Team preview: RHS Softball

While the Rhinelander High School softball team still has a way to go to contend with the top teams in the Great Northern Conference, 2025 was a significant step in the right direction. The Hodags went 5-16, a four-win improvement from the prior year, despite a young roster and losing some valuable early-season practice time with the Hodag Dome out of commission for nearly two months. 

Coach Ali Bender said she is optimistic the team can take another step forward this year with eight of the nine starters returning from last year’s playoff loss at Waupaca, plus another good freshman class that could by vying for playing time by season’s end. 

“We’ve got a lot of girls back, but we also have 10 freshmen adding to our lineup as well,” she said. “I think those upper classmen, knowing the expectations of our program, plus the ball that these younger girls have played, will make a huge difference.” 

The Hodags started to figure out how all the pieces fit together yesterday as they took on Crandon and Crivitz as part of a triangular in the Hodag Dome. That preceded this weekend’s Danny Mac Softball Classic in the dome. Rhinelander will play two games on Saturday and one more on Sunday as part of the 24-team event. 

For starters, the Hodags will have their battery back this season as sophomore hurlers Aleece Johnson and Kendall Vanney return, along with sophomore catcher Saige Mutter. Johnson and Vanney were Rhinelander’s two all-Great Northern Conference selections a season ago and both received honorable mention. 

    In this May 1, 2025 file photo, Rhinelander’s Saige Mutter makes a throw to first on a bunt during a GNC softball game at Tomahawk. Mutter is one of eight returning starters for the Hodags this spring. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Johnson went 3-9 on the season with an 8.73 ERA and 62 strikeouts over 51 1/3 innings while Vanney was 2-7 with a 10.73 ERA and 40 strikeouts over 45 2/3 innings. At the plate Vanney was Rhinelander’s top hitter on the season, going .302 with nine extra base hits and a team-leading 15 RBIs. Mutter logged the lion’s share of the innings behind the plate and threw out three base runners in 31 stolen base attempts. 

The Hodags bring back four seniors in outfielder Nevaeh Anderson, infielder Kadyn Taylor and twin sisters Clarie and Karlie Yunkers. Rhinelander also returns a pair of middle infielders in juniors Cassidy Lindner and Ava Rathbun, junior outfielder Chase Verbist and sophomore outfielder Kalyn Miller. 

The lone starter who graduated from last year’s team is third baseperson Lucy Lindner. Of the group returning, Anderson hit .375 with a pair of triples and six RBIs in just 21 plate appearances. Cassidy Lindner hit .235 with 6 RBIs and Miller hit .227 with eight RBIs.

“We have a big chunk of those players coming back,” Bender said. “We are looking to fill, all positions, but specifically we lost Lucy Lindner, so we’re looking for someone there. We’ve got Cass back at shortstop. She’s just gotten bigger, stronger. We’ve got Ava, we’ve got a good chunk of freshmen that understand that middle infield. The outfield. We’ve got great, great girls now with speed. We’re taking the right angles.”

Additionally the Hodags’ freshman class has many players who have had plenty of experience between the youth and middle school programs. Bender said some of them are ready to contribute at the high school level right away.

“A majority of them that can contribute at any time. I feel right now that there are quite a few freshmen that have just played a lot of softball, so they’re IQ, they’re probably going to jump in,” she said. “Maddie Paulson, Audrina Skubal, Ruby Plamann, Anna Cure, Bella Vanderbunt, all of them just have played a number of softball games, which is just gonna help our team even more.” 

Bender said, like last year, the lineup will likely evolve between now and when the WIAA playoffs roll around. The biggest variable will be finding the nine best hitters on the team. While the team improved its pitching and fielding from the previous season, hitting still lagged behind with the Hodags batting.194 as a team with 126 strikeouts. 

“I ended the season with our season (banquet) saying the biggest thing that killed us this year was our hitting,” Bender said. “It was not our defense. We improved in defense tremendously. But the amount of work that these girls put in our offseason, it has showed just in (practice). It showed all winter long. But that’s going to be the key. Who can hit? If you can hit, you have a spot on my field.”

Ultimately where the Hodags finish in the GNC remains to be seen. Though Lakeland qualified for the WIAA tournament last year, the T-Birds figure to take a step back after graduating all-state pitcher Saylor Timmerman, who is seeing innings this spring for the University of Arkansas. 

However, the depth of the GNC looks to remain strong. The conference only graduated three first-team all-conference selections from last year. 

Still Mosinee has plenty of talent to go around and will be the odds-on favorite in the conference this season. The Indians went 11-1 in the league last year before getting tripped up by Lakeland in the WIAA tournament.

“Mosinee, Medford, Antigo, they always put together a really, really tough team,” Bender said. “Coaches that have been around their programs for a long time. That’s what you expect to see. Really, anybody in the conference at any day can bring something you haven’t seen before. I think we proved that last year against Lakeland when we played that 1-0 ball game with them. That was a shock to the whole community. 

“I do think I think we’re going to compete at a high level. I do. I’m not going to say where we’re going to place because I don’t want to dampen anybody else’s season or anything like that, but I do want it to be known that we are the Hodags. This is what our culture is. This is what we’re building as a program, and here’s where we’re headed, and I think that’s going to start on Thursday.”

Rhinelander plays most of its non-conference schedule this weekend. The Hodags are slated to play three games over two days in Mauston April 10-11 and will take part in the Shawano Invite May 9. Otherwise, the rest of the schedule is against the GNC, beginning with a game scheduled at Lakeland for this coming Tuesday. 

“The biggest thing right now is where we start, like I said, isn’t where it matters. It’s where we end and who we end and what’s our identity and our culture at the end,” Bender said. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].

TEAM SCHEDULE

Date    Opponent    Time

3/26    CRANDON    —

3/26    CRIVITZ    —

3/28    LENA    3:30 p.m.

3/28    DANNY MAC INVITE    7 or 8:45 p.m.

3/29    DANNY MAC INVITE  9 or 11 a.m.

3/31    at Lakeland*    5 p.m.

4/2    at Medford*    5 p.m.

4/7    TOMAHAWK*    5 p.m.

4/9    at Antigo*    5 p.m.

4/10    Mauston Invite    TBA

4/11    Mauston Invite    TBA

4/14    N’LAND PINES*    5 p.m.

4/16    at Merrill*    5 p.m.

4/21    at Mosinee*    5 p.m.

4/23    LAKELAND*    4:15 p.m.

4/28    MEDFORD*    5 p.m.

4/30    at Tomahawk*    5 p.m.

5/5    ANTIGO*    5 p.m.

5/7    at N’land Pines*    5 p.m.

5/9    Shawano Quad    9 a.m.

5/12    MERRILL*    5 p.m.

5/14    MOSINEE*    5 p.m.

5/21    WIAA Regionals    TBA

* Conference games | HOME GAMES IN CAPS