Story by Jordan Carrillo
The Breakfast Fundraiser was a team effort by the JWP Baseball Bulldogs. Upperclassmen like Blayne, Devin, Jackson, and Yale (shown here) served the food while underclassmen served as cleanup crew.
On a bitterly cold December 7 morning, the Waseca American Legion Post 228 hosted the JWP Bulldog Baseball team for the program’s first-ever All You Can Eat Breakfast Fundraiser. The event generated significant community support, with all proceeds directly funding the team’s highly anticipated Florida Spring Training Trip in March 2026.
A smorgasbord, featuring hot pancakes, French toast, bacon, sausage, and eggs, was successfully served by the very athletes it aims to support. The fundraiser was a true team effort, demonstrating the Bulldogs’ commitment both on and off the field. Supporters were greeted by the team manager, AJ, as well as three Bulldog seniors: Caleb Quast, Chase Gerdts, and Zander Terbeest. The upperclassmen served as greeters and food runners, while the rookies earned their stripes as the dedicated cleanup crew, ensuring coffee mugs and water glasses were always full. Parents of the players also volunteered throughout the morning.
The breakfast fundraiser is one of many opportunities in the coming months for the Bulldogs to help cover the approximate $40,000 cost of the four-day/five-night trip to Vero Beach, Florida scheduled for March 29th through April 2nd. While the breakfast was a major success, the team still has fundraising goals to meet before the March trip. Community members who missed the breakfast can still support the team at their next major event, Outdoorsman Bingo, on January 24th.
This will be the second time the Bulldogs have made the trip to Vero Beach where they will train at the illustrious Jackie Robinson Training Center before participating in three scrimmages. It’s too early to tell who will be alongside JWP on the diamond, but their last trip had them square off against top teams from Wisconsin and New York…something to keep an eye on. When they aren’t practicing, the boys will be sight-seeing and visiting the beach.
Coach Cory Jewison, now in his sixth year as manager, is optimistic about the upcoming season. While the team finished 8-12 last year and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Hayfield, expectations are high as much of the team’s roster returnings for this 2026 season, “We expect to be competitive next season…we have a strong core of seniors and seven returning players, including two experienced pitchers. This team is going to be very fast on the base path; it’s the fastest team I’ve had to coach, and we look forward to getting back on the field.”
