Tag: Beef River Bullfrogs

2024 CRBL Schedule Released

The Chippewa Rivers Baseball League (CRBL) has revealed the 2024 season schedule. Five teams will compete in the North Division and six teams will compete in the South Division. The 110-game season will see each CRBL team play a 20-game schedule starting Sunday, April 28th. The 2024 season will mark the 96th season of league play.

Notable Schedule Dates

  • Sunday, April 28th – Opening Day
  • Sunday, July 7th – CRBL All-Star Game hosted by the Jim Falls Sturgeons at Grudem Field, 2 pm (Hall of Fame Classes of 2024 to be honored)
  • Wednesday, July 31st – Wildcard Wednesday
  • Saturday, August 3rd – Championship Saturday

All weekday games begin at 7 pm (unless otherwise noted). All weekend games begin at 12:30 pm (unless otherwise noted). Follow www.crblbaseball.com all season long for scores, standings and schedule changes.

Each teams individual 2024 schedule can be found at their team page:

NOTE: Schedule Subject to Change

Second Year for CRBL Spring Showcase

The Chippewa Fall LumberJacks are excited to host the CRBL Spring Showcase Tournament at Casper Park on April 20th and 21st. We look forward to an fun and competitive weekend of baseball for our players, fans, and local community. 

The tournament has grown from four to seven teams with a total of 10 games scheduled over the two day tournament.

The LumberJacks will offer full concessions and other activities during the course of the weekend for the fans and players alike. 

Showcase Schedule

Saturday, April 20th – 8:00AM, Bloomer vs EC Rivermen
Saturday, April 20th – 10:30AM, Bloomer vs Chippewa Falls
Saturday, April 20th – 1:00PM, Beef River vs Chippewa Falls
Saturday, April 20th – 3:30PM, Augusta vs Jim Falls
Saturday, April 20th – 6:00PM, EC Bears vs EC Rivermen
Saturday, April 20th – 8:30PM, EC Bears vs Jim Falls
Sunday, April 21st – 8:00AM, Home Run Derby
Sunday, April 21st – 9:30AM, Augusta vs Beef River
Sunday, April 21st – 12:00PM, 1 Seed vs 4 Seed
Sunday, April 21st – 2:30PM, 2 Seed vs 3 Seed
Sunday, April 21st – 5:00PM, Championship Game

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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 8:00 am

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 10:30 am

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 1:00 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 3:30 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 6:00 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 20, 2024 8:30 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
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Details

Date Time
April 21, 2024 9:30 am

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

2024 CRBL Spring Showcase Finals

Round 1 Round 2
  
April 21, 2024
12:00 pm
 
April 21, 2024
5:00 pm
 
 
 
April 21, 2024
2:30 pm
 
 
 

CRBL Mascots Make Volume One List

The Chippewa River Baseball League (CRBL) has had over 90 teams in the nearly 100 year league history with various towns and mascots. Team names from the “Saints” to “Needles” and “Sluggers” to Slammers”, the league has had it’s share of unique Mascots.

A local publication, Volume One, recently put together an article of the top five “Awesome” mascots in Western Wisconsin. Well three CRBL teams made the cut!

  • Bloomer Fightin Woodticks (Since 1993) – #1

  • Jim Falls Sturgeons (Since 1965) – #2

  • Beef River Bullfrogs (Since 1996) – #4

Read full article here.

CRBL Managers Select All-League Players

The Chippewa River Baseball League (CRBL) managers have voted and selected the 2023 all-league awards.

Position Player Team
OF Tanner Halvorson* Tilden Tigers
OF Jaxon Kostka Osseo Merchants
OF Jack Bowe Chippewa Falls LumberJacks
3rd Base Gabe Richardson* Osseo Merchants
Shortstop Nolan Hutzler* Chippewa Falls LumberJacks
2nd Base Caden Erickson Eau Claire Cavaliers
1st Base Blake Johnson Eau Claire Bears
Catcher Bobby Soran Jim Falls Sturgeons
Utility PJ Lequia Tilden Tigers
DH Ryan Freitag* Osseo Merchants
Pitcher Quintin Gonzalez Eau Claire Bears
Pitcher Luke Eide* Osseo Merchants
Pitcher Lucas Costley Eau Claire Cavaliers
*Unanimous Selection
  • Five unaimous selections – Luke Eide, Gabe Richardson, Nolan Hutzler, Tanner Halvorson and Ryan Freitag
  • Among the thirteen individuals selected for 2023 All-CRBL awards, there were nine first time award winners.
  • Two individuals were repeat winners from 2023.
  • The all-time leader in All-CRBL awards is the Eau Claire Rivermen’s Andy Niese with 13.
Award Player Team
Rookie of the Year Henry Wilkinson Cadott Red Sox
MVP Tanner Halvorson Tilden Tigers
Jim Hoepner – Pitcher of the Year* Luke Eide Osseo Merchants
Jan Krueger – Manager of the Year Rick Danielson Cadott Red Sox
Sportsmanship Award Bloomer Woodticks
*Inaugural Year
  • The Jim Falls Sturgeons and Bloomer Fighting Woodticks have the most CRBL Sportsmanship Awards of any team/organization with 10 each.

