State Tournament Preview: River Falls vs. Milwaukee Reagan
By Spencer Flaten, lead writer
The state tournament field is set, and we're bringing you complete coverage of the tournament and its matchups. We'll break down every quarterfinal and semifinal game, so follow along for everything you need to know about the teams competing for a state title this year! Today we'll be looking at the 2nd Division 1 quarterfinal: River Falls vs. Milwaukee Reagan.
The Rundown
River Falls is 20-3 this spring and were crowned Big Rivers Conference champions. Their road to Appleton saw them beat Menomonie, Eau Claire Memorial, and Chippewa Falls. This is the Wildcats’ first appearance at the state tournament since 1976.
Milwaukee Reagan is 21-7 this season and won the Milwaukee City Conference title. To get to Fox Cities Stadium, they beat Milwaukee King, Milwaukee Riverside, and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Wisconsin high school baseball history with a victory over #1 Arrowhead in the sectional finals. This is the school’s first ever appearance at the state tournament.
Here’s a breakdown of the matchup based on the following categories: hitting, pitching, and base running. The teams are rated on a 100 point scale, with 100 being the best. There are a possible 45 points each in the hitting and pitching categories, and 10 in the base running category.
Hitting
River Falls: 40/45 points
Milwaukee Reagan: 32/45 points
River Falls has one of the best offenses in the state, and that gives them the offensive edge in this matchup. The Wildcats hit .362 as a team and bashed 37 doubles and 5 home runs. 3 of their starters batted over .400, including Brian Grove, who had a gaudy .478 batting average. Overall, 8 of their starters batted over .300 to compose a very balanced lineup. Mason Woiwode led the team with 28 RBIs, while Joe Halling was next in line with 21. Every player in their lineup is a tough out, and that definitely works in their favor.
Reagan had a pretty good year at the plate too. They collectively hit .323 and have 5 starters that batted over .300. Caleb Downy had a team-high .425 batting average, while Alec Marsh (.394 average, 10 doubles, 8 triples, 26 RBIs) and Pablo Baez (.354 average, 11 doubles, 3 home runs, 30 RBIs) did a lot of the damage for the Huskies. The bottom line: Reagan is more than capable of putting runs up on the board.
Pitching
River Falls: 35/45 points
Milwaukee Reagan: 35/45 points
The battle for pitching supremacy between these two teams is a draw. Milwaukee Reagan has a team ERA of 2.08, and they have two top pitchers that they can very confident in to win games. Alec Marsh shut down top-ranked Arrowhead in the sectional finals, and he will probably be the starter for Reagan in this one. In 36 innings this year, he is 6-2 with a 1.36 ERA. The righty can touch 90 MPH with his fastball and has averaged over two strikeouts per inning this year. If for some reason he does not start for the Huskies, they would give the ball to Michael Perez, who is 8-2 this year with a 2.09 ERA.
River Falls will almost surely give James Witt the start on the mound. The senior southpaw is 6-1 in 7 starts with a 0.61 ERA. The rest of the pitching staff has depth too. As a team they posted a 2.13 ERA. Jon Krueger (6-1, 2.94 ERA) will probably be their #2 guy, and they can also use Lucas Luedtke (2-0, 2.25 ERA) and Mason Woiwode (2-0, 0.54 ERA) if need be.
Base Running
River Falls: 2/10 points
Milwaukee Reagan: 5/10 points
The Huskies weren’t extraordinary on the bases this year, but they definitely have the advantage over River Falls in that facet of the game. They stole 50 bases as a team, compared to River Falls’ 19. Caleb Downy stole 18 bags for Reagan, while the Wildcat’s best base stealer is Brian Grove, who has 7. However, no other Wildcat has more than 3 stolen bases, while the Huskies have four players with at least 5 stolen bases.
The Verdict
River Falls: 78/100 points
Milwaukee Reagan: 72/100
River Falls should be considered slight favorites in this matchup. Their offense is their greatest strength, and when it’s clicking, the Wildcats can beat anyone. Being an underdog won’t faze Milwaukee Reagan though. Their confidence will be sky high after taking down the #1 team in the state in the sectional finals. It will be interesting to see how River Falls’ offense fares against Reagan’s pitching. If they’re able to get a few early runs, they’ll be in good shape. However, if Reagan is able to stymie their bats, this game will be close and really fun to watch.
