At the end of each calendar year, the PBR Wisconsin staff reflects back on the 10 most intriguing headlines that surrounded the baseball scene in the Badger State. Through the end of the month, we will break down the most impactful storylines from an eventful 2023 campaign, ending with our No. 1 story revealed Dec. 30.

RHP Caleb Boushley’s (Hortonville, 2012; Wisconsin-La Crosse) life changed in an instant when he made his MLB debut in late Sept. for his hometown team. At American Family Field, Boushley pitched the final 2.1 innings for the Milwaukee Brewers against their rival in the Chicago Cubs, and won the game.

It was a long journey to that mound for Boushley, who first found his love for the game as a two-time captain of Hortonville’s baseball team – over a decade ago. The love was not as strong as it could have been though, so Boushley decided to attend the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley for two years for academics, affordability and its proximity to his home.

Boushley sat down with PBR Wisconsin’s Scouting Director – Vinny Rottino – and shared that he and a group of friends decided to attend Wisconsin-La Crosse. After playing on the club team for two years beforehand, Boushley took his shot with the Eagles.

It was a rollercoaster of a day for Boushley when he got the invite to showcase his skill set for Wisconsin-La Crosse.

“I was late to my first day of practice,” Boushley said to Rottino. “I screwed up in the meeting. I was an hour late and ended up throwing the greatest bullpen of my life that, to date, I think to save my tail from getting cut from the team.”

Boushley went on to enjoy a three-year career at Wisconsin-La Crosse – earning WIAC Pitcher of the Year in 2016 as a member of the Eagles’ program, in addition to two All-WIAC First Team honors. He was a combined 24-5 over the course of his three seasons donning the maroon and gray – throwing 103 innings his senior season.

His consistent success at the Division 3 level earned him an opportunity to perform in the minor leagues, as he was selected in the 33rd round (pick 978) by the San Diego Padres in the 2017 MLB Draft.

Boushley slowly worked his way up through the system – holding a 39-31 record on the mound in nearly 600 innings of work since the summer of 2017. He was traded to the Brewers in 2021 on a Rule 5 deal, where he eventually got his first opportunity on the big stage.

It came on Sept. 29, as the Brewers looked to end the Cubs’ hopes of making the playoffs in the 2023 season. The game was played on a Friday, and Boushley was called up to Milwaukee that Wednesday.

Boushley – at the age of 29 – was embraced by teammates who recognized his lengthy journey.

“A lot of the veterans kind of put their arms around me and it was cool,” Boushley said. “They kind of let me know that ‘Hey, this is a great story, but you also belong here and you're here to do a job when your number's called.’ And that was comforting. And then obviously the game happened and that was something I'll never forget.”

After a sleepless night of excitement and nervousness Thursday, Boushley remained in the bullpen for a majority of the game for the Brewers in their matchup.

As Milwaukee’s bullpen faltered in the eighth inning with a three-run lead, Boushley entered after Clayton Andrews gave up two runs. The first batter Boushley faced was Cubs’ infielder Patrick Wisdom, and he struck him out on a curveball.

“I guess getting the jitters out the first pitch and then thankful to get a strikeout for the first batter… It's the same game, but man,” Boushley said. “I know I wasn’t wearing it on the face, but I was feeling all the emotions underneath.”

The Brewers once again needed him in the ninth. Ian Happ smacked a home run to tie the game up, but Boushley calmed his nerves and fought through the adversity. He went on to strikeout Seiya Suzuki and Dansby Swanson, the heart of the Cubs’ order.

Milwaukee’s offense remained quiet in the bottom half of the frame – as they went back to Boushley to take on the 10th. With a ghost runner on second base, Boushley forced a line out to begin the inning. A walk to Christopher Morel, a wild pitch and a stolen base led to an intentional walk to Mike Tauchman to load the bases.

Before that walk, Boushley used his sweeper to get a strikeout of veteran Yan Gomes to force two outs. Then, the dramatic at bat came next.

It was Wisdom again, and Boushley did not overcomplicate his sequence. Four straight fastballs from the right-hander led to two swings and misses – none bigger than the 1-2 pitch in the upper half of the zone. Boushley sent Wisdom down for the second time that evening – igniting the Brewers’ faithful into a frenzy.

“Just be yourself and on your path and have fun with it,” Boushley said as advice to athletes pursuing baseball at the next level. “Like if you're not having fun playing it, then that's okay. It's just time to move on to the next thing but to have fun and be yourself is probably the best message I can give.”

Easy to say, Boushley’s still having fun.

Carlos Santana capped off a magical night for Boushley and the Brew Crew, as the veteran doubled down the left field line and won the game. The game – now known as “The Caleb Boushley Game” – put a cherry on top of a quality regular season for the Brewers.

It was also a milestone for Boushley. After years in Division 3 baseball and the minor leagues as a 33rd round pick, Boushley put in the time and effort to forge a path to the MLB stage – a rare feat with the odds stacked against him.

That did not stop Boushley though, as he represents Hortonville and the entire state of Wisconsin with pride. Boushley marks yet another Wisconsinite to make it to the MLB and contribute, as the state’s baseball talents continue to excite on the national level.

A unique, winding road moves along as Boushley embarks on another season in the Brewers’ organization.

“I don't think there's not a right or wrong path,” Boushley said about each prospect’s journey.
“Just own your path and be excited about it, and have fun with it.”

FULL INTERVIEW WITH WISCONSIN SCOUTING DIRECTOR - VINNY ROTTINO

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