Honorable Mention All-CRBL

Team Player Position
Augusta Athletics JJ Breaker Utility
Beef River Bullfrogs Will Thibideau Catcher
Bloomer Woodticks Connor Hicks 1st Base
Cadott Red Sox Cole Bakkum OF
Chippewa Falls LumberJacks Jake Varsho 2nd Base
Eau Claire Bears Joe Halling Catcher
Eau Claire Cavaliers Cooper Kapanke 1st Base
Eau Claire Rivermen Blake Loegering 1st Base
Jim Falls Sturgeons AJ Schemenauer Utility
Osseo Merchants Alex Byom Pitcher
Tilden Tigers Cole Zwiefelhofer DH
  • Of the eleven individuals recognized with an Honorable Mention All-CRBL award, nine were first time selections
  • Tyler Gray’s seven Honorable Mention Awards are the CRBL record.

Gold Glove Awards

Team Player Position
Augusta Athletics Ryan Stunkel Catcher
Beef River Bullfrogs Taylor Rathke 2nd Base
Bloomer Woodticks Tyler Plitnzer Catcher
Cadott Red Sox Zach Merritt 3rd Base
Chippewa Falls LumberJacks Trevor Franz OF
Eau Claire Bears Joe Halling Catcher
Eau Claire Cavaliers Xavier Bembnister CF
Eau Claire Rivermen Lance Lettner CF
Jim Falls Sturgeons Tristan Hable CF
Osseo Merchants Todd Wienkes Catcher
Tilden Tigers Drew Steinmetz SS
  • This is the third season for the CRBL’s Gold Glove Awards.
  • Of the eleven gold glove recipients, seven were first time winners and three were repeat winners.

Mid Season CRBL Stat League Leaders

Here is a list of the mid-season stat league leaders. Teams have played different amounts of games varying from 9 to 14 games at the time these stats were submitted.

WINS

PJ Lequia (Tilden Tigers) – 5

Luke Eide (Osseo Merchants) – 5

Alex Byom (Osseo Merchants) – 4

Tyler Gray (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 4

Zack Thiesse (Cadott Red Sox) – 3

ERA (min 18 inn pitched)

PJ Lequia (Tilden Tigers) – 0.80

Alex Byom (Osseo Merchants) – 0.96

Luke Eide (Osseo Merchants) – 1.03

Quintin Gonzalez (Eau Claire Bears) – 2.08

Henry Wilkinson (Cadott Red Sox) – 2.50

Tyler Gray (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 2.79

INNINGS PITCHED

Tyler Gray (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 42

Zack Thiesse (Cadott Red Sox) – 36

PJ Lequia (Tilden Tigers) – 35

Luke Eide (Osseo Merchants) – 35

Curtis Dachel (Bloomer Woodticks) – 34.2

JJ Breaker (Augusta Athletics) – 29

Wes Boyarski (Beef River Bullfrogs) – 28.1

Alex Byom (Osseo Merchants) – 28

Quintin Gonzalez (Eau Claire Bears) – 26

STRIKEOUTS

Luke Eide (Osseo Merchants) – 42

Alex Byom (Osseo Merchants) – 41

PJ Lequia (Tilden Tigers) – 33

Quintin Gonzalez (Eau Claire Bears) – 33

Tyler Gray (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 31

Andrew Milner (Eau Claire Cavaliers) – 27

Henry Wilkinson (Cadott Red Sox) – 25

Curtis Dachel (Bloomer Woodticks) – 25

AVG. (min 24 PA)

Bobby Soran (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – .513

Jaxon Kostka (Osseo Merchants) – .484

Cole Zwiefelhofer (Tilden Tigers) – .481

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – .475

Tristan Hable (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – .469

Tanner Halvorson (Tilden Tigers) – .464

Gabe O’Brien (Eau Claire Cavaliers) – .454

Will Thibideau (Beef River Bullfrogs) – .452

Connor Hicks (Bloomer Woodticks) – .444

Blake Johnson (Eau Claire Bears) – .440

Doubles

Caden Erickson (Eau Claire Cavaliers) – 7

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – 6

Bobby Soran (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – 5

Jakob Rosemeyer (Augusta Athletics) – 5

Tanner Halvorson (Tilden Tigers) – 5

Nolan Baier (Tilden Tigers) – 5

HR

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – 5

Gabe Richardson (Osseo Merchants) – 3

AJ Schemenauer (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – 2

Bobby Soran (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – 2

Todd Lasher (Eau Claire Bears) – 2

Jaxon Kostka (Osseo Merchants) – 2

SB

Lance Lettner (Eau Claire Rivermen) – 8

Chad Kron (Cadott Red Sox) – 7

Nate Kent (Eau Claire Bears) – 6

Ben Steinmetz (Tilden Tigers) – 5

RBIs

Tanner Halvorson (Tilden Tigers) – 19

Gabe Richardson (Osseo Merchants) – 16

Jaxon Kostka (Osseo Merchants) – 16

Nolan Baier (Tilden Tigers) – 15

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – 14

R

Ryan Freitag (Osseo Merchants) – 18

Lucas Steinmetz (Tilden Tigers) – 15

Tristan Hable (Jim Falls Sturgeons) – 14

Ben Steinmetz (Tilden Tigers) – 13

Tanner Halvorson (Tilden Tigers) – 13

Todd Weinkes (Osseo Merchants) – 13

CRBL Spring Showcase Tournament Team

The first annual CRBL Spring Showcase, hosted by the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks, was cut short to just one day due to weather. However, four teams were able to play a round robin tournament with Chippewa Falls defeating the Jim Falls Sturgeons 5-0 in the Championship game.

