On June 2nd, the New Berlin West Vikings Baseball took on the Whitnall Falcons in the second round of the playoffs.

 Stakes were high, as it was a do-or-die game for both teams, and it was a very crowded game at Whitnall, with fans of both teams filling up all of the bleachers as well as fans down the lines in a standing room only area. This was the most crowded of a game that multiple players of both teams have played in, with the winner earning a trip to the Regional Finals.

The game started with two innings complete without a single hit recorded. It was looking to be an evenly matched and hard-fought game, but then, in the bottom of the 3rd, Whitnall put up eight runs, tipping the momentum in their favor. In the top half of the next inning, West failed to get it going and had only one hit the entire game. In the bottom of the 5th, Whitnall tallied two more runs on the board, getting them to the ten-run mercy rule, giving them the win off an RBI single. As Whitnall players came out of the dugout happy and full of excitement on their side, looking at West on the other side in defeat showed the emotion of the game unwinding.

Coach Joe Kolodziej and the senior players were all emotional, having no words even to say after everything, as the team met in the outfield after the game for the final time this season. Despite it being a season that was cut short, the team was entertaining in 2026, and New Berlin West Baseball will look to bounce back in 2027, with Kolodziej saying, “I already can’t wait for open gyms to start up.” Kolodziej cares deeply about the future of New Berlin West Baseball, and knows how what’s past is prologue, wanting to get prepared for what’s next, with high expectations for the 2027 season. Despite the season not finishing in the way the team wanted, there is a lot to take away and to get ready for the upcoming season, with a new team being assembled to compete at the highest level possible.