stevens Point against Homestead, he's not showing it. Veteran NOW reporter Dave Cotey, who won a state title in 1996 as a player with South Milwaukee with Hughes long-time friend John Galewski at the helm, said Hughes is loose and relaxed, as the young Sabers (24-13) seem to be playing under the watch of a diligent and hard-working guardian angel.

They won all three of their qualifying tournament games by one run, including a 5-4 decision over Greater Metro Conference South Division champ and rival Oak Creek in the sectional final.

Franklin has eight sophomores on the roster and up to six start at anyone time. Outfielders Jay Direnzo (.400 BA, 44 hits and 35 RBI) and Lance Baretz (.407, 41 runs and 23 stolen bases), lead that group of 10th graders and the Sabers. Junior Brandon Wiedenfeld (6-2, 2.47 ERA) tops the pitching staff.

Even Millard, who Highlanders (21-15) wrote their own "Cinderella" story in upsetting favorites Nicolet and Whitefish Bay to advance, is happy as a clam to have both Hughes and fellow member of the 700-win fraternity Tim O'Driscoll of Arrowhead (31-5) at the annual state party.

"Those are two pretty good resumes', don't you think?" Millard said. "The two winningest coaches in summer baseball."

But like I said earlier, Homestead has its own good backstory, having lost 10 of 11 at one point during a rough closing stretch before rallying behind six seniors, including three (Casey Barnes, Brady Bingham and Matt Lamers) who were on the 2007 Homestead state tournament team. Pitcher infielders Bingham (.402, 49 hits and 26 RBI) and Barnes (.343, 7-3 record, 1.83 ERA) and infielder Matt Lamers (.364, 36 RBI) said that confidence never waned during the wretched late-season run.

"I think we had a little bit of it (confidence) still lurking around heading into the tournament," chuckled Lamers after the 8-4 win over Bay in the sectional final.

And when asked if the state tournament berth is adequate compensation for the miserable streak, Barnes said: "I'll take it everytime."

The Highlanders are making their eighth trip to state and are trying to win their fourth state title including their second under Millard (1994).

O'Driscoll, the veteran scorekeeper for the Brewers, is taking Arrowhead on its sixth trip to state. He won his only title in 1979 and his senior-laden team will enter the tourney with the second-best team batting average (.349). Junior first baseman Brian Crook leads the offense (.489, 42 runs, 34 RBI and 29 stolen bases) while senior catcher Karl Sprung (.421, 35 hits, 33 RBI) has the best sense of the moment. He went five for five in the thrilling 10-inning 4-3 sectional semifinal win over Menomonee Falls, including hitting the first pitch of the 10th inning out of the yard for the game-winning homer.

Seniors Andrew Bauer (6-0, 0.81) and Justin Mortensen (6-0, 1.83) and junior Jordan Paszek (11-1. 1.86) lead the pitching staff.

The Warhawks will take on 2007 champ West Bend West (26-5) in arguably the most compelling quarterfinal. The Spartans (just two seniors) are another young team that finished second to Nicolet in the North Shore. Senior outfielder/pitcher/seige gun Ryan Schilter (.514, 41 runs, 54 hits, 46 RBI, 4-0 record on the mound) is virtually the only holdover left from that title team that is making its 10th state trip.

The most curious qualifier of the tourney is defending champion Marquette as it limps into state with a 19-20 record, but the Hilltoppers took out the best the Woodland Conference had to offer (New Berlin West and Eisenhower) in the sectional to earn their fifth consecutive state berth.The rebuilding squad, with a comparatively small total of just six seniors, is led by senior pitcher/infielder Jack Archie (.385 and 28 RBI) and junior Collin Weyer (7-3, 1.63).

And with West Salem (28-1) as their opponent, the Hilltoppers help create that most curious match-up of the team with the worst record versus the one with the best. The Panthers, making their second straight state appearance, look to earn some upstate pride in the summer event, as they seek to become the first non-Milwaukee area champ since Unity in 1992.

They come in with the best team batting average (.380) and scored in double digits 17 times this summer. Sophomore catcher Tony Schultz comes in with a ridiculous batting average of .632 with 43 hits and 34 RBI, while sophomore Jake McCabe (6-0, 1.74) and senior Dan Schneider (7-0, 1.86) lead the pitching staff.