Player Team
Kyle Maug Beef River Bullfrogs
Storm Standiford Beef River Bullfrogs
Austin Baker Beef River Bullfrogs
Austin Sykora Jim Falls Sturgeons
AJ Schemenauer Jim Falls Sturgeons
Ryan Krumenauer Jim Falls Sturgeons
Cole Schwab Bloomer Woodticks
Matt Martineau Chippewa Falls LumberJacks
Nate Hayes Chippewa Falls LumberJacks
Cole Bowe Chippewa Falls LumberJacks
Nolan Hutzler Chippewa Falls LumberJacks
Tournament Most Valuable Player
Blake Trippler – Chippewa Falls LumberJacks
Tournament Most Valuable Pitcher
Dylan Waters – Chippewa Falls LumberJacks

2023 Team Previews / Rosters

The Augusta Athletics, Powered by Stensen Excavating and Transport, are back in the CRBL and the Athletics are excited to bring baseball back to the newly renovated Jan Krueger Diamond at Memorial Field.

The A’s lineup will be filled with some familiar faces and a few ones. The lineup will include members of the former A’s, JJ and Cody Breaker; along with Brice Shimon and Parker Gehrmann who previously suited up for the Merchants. In addition, some recent graduates from Augusta, Fall Creek, Eau Claire and Thorp will fill out the roster. The A’s have also identified some hidden talent that will be joining the team after their high school season concludes.

The Athletics will be managed by Duane Ives and Byron King. Duane was a long-time player for the Athletics during the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Bryon has served as the assistant baseball coach for the Augusta High School team for past few years.

The Athletics enter the season with a lot of questions about their pitching staff, position players and hitting…but are excited to work through all those challenges and put a competitive team on the field!

Fans of the Athletics should be excited about the upcoming season and the potential of the new team! The team would like to thank all their sponsors for helping get the team off the ground this season. (Take a second and scroll through our sponsors below). Hope to see you all out at the field this season!

Check us out on Facebook

ROSTER: Chase Stensen-Veenendahl, Brennan Stensen-Veenendahl, JJ Breaker, Cody Breaker, Cole Stensen, Brice Shimon, Parker Gehrmann, Cameron Martzke, Logan Brown, Ryan Grunewald, Matt Vesperman, Jakob Rosemeyer, Ryan Stunkel

Managers: Duane Ives & Byron King

While the Bullfrogs showed an improvement on the field last year, the 2023 Frogs will look to be the surprise of the CRBL.

Beef River returns most of their team from last year, including the team leader in hits Ryan Gray (14). Taylor Rathke/Tim Prince (12), Kyle Maug (11), Ethan Bartels (10) and Wes Boyarski (1 HR) also are returning as leading hitters from last year’s squad. Returning arms include Bartels (49.2 IP), Boyarski (34) and Prince (24.1). The Frogs will be looking to some of the fresh faces to help them get through the season on the mound.

Preston Benedict is one name to watch on the mound as a newcomer for the Frogs and to the CRBL. Derek Bills brings some late game heat, while Dylan Fox will also look to take on some innings as a fresh face.

Will Thibideau will make his full CRBL season debut with the Frogs. Thibideau went 5-13 in 3 games for the Frogs last season, including a double. Carter Johnson will also make his return to the Outfield after playing in just 5 games for the Frogs last season. Storm Standiford comes over to the Frogs after having spent time with the Eau Claire Cavaliers and most recently the Osseo Merchants. The lefty will look to help anchor the lineup at 1B and the DH position. Jackson Faulkner will join the Frogs after spending last season with the Cavaliers. Colin Boyarski will join the squad after his senior season with Altoona. Colin is the younger brother of Wes Boyarski and will look to provide a boost at the plate while manning the hot corner and some games behind the dish.

Hanging up the cleats to be a full-time dad is Brendan McCabe. McCabe brought an electric energy to the squad as a Veteran and went out with a bang, hitting .333 with 4 doubles, while also earning his first All-Star game selection, and Gold Glove award behind the dish. McCabe’s energy and love for the game will be missed this season.
The Bullfrogs are excited to have fans back out to the Ballpark this summer and can’t wait to see what the season holds.

Go Frogs!

ROSTER: Dyllan Bauer, Austin Baker, Ethan Bartels, Preston Benedict, Derek Bills, Colin Boyarski, Wesley Boyarski, Jackson Faulkner, Parker Fischer, Dylan Fox, Ryan Gray, Brandon Jaenke, Carter Johnson, Justin Julson, Reece Lucas, Ethan Maug, Kyle Maug, Daniel Palubicki, Tim Prince, Taylor Rathke, Cody Skabroud, Storm Standiford, Will Thibideau, Brett VanVlack, Austin Zimmerman 

MANAGER: Taylor Rathke, Ethan Bartels

The 2022 Woodticks were something. We aren’t sure what, but they were something. An uncharacteristic one win season is something that the 2023 version of the Woodticks will work to turn into what feels like ancient history.

The roster is built like a bread forward sandwich. The top piece of bread is those same faces that have suited up for several seasons. The team will hope the veterans can provide steadiness. The middle of the sandwich includes a couple players that are really coming into their own as they continue to play in the battle tested CRBL. The final part of the roster that makes up the the bottom piece of bread is full of players who are young and ready to show their talents. This group of Ticks have either just joined the team or have played in parts of only a couple seasons. We are excited to see how the season plays on for this group!

We would like to thank all of our local sponsors as well as the players’ families for the time and effort they give to help our season run. We hope to see you head up north to Bloomer for some Woodtick action this season!

The Red Sox are excited to be back for another year of CRBL baseball in 2023! Going into last season the team had a lot of unknowns with several key veterans retiring and many new faces joining the team.  The club didn’t know what to expect with these new players but they exceeded expectations and laid a promising foundation for the upcoming 2023 season.

