May 22, 2026 – West Bend, WI — The West Bend Baseball Association announced its 2026 scholarship recipients, continuing one of the organization’s proudest traditions since its founding in 2003.
This year, three student athletes from West Bend West High School were recognized for their contributions to baseball, their communities, and their academic pursuits.
Each playersubmitted a formal application before interviewing on Saturday, May 9 before WBBA Executive Board members, Advisory Directors, and distinguished guests, a process designed to assess not just achievement, but character.
Scholarship funding is raised through the WBBA’s 50/50 Cash Raffle, the Diamond of Honor Banquet, and other association fundraisers. Each recipient’s name is permanently inscribed on a monument at West Bend Baseball Monument Park at Carl M. Kuss Memorial Field inside Regner Park, joining a legacy now exceeding 45 honorees.
2026 WBBA SCHOLARSHIP Landon Wertz — West Bend West High School
A four-year contributor to the Spartans baseball program, Landon Wertz developed into a true two-way player, taking the mound and patrolling multiple outfield positions at the varsity level. In his junior season, he batted .333 and earned the “Best Teammate Award,” a distinction voted on by his fellow Spartans that speaks to the teammate he has been throughout his career.
Wertz carries a 3.33 cumulative GPA and will attend the University of Northern Iowa, where he will study Secondary Education with a History emphasis and continue playing baseball. A planned minor in coaching reflects his longer-range ambitions: becoming a baseball and hockey coach.
“Baseball has shaped who I am,” Wertz said. “Teaching me resilience, discipline, and accountability.”
Having played the game since age four, Wertz credits baseball with instilling values he intends to carry well beyond his playing days.
2026 WBBA SCHOLARSHIP Dieter Pommer — West Bend West High School
By nearly any measure, Dieter Pommer stands among the most accomplished players in recent West Bend West history. A four-year varsity starter, he earned Team MVP honors in both his sophomore and junior seasons and All-Conference recognition as both a freshmanand a junior.
His consistency at the plate speaks for itself: batting averages of .278, .320, and .313 across his first three varsity campaigns, with strong on-base production throughout.
Pommer carries a 3.083 cumulative GPA and plans to attend Moraine Park Technical College in Beaver Dam to study Electrical Power Distribution. He describes the Spartans program as a brotherhood, built through shared victories, shared defeats, and countless hours of work together. Wearing the Spartans jersey, he says, has always carried a sense of pride in representing his school and his community.
THE MARK SCHOLZ MEMORIAL AWARD OF MERIT
In 2015, WBBA Executive Member Mark Scholz established a scholarship rooted in a belief as simple as it was profound: that anyone who gives back to baseball and dreams of bettering themselves deserves the chance to pursue that dream. The award was intentionally broad in its reach, honoring players, teammates, managers, and statisticians alike, and equally open to those pursuing four-year universities, technical colleges, or vocational programs.
The West Bend baseball community lost Scholz in 2017. Beginning in 2018, the WBBA has carried his memory forward by presenting the award in his name, a fitting tribute to a man who gave quietly and generously, never asking for anything in return.
2026 MARK SCHOLZ MEMORIAL AWARD OF MERIT Lucas Bitar — West Bend West High School
Lucas Bitar’s story is exactly the one Mark Scholz had in mind when he built this legacy.
Connected to baseball since kindergarten, from backyard games to West Bend Little League, has spent thirteen years growing alongside the game. A four year Spartans participant, he pitched and played right field at every level from freshman to varsity.
He carries a 3.1923 cumulative GPA and plans to attend UW-Stout to study Computer Science.
Bitar acknowledges openly his stat line may not rival others, but what he brings is harder to manufacture: a genuine love for the game and an unshakeable work ethic. He credits coaches like Jerrod Wertz with helping build the confidence and passion that still drive him today.
West Bend Baseball has been part of his life for 13 years, and he is grateful, he says, for every experience, lesson, and relationship the program has given him.
