Rappley tosses perfect game in Hodags’ win over Medford

Conner Rappley achieved perfection for the Rhinelander High School baseball team Thursday night at Medford in the Great Northern Conference finale.

Rappley struck out six and retired all 21 batters he faced in the Hodags’ 8-0 win over the Raiders. 

    Rhinelander’s Conner Rappley pitches during the third inning of a GNC baseball game at Medford Thursday, May 22. (Matt Frey/Star News)
  

The sophomore righty was ultra-efficient in his 76-pitch, complete-game effort. He threw 59 pitches for strikes and threw first-pitch strikes to all but two batters he faced.

“I felt really good on the mound, and what was really working most for me was the fastball up and in and in, and then low out,” Rappley told the River News. “It felt great in the final out, and I started getting nervous a little bit, but I just kept my composure and just kept dealing.”

It was history for the Hodags, who had not seen a perfect game in coach Joe Waksmonski’s 19 seasons at the helm. Rappley’s perfect game was the first for Rhinelander since at least 2007. It was the first no-hitter by the team since Ryan Jamison and Jacksen Smith combined to no-hit Merrill in the 2022 WIAA playoffs and the first individual no-hitter for the Hodags since Kyle Comer in 2012.

“Really, I mean, it was just his mentality going after their hitters, really attacking him early in the counts,” Waksmonski said. “He got a lot of outs on early counts just because he was getting in on their hands and they were fisting it with little pop-ups or fisting little ground balls. It’s a lot of fun when a pitcher hits a spot on almost every single pitch.” 

After a few fly-ball outs early, Rappley settled in, and the Raiders didn’t hit a ball out of the infield in fair territory over the final three innings. Waksmonski noted that the outfield shagged a couple of running fly balls in the early innings and second baseman Seth Nofftz made a ranging play on a ball hit in the hole between first and second to keep the perfect game bid intact. 

“I’m grateful for my defense. They did really good today. They made some really good plays,” Rappley said. 

“There were whispers for sure. When Conner was hitting, I know there were a lot of whispers about guys selling out for every ball, making sure we give each play the best effort that we can to get the outs. There were some, some really nice plays made defensively tonight,” Waksmonski added. 

    Rhinelander’s Abe Gretzinger steals second base ahead of a tag by Medford’s Parker Lissner during the second inning of a GNC baseball game at Medford Thursday, May 22. (Matt Frey/Star News)
  

The Hodags also gave Rappley plenty of run support, taking the lead with a three-run second inning and adding to it in each of the following three frames. Sawyer Bishop doubled twice and drove in three runs in the contest. Abe Gretzinger had two hits and drove in two and Tyler Chariton added a two-run single that capped off the Hodags’ three-run rally in the second. 

“We were very persistent offensively,” Waksmonski said. “Great at bats, hitting the ball, hitting the ball hard, swiping bags tonight. I think we had at least four or five stolen bases tonight. A lot of good things all around, but, offensively, it was getting the clutch two-out hits. Everything (was working) tonight.”

The first of Bishop’s RBI doubles came with two out in the third. It plated Rowan Wiczek and Rappley’s courtesy runner, John Turek, to give Rhinelander a 5-0 lead. Following a sacrifice fly by Vanderbunt in the fourth, Bishop hit another run-scoring double in the fifth and came around on Gretzinger’s second RBI hit of the game.  

Medford (10-8, 7-5 Great Northern) entered the night with a chance to earn a share of the conference title, but needed a win and for Lakeland to upset Mosinee. Neither happened as Mosinee beat Lakeland 14-1 in Minocqua to wrap up its fourth-straight conference crown. 

Rhinelander (10-9, 7-5), meanwhile, tied Medford for the runner-up spot in the conference, which was the team’s best finish in the league since tying for second in 2021. Rhinelander did it by winning its final four games in GNC play. It also marked a stark improvement after the Hodags won only one game last season.

“It’s definitely a good, good feeling having a winning record in the conference and to do it in the fashion that we did it — playing our best baseball going into the postseason,” Waksmonski said.

The late-season surge helped the Hodags earn the No. 7 seed in their 14-team half sectional for the WIAA tournament. Rhinelander will play host to 10th-seeded Amery this coming Thursday at Stafford Field, with the winner traveling to second-seeded St. Croix Falls for the regional semifinals June 3. 

“In our sectional, I thought that was a very favorable seeding for us,” Waksmonski said. “Amery’s going to be taking the long ride. I know that’s going to be a tough ride. If we can obviously get that (win), we’d have to go the opposite way, but, we’ll take care of business first.”

Rhinelander faced Marathon Friday in a game that concluded after our early holiday press time for today’s edition. The Hodags will face Wisconsin Rapids Assumption at home this afternoon to round out the regular season. 

“Obviously we want to get our guys at bats going to the postseason,” Waksmonski said. “We’ll be putting some arms out there that haven’t seen a lot of time this spring, both against Marathon and against Assumption. But again, I think the biggest thing, though, is we get the at bats and, make defensive plays and just kind of keep playing the game.” 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at jeremy@rivernewsonline.com.