Returning to the lineup this season on the infield are all star and rookie of the year runner up Chad Kron.  Kron took control of the leadoff spot last year with a 340 batting average and played a great shortstop.  Fresh off his first career All CRBL Award veteran Zac Merritt (362 BA) looks to be an anchor in the middle of the lineup.  Filling out the infield will be Austin Goettl, Parker Lemanski, Jonah Hanson, Sam Feck, Cole Bakkum, and Conner Roth. Second year player Ryan Smith figures to be the primary catcher.

In years past the Sox have been thin in the outfield.  This is not the case anymore.  Ely Johnson will return to centerfield where he batted 467(14 for 30) last season.  Two time gold glove winner and 2022 all star Shawn Sedlacek is slotted to man left field.  Logan Burzynski who made the all star team as a rookie last year, Tony Riley and Bennett Bowe will all be big contributors as well.

Something Cadott has struggled with for years has been pitching depth.  In one years time Cadott has completely revamped their starting rotation.  Second year player Alex Schmidt joined the team in April last year and finished third in the league in innings pitched with 56.  After months of negotiations the Red Sox were able to add two time all star Zack Thiesse. His veteran leadership, playoff experience, and durability will be a major plus for the team. Eau Claire North graduate and current University of Minnesota Duluth pitcher Henry Wilkinson will join the team in June as will Cadott high school standout and southpaw Warren Bowe.  On paper this rotation is the strongest Cadott has had in over a decade.

Red Sox fans should be excited about the potential of their team for the upcoming season!   The team would like to thank all of their fans and their outstanding sponsors.  (Take a second and scroll through our sponsors below). Hope to see you all out at the field this season!  Let’s play ball!

ROSTER: Cole Bakkum, Bennett Bowe, Warren Bowe, Logan Burzynski, Henry Danielson, Rick Danielson, Sam Feck, Austin Goettl, Jonah Hanson, Ely Johnson, Chad Kron, Parker Lemanski , Zac Merritt, Ben Poppe, Tony Riley, Conner Roth, Alex Schmidt, Shawn Sedlacek, Ryan Smith, Zack Thiesse, Henry Wilkinson

MANAGER: Rick Danielson

The Chippewa Falls LumberJacks continue to make their mark as a highly competitive and successful team in the CRBL and Amatuer Baseball in this part of the state. In 2022 we were one of four teams to make the CRBL Playoffs which marked the second year in row we have done so. Our 21-10 overall season record put us over 20 wins for the second consecutive year as well.

The Jacks participated in the WBA (Wisconsin Baseball Association) Tournament for the 3rd straight year going 1-1 in Regional play. Getting back to the WBA Tournament and competing for the championship will be one of our top goals for 2023.

Individually Matt Martineau gathered unanimous All-CRBL honors at 2nd Base. Nolan Hutler received Honorable Mention All-CRBL and Caleb Gardow won a CRBL Gold Glove.

Of note the Chippewa Falls LumberJacks will be the host for the 2023 CRBL All-Star Game on June 30th at 7:00 pm and among the events will be the induction of the CRBL HOF Class for 2023. Former Lumberjacks Chuck Hall and Jim Spaeth will be inducted into the HOF along with some other CRBL legends so please mark your calendars for this special event.

Finally, the Chippewa Falls LumberJacks would like to thank all of our sponsors, fans, media, and support staff for all of their efforts in helping us achieve the success we have enjoyed our first three seasons. The 2023 home schedule is loaded with fun and entertaining Game Day Events and those wearing the LumberJack uniform wiil be ready to “Play Ball” as they say so come on out and support the Jacks!

The Eau Claire Bears look to continue their run of success in 2023. The 2023 Bears will be lead by All League Pitcher Joel Zachow and Outfielder Todd Lasher. The Bears will also be returning a long list of veterans including 2023 All Stars Chevy Tollefson, Blake Johnson, Matt Miller, and Jimmy Thill. The Bears are also bringing in some new blood this season to help the team out as well as bringing back a few veterans that will make some appearances throughout the season. 2022 marked the first year in Tollefson managerial career the bears did not reach the state tournament losing in an extra inning Heartbreaker in the regional final. The Bears plan to be back with a vengeance in 2023 and hope to claim that state title.

ROSTER: Chevy Tollefson, Todd Lasher, Jim Thill, Blake Johnson, Sam Janni, Ty Fadness, Matt Miller, Alex Jinkins, J.R. Lukes, Nathan Kent, Logan Berg, Mitch Bendickson, J.D. Prescher, Nate Larson, Quentin Gonzalez, Grant Preston, Tyler Oestrich, Joel Zachow, Will Mallett-Brown, Jack Shirpke, Joe Halling, Josh Halling, Wes Fleischer, Chris Budd, Hunter Guenther

The Eau Claire Cavaliers is an amateur baseball organization that started in in 1971. The 2023 baseball season will see the Eau Claire Cavaliers starting their 6th season as members of the Chippewa River Baseball League.

The 2022 baseball season saw the Cavaliers qualify for the WBA playoffs at the Merrill regionals. We started the playoffs by playing the Spring Valley Hawks and lost 4-5. The next day we played the Everest Merchants and won 4-3. We qualified for the WBA State Tournament held in Viroqua, WI. We played the Brill Millers and won 11-2 and lost to the River Falls Fighting Fish 0-10.

CRBL award winners were Cooper Kapanke CRBL 1st basemen, Caden Erickson CRBL golden glove and Ben Boda honorable mention.