In the final quarterfinal of the day, GMC South co-champ Muskego (23-9) will take on 2007 state runner-up New Holstein (23-4). The Warriors are making their first trip to state since losing the "Classic in the Clouds" state final to West Bend East in 2002 that was decided by a walk-off home run hit into the fog at Bukolt. The Warriors had a long day in the sectional, playing a combined total of 18 innings against Waukesha West and Whitnall in claiming their fourth overall state berth.

Sophomore pitcher Cole Borek (11-1, 1.97) has had a sensational year on the hill while junior catcher Nick McCormack (.368, 35 hits and 23 RBI) paces the balanced offense.

Their opponent New Holstein, represents the model of consistency in the summer tournament, as the Huskies are making a record 17th appearance. They won their only title in the very first summer event in 1965.

The senior-dominated squad is paced by senior infielder Parker Schrage, who not only hits fiercely (.463, 38 hits and 27 RBI) but also pitches with a commanding presence (10-0, 0.58).

Homestead, Franklin and Muskego will be looking for the first crown for a NOW-area squad since Oak Creek won the last of its three straight championships in 2005.

The semifinals will be at 10:05 a.m. Thursday, July 30 and the championship will be at 3:35 p.m.

JULY 29 QUARTERFINALS

10:05 a.m. quarterfinal session--Homestead (21-15) vs. Franklin (24-13); West Salem (28-1) vs. Marquette (19-20)

3:05 p.m. quarterfinal session--West Bend West (26-5) vs. Arrowhead (31-5); New Holstein (23-4) vs. Muskego (23-9).

PREVIOUS NOW AREA STATE CHAMPIONS (22)

Brown Deer 1966, Brookfield Central 1969, Homestead 1974, Brown Deer 1975, Brookfield Central 1976, Brown Deer 1977, Homestead 1978, Greendale 1980, Sussex Hamilton 1981, Greenfield 1983, Nicolet 1985, Greendale 1987, Whitnall 1991, Homestead 1994, Greendale 1995, South Milwaukee 1996, Wauwatosa East 1997, Nicolet 1998, Brookfield Central 2000, Oak Creek 2003, Oak Creek 2004 and Oak Creek 2005. 

Together Brown Deer sprinters Justin Austin and Kaya Senaya have 12 WIAA state Division 2 track titles and four division records.

Senaya has also posted the fastest 100-meter time ever by a Wisconsin girl when she turned in an 11.78 second-clocking at a Junior Olympics meet last summer.

Both have secured high-profile NCAA Division I scholarship offers, Austin to Kentucky and Senaya to Wisconsin.

So what are the motivations of these two once-in-a-lifetime athletes as they approach their final WIAA State Meet in La Crosse on Friday and Saturday, May 30 and 31?

To be known as the best in the division anyone has ever known.

"I still want the records," Austin said. "That's what I'm praying for. That's what I've been working for. Man, I can't believe I'm already a senior. It's all gone by so fast I can hardly remember that trip four years ago (when he was part of a record-setting 400 relay team)."

Both Austin and Senaya will defend their titles in the 100 and 200 dashes and anchor their respective 400 relay teams (the girls are defending champions). They will also compete in the long jump. Austin will enter healthy after an injury-plagued junior campaign, while Senaya is running her best times of the year after battling illness and back problems.

"I'm the defending champ and I would like to finish my career as a champion," Senaya said. "Other people's opinions don't really concern me all that much at this point, so I'm going to do what I need to make myself and the team successful."

And success is on the minds of a lot of North Shore, Menomonee Falls and Germantown area athletes as they enter the annual test.

Among the most compelling, is three-time state runner-up Kate Lydy in Germantown. the senior earned silver medals in the state 1,600 last spring and then book-ended that with a similar finish in state cross country last fall. She, like last year is doing a heady triple with the 1,600 and 3,200 open races and the 3,200 relay on her docket. The school-record relay will be the seventh-fastest going into state and she has the fourth-fastest 3,200 time, but like last year, she'll have to sneak a top slot in the 1,600 coming out of the slow heat. Warhawk assistant coach Andy Bavlnka is known for training his athletes very hard in the regular season and bringing them down for a fast taper like Lydy's exceptional 1,600 time last season. Competitors would be unwise to look past her.

