State Tournament Preview: Rio vs Spring Valley
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. First up: Rio vs. Spring Valley.
The Rundown
Rio finished the season with a 20-4 record and won the Trailways South Conference. To get to state, they defeated Tri-County and Wild Rose in regionals. In sectionals, they beat Johnson Creek by five in the semifinals and outslugged Highland 9-7 in the final. This is the school’s first ever appearance at the state tournament.
Spring Valley is 19-3 this year and the champion of the Dunn St. Croix Small Division. Their road to Appleton involved wins over Elmwood and Pepin/Alma in regionals, a win over Greenwood in the sectional semis, and a six run victory over Shell Lake in the sectional final. This is the school’s first appearance at the state tournament since 1959.
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
Rio: 37/45 points
Spring Valley: 35/45 points
Rio had an excellent season at the plate, and that gives them an advantage in this matchup. As a team they batted .343, and they had 8 starters bat over .330. Noah Schmidt had a team-high batting average of .492 and bashed 10 doubles to go along with 28 RBIs. Trevor Kearney played the role of slugger for the Vikings this year. He hit 15 doubles and a triple to go with his .439 batting average. Trajan Prochnow hit a pretty incredible .432 considering the fact that he’s just a freshman. He also slugged 7 doubles, 2 home runs, and 23 RBIs. Chainey Brewer also did a lot of run producing for Rio this spring. He hit .405 with 27 RBIs.
Spring Valley had a good year at the plate too. Hank Larson had the team’s best batting average by far. He hit .462 with 5 doubles and 15 RBIs. Austen Mason had the next highest average at .369 (he also had 25 RBIs). Jed Schlegel led the team with an impressive 3 home runs, and he also hit .367 at the plate. Overall, the Cardinals hit .298 collectively and had 6 starters bat over .300 this year.
Pitching
Rio: 35/45 points
Spring Valley: 37/45 points
Spring Valley gets the slight edge on the mound in this game. They only used 2 starters consistently this year, but they were both really good. Rem Schneider was 8-2 with a 2.15 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 11 games (10 starts) this year. He’ll probably be the starter in the semifinals. Their other go-to guy on the mound was Jake Helmer, who was 8-0 with a 0.55 ERA in 8 games (7 starts) this season. In relief, they have 2 pitchers who both had sub-1.50 ERAs.
Rio used a more balanced pitching rotation than Spring Valley. It’s unclear who will start in the semifinals for the Vikings. It could either be Trajan Prochnow (6-0, 1.71 ERA in 9 games) or Zach Zeidler (5-1, 2.23 ERA in 8 games). Both of those guys had 4 complete games, so they are capable of going the distance if need be. In relief, they have used Jacob Black (4-2, 2.33 ERA), Trevor Kearney (2-0, 3.82 ERA), and Chainey Brewer (2-1, 6.43 ERA) this year.
Base Running
Rio: 6/10 points
Spring Valley: 5/10 points
There are no base running stats available for Spring Valley, so Rio gets the edge by default. The Vikings stole 53 bases this season. It’s not a stat that’ll blow anyone away, but it is a solid number. Jacob Black led the team with 10 swipes, while Trevor Kearney, Trajan Prochnow, and Mekhi Haugen all had 8.
The Verdict
Rio: 78/100 points
Spring Valley: 77/100 points
This contest has potential to be a really close game. The two teams are evenly matched, and they both have legitimate aces that can shut down each other’s offenses. This game will be played at 8 AM, so fatigue might be something the players have to deal with. There’s no clear favorite, so this should be a fun one to watch.