The Eau Claire Cavaliers would like to welcome Ryan Bembnister as our new field manager for the 2023 baseball season. He becomes the 11th field manager in the history of our organization.

The Cavaliers would like to wish all of the teams of the Chippewa River Baseball League the best of luck in the league in 2023. We invite all baseball fans to come to Carson Park for baseball action at its best this summer.

ROSTER: Andrew Milner, Tyson Allen-Woodcock, David Jannsen, Cade Mueller, Luke Erickson, Xavier Bembnister, Gabe O’Brien, Jaxon Vance, Austin Goetsch, Josh Garcia, Jack Redwine,Chase Yaeger, Ben Boda, Lucas Costley, Caden Erickson, Cole Tyman, Conor O’Reilly Cooper Kapanke, Mitch Voller, Campbell Kapanke and Sam Harris

2023 will stand as the 7th season of play for the Eau Claire Rivermen in the historical Chippewa River Baseball League.

The season of 2022 saw the Rivermen battle to an 8 and 10 CRBL record and a 7th place finish in the 10-team standings. Overall, the ‘Men finished at 17 and 19. Fair to say the highlight of the year was qualifying for the WBA and playing in the Ellsworth Regional. After losing a tight, 3-0 contest to a tough Hudson River Rats team, the Rivermen captured their first WBA victory in franchise history with a 9-6, 10-inning win vs. the Whittlesey Reds. In the seesaw 10-inning contest, the ‘Men were up 4-2, only to fall behind 9-6 before tying the game 9-all with 3 runs in the top of the 9th. In the deciding 10th frame, EC put up a 3-spot for the final margin of victory. Nonetheless, Hudson emerged from the 3-team pool to make it the WBA finals in Onalaska and Sparta.

2022 CRBL award winners for the Crew in Navy Blue and Grey included Lance Lettner in the outfield (1st All-CRBL award), Andy Niese at designated hitter (13th All-CRBL award), and Tyler Gray as honorable mention pitcher (7th HOM award). The fleet-footed Lettner also garnered his first gold glove recognition for his dynamic play in centerfield.

Alas, with a new season comes renewed hope, and the process of building a competitive roster never stops. With the return of 6 to 7 starters and the addition of several talented high school players from Eau Claire, the Men of the River are excited to take the diamond in 2023.

Regardless of wins and losses, the Eau Claire Rivermen are proud to be part of the storied Chippewa River Baseball League. We look forward to seeing you at Fairfax Field, our plush home park with ample seating and convenient parking.

ROSTER: Jake Becker, Patrick Callaghan, James Davis, Cooper Dykes, Joe Davis, Joel Effertz, Drew Gibson, Tyler Gray, Brett Jensen, Brett Johnson, Sam Knickerbocker, Jacob Lacy, Lance Lettner, Payton Loomis, Truman Lokken, Jonah Mueller, Andy Niese, Dave Roubal, Alex St. John, Hans Soukup, Sawyer Sturz, Jesse Urbanek, Tim Wilson, Carson Windeshausen

MANAGER: Andy Niese

After years of hoping to see change, the Sturgeons realized a sea change in 2022. Thanks to a stable core bolstered by some key additions, the team followed a 5-15 record in 2021 with a 9-9 finish last year. As a result, they made the WBA tournament for the first time since 2-13 and won a game in it for the first time since 1991. (As a testament to the strength of the CRBL, each of the six teams in the tournament won at least once.)

The Sturgeons enter 2023 with almost everyone back. One key loss will be catcher Kole Smith who, instead of defending the plate for Jim Falls, will be defending the country with the army. Meanwhile, look for new names to pop up in the box scores as the team has brought up some exciting hopefuls from the farm team in Cobban.

Looking at some of the offensive numbers turned in last year, we find rookie Bobby Soran hitting .524 with 11-21, Mitch Howard (.400, 4-10), CRBL Honorable Mention All-League Tristin Hable (.362, 17-47, with 11 R and 7 RBI), Bob Maurer (.292, 7-24), and Justin Toman (.279, 12-43). Throw in dependable CRBL Gold Glove winner and team grand slam specialist Ryan Krumenauer (15-58, .259) who led the team in taters while finishing second in hits and RBI, Evan Dennis (11-42, .262, with 11 BBs), Austin Sykora (10-43), and A. J. Schemenauer the team RBI leader (9), and the Sturgeons have the basis of a strong lineup.

CRBL Rookie-of-the-Year Will Jacobson leads the mound corps, having posted a 4-3 record with a 2.92 ERA and 42 Ks in 52.1 innings. His brilliant 12-inning complete game 5-2 win in the WBAs capped a stellar season. He was backed by Mike Maurer (3-3), Isaac Lindstrom (0.00 ERA in 10.1 IP), and manager Peter Thaler (3.45 ERA in 15.2 IP) among others. Jacobson and Lindstrom also picked up saves.

Jim Falls was well represented at the All-Star game as well, sending Toman, Jacobson, both Maurers, and Hable.

Welcome back to Sturgeon Stadium at Grudem Field for the 59th season of Sturgeon baseball. We’ll have a hot dog and a cold one waiting for you.