A similar story is coming out of Whitefish Bay. A year ago, Megan Palmer took the state by storm with a great cross country season and a solid track campaign. Last fall, she helped lead the Blue Dukes cross country team to a heart-breakingly close runner-up finish at state but the end of her campaign was marked by fatigue and slightly sub-par (only by her extremely high standards) performances in the sectional and state runs

She has come back in track with a vengeance  this spring, looking fresh as a daisy, using a devastating kick to dominant opponents in the 800 and 1,600 races. She will look to lead the school-record (and that's saying something) Blue Duke 3,200 relay to a medal as well as earning a medallion herself in the 800, where she has the second-fastest time going in.

"We're going to taper a little and then get ready to finish strong," said the mature-beyond-her-years sophomore. "We're ready to go."

Also ready to go and breathing a sign of relief is the boys 800 relay team at Menomonee Falls. The Indians have had an amazing record of success in the event since 2003. They've posted superior sub-1:30 times in five of the six seasons (four of which have landed in the state's all-time top 50) and have earned three state meet medals for their efforts, but going into last week's sectional meet at Germantown, the Indian relay has also had disconcertingly bad luck at sectionals in even numbered years, not being able to finish races due to bad hand-offs.

But the Falls team anchored by three-event state qualifier and two-time medalist Washington Farrington broke the jinx last week at sectional by using safe but aggressive passes to finish with the state's second-best time (only behind peerless Milwaukee Vincent). Both Farrington and Indian relay ace Mark Van Alstyne noted that coaches never told them of the bad karma surrounding the even-numbered years but still grinned at their good fortune.

Falls coach Mike Burling said he's debating whether to try and stretch the passes further in an effort to pass Vincent. He's unsure whether it would be worth the effort, losing out on a chance at any kind of medal with a mistake.

Meanwhile, Indian girls hurdler Cally Burrows is hoping to improve on last year's state runner-up finish in the 300 lows. But to do that she'll have to beat her old friend and barrier-busting equal Lindsay Schwartz of Watertown, who beat her in both the highs and the lows at the sectional meet last week. Burrows has a 2-1 advantage in 300 hurdle races against Schwartz this season, but the tall and motivated Schwartz is making a heavy play for state female athlete of the year after posting the best times in the state in both hurdle races and anchoring the Goslings' 1,600 relay to the top seed going into Friday's heats. Just for fun, she's also advanced in the high jump.

One fun story to watch include watching siblings Lauren and Justin Barber of Homestead compete in the weights this weekend. Big sister Lauren is a multi-time state qualifier and has the third-best effort in the shot put going into Friday's festivities. But little brother (in age only) Justin surprised everyone by coming up with a runner-up sectional toss in the discus to earn his own state berth.

There was no open discussion of sibling rivalry, but later Justin was heard to say something to the effect of "Hey, I'm just trying to keep up with her!" 

On a more serious note, injuries are part of life at state-qualifying time, crushing many dreams, making many re-assess their goals. To that end, the swift Nicolet girls sprint squad is being forced to put all its eggs in one very quick and pretty basket. The third-seeded 800 relay team anchored by Roni Thompson was to have been joined by the equally quick 400 crew, but at sectional, a faulty hand-off at the end led to its demise. That's a real disappointment for Thompson, who was having a sensational season before a recent groin pull slowed her down. Coach Mike McKenna said that Thompson has been fighting gamely through the injury, but noted that accomodations have had to be made.

The Knights under McKenna, have earned at least one medal in the last eight state meets. A ninth straight year, especially with a relay team crowding the awards stand, would be a welcome sight to him.

A feel-good story was how exuberent Germantown boys track coach Todd Brawner was after his senior-laden squad saw not one, not two, but three relay teams reel in state berths under the qualifying gun thanks in part to determined anchor runs by Kyle Sich. The Warhawks had been the 800-pound gorilla of the North Shore for the better part of this decade before being supplanted by Homestead and Port Washington this year. But they flew under the radar at the sectional and earned six state berths, including a stunning third by Dexter Schleis in the 300 intermediate hurdles. Dexter is the younger brother of former state high hurdle champ Adam Schleis and when he surged across the line in third, Brawner bounced across the infield as fast as he could hugging everyone in sight.

It was a rare display of raw emotional release that few people had ever seen out of the veteran coach, whose grin was as wide as the setting sun that evening.

It's a feeling that no doubt many in La Crosse this weekend will try to bottle and unleash at just the right moment.