State Tournament Preview: Rib Lake vs Ithaca
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 breaking down the Division 4 semifinals. In this edition, we'll look at Rib Lake vs. Ithaca.
The Rundown
Rib Lake is 18-7 this season and finished in 2nd place in the Marawood North Conference behind Athens and Chequamegon (a Division 3 state tournament team). Their road to Appleton saw them beat Abbotsford and Loyal in regionals. In the sectional semifinals, they defeated reigning sectional champions Pittsville. In the sectional final, they beat Wausaukee in a tight one-run victory. The Redmen last appeared at the state tournament in 1985.
Ithaca is 22-3 this spring and won the Ridge and Valley Conference championship. To get to Appleton, they beat De Soto and Weston in regionals, followed by an easy win over Fennimore in the sectional semifinals and a demolition of Brookwood in the sectional final. This is the second consecutive year that the Bulldogs have reached 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 in both the hitting and pitching categories, and 10 in the base running category.
Hitting
Rib Lake: 30/45 points
Ithaca: 40/45 points
Ithaca gets the nod in the hitting category over Rib Lake. The Bulldogs had a team batting average of .355 and had 8 starters bat over .325. Jake Huebsch hit .453 for Ithaca with 25 RBIs. Nobody else hit over .400, but several other players hit in the upper .300s. Joey Clary (.384 average, 10 doubles, 18 RBIs), Luke Oelke (.377 average, 23 RBIs), Ryan Granger (.390 average, 13 RBIs), and Aaron Kepler (.364, 7 doubles, 3 home runs, 21 RBIs) were all major contributors at the plate this year.
The Redmen batted .287 as a team and had 4 starters bat over .300. Jerry Reinhardt led the team with a .360 batting average and 21 RBIs. Brian Solis Arenivas hit .347 and knocked in 20 runs for the Redmen, while Carter Hopkins batted a few points below him at .344. Their only other starter to bat over .300 was Jordan Cardey, who hit .305.
Pitching
Rib Lake: 40/45 points
Ithaca: 37/45 points
Rib Lake beats out Ithaca on the mound by a few points in this breakdown. The Redmen had a team ERA of 2.12. They had two go-to guys this season: Jerry Reinhardt and Bryan Solis Arenivas. Reinhardt was 8-2 in 11 games this year with a 1.50 ERA, while Solis Arenivas was 6-1 in 11 games with a 1.35 ERA. In relief, the Redmen have Joe Frombach (0-2, 1.57 ERA) and Jordan Cardey (2-2, 6.41 ERA).
Ithaca was pretty reliant on one pitcher this season. That pitcher was Jake Huebsch, who was 11-1 this season with a 1.38 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 71 innings. He’ll almost surely get the start against Rib Lake. The Bulldogs’ next guy in line would be either Nolan Clary (3-1, 2.87 ERA in 31.2 innings) or Luke Oelke (5-1, 2.28 ERA in 27.2 innings).
Base Running
Rib Lake: 6/10 points
Ithaca: 6/10 points
Rib Lake and Ithaca are similar on the bases. The Redmen stole 52 bases with an 88% success rate, while the Bulldogs swiped 58 bags. Austin Ewan led Rib Lake with 16 steals and Jordan Cardey chipped in with 10. Cody Klossowski was Ithaca’s best base stealer. He collected 11 steals, and both Luke Oelke and Caleb Olson stole 10 bases for the Bulldogs.
The Verdict
Rib Lake: 76/100 points
Ithaca: 83/100 points
Ithaca is the favorite to win the Division 4 championship, and this semifinal game by extension. What sets them apart from the rest of the field is their offense, which is better than any of the other D4 semifinalists’. Luckily for Rib Lake, they have the pitching to keep their team in the game and perhaps give them a shot at advancing to the title game. The Rib Lake pitching vs. Ithaca offense matchup is the x-factor in this one. The winner of that battle will likely go on to win the game.
