By Craig Marx

When I first envisioned talking to people that had previously been involved with baseball and softball in Langlade County, I thought it would be difficult to put together enough information to make even two stories. Now, with four parts completed, the resources and references seem almost endless.

With a few more editions to go before football season begins, the “History of Baseball in Langlade County” series will resume with a look at the fastpitch softball leagues that used to dominate the diamonds of Antigo and the surrounding area back in the late 1970s and 80s. From bringing in the infamous “ringers” from as far away as Oceania to play in Antigo to hosting the International Softball Congress’s fastpitch tournament in the mid-1980s, it was an interesting and extremely competitive era of a sport that some often consider to be just recreational.

If anyone has any information they would like to add about the fastpitch softball leagues and tournaments that were played locally, along with any pictures or memorabilia to share, please contact Craig at the Antigo Times at (715) 623-5081 anytime during the week. We would love to sit and talk about the glory days of the North Central and State fastpitch tournaments and the likes of the Classic League teams from that era.

With that, included on the Antigo Times website is the August sports schedule for local teams. With football, volleyball, girls’ tennis, swimming, and boys’ soccer just around the corner, look for our special section next month where we will break down each sport and look ahead to their respective 2016 fall seasons.

Have a great remainder of the summer, catch up on some baseball and softball, and enjoy the Langlade County Fair.