ROSTER: Trevor Bowe, Nelson Crumbaker, Evan Dennis, Jake Eslinger, Tristin Hable, Mitch Howard, Will Jacobson, Raven Keyeski, Wyatt Keyeski, Ryan Krumenauer, Isaac Lindstrom, Hunter Martell, Bob Maurer, Mike Maurer, A. J. Schemenauer, Beau Snyder, Bobby Soran, Austin Skorra, Peter Thaler, Justin Toman, Nick Pitsch, Kole Smith

MANAGER: Pete Thaler

The Merchants turned in another great season in 2022 finishing 15-3 in CRBL play. However the season was cut short in the second game of the WBA playoffs. Aaron Hagberg will take over the managerial duties this season as the Merchants try to extend one of the best runs in CRBL history. He will inherit a lineup filled with veteran studs. We would like to extend our thanks to all the great local sponsors. Having a top-notch organization would be difficult to run without your support. Hope to see you at the ballpark. WWMD!

ROSTER: Mason Kostka, Ryan Freitag, Tanner Marsh, Jaxon Kostka, Todd Wienkes, Jackson Johnson, Jimi Zawacki, Joe Zawacki, Logan Boettcher, Jesse Brockman, Alex Byom, Zak Iverson, Luke Eide, Brandt Freitag, Preston Gamroth, Nolan Matson, Scott Hovell, Garrett Koxlien, Gabe Richardson

MANAGER: Aaron Hagberg

The 2022 season came and went in the blink of an eye. The Tilden Tigers had a very memorable year full of many accolades. First by winning the CRBL Championship in consecutive seasons. The second being a runner-up finish in the WBA State Championship game, coming up just short of our ultimate goal. It’s always fun when you end your season in the last game possible, but we are still not satisfied. The third being all the participants that represented the North in the All Star Game. The Tilden Tigers cannot wait to turn the page to the 2023 season.

We will be returning our entire core from our team last year. We are very excited with the additions of Jimmy Schemenauer and Adam Larock. PJ Lequia, Carl Krumenauer, Steph Scatassa, Noah Hanson, and Trevor Olson will be the power behind the rotation this season once again. Our core group of veterans mixed with a group of young fellas will bolster our league leading offense. The Steinmetz Family will once against be taking up many spots in our starting lineup. Our MVP, Jordan Steinmetz, is looking to try and repeat this season. Cole Zwiefelhofer, Jon Schoch, and Alex Ruf will coincide as Captains of this roster and we would not want it any other way.

With the addition of Augusta, we are very excited to be back to the North Format and look at defending that title. We cannot wait to get the season started! None of this would be possible without the amazing support of our fans. We always love to give them a HUGE shoutout. Let’s play ball!!! Go Tigers!

2023 CRBL Spring Showcase

SATURDAY CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER

The Chippewa Fall LumberJacks are excited to annouce the first ever CRBL Spring Showcase Tournament at Casper Park on April 22nd and 23rd. We look forward to an fun and competitive weekend of baseball for our players, fans, and local community.  We are hopeful to offer it as an annual event. 

Each team will play two seven inning games on Saturday. Since Augusta is only committed to play on Saturday, the four remaining teams will be play a third game on Sunday with the possibility of a fourth if they win. 

Entry fee has been set at $80.00 per game that your team plays and three new baseballs per game.  These fees will be used to cover the umps and field rental.  If baseballs are still in good shape or like new yet from a previous game I am ok with using them again in place of new ball out of the box.

The LumberJacks will offer full concessions and various other raffles, giveaways and other activities during the course of the weekend for the fans and players alike. 

You can direct any questions or concerns you have prior to the tournament to Wayne Franz. A special thanks to Teddy Joas for organizing the umpire crew for the weekend.

vs

Results

TeamROutcome
Jim Falls Sturgeons2Win
Bloomer Woodticks1Loss

Details

Date Time
April 23, 2023 9:00 am

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

vs

Results

TeamROutcome
Beef River Bullfrogs2Loss
Chippewa Falls LumberJacks3Win

Details

Date Time
April 23, 2023 11:30 am

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

vs

Results

TeamROutcome
Bloomer Woodticks13Loss
Chippewa Falls LumberJacks15Win

Details

Date Time
April 23, 2023 2:00 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

vs

Results

TeamROutcome
Jim Falls Sturgeons5Win
Beef River Bullfrogs3Loss

Details

Date Time
April 23, 2023 4:30 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

vs

Results

TeamROutcome
Jim Falls Sturgeons0Loss
Chippewa Falls LumberJacks5Win

Details

Date Time
April 23, 2023 7:30 pm

Field

Casper Park
1025 W Canal St, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

CRBL 2023 Season Schedule Revealed

The Chippewa Rivers Baseball League (CRBL) has revealed the 2023 season schedule. With the re-entry the league of the Augusta Athletics, the managers voted to reinstate the North and South divisions. Five teams will compete for the North Division and six teams will compete in the South Division. The 110-game season will see each CRBL team play a 20-game schedule starting April 30th, 2023. The 2023 season will mark the 94th season of league play.

Notable Schedule Dates

  • Sunday, April 30th – Opening Day

  • Friday, June 30th – CRBL All-Star Game hosted by the Chippewa Falls LumberJacks at Casper Park, 7 pm (Hall of Fame Classes of 2023 to be honored)

  • Wednesday, August 2nd – Wildcard Wednesday

  • Saturday, August 5th – Championship Saturday

All weekday games begin at 7 pm (unless otherwise noted). All weekend games begin at 12:30 pm (unless otherwise noted). Follow www.crblbaseball.com all season long for scores, standings and schedule changes.

Each team individual 2023 schedule can be found at their team page:

NOTE: Schedule Subject to Change

2022 Team Previews / Rosters

The Beef River Bullfrogs look to bounce back from a disappointing 2021 season under the guidance of new coach and Bullfrogs legend Taylor Rathke.

