Medford too much for Rebels in regional championship

MINOCQUA — Rhinelander knew it faced an uphill battle going into the final day of the American Legion Class AA Region 2 tournament. The Rebels had to beat defending state runner-up Medford, twice, and do it with a depleted pitching staff.

Ultimately, there was no miracle finish for the Rebels. Medford was simply too much for Rhinelander, winning the first and only game Sunday 11-0 in five innings to clinch its third straight trip to the Legion state tournament.

Tanner Hraby, a 2024 Medford grad who played for UW-River Falls this spring, tossed five innings of one-hit baseball while the Rebels — down deep in their pitching rotation after fighting through the loser’s bracket — allowed runs in every inning except the fourth. 

Rebels manager Dan Huhnstock said his team of mainly juniors- and sophomores-to-be simply ran into a juggernaut Medford team that won its four games in the regional tournament by a combined 37-3.

“They played a team that’s built for a run,” he said. “Basically, with mostly 18- and 19-year olds, high school seniors, and guys that have one year of college experience with them. What we got to do is just keep this group together and build on it, get a few more pieces through the next couple years’ classes and stuff, and then this will be us in a couple years — having just a ton of talent because we’ve got a great, great nucleus.”

Medford jumped on Rhinelander starter Abe Gretzinger right away in the top of the first inning, tagging him for four runs on three hits in the opening frame. Parker Lissner beat a throw to the plate on a ground ball to short by JV Castillo. Charlie Gierl added a two-run single and then completed a double steal of second and home with Jackson Blomberg to give the Raiders a big lead. 

Medford added to the margin in the second with RBI singles by Castillo and Carson Carbaugh. Lissner also singled and scored on a wild pitch as Medford took a 7-0 lead. 

Hraby provided the only run in the third when he tripled to right center. He was awarded home on the play after Rowan Wiczek threw his glove at and hit the ball following an overthrow to third. 

Medford put the game in jeopardy of the run-rule with a two-out rally in the fifth. A pair of singles and a hit batter loaded the bases for Gierl, who dumped a two-run single into shallow right. Carbaugh added another single to drive in an insurance run. 

    Rhinelander’s Abe Gretzinger pitches during the first inning of the Wisconsin American Legion Class AA Region 2 championship game against Medford in Minocqua Sunday, July 28. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Gretzinger allowed seven runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts over two innings while Wiczek gave up four runs on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts in three innings of relief. 

Huhnstock said the two, who haven’t seen many innings for the Rebels this summer, came in and pitched well under the circumstances.

“They threw strikes. They had the ball around the plate. You know, for the most part, we played fairly good defense. They just hit the ball,” he said. “We really didn’t have enough pitching to play two games against such a quality team, but we wanted to give it everything we had.”

Rhinelander was at a major disadvantage from a pitching perspective after using its top four options — Jackson Waydick, Vince White, Dylan Vanderbunt and Conner Rappley — during the first three days of the tournament with pitch counts that did not allow them to be eligible to return to the mound on Sunday. 

Meanwhile, Sunday was Hraby’s first pitching appearance all weekend. Medford also had its opening game starter, Castillo, available after he was pulled early from the Raiders’ 11-0 rout over Minocqua three days prior. 

Medford didn’t need Castillo as Hraby shut down the Rebels with four strikeouts over five innings. Waydick broke up the no-hitter and perfect game with a leadoff single in the fourth. White also drew a walk that inning, but Hraby worked out of that jam by striking out Rappley before picking off Waydick from second after Waydick left prior to Hraby’s 3-2 offering to Sawyer Bishop with two out. 

“He’s a very quality pitcher and, he really is a good ball player, well-coached through the years, and he does a great job for them,” Huhnstock said.

Rhinelander finished the season with a .500 record at 9-9 and did win four of its final six games — despite having to cancel five late-season games due to low numbers. Considering the ups and downs, Huhnstock said a runner-up finish at regionals was commendable for his club.

“It’s pretty darn good year, definitely something that we can build on,” he said.

Rhinelander finished the season with only two Class of 2025 seniors on the roster — Vanderbunt and Tyler Chariton. Vanderbunt will be eligible to return in 2026 due to where his birthdate falls for Legion’s U19 league. Chariton, however, will not. 

“Dylan will be back next year. He’s age-eligible, and he’s looking forward to playing with this group next year and hopefully get helping us get over to hump so that we play in a state tournament next year,” Huhnstock said. “Ty, can’t say enough about him. Shows up, he’s a gamer, no matter what position we asked him to play, he filled it admirably. Just a great kid.”

Rhinelander last made the Legion state tournament in 2022 — the only time in the 2020s that Medford has not made it to state from Region 2. Medford will face New Richmond to kick off the Legion state tournament today in New London. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].