With this weekend’s All-Star game taking center stage, it means that the area’s CRBL teams are winding down the road that will either take them to the League’s playoffs or to the end of their season.
Following Wednesday night’s 10-0 Eau Claire Cavaliers win over the Augusta Athletics, a game called after the bottom of the sixth inning due to the 10-run rule, the Cavs sit in third place in the South Division of the Chippewa River Baseball League (CRBL) with a 9-4 League record, three games out of first place, which the Osseo Merchants continue to hold with a near pristine 13-2 record.
Andrew Milner continued to dominate on the mound for Eau Claire Wednesday and claimed the victory in the Express’ shutout. In other Wednesday evening CRBL action, Osseo handled the Beef River Bullfrogs by a 14-4 final count.
In breaking down the local team’s first half of the season, the red-hot Eau Claire Bears are only 1.5 games behind the Merchants with a League record of 11-3. Meanwhile, Eau Claire’s other CRBL squad, the Rivermen have posted a 5-9 League record to date and are 7.5 games behind the Merchants. The Tilden Tigers lead the North Division with an 11-3 record at the All-Star break, four games ahead of the second place Cadott Red Sox, who sit at 8-8 and 4.5 games in front of the Chippewa Falls LumberJacks, whose 7-8 League record is good for a third-place statistical tie percentage wise with the Jim Falls Sturgeons, who are currently sitting with a 6-7 record.
With the final month of play now upon us, it’s time for not only a preview of this weekend’s CRBL All-Star Game, but also a review and progress report on Eau Claire’s three League teams.
A strong team effort by the Bears has reaped them dividends during the first two months of the season and a continued concentration on the fine points of the game will be the focus of this last month of the regular season.
“Our strengths so far have just been playing team baseball. Hitting, pitching and defense have all been the reason for winning games at different points of the year so far,” Bears field manager Blake Johnson told the Leader-Telegram Wednesday evening.
Johnson added that the key for the Bears in July will be to “Just continuing to play fundamental baseball. And to maintain the team chemistry we have. We have a really good group of guys that all enjoy playing with each other.”
The Bears first post-All Star game matchup is against Beef River Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Spangberg Field. The Bullfrogs currently sit in last place in the South Division of the CRBL with a 2-11 League record.
As for the Cavaliers, their field manager Ryan Bembnister couldn’t be more pleased with how his team has been playing as they approached the All-Star break.
“These guys are rolling right now,” Bembnister told the Leader-Telegram in an exclusive phone interview Thursday morning. “I am extremely happy with where we are at this point in the season right now.”
Bembnister mentioned a strengthened defense from what was seen from the Cavs during the early part of the season, as well as the squad committing less errors, both things that he had mentioned needed improvement after the first couple of weeks of the 2024 campaign..
During the next month the squad will be focusing on hitting more balls to get runs and continuing to sharpen the defense on a daily basis, Bembnister said.
“We have set goals (for the last half of the season) and the guys are motivated and focusing on those goals,” Bembnister added.
The Cavs next CRBL game is scheduled for Wednesday in Osseo against those first-place Merchants. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. Their first home game at Carson Park coming out of the All-Star Break is set for July 15 at 7 p.m. against the Haugen Knights.
While the Rivermen definitely have their work cut out for them after the All-Star break, player/manager Andy Niese did point to some positives his team possesses that could serve them well as the season winds down.
“It might sound like a cliche, but our biggest strength has been the camaraderie and positive attitude of the guys — we have a good group of people that enjoy playing baseball together,” Niese said.
Admitting that he had hoped the Rivermen would be stronger at this point in the season, Niese still sees a potential path to the both the playoffs and the state tournament that his team could make.
“Thus far, we haven’t had the season we anticipated. At five and nine in the CRBL, going into the last month of the regular season, we need to win at least three of our last six league games to qualify for our state tournament,” Niese noted.