The Bullfrogs will be sporting a young lineup that shows a lot of promise and potential. We have an offense led by Taylor Rathke, Wesley Boyarski, Kyle Maug, and Ryan Grey; and the pitching staff led by Ethan Bartles and Tim Prince as well as many new and returning players.

The Bullfrogs would like to thank Jesse VenRooy for his hard work and for creating a great atmosphere for baseball in Strum! He has handed over head coaching duties but will still be an active member of the team.

There is a good foundation for an improved season by the Frogs! We can’t wait to see you at Spangberg Field to cheer on your hometown Bullfrogs!

The 2021 season was a typical season for the Fightin’ Woodticks. A grueling schedule in the always challenging CRBL where, for us, wins and losses are sprinkled together. Every team has a chance to win every weekend and this season, we finished league play at 9-11. Along with our regular season league action, Stuckert Field (home of the Ticks) saw the CRBL’s best gather for the league All-Star game where we got to honor Tick legend Scott Stuckert by inducting him into the league Hall-of-Fame.

In 2022, we are sad to report this will be the final season at historic Stuckert Field. Come up to Bloomer and celebrate with us as we remember all of the wins and losses on the field and our undefeated record of having a great time after the game. Whether the Liar’s Dice box comes out, the second beer run happens, or Scrub finally gets to the bottom of the fish fry pan Stucket Field has been the place to be.

As actual ticks come out of the woodwork, that is how the Woodtick roster will be this year as we invite some old and new faces to suit up this year.

Thank you to our major sponsors: Brian Simmons, Catalytic Combustion, The Badger Hole, Billy’s Grill, and Shadick’s Price Rite. We would also like to thank many other local sponsors and Bloomer community members with special mention for the Trixie and Ann Lane family for all of their help and support. Thank you to our families and fans for your support. The season is not done yet! Go Ticks!

The Red Sox are excited to be back for another year of CRBL baseball in 2022! The Red Sox roster will have many familiar faces as well as some new faces this season. Former all star Jake Arneson has decided to retire after being the team’s primary catcher for the last ten seasons. His veteran leadership and consistent play will be missed. 2021 all star Zac Merritt will be returning for his 2nd season with the Sox. Last season he brought some much needed stability to the shortstop position while batting .328 and leading the Red Sox in runs scored and stolen bases.

Other returning veterans include Mike Danielson, Tony Riley, Ben Poppe, Austin Goettl, Bennett Bowe, Casey Schara, Nate Stone, and CRBL Gold Glover Shawn Sedlacek. 2021 high school graduates Dylan Davis, Carter Vait, and Kaden Thurmond bring some young talent to the team as do offseason pickups Ely Johnson and Parker Lemanski.

The team would like to thank all of their fans and their outstanding sponsors. (Take a second and scroll through our sponsors below). Without you guys we wouldn’t exist! Lets play ball!

The Chippewa Falls LumberJacks (latest version established in 2020) are now entering their third year of play and the second official season in the CRBL.  Our home games are played at beautiful Gannon Field/Casper Park and the Jack’s proudly field a roster of mostly homegrown players from the Chippewa Falls area who showed in their first full year in the storied CRBL that they can compete at a very high level.

The Jack’s made the 2021 CRBL playoffs and promptly beat the Eau Claire Cavaliers 3-2 in an instant classic at Casper Park and a game that will be talked about around town by the “old boys” for a long time.  We then lost 10-3 to Tilden in the CRBL Championship game which again was held at Casper Park and was the 12th overall such appearance for the Jack’s which is 2nd all-time in the history of the CRBL.

Also, the Jack’s also made the prestigious WBA (Wisconsin Baseball Association) playoffs at the end of the regular season which was the second year in a row that we accomplished this feat.  Our 24 wins in 2021 rank highly in the history of the Jack’s and it is a fact that we are very proud of.

Of note five LumberJack players received CRBL Awards recognition and they include: Nolan Hutzler (All-CRBL Catcher) Nate Hayes (All-CRBL 1st Baseman) Levi Schaller (All-CRBL Pitcher) Chip Blair (Honorable Mention Designated Hitter) Jake Varsho (CRBL Golden Glove Award)

We would like to thank our 2021-22 sponsors, fans, and support staff and hope that the excitement around our team will continue to grow and others in the community will find their way to Gannon Field this season to cheer on the Jack’s and enjoy the fun activities and events on game day!

The Eau Claire Bears look to continue their success in 2022 following 4 straight state finals appearances. Bears are looking to reley on their long list of veterans this year that will carry their normal success with addition to exciting additions of Austin Lemay, Dane Helnore, Jack Shirpke, Levi Wilson, Vinnie Fonti and many others. Bears are hoping to take a leap from state finalists to 4 time state champions this year. Hope to see you all out there to support your EC Bears this season!

ROSTER: Chevy Tollefson, Todd Lasher, Jim Thill, Blake Johnson, Sam Janni, Ty Fadness, Matt Miller, Alex Jinkins, J.R. Lukes, Nathan Kent, Logan Berg, J.D. Preacher, Jeremy Nicolai, Austin Lemay, Tyler Oestrich, Joel Zachow, Will Mallett-Brown, Levi Wilson, Jack Shirpke, Vinnie Fonti, Joe Halling, Dane Helnore, Zach Lasher

The Eau Claire Cavalier amateur baseball organization returns to the diamond for their 52nd year in the Chippewa Valley. Playing out of beautiful Carson Park, this year’s squad is thrilled to welcome Field Manager Pete Bartingale. With years of experience and a strong base in the Chippewa Valley, Bartingale will be the 10th skipper in the Cavs storied history.

