DENMARK, Wis. (WBAY) – Denmark’s softball team knows what a championship feels like — and the Vikings want it again.
Last spring, Denmark claimed the Division 2 state championship, the program’s first state title in 28 years. The run was fueled by a confident, connected group that believed it could finish the job.
“As coaches, we tell them all the time, you know, you have confidence. You guys are good enough to win. You’re talented enough. It’s just a matter of putting it all together and working as a group,” Denmark head coach Todd O’Brien said. “Once you start rolling that confidence forward, it makes a huge difference in how successful you can be.”
For the players, the moment still doesn’t quite feel real.
“It never feels real,” pitcher Maggie Frank said. “It’s kind of like something that you would imagine in like a fairy tale almost. And then it just kind of happened.”
First baseman/pitcher Shaelyn Kraschnewski said the title run was as much about the relationships as the wins.
“It was such a cool experience. Once in a lifetime,” Kraschnewski said. “We bonded so well. We had so much fun together. We had to take it every moment we possibly could.”
Now, Denmark is back on the field with the same mindset — and a new target on its back.
The Vikings have reloaded and opened the season 8-2, including an undefeated mark in conference play, as they chase a second straight state championship.
“We want to go to that end goal, but we just got to keep working hard day by day, game by game,” Kraschnewski said.
O’Brien believes last year’s success created a hunger that can carry over — especially as younger players grow into bigger roles.
“Just like anything, once you get a taste of success and winning, that’s something that you want to get back to and get that feeling again,” O’Brien said. “So there’s definitely a drive with the group. Hopefully the younger ones coming in can feel that too and want to get to that same area.”
So what will it take for Denmark to get back to the top?
Frank said the foundation is already in place — now it’s about finishing more opportunities at the plate and continuing to come together as a unit.
“Just keep doing what we’re doing right now,” Frank said. “Maybe push a few more runs across the plate, come up with some big hits, but that’ll come with time. … I can definitely tell how we’ve grown as a team and how everybody’s starting to mesh together really well.”
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