Three Hoppers participate in 2023 Wisconsin American Legion Baseball All-Star Game
Caydon Lomas (left), Head Coach Nate Cejka (middle), and Maddox Cejka (right) pose for a photo after the All-Star Game. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Maddox Cejka waits in the on-deck circle during the first inning of the 2023 Wisconsin American Legion Baseball All-Star Game on Sunday, August 6. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Maddox Cejka can only watch as he is hit in the back by the pitch. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Maddox Cejka looks to take off for second base as soon as the Wausau pitcher delivers his pitch to the plate. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Caydon Lomas unleashes a strong swing on the incoming pitch during the game. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Caydon Lomas takes a lead off of first base as Hoppers Head Coach Nate Cejka watches from the first base coach box. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Maddox Cejka starts to take his lead off of third base as his third base coach and father Nate gives out base running instructions.
What better time for Caydon Lomas to get some practice in at a new position (second base) than during the Wisconsin American Legion Baseball All-Star Game? (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
PdC’s Maddox Cejka and Viroqua’s Casey Kowalczyk both race for third base as Caydon Lomas looks on from a distance in right field. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Maddox Cejka gets warm in the visiting team's bullpen at American Family Field on Sunday, August 6 before coming in to pitch in relief. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Maddox Cejka continues his delivery as he fires a pitch for the Stars team. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
A vocal group of PdC fans (middle) showed their support for Maddox, Caydon, and Nate during the game. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
By Derick Kelly
Three members of the Prairie du Chien Grasshoppers Class A State Runner-Up team participated in the 2023 Wisconsin American Legion Baseball All-Star Game on Sunday, August 6 at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Maddox Cejka and Caydon Lomas both competed as a players for the Stars team, while coach Nate Cejka was one of three coaches selected for the team. At the plate, M. Cejka went 0-for-1 and a run scored after being hit by a pitch in the first inning, while Lomas went 0-for-2 with one RBI and a stolen base thanks to a fielder's choice. Cejka also spent time on the mound for the Stars, giving up one hit and one walk in one scoreless inning of work.
This was the first time that PdC had two players selected in one year, and the third time that PdC had a player and a coach each selected. Here is a list of all the PdC Legion Baseball all-star game selections since the program began in 1997: 1997 - Scott Gillitzer (Did not get to play due to game being rained out), 1998 - Travis Elvert, 1999 - Jason Krogman, 2002 - Nate Henry, 2003 - Dustin O’Kane, 2006 - Nick Lenzendorf and Nate Cejka, Coach, 2008 - Kyle Sime, 2009 - Tyler Kozelka, 2010 - Brett Hogan, 2011 - Kevin Aspenson, 2017 - Chas Sagedahl, 2018 - Drake Coleman, 2019 - Gavin Gillitzer, 2021 - Jon Nicholson, 2022 - Colton Thompson and Bjorn Thompson, Coach, 2023 - Maddox Cejka, Caydon Lomas, and Nate Cejka, Coach.
The game is held yearly following the conclusion of a Milwaukee Brewers home game with Wisconsin being the only state in the country that holds their all-star game at a Major League Baseball stadium.