The Rivermen’s first test to prove they have the grit and determination it takes to advance past the regular season is on Wednesday when they take on Augusta in a key CRBL matchup. First pitch at Jan Krueger Memorial Field is set for 7 p.m. The Athletics are currently a game behind the Rivermen for fifth place in the South Division with a 4-10 record to date.
All-Star Game brings the best of the CRBL to Jim Falls this weekendAll eyes are now on Jim Falls for the annual All-Star game and a good number of Bears, Cavs and Rivermen will be participating in the event.
The 2024 CRBL All Star Game, hosted by the Jim Falls Sturgeons, is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. at Grumden Field in Jim Falls. The streaking Eau Claire Bears lead the local teams with nine players being named to the squad, while the Eau Claire Cavaliers and Chippewa Falls LumberJacks have seven all stars apiece and the Eau Claire Rivermen have two players who are going to the annual event.
Eau Claire Bears All StarsEau Claire Bears players selected for the summer classic with their number of All-Star Game appearances as provided by the team on their Facebook page in parentheses are: are Jack Sandvik, catcher (1st); Drew Salyers, outfield (1st); Hunter Guenther, SS/pitcher (1st); Ryan Flock, pitcher (1st); Tyler Plitzner 3B (2nd); Joe Halling, DH (2nd); Blake Johnson, 1B (7th); Chevy Tollefson pitcher (12th); and Todd Lasher, OF/DH (16th).
In addition to those Bears players, Captain Dave Strauch will be a base coach for the all-star team.
Eau Claire Cavaliers All StarsThe seven Eau Claire Cavs players chosen are Cade Mueller, third base; Cody Dayton, second base; Sam Knickerbocker, catcher; outfielders Brayton Thillman and Xavier Bembnister and pitchers Andrew Milner and Tyson Woodcock.
Eau Claire Rivermen All StarsThe two Eau Claire Rivermen named to the All-Star squad are catcher Jake Becker and second baseman Brett Jensen.
In addition to the Eau Claire-based CRBL teams, seven Chippewa Falls LumberJacks have also been named to the 2024 All-Star roster. Those players and their number of appearances in the classic as provided by the team on their Facebook page are center fielder CJ Varsho (1st), who has also been named as a starter for the event; Matt Martineau, third base (4th); and pitchers Dylan Waters (2nd) and Dawson Rice (2nd). Garnering their first all-star appearance are shortstop Jake Varsho, pitcher/DH Tyson Lucas and outfielder Blake Trippler.
What it means to be named an All-StarObviously, getting named to the CRBL All-Star game is a huge accomplishment and the local managers put it all into perspective.
“I think it’s a huge accomplishment actually,” Bembnister said, noting that the CRBL is a huge league, so making the cut is a definite honor. “These guys work their butts off every single game to get recognized.”
“Making the CRBL All-Star game should be considered an honor. It means that your peers within the league recognize that you are having a good season. Playing in the All-Star game is something people should take pride in,” Niese said.
As for Johnson, whose Bears lead the pack in CRBL All-Star nominations, he echoed the other two managers’ thoughts and also noted how proud he is of his teammates who have worked together for the better good of the squad now being recognized for their efforts.
“The team is very pleased with having the most all stars. It’s a testament to players showing up consistently and everyone contributing,” the Bears field manager said.
Of note, the 2024 Hall of Fame Class will also be honored during this year’s event. Those to be celebrated are Justin Boiteau, Mark Gannon, Randy Gustafson, Steve Nelson, Roger Nosal, Keith Pitsch, Dennis Zech and Fred Zech.
The lion’s share of area CRBL teams have been on a break this week as their players have relaxed, recharged and prepared for the last several weeks of play before the League’s playoffs. And following this weekend’s All-Star game, we will all see if both their break and also the hard work they have shown throughout the first half of the season will reap these local teams dividends once the League playoffs begin.
As the teams inch toward the playoffs, stay with the Leader-Telegram as sit down interview feature stories for players on all three Eau Claire CRBL teams are planned in future print editions of this publication.
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