The 2021 edition of the Cavaliers returned to the Chippewa River Baseball League and finished with an 18-2 league record bringing home hardware as the North Division Champions. After competing in their 3rd Wisconsin Baseball Association State Finals, this year’s squad looks to build upon that success and go even further in 2022.

Along with many promotional nights and double headers this season the Cavaliers have the honor of hosting the CRBL All Star Game on Friday, July 1st. This along with a variety of home games will lead to an incredibly exciting year, one that you will not want to miss! We welcome everyone to come enjoy historic Carson Park and watch some of the most family friendly, best quality baseball in the Chippewa Valley this season.

2021 marked the fifth season of play for the Eau Claire Rivermen, a noteworthy milestone for any fledgling amateur baseball franchise. Unfortunately, 2021 also marked the least successful (worst) effort on the diamond for the ‘Men, as the Crew in Navy Blue and Grey staggered to a 7 and 13 record in the CRBL within a dismal 13 and 24 overall showing. At one point of ineptitude, the Rivermen gang lost 12 games in a row and 19 out of 21………yikes.

There were, however, several bright spots amidst the 2021 darkness. Specifically, CRBL legend Tyler Gray captured his sixth All-CRBL award, with the nod coming as a utility player for his standout performances as both a pitcher and hitter. Additionally, James Davis was given his first Honorable Mention All-CRBL award for his congruent work as a utility player for the Rivermen. Also of note, Sawyer Sturz was recognized with a CRBL Gold Glove trophy for his play at shortstop in what was the inaugural year of the CRBL recognizing it’s best defenders.

Alas, hope always springs eternal when a new season begins. With the addition of several promising new players to compliment the established core of grizzled veterans, the Men of the River are looking forward to quickly reversing their baseball fortunes in 2022.

Regardless of the final results, the Eau Claire Rivermen are proud to be part of the storied Chippewa River Baseball League. We look forward to seeing you at Fairfax Field, our plush home park with ample seating and convenient parking.

The Jim Falls Sturgeons enter 2022 with an ever-maturing core of young veterans (and a couple of old ones), bolstered by a smattering of fresh hopefuls. The team bases its hope for improving on a 5-15 record on a deep pitching staff and an expected rebound from some hitters who fell off from previous production in ’21.

Ryan Krumenauer certainly did not fall off as he led the way offensively, batting .377 with a .410 slugging percentage, leading the team in hits at 23-61, tying for the lead in Runs and RBI with 8 each, and flashing a web gem worthy infield glove. Tristin Hable cruised to .300 at 12-40 while slugging .425, and Nick Pitsch stroked .333 in limited action. Wyatt Keyeski led the team in On Base Percentage at .444. The Sturgeons also stepped up their long ball action, getting dingers from Hable, Austin Sykora, Bob Maurer, and Jake Eslinger.

On the mound, Manager Pete Thaler led in ERA at 4.46 with 24 Ks in 40.1 innings. Meanwhile, Isaac Lindstrom struck out 30 in 31.2 innings. Each of them picked up 2 wins, with Dylan Waters securing the fifth.

Two highlights of the 2021 season were the dedications of the new dugouts at Grudem Field in honor of erstwhile stars and CRBL Hall-of-Famers Roger Bergeron and Dave Hepfler. The team and everyone involved want to thank Joe Luther who conceived of and oversaw the production of the dugouts as his Eagle Scout project. Look for more heroes from Jim Falls’ past to be recognized this year and in the years to come.

The Sturgeons invite you to partake of the pleasures of the ballpark in ‘22. Their fervent hope is that after the Covid-altering trials of the last two seasons, maybe only catchers and umpires will need to wear masks this time around.

2021 was another successful season for the Merchants. The boys won the CRBL South division, and advanced to the state finals for an unprecedented 6th straight year. Luke Eide was a beast on the mound being named league MVP and winning the pitching triple crown. There is reason to be optimistic with a few new faces joining the squad this season to bolster a veteran roster.

This season also brings a first as Josh Anderson is being inducted into the CRBL hall of fame. It is fitting that Josh is the first from this crew to get the call. I’m sure he won’t be the last. As always, I’d like to thank the businesses and fans in Osseo for their continued support. The best fans in the state. #WWMD

After a deep WBA Playoff and State Tournament run, the Tilden Tigers are set to reload for the 2022 season. The 2021 CRBL Champions are looking to repeat in the newly formatted league and are excited to get back to a more traditional schedule.

The Tigers will retain all of their key veteran players from 2021. The All-Star and All-CRBL outfield combination of Cole Zwiefelhofer, Jon Schoch and Nolan Baier will be returning, fresh off of a combined .405 batting average and league leading 83 RBIs in 2021.

The brotherly quartet of Drew Steinmetz, Jordan Steinmetz, Lucas Steinmetz and Ben Steinmetz will also be returning to elevate several key position groups and serve as the table setters in the Tilden lineup. Their versatility and knowledge of the game will be on full display this year.

Cornerstone infielder Alex Ruf will be returning to round out the lineup. Ruf brings a must needed coaching mentality to the clubhouse, along with his speed and solid defense.

Atop the pitching rotation are perennial All-Stars PJ Lequia and Carl Krumenauer. The starting combo had a sub 3.00 ERA last season. They will be joined by battery mate Dane Weiland, who will call the shots behind home plate.

The Tilden Tigers would like to thank all of our sponsors and forever loyal fan base. We look forward to seeing everyone out at Casper Park this season and being a part of this historic franchise and league.