August 5, 2021 at 8:15 a.m.
MVP Bixby headlines list of RHS baseball award winners
MVP Bixby headlines list of RHS baseball award winners
Bixby took home one of five awards voted on by the players during Sunday's event. Junior Kolby Ridderbusch won the team's most improved award while Quinn Lamers, Sam Schneider and Tim Fox shared the Hodag Award.
Bixby was Rhinelander's unquestioned ace this spring, posting a 7-1 record with a 1.67 ERA and 65 strikeouts over 56 2/3 innings. He was especially stellar in the postseason, combining to allow a run (unearned) on four hits with 14 strikeouts in complete-game wins over Antigo and Seymour. In addition to being a unanimous first-team All-Great Northern Conference pitcher, the UW-Platteville recruit was named honorable mention All-State and first-team All-District by the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association for his efforts.
Hodag baseball coach Joe Waksmonski credited Bixby's dedication to the sport, saying that Bixby "took charge of his own development," especially during the COVID-canceled 2020 season. Additionally, he credited Bixby's ability to shake off adversity on the mound.
"It's always really cool to see when your best players are also your hardest workers. This is definitely the case with Isaac," Waksmonski said. "We did not play very good defense this year and in those situations, when Isaac was on the mound, he did not blink. He was able to get the ball back and move on to the next hitter. That's tough for some kids at this level. This guy was mentally tough. Whether it was good, bad or ugly, nothing bothered him and he was looking forward to that very next pitch."
Ridderbusch, who started the season on the junior varsity squad, was quickly called up to varsity and broke into the lineup as a outfielder relatively early in the season. In 15 games, Ridderbusch hit .250 with nine RBIs and showed up in some key moments during Rhinelander's postseason run - including a two-run single in the team's June 16 win at Shawano and a pair of doubles in the team's sectional semifinal win over Seymour.
"We brought him up to varsity and very slowly, but surely, when we were giving him is opportunities, he was proving himself," Waksmonski said. "You could just see the confidence building in him day to day and week to week."
Lamers, Schneider and Fox were all recognized for their leadership on and off the field with Hodag awards. Waksmonski credited Lamers as one who led by example, Fox as one of the team's vocal leaders and Schneider for his friendly demeanor and his willingness to help anyone on the team.
Lamers finished third on the team in batting at .333 with 17 RBIs and led the team with 10 stolen bases. On the mound he was 1-1 with a 4.10 ERA and three saves in 12 appearances. Schneider led the team with 11 extra base hits and 24 RBIs while batting .324. Fox hit .207, but his on-base percentage was .352 thanks to a combined 13 free passes earned via walk or hit by pitch.
Rhinelander went 12-11 overall on the season and finished tied for second in the Great Northern Conference with an 8-4 mark. The team advanced to the sectional round of the WIAA tournament for the first time since 2004, where it reached the sectional finals, only to fall to eventual D2 state champion Denmark, 3-1.
"I thought toward the end of the year we were obviously playing our best baseball, and our best baseball was state-tournament worthy," Waksmonski said. "We just ran into the wrong team at that particular time."
Team honored by YMCA
During Sunday's banquet - which had been twice postponed due to inclement weather - the team finally was presented an award it was given the same day as its trip to the sectional tournament back in June.
The YMCA of the Northwoods honored the team with a Volunteer Service Award for its assistance in running the Y's youth baseball and softball program in the Hodag Dome earlier this year.
Matt Steingraber from the Y was on hand to present the team with the award.
"It was really awesome because we had 6 stations every week for about 6-7 weeks and you guys made my life really easy because I was just telling people where to go and making sure kids were comfortable," Steingraber said. "We've never done (this award) for a group before. Typically its for individuals who stand out, but with what you guys have done for us, we really wanted to thank you guys."
Waksmonski accepted the award on the team's behalf, and credited the players for volunteering their time.
"It was really you guys that helped us make that particular clinic go," he said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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