The 97th season of Chippewa River Baseball is set to open on Saturday April 26, 2025 with a matchup between the Bloomer Woodticks and the Jim Falls Sturgeons at Grudem Field. With 110 games played throughout the season, teams will have a collection of doubleheaders, two, 7-inning games, and single 9-inning games.

Other Notable Schedule Dates

• Sunday, July 6th – CRBL All-Star Game hosted by the Tilden Tigers at Casper Park, 2 pm (Hall of Fame Classes of 2025 to be honored)
• Wednesday, July 30th – Wildcard Wednesday
• Saturday, August 2nd – Championship Saturday

The 2025 season saw the Eau Claire Rivermen fold and were replaced by the Whitehall Whitetails to keep the South Division at six teams.

Both the Tilden Tigers and Osseo Merchants claimed back-to-back titles a season ago, Tigers in the North division and Merchants in the South division. The Merchants hoisted the best league record at 18-2, but lost 6-5 on Wildcard Wednesday to the Eau Claire Cavaliers. The Tigers dropped their wildcard matchup to the Eau Claire Bears 8-4. The Cavs went onto win their first CRBL championship defeating the Eau Claire Bears 6-4 on August 3, 2024 at Cinder City Park.

Tilden and Osseo will continue to be the teams to beat in the North and South Divisions. Both Eau Claire teams, Bears and Cavaliers, should challenge Osseo for the South title while Cadott, Chippewa and Jim Falls may have the firepower to dethrone Tilden. Bloomer looks to improve on their one win season from a year ago. Augusta and Beef River will have a large hill to climb in the ultra competitive South division.

A noteable event took place during the winter meetings of the league. Andy Niese, longtime secretary and treasurer of the CRBL, stepped down after 28 years serving the league. Niese is widely known for his CRBL record book and beginning the CRBL Hall of Fame. He also managed the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks, before moving the team to Eau Claire and renaming them the Eau Claire Rivermen in 2017.

After nearly a three-decade tenure, and one of the largest league contributors to the history of the CRBL, Andy Niese has stepped down as secretary and treasurer of the Chippewa River Baseball League (CRBL). Niese, who began as the Vice President in 1997, has been the league secretary and treasurer since 1998. Additionally, Niese began the CRBL Hall of Fame in 2009 recognizing baseball players throughout the league history and completed a CRBL record book the same year. His record book was accepted into National Baseball Hall of Fame library at Cooperstown.

Niese commented, “It is hard to believe that nearly 30 years have gone by, but the never-ending obligations of life and work have necessitated that I reprioritize how and where I am giving my time.  In some manner I will always stay involved with the CRBL, just not quite to the extent I have been since becoming a league officer in 1997.”

Luke Anderson will step in as the secretary and Pete Thaler will accept the role of treasurer. Anderson, who has been a part of the Osseo Merchants for more than a decade, brings a lot of experience to the officer position. Thaler, the current manager of the Jim Falls, has managed the Sturgeons squad since 2020.

League president Rick Danielson said about Niese, “Andy has been a tremendous asset for the CRBL for close to three decades. His fingerprints are all over the league. Without him, we would not have a CRBL Hall of Fame or a CRBL record book. The league would like to thank him for all the hard work he has put in over the years.”

Niese, who is the all-time CRBL hits leader at 660, also managed the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks from 2007 to 2016 before transferring the team to Eau Claire and franchising the Eau Claire Rivermen in 2017. Niese is statistically scattered throughout the CRBL record books as a player and manager. He is the all-time leader in hits, singles, doubles, at-bats and games played as a player. He also holds the record for the most wins as a manager with 209 victories. Only one other manager has coached more CRBL games, Scott Stuckert managed 486 games, while Niese finished his managing career writing out the lineup 370 times.

Longtime Jim Falls Sturgeon and league Vice President Keith Pitsch added, “Since its inception, and even since its roots in the old Chippewa Valley League in the early 20th Century, there have been many people who have given greatly of their time and talents to make this an institution in West-Central Wisconsin, but I don’t think there is anyone who has done more for it than Andy. As I recall, the multitude of leagues that once spotted Wisconsin and are now only memories, the continued existence and flourishing of the CRBL is a testament to dedicated people, and none have been more dedicated than him. It has been an honor and a pleasure to have played against him, played with him, and worked with him over the years. His departure leaves a gaping hole which we will patch but never fill. I know many baseball lovers, like me, send our utmost gratitude to this man, one of a kind.”

The Eau Claire Rivermen, formerly the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks, have folded and will not return for the 97th year of Chippewa River Baseball League (CRBL) baseball. The Rivermen moved from Chippewa in 2017. Whitehall has been re-instated into CRBL play after folding in 2021 with a new name. Formerly the Whitehall Wolves, who began CRBL play in 2005, this version will be called the Whitetails.

The Whitehall squad will replace the Eau Claire Rivermen in the south division.

Manager Nick Steig will lead the Whitetails onto the field, while Chad McCune will act as general manager and player personal for Whitehall.

The Chippewa River Baseball League (CRBL) annual meeting with be held on Saturday, January 18th at the Whispering Pines Golf Course in Cadott — 12 pm start time.

The CRBL scheduling meeting is slated for February 2. Location and time to be determined.